The Nature of Motivation

The Nature of Motivation

By Gabriel Goldiamond

When I look out into the world, I see a lot of people that don’t know how to use their energy. What I mean is, I see so many people living half-lives, with filled with unfulfilled dreams. When I have talks with these people, many times they will share with me their desires, wishes, and secret ambitions. “So why don’t you go and do that then?” I ask. Then I wait for the excuses. One of the most famous ones is “I don’t know how to keep myself motivated.”

Motivation is a perplexing thing. It is the thing that rouses us to do all the things we do each day, from waking up in the morning and getting ready for work, to coming home, eating dinner, washing the dishes, and going to sleep at night. There is motivation to all our actions.

Okay, now that we’ve got that fundamental principle of motivation out of the way, let’s apply it to life change and progress. The desires that come from our hearts, our deepest desires, are, in truth, our most powerful motivations. The motivations that drive our actions, words, thoughts, beliefs and feelings each and every day are, in actuality, our least powerful motivations. Why? Because they are established. They have been programmed to run on auto-pilot in our minds and we are used to them. The issue is that many people are programmed not to follow their deepest heartfelt desire, because it is more powerful.

For suppressed core desires and ambitions to manifest, we have to tap into a deep level of power and strengthen ourselves. It’s akin to wanting to build physical muscle. To become stronger, we must lift, and we must respect the process of becoming stronger.

This means that the process to achieve our greatest desires will be a process of mind strengthening. Mind strengthening is the science that says. “No matter what my programmed beliefs are, I am choosing a new belief to replace it.” And that means you’re in for a fight. Though not experienced by all, many people, in the desire to change their lives get a huge resistance from their past beliefs, and eventually give up the belief in themselves to achieve their dreams. This is the major conflict that stops ninety-nine point nine percent of people dead in their mental tracks.

However, there is hope. I have an exercise that I want you to try. If you have a goal coming from your innermost being, make a promise to yourself that you will go after it for a full month. No matter how big the goal is. In the course of this month, I guarantee you that you will hit that brick wall of doubt and conflict, and you will want to turn back to your old ways. However, I want you to be waiting for this conflict, this feeling--don’t avoid it. When this feeling comes, stop everything you are doing, and feel the doubt. Feel the conflict. Other thoughts may come to validate this feeling, but don’t let them. Just watch the thoughts in your head. If you give it a good 60 seconds, the feelings and thoughts will have subsided somewhat. Now, say to those thoughts and feelings, in a calm, yet firm tone, “I am consciously choosing to go after my goal, no matter what you say.” Breathe deeply again. Breathe out the negativity.

Why am I asking that you do this? Because true motivation, fundamental motivation, isn’t what you do when you’re feeling good. True motivation is what you do when your mind gets rough. Circumstances reflect our inner selves, so it is never the circumstances that get you down. It is only your mind. Motivation is who you are when your mind hits ‘rock bottom’. Can you remain faithful to your dreams? You wouldn’t cheat on your lover, would you? So why would you cheat on your heart?

Gabriel Goldiamond, Consultant, Life Coach and Author of The ‘I AM’ Science Program.