Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things.
The topic of self-motivation, however, is far from simple. People can be motivated by many things, both internal and external, such as desire to do something, love of someone, or need for money. Usually, motivation is a result of several factors. *The ability to motivate yourself—self-motivation—is an important skill. Self-motivation drives people to keep going even in the face of set-backs, to take up opportunities, and to show commitment to what they want to achieve.* *Motivation is what pushes us to achieve our goals, feel more fulfilled and improve our overall quality of life.* - Understanding and developing your self-motivation can help you to take control of many other aspects of your life. - Motivation is one of the three areas of personal skills that are integral to the concept of emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman, the author of several seminal books on Emotional Intelligence, identified four elements that make up motivation: - *Personal drive to achieve*, the desire to improve or to meet certain standards; - *Commitment* to personal or organisational goals; - *Initiative*, which he defined as ‘readiness to act on opportunities’; and - *Optimism*, the ability to keep going and pursue goals in the face of setbacks. This is also known as resilience. To improve self-motivation, it is therefore helpful to understand more about these individual elements. The Elements of Self-Motivation 1. Personal drive to achieve You could think of a personal drive to achieve as ambition, or perhaps personal empowerment. However, it is also worth thinking about it in terms of mindset. *There are two types of mindset, fixed and growth.* - Those with a *fixed mindset* believe that talent is ingrained, and that we cannot change our level of ability. - Those with a *growth mindset* believe that they can improve their skills through hard work and effort. Research shows that those who believe that they can improve—that is, who have a *growth mindset*—are far more likely to achieve in whatever sphere they choose. A growth mindset is therefore an important element in a personal drive to succeed. Other elements of personal drive include being *organised* <https://www.skillsyouneed.com/lead/organising-skills.html>, particularly being good at *time management* <https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/time-management.html>, and *avoiding distractions* <https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/minimise-distractions.html>. 2. Commitment to goals *There is considerable evidence, even if much of it is anecdotal, that goal-setting is important to our general well-being.* *If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.* Albert Einstein ------------------------------ *You should set goals beyond your reach so you always have something to live for.* Ted Turner ------------------------------ *The greater danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.* Michelangelo It certainly makes sense that ‘*if you aim at nothing, it is easy to achieve it’*, and that most of us need something in our lives to aim towards. Having an awareness of where you wish to be, and an understanding of how you plan to get there, is a vital part of staying motivated. *For more about how to set good goals, see our page on Setting Personal Goals <https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/setting-personal-goals.html>.* 3. Initiative *Initiative is, effectively, the ability to take advantage of opportunities when they occur.* It is all too easy to hesitate, and then the opportunity may be gone. However, the old sayings ‘*look before you leap*’ and ‘*fools rush in where angels fear to tread’* have a lot of truth in them. It is also important to think things through and ensure that you are making the right decision for you. *Initiative can therefore be considered as a combination of courage and good risk management:* - *Risk management* <https://www.skillsyouneed.com/lead/risk-management.html> is necessary to ensure that you identify the *right opportunities* to consider, and that they have *the appropriate level of risk* for you; and - *Courage* <https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/courage.html> is necessary to *overcome the fear of the unknown* inherent in new opportunities. 4. Optimism or resilience *Optimism is the ability to look on the bright side, or think positively. Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ after a setback, or keep positive in the face of challenges. The two are closely related, although not exactly the same.* Resilient people use their ability to think as a way to manage negative emotional responses to events. In other words, they use positive or rational thinking to examine, and if necessary, overcome reactions that they understand may not be entirely logical. They are also prepared to ask for help if necessary—as well as to offer their own help generously to others in need. Types of Motivators: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators *In thinking about self-motivation, it is helpful to understand what motivates you to do things.* There are two main types of motivators: ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’. In their simplest form you can think about these two types of motivation as: - *Intrinsic* = related to what we *want* to do. - *Extrinsic* = related to what we *have* to do. A more detailed definition is: - *Intrinsic*: To perform an action or task based on the expected or perceived satisfaction of performing the action or task. Intrinsic motivators include having fun, being interested and personal challenge. - *Extrinsic*: To perform an action or task in order to attain some sort of external reward, including money, power and good marks or grades. Different people are motivated by different things and at different times in their lives. The same task may have more intrinsic motivators at certain times and more extrinsic motivators at others, and most tasks have a combination of the two types of motivation. *Example:* - *John works because he has to pay his mortgage and feed himself and his family. He gets no satisfaction from his job and there is no chance of promotion. John’s motivators are purely extrinsic.