The Art of Self- Motivation

Motivation is key to life, it is the fire that keeps us going, it pushes us to attempt the impossible, take on unbelievable risks, endure tremendous amount of pain and hardships and in the end achieve amazing results. The success of any movement or entity is intrinsically woven to the fabric of a few highly motivated individuals. In today’s world we come across a lot of people demotivated, struck in the rut, frustrated and gradually slipping into depression, desperately looking around for motivation from external sources like monetary benefits, position, perks and privileges etc. But these are temporary motivators; genuine motivation is internally generated. The ability to be self-motivated or to be energized internally is a key life skill.

But the million dollar question is how do I energize internally? How do I keep my passion burning and strong? How do I overcome the blues? To get to the answer we have to go to the very core of our being, “Our Heart”. Take a moment to listen to your heart? Hear what it is saying? What motivates you intrinsically? Is it your vision? Is it your dream or Goal that keeps you motivated? Is it monetary benefits? Is it perks and position that will motivate you?

Go back to the beginning of it all, where it all started? Let me tweak the question a little bit now, not “what” but rather “Who” motivated us? As we ponder over it deeply slowly a striking truth will sink-in that it was God and God alone who was our motivation, nothing else and no one else mattered at that moment, we were passionate for Him and for His Kingdom. Overwhelmed by His love, we gladly responded to His irresistible call stepped out with an “I don’t care what” attitude to serve the Lord of our lives. We didn’t bother about the money in it, in fact there was very little, nor about the titles or perks; we were totally satisfied in Him, He was our Joy and fulfilment.

Initially the going was great, excitement in everything we did, ready to jump onto anything that came our way with total abandon but as we progressed on that road we started hitting the bump of de-motivation. It was once in a while at first but as years went by that became a constant companion and we started wondering where all that joy and excitement vanished. The layers of perceived hurts, so called injustice, conflicts, relationship issues and unmet goals started having a domino effect on us and that in turn hardened our hearts.

A calloused heart, with the first love gone, filled with bitterness, anger and frustration is the engine room that drives us into demotivation. As the wise King Solomon says in Proverbs 4:23, “above all else, guard your heart, for from it flows the springs of life”.  A hardened heart keeps us away from the one and only source of all our Joy and motivation. The Psalmist says in Psalm 16:11, “There is fullness of Joy in the presence of the Lord.”   Jesus warned his disciples about the calloused hearts in Mark 8:17-18.

Somewhere down the road we lost that vital connection with Jesus, we went into autopilot mode of following Jesus and the funny thing is we didn’t even realize it.

As we progressed down that road we heard an inspirational message somewhere and that sort of reignited the fire but it died down almost immediately, we attended a seminar or a conference and felt that God was distinctly speaking to us and again there was sparks flying only to be back where we were, we were desperately looking for that elusive motivating factor, we even tried our hands at performance believing that life change, spiritual fruits and results will replenish us, only to realize that even that didn’t last long. This up and down emotional swing became perennial and we are desperate for a way out.

None of these external impetus will work until we sit down and take a good look at our core – our calloused heart. Is the “Who” of motivation still on the throne? As Paul Tillich rightly puts it, “our ultimate concern should be the concern of the ultimate”.  We can take comfort in the fact that we are not the only ones on this road, great leaders like Moses, Elijah, David and Paul had to walk this road and re-energize and replenish internally and come back with even greater passion to serve Him. 

The cry of Moses heart was, “Lord please show me your glory” in Exodus 33:18.

Prophet Elijah was demotivated and depressed to the point of death, but His time with God on mount Horeb renewed his heart greatly. I Kings 19

 For King David only one thing mattered, only one thing that he may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. Ps 27:4.

 For Apostle Paul that one thing was, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection…..” Phil 3:10.

The art of self- motivation is taking time to be in His presence and examining deeply into our calloused hearts, peeling of all those layers of hurt, pain and bitterness and allowing the one and only motivator of our hearts, Jesus Christ to have His complete sway over it.