Instill Motivation

“Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.”  Abraham Lincoln

Motivation helps people to know what they should do. Everybody needs motivation from time to time. Motivation makes it possible to accomplish what you should accomplish. Vince Lombardi, was a feared disciplinarian and a great motivator. One day he chewed out a player who had missed several blocking assignments. After practice, Lombardi stormed into the locker room and saw that the player, Kramer was sitting at his locker, head down, dejected. Lombardi mussed his hair, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “One of these days, you’re going to be the best guard in the team. Lombardi’s encouragement had a tremendous impact on my life.” Kramer said. And he did become the number one player in the team. There are two ways you can get others to do what you want: you can compel them or persuade them. Compulsion is the method of slavery; persuasion is the method of free people. Persuading requires an understanding of what makes people tick and what motivates them, that is, a knowledge of human nature.

Nothing can motivate a person like adversity or failure. Olympic driver Pat Mc Cormick said, “Failure is one of the greatest motivators and  failures are milestones on the success journey.” As Thomas Edison said as his laboratory burned to the ground “Thank goodness all our mistakes were burned up. Now we can start again fresh.” No one ever accomplishes anything without a goal. Goal setting is the strongest force for self motivation.

Have you ever fiddled with the dials of a radio on the shortwave band, and come upon Morse code signals that sound like: ti, ti, ti,tititi ……  They are actually saying something ---- if you know the code. They have a message for those who can read the code. This sort of coded message is all around us daily. We call it Inspiration. God has a way of sending us signals thorough persons, places and things to motivate us. How do I respond to these signals?

Sr (Dr) Lilly Thokkanattu SJL