Lessons for Living       
Lesson Three: "Motivation. Waiting on a miracle!"

Have you ever said, "I just don't feel like it."

Waiting for a miracle.

Act first.  Create the miracle

Today’s lesson is on, "Motivation." Have you ever said to someone, "I don’t feel like it." Maybe you were asked to got to a movie, go out to eat, clean out a closet, or do an unpleasant task. But you say, "I don’t feel like it. Most of us have said it from time to time.

Whenever, you say, "I don’t feel like it," you have quickly summed up your philosophy for life, for how life works. You are saying that life is like this. In life you don’t do things until… until when? Well, until you feel like it.

Now, the question to consider is how long will it take you to feel like it? You might sit there and wait a few minutes and suddenly feel like it. You might sit for an hour as you wait to feel like it. Maybe a few hours? A day? A week? A month? Maybe a year?

The problem is that when you are "waiting to feel like it" you are waiting on the M word to strike in your life. The capital letter M word. What is it? What is the word starting with M that you are waiting on?

People often tell me motivation. Good try, but that is not it. It is also not money or mood. It is not medication. It is not "Mama" or mother to make you do it.

The M word is Miracle. You are waiting on a miracle. Why is it a miracle? Because you want to sit there doing nothing until suddenly something from outside strikes you and fills you with energy, motivation, ambition, and desire and makes you want to go do it without you doing anything but sitting there. What do we call this strategy? We call it waiting for a miracle. It is not the best plan for life. You don’t wait for a miracle. You must make the miracle.

You can make the miracle once you know what comes first in life, Motivation or action? Most people say motivation but the good news is that the answer is action. If you are motivated well and good, but what if you are not motivated? Now, you are back to waiting on a miracle. The secret is to act first and allow the motivation will follow.

This actually happens to us all the time. For example, just recall when you were asked to go somewhere you did not want to go. Maybe it was to the ballet, family reunion, or mud-wrestling match. However, someone begged, pleaded, or maybe, threatened until you reluctantly agreed to go. But, only after secretly having vowed to make them miserable the whole time. They would have to pay for this.

However, a short time after you arrived and much to your surprise you starting having fun. In fact you had a great time - the best in months.

Now, what was your motivation for going? None! You did not feel like going, but you took action anyway. You went anyway. In acting you placed yourself in the circumstances where the motivation could follow. Motivation and energy caught up with you.

So, the secret to motivation is, "Just do it." Do it whether you feel like it or not. Act first and create the motivation. Create your own energy.

This is especially true for things you enjoy. Let’s say you had planned on going out to a movie with friends, but you had a hard day at work. Now that you are at home, you just "don’t feel like it." If you choose not to go do you start to feel better right away? No! Now you have two problems. You not only had a bad day, but you are also angry because you did not get to do what you had planned to do. (Of course, don’t forget you chose not to do it.)

Go to the movie anyway. Do whatever you had planned. Allow the energy catch up with you. Act first. Energy and motivation will follow.

The next time you hear yourself saying, "I don’t feel like it" call a time out. Remind yourself you are choosing to wait for a miracle. Choose to make the miracle instead. Act anyway. Do whatever it is whether you feel like it or not. Create your motivation. Raise your energy level.

©1999 Daniel H. Johnston. All Rights Reserved.

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