The Power of Motivation - What is Your Why?
As I am focused on my own goals of health and wellness, as well as my new business goals as I venture into a niche in probate real estate, I find that I am inspired and motivated by others who seemingly allowed life to kick them in the pants so hard, they appear to have lost their motivation and drive to even have any dreams, let alone aspire to reach them. I think we call that giving up.
I can't stop thinking about the 5/27/2014 episode of Chris Powell's Extreme Weight Loss. The show truly is about more than weight loss ... it is about a life transformation. When we commit ourselves to something, anything, we will see results. We may not see the results as quickly was we would like to, but we will see them. It takes persistent effort.
What I saw on Tuesday's episode shocked me; and my mind continues to ponder. If we commit to something without a strong and compelling "why" then are we less likely to achieve/complete what we commit to?
Chris Powell choose two people to participate on the 5/27/2014 episode. Pardon me if I don't have all the facts absolutely correct to the minutest details. The details, in this case, are not as important as the message.
One participant was a young male, around 20 years of age. He weighed in just slightly under 500 pounds - I think his weight was 480 pounds. He was a star home-run hitter in baseball. The background bio they did on him indicated that if it had not been for his weight, he would have been drafted to the big league.
He "committed" to the show and the process and was losing weight - reaching his goals. The golden carrot for him was being signed on with a team, and making the millions of dollars he was promised by the marketing/manager - scouting person that had been following him for years.
After Chris Powell (the ABC team) completed an extensive background check on the man that was promising the big contract revealed he was somewhat of a fraud, and the contestant would not be signing a big contract, or making millions for his talent as a home-run hitter, he got so angry he wanted to quit the process, and he did quit the show.
He confessed his only motivation for participating in the extreme weight loss challenge was to get the contract and make millions. Once that was removed from the realm of immediate possibility, he quit. When his "why" (the contract and millions) was taken away, his motivation and inspiration to lose weight went with it.
After he quit he returned asking Chris and his wife Heidi for help because he had gained back a lot of weight. While they were willing to continue working with him, the contestant did not want to be away from home and was expecting Chris and Heidi to finish their work with him in his home town and at his convenience. That was not going to happen - so he quit, essentially, again!
The opportunity was there for the contestant. No telling what his future would hold in baseball if he had lost the weight. Without a guarantee he would get a contract, and the big bucks, he choose to stay in his comfort zone and eating his way to what will likely be an early death.
I'm still amazed that the young man's focus so myopic he could not see the big picture. I have not always felt this way but I certainly do now: Anything worth having in life is worth working for. There are no guarantees in life except for the old cliche of, death and taxes. We will pay taxes. We all carry a one-way ticket to this planet - no one will get out alive.
I feel that we can guarantee ourselves that we will be and do our very best. If we look to others to deliver to us what we are in control of (our self), then we are looking in the wrong direction. We need to turn around and look in the mirror. It starts with us and it ends with us.
Everyday we get up and out of bed for a reason; without a "why" there may be little reason.
My "why" is to live a meaningful life with a purpose. For me it is making a difference in the lives of those I serve in real estate and making a difference in the world through the good I do in my real estate business and all throughout my life.
What is your "why"?
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