* - *Sally works because she loves what she does, she gets enormous satisfaction and self-fulfilment from her work. Sally has enough money put away that she does not need to work, she owns her house outright and can afford to buy what she wants when she wants it. Sally’s motivators are purely intrinsic.* Clearly Sally and John are at different ends of the self-motivation spectrum. Most people, however, fall somewhere in the middle. Most people do have to work in order to earn money, but at the same time they also find their day-to-day work life rewarding or satisfying in other intrinsic ways—job satisfaction and the chance to socialise with colleagues, for example. We all have a tendency to work better when we love what we are doing. *It’s easier to get out of bed in the morning, we are happier in our work, and happier in general.* Research shows that this is particularly important when we’re under stress. It’s much easier to cope with stress and long hours if we generally enjoy the work. Intrinsic motivators therefore plays a big part in self-motivation for most of us. The Importance of Obligation *What about if a task has neither intrinsic nor extrinsic motivators?* The obvious conclusion is that we are unlikely to do it, because it will be pointless. We all know it doesn’t always work like that. There is a further issue: *feelings of obligation*. Obligation motivators are not strictly either intrinsic or extrinsic but can still be very powerful. Obligation comes from our personal ethics and sense of duty, what is right and what is wrong. Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx SELF MOTIVATION THROUGH B G The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita, is a sacred Hindu scripture that is part of the epic Mahabharata, 3500 BCE holds profound wisdom and guidance which can lead you forward towards your spiritual journey <https://www.invajy.com/footprints-of-god-god-is-always-with-you/>. Srimad Bhagavad Gita comprises 18 chapters and has 700 Sanskrit shlokas or verses which unravel the philosophy of life. It is a compilation of conversation between Lord Krishna <https://www.invajy.com/8-life-changing-lessons-to-learn-from-lord-krishna/> and warrior Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. This holy book of the Hindus highlights the fundamental truths of life <https://www.invajy.com/8-fundamental-truths-of-life-which-can-change-your-life/> that have been inspiring the past, the present and will inspire the future of every human being. Literally it is a motivational speech by the Lord to Bhakthan. But really imparts the self-motivations through various yogas. The Gita not only provides practical guidance for leading a righteous life but also delves into deeper philosophical and spiritual teachings. There are many verses in Bhagavad Gita which I really like, and it is not easy to pick just one. Still, I am trying my best to summarize best shloka or verses from the holy book that takes us through the spiritual essence of the Bhagavad Gita in the most practical and systematic way. न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपा | न चैव न भविष्याम: सर्वे वयमत: परम् ||2.12|| na tvevāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ na chaiva na bhaviṣhyāmaḥ sarve vayamataḥ param *Meaning: But certainly, there was not any time in the past when I did not exist; nor you, nor these rulers of men. And surely it is not that we all shall cease to exist after this**.* This verse explains the non-lasting existence of everyone (soul). Krishna says there was not any time in the past when he did not exist. He was there in present in the battle of Kurukshetra and will exist in the future also. Same is true for Arjuna and others kings too. Their eternal soul having neither birth or death, they should not be grieved for. If ever existing why would one lament for not achieving something? देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा। तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ||2.13|| dehino’sminyathā dehe kaumāraṃ yauvanaṃ jarā tathā dehāntaraprāptirdhīrastatra na muhyati *Meaning: Just as the man in this body passes through the various stages of boyhood, youth, and old age, like so, he passes into another body after death. The wise know it and are not deluded.* In this Bhagavad Gita sloka, Shree Krishna establishes the principle of transmigration of the soul from lifetime to lifetime. He explains that in one lifetime itself, we change bodies from childhood to youth to maturity and then to old age. In fact, modern science informs us that cells within the body undergo regeneration—old cells die away and new ones take their place. It is estimated that within seven years, practically all the cells of the body change. Further, the molecules within the cells change even more rapidly. Scientifically, in one year’s time, about ninety-eight percent of our bodily molecules change. And yet, despite the continual change of the body, we perceive that we are the same person. That is because we are not the material body, but the spiritual soul seated within. Since the body is constantly changing, in one lifetime itself, the soul passes through many bodies. Similarly, at the time of death, it passes into another body. Actually, what we term as “death” in worldly parlance is merely the soul discarding its old dysfunctional body, and what we call “birth” is the soul taking on a new body elsewhere. This is the principle of reincarnation. Then all need not happen in one’s life time; we can try and when succeed, be cool; if not try another or once more. मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदु: खदा: | आगमापायिनोऽनित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||2.14|| mātrā-sparśhās tu kaunteya śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino ’nityās tans-titikṣhasva bhārata *Meaning : O son of Kunti, the contact between the senses and the sense objects gives rise to fleeting perceptions of happiness <https://www.invajy.com/20-happiness-quotes-for-making-you-smile/> and distress. These are non-permanent, and come and go like the winter and summer seasons <https://www.invajy.com/summer-quotes/>. O descendent of Bharat, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.