This past week I read a post by a blogger I really like. She also has a second post, sort of a follow-up, about the same topic, which I recomend. But the one to which I've linked is the one that started me in the new mental direction I'm pursuing. Another paradigm shift to rock the end of my 2010!!! ^_^ The information containted in that post has been causing many "after shocks" in my mind and conversation since. I'm so interested in and profoundly effected by the recognition of truth and subsequent efforts to synthesize it and create some change in my mind and life resulting from the recognition, that I feel a desire and even need to share the info with those few who may read my meanderings here.
So, here I go!
Motivation is the thing that gets us going in a given direction. That's basic. Everybody knows it. Well, I would assume so anyway.
Have you considered the KIND of motivation effecting your efforts? The kind may well determine, at least in part (probably large), the outcome of your efforts to move in the direction of your choice. How? Let's look at some examples from my life.... just cause you probably know me some and may be able to identify with some of the examples or, at the very least, will surely be able to comprehend the message that pertains to you from my story. Stories are awesome that way, aren't they!?
So, let's say you know this perpetually fat girl. And, since you know me, you DO know at least one! :) Now, most people, to look at me, would not call me morbidly obese, but according to the charts I am. And, at the very least, I feel morbid about my obesity. ;) Seriously, though. I started getting fat, far as I can tell, when I was 10. Since then I've had two pretty good runs at being thinner. My thinnest each time saw me a size 10, but not able to drop the numbers on the scale below 160. Even when I was running 6 miles a day 5-6 days a week. Yes. I'm serious. So... how does this pertain to motivation? Well, what has always been the "inspiration" when motivated to lose weight? To get away from being fat, of course. Okay, so the "of course" really should not be OF COURSE, but for me it has been.
For a good part of my life (most of it!), I've been trying to move "away from" being fat. I've been motivated away from being fat. Well, the thing about "away from" motivation (and I can definitely tell you that in my life this truth is hard, cold, and basically a FACT and not just when it pertains to weight issues) is that when our psyche is far enough away from the source of it's motivation, the effort to move "away from" becomes less and less and eventually most "away from" motivated people (me, me, me!) will stop moving "away from" entirely and slowly slide back into habits that caused the problem from which the away to move "away from" motivation arose at the start of the whole process.
On the other end is our family decision to homeschool. Okay, so in the beginning it was a TORI-decision. But after Jess saw some of the fruit (Ria reading at 4 years old), he decided to embrage the hog and hop on board. ^_^ So, since then we've definitely have "towards" motivation working here in our hearts and home. And how do I know the difference? Well, when it's gotten very difficult and I've wanted to give up... we haven't. We have not stopped homeschooling even though the going has gotten VERY tough at times. We? Yes. Jess has pep-talked me back to determination to keep on keepin' on. It's definitely a team effort here in the Gollihugh home... whether he actually does any "teaching" or not... which he does do, actually quite often, I need my primary cheerleader!!!! I was and still am definitely motivated by some "away from" sort of inspiration, but the primary reason we keep going is because our Father in Heaven has communicated to us that this is the Path He would have us follow. And who would want to move "away from" Him!??!!!??
Another example of "towards" motivation for me is our birthing choices. Sure, there's the desire to move "away from" interventions and "away from" strangers in the process... but for me the first and foremost motivation has always been TOWARD the best experience for my baby, my man, and me (and now our girls, too, of course). And, of course, needing to confess Christ in ALL things, I must confess that His direction in this is THE last word.
In my own self, I have always been motivated toward the healthiest (physically, emotionally, and spiritually) way to give our babies the best very first start. I have been motivated toward doing what I know my body is capeable of doing and doing it in the best way possible, which, for us, has meant: at home, quiet, with our family, midwife, her assistant, and a close friend and/or my Mom to attend to the needs of littles. Yes, we have out young ones present to watch the birth because we desire that they should see their siblings born that they may know there are no if, ands, or buts about the new one's belonging in our family. Once again, this has definitely been a choice for which TOWARD motivation must necessarily be within Jess AND me. Last time (Tea's birth) my midwife had me so riled up and worried that I asked the Lord many times if I could please go to the hospital. He said no. I asked Jess if we could go to the hospital and HE said no. So, the two most important men in my life urged me TOWARD what I wanted most and we three pulled it off with our midwife present to pull the baby out to prevent shoulder distocia (since she was supposed to weigh upwards of 11.5 pounds according to the ultrasound. :p) Ain't God GREAT!??
Currently I am working to change my thinking in lots of ways because of the most recent pradigm shifts I've experienced, this whole motivation thing being the most recent one. One thing I'm really trying to change to TOWARD motivation is how I think about money. As a result of God's grace and provision for us, we were able to pay off our credit cards prior to becoming unemployed. Now, during this down-time (when Jess is working, but his income is NOT entirely sufficient for our needs) I'm striving to change my fiscal mind so that when the time comes and we have sufficient and some excess, we will be able to use what we have to great benefit of our family's future fiscal life.
Of course, I'm also working on TOWARD motivation regarding my body. And then maintaining the TOWARD motivation!
How about you? Can you see any goals you could apply a change of TOWARD motivation to increase the probability of long-term success? I hope you experience some mental earthquakes as a result of this info. I'm sure it'll only be the good kind... to shake your world up and enable you to make it TONS better!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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