Where Does Motivation Come From?

Although I have been classified as a “motivational speaker” for the last twenty years I am the first to admit that this very well could be false advertising. I can’t motivate anybody. To even try would prove to be an exercise in futility.

That being said, we all need a little juice now and then. We all need to reenergize our creativity, and reintroduce the bounce in our steps. With life representing a sine wave, we all go up and down with our feelings. We sometimes need a boost to get us moving “up” again. So where does this motivational impulse come from? The answer may fool you?

Let me share with you my latest flirtation with motivation.

I was recently “surfing” the internet when I came across Netflix. This is probably not a new concept to you, but it was to me. I decided to test the waters and took them up on a 30-day free trial membership.

I registered. I browsed the available movies. I spotted a familiar name in Appollo 13 with Tom Hanks. I clicked. I began to watch. Very cool indeed.

It wasn’t ten minutes into the film when I found myself becoming motivated. A few short sentences from Tom Hanks was all it took for me to recharge, rethink, rekindle and revitalize my near future.

Tom was looking up at the moon in his backyard following a “moon-walking party” at his home. Fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong had stepped on the moon before reciting his famous line, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.“

That was not what motivated me.

Tom Hanks then said. “They call it a miracle. It is not a miracle. We went to the moon because we decided to go.”

Wow! What a great line. I want you to think about it, and see if you become motivated.

Your success will not come as a result of some miracle. Your success will come as a result of you deciding that success is where you want to go.

The fickled finger of fate will have nothing to do with it. Some clever, silver-tongued motivational speaker won’t get you to the promised land.  Hard work and determination. Experimentation. Trial and error. Persistence. Planning. Failing. That’s what you need. But you also need to “connect” with your objective and then, be on the lookout for input that will feed your connection.

I may say the words. But you have to make the connection.

I can’t motivate you. Nobody can motivate you. Only you can motivate you by connecting with words and ideas that make sense to you and serve as a propellent to drive you toward your goals. I introduce the idea … you do the motivating.

Let me leave you with these words: You did not get this far by accident. You got to where you are today because you made it happen. Don’t stop now. Pick another target. Take aim. Fire away. Know that you … are your own master motivator.

PS. My Inner Circle Sales & Marketing Club is expanding. If you have an interest to learn more about this program send me an email at    mike@mikemarchev.com

Remember, “Chance favors the prepared mind.”