Finding MotivationSometimes, life serves up more than we can handle. Finding motivation to carry-on in the face of difficulties is challenging. It is much easier to give up, go back to bed, or turn on the TV. Sticking with it when the "going gets tough" is a valued trait in society. But, does it always make sense? Sometimes, it makes you miserable, which is stupid and can be damaging to your self-esteem. Don't ignore your own wisdom that says it is time to stop or that it is not worth the pain. Listen to yourself and your intuition. Be true to yourself. Finding motivation comes from pursuing that to which you are aligned. Finding motivation is about remaining open. Keep listening to your inner guide and voice. Most people hear that inner voice and follow it for a while. But, then, a week later, we fall back out of touch with ourselves. In the hectic-ness of life, it is easy to lose that connection to self. We forget to be on the lookout for guidance from our inner selves. I like to think that just as our lives change, our own inner guidance will change, too. The problem for most people is that they try to live their lives based on inner guidance from the past. What your intuition told you in the past does not necessarily translate to your current situation. I think that the experience of hearing your own inner voice is so rare and so powerful, that it really sticks with you. It has such an impact, that you try to live by that guidance for years to come. A year ago, your inner voice said that something is a good investment or a good business idea. So, you stick with that, even when life is now signaling that it is no longer an optimum path for you. A year ago, it made sense. It may not make sense any longer. Finding motivation does not require that you search outside of yourself. Instead, finding motivation is about getting in touch with your inner self. Your inner voice is always there. It lives within you. It is not going anywhere. It is up to you to pay attention to it. You can decide to tap into it or not. You decide how frequently you will access this guidance. The trick is to get in touch with your inner voice on a regular basis. It will always be a powerful experience, just try to make it more frequent. Guide yourself everyday in order to live your most authentic life. Connect to your inner voice:
1. Close your eyes 2. Take a few deep breaths. 3. Listen to your heart. Its beating. Focus on your connection to your heart. 4. Start right now. Just stop for a minute, close your eyes, and concentrate on feeling happy. If it helps, place a hand over your heart or wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a big hug. Some people find it helpful to bring their hands together in front of their chests, in the prayer or namaste position.Take a few deep breaths and feel yourself relaxing more and more each time you exhale. When you are relaxed and your mind is clear, ask, "What would feel good right now?" or "What would be good to do right now?" Be open to receiving guidance in the form of both words and/or images. Perhaps a loved one will pop into your mind. Follow that image and reach out to that person. 5. Guidance can be in the form of images or words. 6. Trust your inner guide. Your guide is there to take care of you, protect you, watch out for you, and heal you. It is one of your greatest allies. 7. Focus on what would be good for you. Tune out what would be good for your family, your boss, your partner. Begin each day with the question, "What would be good for me to do, just for me?" It may be something small, like taking a 15 minute walk or drinking a cup of coffee by yourself out on the sun porch. Go to bed 10 minutes earlier. 8. Be patient and kind to yourself. 9. Keep things in perspective and dont worry about your inner guide leading you down the wrong path. Family, health, and the other "big ones" are what truly matters. Few of our day-to-day decisions really matter in the grand scheme of life. Stop worrying about doing the "right" thing or the "best" thing or being "perfect". Focus on what feels good and true and authentic for you to do. To build your connection to self, use your inner voice to guide you on smaller day-to-day activities until your connection to your voice is strong. and you are comfortable listening to your own guide. 10. Remember: you haven't lost your voice, you have just lost touch with it. When people say, "I need to find my voice" or, "I need to get in touch with myself" it seems to me that they are feeling lost and disconnected. It sounds like they are searching for their inner self. Your voice hasn't gone anywhere - it lives inside of you. You just have to remember to stay in touch with it. Say "hi" to it and check in with it every day. 11. Your inner voice is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it will become. So, use it. Use it often and finding motivation will become easier and easier. While it may sound weak and distant right now, it will become clear, strong, and resonate within you. Start with the easy stuff first and work up to the bigger decisions.
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