What motives you?
This is the sort of thing you get asked in interviews and to which we learn text book answers about 'sense of achievement' and 'professional pride'. We learn to also leave out things like 'money'. But what does motivate people? I've always had a strong personal drive which has kept me going through lots of tough projects. But what does that really stem from? Its seen as a personal quality but is it really about arogance and ego? On TV an Indy Car mechanic said that the biggest motivational factor for him is 'pride' - he is proud of which team he works for and wants them to do the best. Is this not just about self-importance and an inflated ego though? Does it not lead to this? You want to do a good job when you do something - to show what you are capable of.. is this so people praise you and you feel good about yourself?
Does it matter?
Its interesting to know what motivates people. There's so many motivations. Completely opposite emotions can be responsible for people being motivated to the same extent in the same direction. Love, hate, anger, fear, desperation, happiness, sadness, joy, pain. In the world we live in many are motivated by money. Then you have those motivated by strongly held beliefs, religious or otherwise. The 'reality' which each person creates for themselves, made up of all their external and internal influences and inspirations, is the context in which their actions make sense. Its the playground in which their rules and ideas are fact. Its here where the calculations about motivation, self-drive, and emotions are all played out.
So whats your reality?
What is the utlimate goal that you are aiming for? Are the goals in your everyday life leading to this goal? Right away this sounds like religious rhetoric, yet you could be the strongest atheist and still plan your life towards goals and aims. Those living for the afterlife, what relevance and importance do you attach to the worldly affairs of this life? Are they still significant?
Many feel a conflict with a lot of 'day to day life' and their deeper spiritual and religous aspirations and hope for themselves. This is why people go on things like retreats. What should be the response to this? What can we do about it? Islam caters and plans for this with specific periods in which we stop and reflect. The month of Ramadhan gives Muslims this every year - and at the same time every week there is the Friday prayer, along with the daily prayers too. Yet, many Muslims will admitt they do not spend as much time as they feel they should on their faith. What should be done about that?
I find monks inspiring.
There's is a forsaking of the material world and dedication to a beleif. Isn't it true that if we fully believed in what many of us say we do then we'd live like that? Is that the answer though? Islam rejects that sort of life for specific reasons and asks its followers to engage in all aspects of worldly life too, politics, government, society etc. Each faith tradition seems to have elements of this though - or groups of people who do lead this sort of life.
It comes back to motivation.
What is our motivation for forming and living in societies? Is it a human spiritual need or a result of basic group theory and a result of evolution where hunting in packs was more effective?
What motivates you?
Why is working rewarding, and do you feel less valued when you are not working or achieving things?
If you are not working as much as you were before - due to illness say - how do you still feel valued?
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