Self-motivation is a word that oft fascinates me. We hear the usage of this word by different people of different people.

When looked up the dictionary, the meaning of this word were quite some..

– driven by one’s own desires and ambitions

– internal state that helps us initiate, continue or terminate a behaviour

– driven to succeed and fulfil one’s desires

– initiative to undertake or continue a task without another’s prodding or supervision

Internal drive – that’s the term that comes across loudly as a common factor from all these meanings.

A drive that is fuelled by oneself – either towards a goal or a task or to become better or to survive. That fire in the belly!!!

Here are some examples of people, those we have heard of and those we have interacted with, who seem to ‘live’ self-motivation.

Rishabh Pant the Indian cricketer, faced multiple injuries in a near fatal car accident. He bounced back, well ahead of the time given for his recovery and back to playing professional cricket. He missed quite some tournaments which may have caused its own levels of frustration but that didn’t seem to stop him. It is said that “Only he can do this kind of a comeback, given his attitude.” The reasons for the bounce back could be

– An innate attribute of self-motivation, that is fuelled by his drive to be a better player?

– To continue in the area of his life that is his passion?

I have met a few individuals with a disorder whose symptoms may include  extreme fatigue after a mental and / or physical exercise. This may lead them to find it challenging to do many an activity of daily living. An intermittent sleep cycle adds to the challenges. There is no specific time frame by when this extreme fatique would minimise or be nil; and this also depends from person to person. Sometimes for them, everyday they say is pushing themselves hard. According to them more than the fatigue, it is pushing themselves everyday that becomes more tiring.

What was amazing to see in these individuals is that sense of grit and determination to get ahead in the day.

– What is it that motivates them to keep themselves going day on day, no matter the fatigue?

– A need to survive?

– A need to get better and march towards something they want to achieve?

Only they can answer thse questions but it is admirable to see them taking each day at a time with a wish and a hope, that tomorrow will be a better day!!

Heard recently of a baby who was born with a congenital medical condition and needed to undergo a major surgery, on the third day of his / her birth.  The baby who is a few months old is now doing well.  He / she needs to undergo another surgery for another condition that he / she has, after completion of one year. The baby is not aware of the forthcoming surgery but will take it on perhaps in the same way, he / she did the first one.

– Is there an innate self-motivation in the baby to live or can we call it as the baby’s need to survive?

– In that baby state, what is the drive and the goal that the baby may have?

– From a karma perspective, can we call the baby’s need to fight the odds to survive, as prArabdha karma (the karma that comes to fruition in this birth to be exhausted)?

– or is it Darwin’s theory of ‘survival of the fittest’ at play?

These were a few examples, and we would find many more people including ourselves, who live self-motivation many days in our lifetime.

Raises some more questions:

– Are all of us born with self-motivation as a trait but lose it in the process of growing up, facing many an experience that inhibits self-motivation from manifesting itself?

– Is it always internally driven? or are there times when an external source triggers a spark within us and what was dormant, is now live?

– Once it is sparked, does the fire in the belly remain stoked? Does it go dormant again or it sometimes becomes embers, only to be stoked by ourselves or an external source?

– If we are all self-motivated individuals, why is it so evident in some and not so in some? What draws the difference?

The rear view mirror and the side mirror will help us to see where others are.. The mirror available to us is we ourselves. WE who drive our own life. The steering wheel is in our hands. The brake and the accelerator is at the pace we set. If everything is with us, the fire in the belly is ours to stoke, isn’t it? 🙂