What’s my Motivation? Part 2

In my last post about motivation I mentioned that it is my belief that great motivations produce marvelous achievements.

Any guy who has tried to impress a girl knows this to be true.  Think about middle school guys… aka guys before they notice girls.  These guys wear no deodorant, put on whatever clothes are handed to them and seldom brush their teeth.  I used to play basketball all during lunch and then I would go to 6^th period with my shirt drenched in sweat.  I wasn’t (too) abnormal.

By high school these same young men are using cologne, sporting the latest fashions and feigning interest in poetry.

Great motivations produce marvelous achievements.

The next question is obviously this: What is a great motivation?  How do I stay motivated to do outstanding things with my life?

The answer that I have found to that question is this: selfless living.

This is not something that I have mastered AT ALL, but it is true in my life over and over again.  The things that I have done with my life that I’m most proud of were accomplished because I had motivations to serve other people beyond myself.

Let me explain: I finished my Master’s at Abilene Christian University.  I’m proud of this because I really, really wanted to quit after almost every semester.  Here are the reasons:

1)   I’m not a scholar.  Anyone who knows me knows this is true.  I would rather be around people than read a pile of books.  Learning Greek and Hebrew is not my idea of good time.

2)   I moved from Malibu, California to Abilene, Texas.  Read that sentence again.

I constantly wanted to quit.  But for some reason I didn’t give up.  I think the reason is this: I believe deeply in ministry.  I knew that being there would help strengthen me to be in ministry for many years and I believe that ministers help people.  I honestly believe it is because of that motivation that I was able to cross the finish line.

The greatest things I’ve done in my life have selfless motivations behind them.  Think about your own life.  Is that true for you?

If so or if not, how can you try out to set more goals that are motivated be someone other than you?

For example, if you need to lose weight it is almost impossible to will yourself to do it.  But what if you thought about it in a different way:

1)   I will be healthier so I can take better care of my wife and kids.

2)   I will have more confidence so I will be able to be a better husband or wife….

This list could go on and on.  There are better motives for losing weight than trying to fit into that new bathing suit.  I’d be willing to bet if you thought of it in this way you could get results a lot more often.

Why don’t you try it?  What is a goal you have?  How does it help you serve others?  (If it doesn’t, maybe it’s not worth doing)

Instead of always asking the question ‘What’s in it for me?’ maybe we should be asking ‘What’s in it for them?’

 

I’ll have one more post on motivation on Thursday.  Thanks for reading.

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