Motivation

“Discipline is the root of our motivation.”

I remember reluctantly running 5k races for charity, I say reluctantly not because I don’t support charities, but only because when you don’t “enjoy” running, even a hoard of zombies chasing you can make you give up mentally and think “hey, if you can’t beat em, join em, besides I won’t ever have to run again!” But no matter how exhausting it was, the only motivation I ever felt in those many 5k races was when I saw the finish line. When the goal was within reach, I felt the added rush of adrenaline I needed to finish stronger and faster. 

If we shorten our achievements by creating more “finish lines” within our own individual “marathons”, a burst of adrenaline will be more noticeable to get us to the next “finish line” which propels us to feel the ecstasy of busting through the tape and hear the cheers of those who stood by and encouraged you to succeed. Daily “finish lines” are much more achievable than monthly or annual goals and they give you more opportunities to celebrate your accomplishments.  You will also need to remember to run your race outside of the pack and create your own pace. It’s said the person who follows the crowd will only keep up with the crowd. But the one who runs alone will find themselves in a pace that pushes them beyond what they thought was doable. 

Each of us has that one talent, goal, or dream that we constantly wish we had more motivation to fulfill. Whether it’s playing an instrument, working out, starting a career or becoming the man you’ve always wanted to be. The truth, as far as I see it, is motivation is only half of the magic formula. Discipline is the other half, the secret sauce, the main ingredient. We are quick to wish for living a long life, but exclude living a good life. We are quick to wish for riches, but not for enriching others. Quick to be loved unconditionally, but not to love others with abandon. Quick to wish for happiness, but not to be the source of other’s happiness. All these wishes require something from each of us, and that is self-respect. Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself. Everything you have ever achieved has come with a certain amount of “discipline”.

But what if you just “don’t feel like it”? Feelings are just a byproduct of our thoughts and not a trigger to determine our thinking or our actions. External triggers don’t make you feel one way or another, they only reveal what’s already in your heart. You will be known not only by what you believe, but also by what you reject or deny. When your feelings don’t line up with your self-discipline, this is the moment you search within your character and take guidance as a soldier in a battlefield from the only one who cares about you and who holds the key to you being a man of honor, only second to God Almighty, and his name is (insert your name)_________________.

Sure, there could be some mistrust of intuition because of past mistakes, but there is a priceless treasure in searching the imperfections of our being. The disappointment in our own failings compels and drives us to be exactly who we were created to be. There are more lessons to be learned from our losses then there are from our gains. We all wear the scars of our past mistakes and miscalculations of good intentions, but as there is no part of your skin that is stronger than where scar tissue has grown, there is nothing stronger than a broken man who has rebuilt himself. 

New beginnings occur every second of every hour. Everything starts with a beginning and it’s never too late to create yours. Accomplishments and failures all have a beginning. Today can be the start of your journey to earn the respect and admiration of those you care for and who care about you. Remember that motivation keeps you going, but only discipline keeps you growing.