Not too long ago I was involved in a discussion about what motivates us. General answers were given such as wanting to help others, desires to be a good person, a sense of responsibility. I think all of these are good answers, but as I thought about it, I don’t think one of our primary motivations for doing things were mentioned: avoiding guilt.
I’ll admit that there was a time when my primary motivation for doing certain things was to avoid feeling guilt, or I was already feeling guilty and wanted to get rid of it. In a lot of ways, our culture supports this method of motivation. How many times have we found ourselves saying, “I better do __________ or else __________.”? Now, I’m not saying that everything we do is based on guilt, but for you, what percentage of what you do is?
Image by vancity197
In my journey, I’ve reached a point where enough is enough. I’ve made a decision that when I do something, I want it based out of love–either for another person or for the action itself. For some of the things that I do, I’ve really had to search down deep and redefine ideas, beliefs, and philosophies. When I do this, sometimes I can find motivation based on love. If I just can’t, I’ll admit that sometimes I do default to doing it out of guilt, but sometimes I find myself not doing it, guilt-free. I work because I love my family and what I do. I help a friend move because I love them and want to serve them. I go and visit someone because I care about them and want to make sure they are doing well.
All of that being said, it’s important to point out that I don’t necessarily wait around for a strong feeling of love to do things. It’s beyond the scope of this post to define love, but part of it is certainly a commitment. If I have that commitment to someone or something, then my motivation is already there.
Share your thoughts
No Thoughts About Motivation