* This shloka or verse from Bhagavad Gita communicates a very powerful and important message that nothing is permanent in this life. Winters and summers are temporary in nature. Like whether changes with time, it come and go away. Similarly, pain and pleasure are impermanent and will come and go away. Ups and downs, tough times and difficult situations will come and go away in life. Have patience, <https://www.invajy.com/patience-is-a-key-to-success/> learn to tolerate them without being affected by them. Nothing is of permanent nature in this world. everything changes with time <https://www.invajy.com/change-is-growth/>. न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: | अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||2.20|| na jāyate mriyate vā kadāchin nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śhāśhvato ’yaṁ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śharīre *Meaning : The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor is it that having come to exist, It will ever cease to be. The soul is birth less, eternal, immortal and ageless; It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.* “Fear of Death” is the biggest fear. *Be fearless <https://www.invajy.com/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-unknown/> and live the life at the fullest. *We all know that one day we are going to die. But the soul will never die. Death is solely the destruction of the materialistic physical body. Identify yourself as pure and peaceful eternal soul not as your materialistic physical body. The soul neither born nor die. Existence in the womb, birth, growth, procreation, diminution, and death. These are transformations <https://www.invajy.com/self-transformation/> of the human body, not of the self (soul). The self-awareness <https://www.invajy.com/johari-window/> that you are soul is one of the important step towards spiritual journey <https://www.invajy.com/footprints-of-god-god-is-always-with-you/>. कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन | मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||2. 47|| *karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana* *mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi* *Meaning : You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction*. This is probably one of the most famous shlokas from the Bhagavad Gita. This verse encapsulates the essence of selfless action. It emphasizes to be process oriented rather then result oriented. This Gita verse reminds you to focus on performing your duties sincerely and wholeheartedly without getting attached to the outcomes. Do your duty in best possible manner and be detached from its outcome, do not get driven by the result, enjoy the journey of reaching there. Because if the end results does not turn around as per your expectations, pain is unavoidable. By detaching ourselves from the fruits of our actions, we free ourselves from the anxieties and expectations. आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमाप: प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् | तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ||2. 70|| āpūryamāṇam achala-pratiṣhṭhaṁ samudram āpaḥ praviśhanti yadvat tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśhanti sarve sa śhāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī *Meaning : Just as the ocean remains undisturbed by the incessant flow of waters from rivers merging into it, likewise the sage who is unmoved despite the flow of desirable objects all around him attains peace, and not the person who strives to satisfy desires.* A deep and large ocean has many streams of water entering it. No matter how many streams enter the ocean, regardless of how gently or how forcefully they enter it, the ocean always remains calm <https://www.invajy.com/how-to-stay-cool-or-calm-in-difficult-situations/> and undisturbed. Likewise individual of steady wisdom has all the – “thoughts, needs, expectations, desires” (rivers) flowed in the mind (ocean) , but he/she does not get affected and disturbed with them. He/she does not get impacted by any number of material objects or desires that he/she experiences. श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् | स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: ||3.35|| śhreyān swa-dharmo viguṇaḥ para-dharmāt sv-anuṣhṭhitāt swa-dharme nidhanaṁ śhreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ *Meaning : It is far better to perform one’s natural prescribed duty, though tinged with faults, than to perform another’s prescribed duty, though perfectly. In fact, it is preferable to die in the discharge of one’s duty, than to follow the path of another, which is fraught with danger.* Lord Krishna says to us that it is better to perform our own prescribed duty even if it has some faults rather than performing someone else’s duty to perfection. Around 4000 – 5000 years back; what Lord Krishna said in the above verse is still relevant. