Look For Your Motivation In The Most Unlikely Place

How often do you find that you see people, and even a friend who seems to be up when things are well and down when things aren’t going well, or you know — awful? To be kind, let’s just say they are often downhearted, and in need of some motivation from without. To succeed in life, motivation must come from within, to succeed on the battlefield of war, motivation must be sought out of a will to live, and to succeed in sports, motivation comes as the result of practice.

Self preservation is predicated on self-motivation. Finding the drive and the motivation to keep moving when you feel morally wounded, exhausted, and seemingly fresh out of ideas, can be a daunting task, nevertheless, to stop moving is not an option.

People who look for motivation from without, oftentimes have great personalities and a decent work ethic, however their lives are usually inundated with unfinished tasks, unreached goals, and unsolved problems. If the opportunity presents itself for them to quit and throw in the towel, they gladly take the offer. Though the door of success seems to be closing at a snail’s pace, they continue to strive until the door is almost closed. The almost-closed-door becomes their signal or sign from heaven to do what they’ve always wanted to do—quit. Those who pursue their dreams with a haphazard approach are too blind to see that their lack of passion is part of the reason for the door of success closing. They will live their entire lives watching how close the door is to closing, while giving minimal effort to make life or their dreams worth living.

When I’m speaking on or around a subject such as perseverance, I often think of Game five of the Chicago Bulls vs. the Utah Jazz, battling for the NBA Finals Championship. Michael Jordan had flu-like symptoms and a temperature of 101°F. Before and during the game, the team’s doctor was intravenously pumping him with fluids. Jordan was drained, feverish, and in need of a hospital bed. While some teammates viewed the door to winning the Finals as closing because of Jordan’s condition, Michael Jordan had a relentless desire to win despite the condition of his body, so much so, that he refused to allow the door to be completely closed to his team winning the 1997 NBA Finals Championship.

Michael Jordan scored 38 points playing against the Utah Jazz while nursing a fever and flu-like symptoms. Following the game, during an interview with Karl Malone, Karl literally thought that Michael was faking an illness to motivate his teammates. I guess, when you don’t have an answer as to why certain men will push themselves to the breaking point where you might quit, the only reason you can come up with for losing to a physically sick and fatigued opponent, is that he must have been faking it.

My friend, too many times and in too many situations, we find ourselves searching for answers to why and how others can push past obstacles that we have used as culprits to cause us to give up or give in. Life is what it is, until you make it what you want it to be. Longevity must have its place if success or reaching your goals is going to be the end result. Your peace is not in the prize, it’s in what it took to win the prize.

Read this story about an insolvent man who became rich again through a dream:

There once lived in Baghdad a very wealthy man, who lost all his substance and became so poor, that he could only earn his living by excessive labor. One night, he lay down to sleep, dejected and sick at heart, and saw in a dream one who said to him, “Thy fortune is at Cairo; go thither and seek it.”

So he set out for Cairo; but, when he arrived there, night overtook him and he lay down to sleep in a mosque. Presently, as fate would have it, a company of thieves entered the mosque and made their way thence into an adjoining house; but the people of the house, being aroused by the noise, awoke and cried out; whereupon the chief of the police came to their aid with his officers. The robbers made off; but the police entered the mosque and finding the man from Baghdad asleep there, laid hold of him and beat him with palm-rods, till he was well-nigh dead.

Then they cast him into prison, where he abode three days, after which the chief of the police sent for him and said to him, “Whence art thou?”

“From Baghdad,” answered he.

“And what brought thee to Cairo?” asked the magistrate.

Quote the Baghdadi, “I saw in a dream one who said to me, ‘Thy fortune is at Cairo; go thither to it.’ But when I came hither, the fortune that he promised me proved to be the beating I had of thee.

The chief of the police laughed, till he showed his jaw teeth, and said, “O man of little wit, thrice have I seen in a dream one who said to me, ‘There is in Baghdad a house of such a fashion and situate so-and-so, in the garden whereof is a fountain and there under a great sum of money buried. Go thither and take it.’ Yet I went not; but thou, of thy little wit, hast journeyed from place to place, on the faith of a dream, which was but an illusion of sleep.”

Then he gave him money, saying, “This is to help thee back to thy native land.”

Now the house he had described was the man’s own house in Baghdad; so the latter returned thither, and digging underneath the fountain in his garden, discovered a great treasure; and [thus] God gave him abundant fortune.

Stop pursuing treasure somewhere else, and notice the treasure around you!

Recommended Reading:

I frequently say, “Readers are leaders and leaders are readers.” I strongly believe this statement; therefore, I have taken the time to recommend reading material that I believe will greatly benefit your life and business endeavors. Click the images to see more information or to order the books from Amazon.com.