Where does motivation come from?

 by Mackenzie Stickney

     I have several types of motivation that seem to have made sound lodgings; each gushing up from entirely different wells. The first is motivation that slowly crawls into my stomach when I’m starving for improvement and achievement. It isn’t until the final twinge of shame and regret fully settle that I launch myself  forward into a hurried grasp for fulfillment of what I’ve been abandoning. Although it’s a little nauseating to admit, I always benefit from the surge of awareness that pushes me towards my ultimate goal.

       The second is the type of motivation that usually walks in hand in hand with a sense of strength. When I’m confident in what I’m doing and I’m familiar with success, I have a quiet motivation that settles in the back of my mind. With a blanket curled around its drowsy head, it sort of pokes me in the rump while I consistently move forward. This sort of sleepy constant comes from certainty.

       My favorite, is the motivation on the outside. It’s the type of motivation that sits on my nose, merrily whistling, and precisely pointing to exactly what needs to get done.  Task after task, I get it done. However, my attitude towards the little guy on my nose changes from day to day. Sometimes I’m whistling along with it or cringing until it falls off, and I’m left again– starving.