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.” Life is short. Don’t do precisely what others do. Be original. Have the courage <https://www.invajy.com/41-courage-quotes-to-enhance-your-inner-strength/> to follow your intuition and dreams <https://www.invajy.com/dreams-quotes/>. Don’t let others opinion affect your opinion. Don’t waste precious time by doing things other people want you to do. When you’re cognizant of the fact that time is short, you value it appropriately. On the similar lines there is a famous quote of Steve Jobs <https://www.invajy.com/steve-jobs-quotes/> (co-founder of Apple), from his commencement speech <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA> to the graduates of Stanford University <https://www.invajy.com/graduation-quotes/> which goes like this – ” Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्य: परं मन: | मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धे: परतस्तु स: ||3.42|| indriyāṇi parāṇyāhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ manasas tu parā buddhir yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ *Meaning : The senses are superior to the gross body, and superior to the senses is the mind. Beyond the mind is the intellect, and even beyond the intellect is the soul.* An inferior <https://www.invajy.com/inferiority-complex/> entity can be controlled by its superior entity. Here in the above verse or shloka Shree Krishna explains the gradation of superiority amongst the instruments God has provided to us. He describes that the body is made of gross matter; superior to it are the five knowledge-bearing senses (which grasp the perceptions of taste, touch, sight, smell, and sound); beyond the senses is the mind; superior to the mind is the intellect, with its ability to discriminate; but even beyond the intellect is the divine soul. This knowledge of the sequence of superiority amongst the senses, mind, intellect, and soul, can now be used for rooting out lust, as explained in the final verse of chapter 3. Life is like the earth with the undulations, gradations, ranks and files; so we have to learn to live in good sense and not with regrets. एवं बुद्धे: परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना | जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ||43|| evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā sanstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śhatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam *Meaning: Thus knowing oneself (soul) to be superior to the material senses, mind, and intellect, O mighty-armed Arjuna, subdue the lower self (senses, mind, and intellect) by the higher self (strength of the soul), and kill this formidable enemy called lust.* In conclusion of Chapter 3, Shree Krishna emphasizes that we should slay this enemy called lust through knowledge of the self. The verse addresses the inner battle we face against our own desires and passions. It teaches us to develop spiritual intelligence and rise above the influence of the senses and the mind. By recognizing our true nature as spiritual beings and aligning ourselves with our higher consciousness, we can overcome the relentless force of lust and other material attachments. त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मन: | काम: क्रोधस्तथा लोभस्तस्मादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ||16.21|| tri-vidhaṁ narakasyedaṁ dvāraṁ nāśhanam ātmanaḥ kāmaḥ krodhas tathā lobhas tasmād etat trayaṁ tyajet *Meaning : There are three gates leading to the hell of self-destruction for the soul—lust, anger <https://www.invajy.com/motivational-and-inspirational-short-stories-about-life-nail-on-the-fence-story-2/>, and greed. Therefore, all should abandon these three.* Together, lust, anger <https://www.invajy.com/8-tips-to-control-your-anger-before-it-controls-you/>, and greed are the foundations from which the demoniac vice gets developed. These are the root cause of virtually every single problem in human life. They fester the mind and make it a suitable ground for all the vice to get triggered. So if anyone wants to avoid the self-destruction, he or she should ensure to stay away from these three. न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषत: | यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ||18.11|| na hi deha-bhṛitā śhakyaṁ tyaktuṁ karmāṇy aśheṣhataḥ yas tu karma <https://www.invajy.com/karma-quotes/>-phala-tyāgī sa tyāgīty abhidhīyate *Meaning : For the embodied being, it is impossible to give up activities entirely. But those who relinquish the fruits of their actions are said to be truly renounced.* It may be contended that better than renunciation of the fruits of actions is to simply renounce all actions, for then there will be no distraction from meditation and contemplation. Shree Krishna rejects this as a possible option by stating that the state of complete inactivity is impossible for the embodied being. The basic functions for the maintenance of the body, such as, eating, sleeping, bathing, etc. have to be performed by everyone. Besides, standing, sitting, thinking, walking, talking, etc. are also activities that cannot be avoided. If we understand renunciation to be the external abandonment of works, then no one can ever be truly renounced. However, Shree Krishna states here that if one can give up attachment to the fruits of actions, it is considered perfect renunciation. Self-motivations do arise by learning our literatures in depth. Motivational speech of Hitler and Churchill landed people only in a war. KR IRS 25 8 23 On Fri, 25 Aug 2023 at 17:14, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote: > MOTIVATION is Great, But Not Enough on Its Own - Motivational speakers > have the power to make their audiences what they TRULY want out of life, > set goals to achieve what they want, and take bold, massive action to reach > those goals. But motivation doesn't last. you'll need motivation EVERY > SINGLE DAY for it to be effective. Missing your daily dose can set you back > dramatically.You have to be prepared for a lifelong commitment of learning, > acting, and adjusting - and for most of us, that's time we just don't have. > > > N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004 > > *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you > become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to > a goal, not to people or things "* > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoqrqzzwvXSLbZ4X7pMJFpr7U%2BMLqU4C0AdRvYM06K82Kw%40mail.gmail.com.
