E-M8 Entrepreneurial Management for Eternal Mission

Motivation is a field that spawned many theories and observations. I find myself fascinated with motivations of myself and others. But what seems to be the toughest discovery to internalize is that much of motivation depends on conscious choices. Often, it is a matter of choosing to be happy, content or motivated. And that’s a tough one, since when one is miserable, no amount of convincing that it is largely a matter of a choice will do.

As a society today, many people choose to not have a purpose, choose to not care, choose to disengage. Yet, the same people are surprised that their day seems boring and unmotivating.

A few years ago, one of my former acquaintances challenged me to for three days respond to everything either positively or not at all. I did and I learned a tremendous lesson: those three days could have been completely miserable, but they weren’t they were actually bearable and, at times, enjoyable.

Since that time, whenever I get too far down, I just choose to acknowledge and notice the positive in the world and in people. It can be a deliberate excersize to give people compliments, that you really mean, but the exercise of finding something for which you can compliment others, actually changes the way I see the world. Soon, it is no longer an exercise but a natural behavior.

And the world becomes a better place, when we all choose to view it in a better light.