The Day Loans Blog

Motivation is an oft-discussed subject, particularly with regards to whether or not it is something that can be “taught.” Some people believe that motivation is something that can be “caught” like a virus, whilst others (myself included) believe that motivation is something that has to have start from within, and for personal reasons.

What is seldom discussed with regards to motivation is those obstacles that get in the way of feeling truly passionate and directed in your life pursuits. The following are five motivation “killers”-they truly douse the fire of goal getting in your life-and ways to avoid their consequences.

Motivation Killer #1: Vagueness

Have you ever gotten into a car without knowing where you were going to drive? Course not. The same principle applies to setting goals and living with passion. When you get into your car, you have a destination in mind, an endpoint. If certain roads are closed due to construction, or if an accident has blocked off a particular road, you decide on alternative routes to the same destination. In life, the clearer you make your goals, the better your chance of attaining them. Having a clear destination is crucial not only to your driving exploits but also your life.

Motivation Killer #2: Extrinsic reasoning

People that are extrinsically motivated are those that are motivated by something outside of themselves. Common examples would be those that are motivated by money, possessions, accolades, what the neighbors think, etc. However, extrinsic motivation leads to a tumultuous lifestyle. What are the consequences of not getting the accolades, not obtaining the prestigious position within the company, not being able to afford the hottest new sports car? What happens if somebody disagrees with your opinion? The answer-lack of true, sustained passion for pursuit of your goals, as well as chronic anxiety and unhappiness.

Motivation Killer #3: Fear of failure

Probably the most common motivation killer, fear of failure is rampant in today’s society. For an entire article on the subject, read my other article, “Run Towards Fear”, which outlines a specific plan for conquering your biggest fears. However, when the thought that failure is intolerable or horrible overrides all other rational thoughts, the end result os the failure to take any risks, which are necessary for growth and improvement. How can you expect yourself to gain if you cannot risk? Although it is quite normal (meaning that you are not alone in this issue) to fear that you might not succeed, try not to let that fear rule you. Act in spite of it, and make the conscious decision that other things (gain, self-respect, confidence) are more important than your momentary fear.

Motivation Killer #4: Inactivity

Inactivity is one of the most common methods for reducing enthusiasm and passion in life. However, it is the most easily corrected problem. Take action, any action. The results are dependent upon something getting done. Care more for results than for methods. Though many people have lofty dreams and aspirations, many fail to take action to make them come to fruition. I have known far too many brilliant people who simply never took enough action in their lives, and I have even found myself taking too much time to think through issues fully when I should have been taking action towards attainment of the issue at hand instead.

Motivation Killer #5: Lack of knowledge

Lack of motivation is the final most common motivation destroyer. After all, how can you be passionate about a goal if you have no idea how to attain it? The answer lies with finding someone who has succeeded in whatever endeavor you venture to begin. Find out their methods, and model your actions after theirs. No need to reinvent the wheel here! This person serves as a model for what you want to do, and they could take the form of an acquaintance, a friend, or someone who is a public figure. If they have done that which you are seeking to do, all you have to do is replicate their methods as best possible given your unique circumstances.

Copyright (2004) Leif H. Smith. All Rights Reserved.

Performance expert Leif H. Smith, Psy.D, is the president of Personal Best Consulting, a consulting firm located in Hilliard, Ohio. To learn more tips and techniques to immediately improve performance in your life and to sign up for his FREE monthly advice newsletter, visit http://www.personalbestconsulting.com

Before we ask the question - are celebrities happy, let us first find out what is happiness? If you feel good for an hour every day, and horrible for the rest of the day, are you happy? What if you are happy for eight hours a day and feel down for the remaining sixteen hours, are you a happy person? For most of us, happiness is a state that is not permanent. We are not happy throughout the day. At least majority of us are not.

What is happiness? Happiness means a sense of deep contentment. A cheerful outlook. An attitude of positive thoughts. A person who has these qualities is happy during all the times of the day.

How about celebrities then? They have name, fame and wealth. They can, not only buy whatever they desire, but they can also buy a loved one. They can buy anything. Their name is splashed around in the media most of the times. Every news about them is awaited by the general population. Celebrities may not have been born with a silver spoon in the mouth, but the current spoon is mostly that of gold. So they must be happy! Don’t we think so.

But sadly, happiness is away from most of the celebrities. Speaking of contentment, most of them are not only not feeling any contentment, but are frustrated. Their every movement is captured by the media. They are always in the public eye. So they try to hide. They are jealous at times of the common man. And they have no deep sense of peace in them. Rather their life and minds are full of turbulence most of the times. They are at times so dissatisfied with their own life that they wish to run away from themselves. This they cannot do, and therefore substances that take them away from their own realities are often used by them.

Happiness has something to do with money, but only to an extent. Happiness has nothing to do with fame, if you are not satisfied with yourself. Whatever the world may say, unless one has self-esteem, one can never be happy. All of us sail in the same boat. Most of us are living unhappy lives most of the time. Let us get happiness that will give us a satisfied sense of living. Let us strive for happiness in our own inner world.

Mohatta writes on different aspects of life - love, inspiration, management, humanity, truth etc. He is a content writer for some of the screenenetwork.com websites like Ecard Universe, Inspiration Ecards, etc. His writings are incorporated in the ecards, screensavers and wallpapers.

How do we smile at each other? Is there a message communicated between us as we smile? Does it convey the depth of our feelings we have for each other? Take note of how our smiles deepen in feeling toward each other as our relationship grows and time passes. Note how our smiles reflect our joy as we pass time together without insignificant complaints.

You’ve heard it said that we all have something to give. That something is a simple smile. A smile that conveys not only friendship, but simple love. And are we not aware that we should love everyone? We should love all. But we also know that those we love the most are those we know the best.

The more time we spend with our companion, the happier we are. Business and other affairs of life may take us away from home for certain periods of time. Do not allow the association of others outside the home to become more important than the associations we have at home. Do not allow commitments of the world to outweigh the committment of our companionship and relationship at home. Being at home with our partner should be the place we long to be, amid all the duties and responsibilities of life. We should foster a relationship with our companion that turns our steps homeward when our daily duties are accomplished. Companionship with our special loved one is the means of developing and encouraging that love which initially brought us together.

Do not allow the difficulties and distractions of life to become a wedge between us and our loved companion. We must talk to each other. Listen to each other. Smile at and be with each other often. Challenges are so much easier to face when they are perceived as challenges to be solved together, rather than challenges that may divide us.

Our most important and precious possession is our family. Even when we are just a family of two. We are more important than any professional or social club or organization will ever be. We need to spend as much of our free time as is needed in nurturing and growing our relationship. And we should also be willing, in return, to encourage each other in the growth and development of ourselves as individuals. We can be truly proud and supportive of each other’s talents and capabilities. And we can do it with a warm and sincere smile.

We can give and we can receive. We can lift and we can support. We can smile, and share that love and encouragement with each other.

And we can do it often.

Bob Curtis has been writing articles, short fiction and poetry for over 30 years. He is the managing director of “Relationship Sense” (http://www.People4People.blogspot.com) and is the president of Nexus Publishing (http://www.nexus4u.blogspot.com). He assists with Blue Romance (http://www.moonlitefire.blogspot.com), a site promoting “positive” romance.