What Motivates You?

Motivation is a funny thing. Just ask Chris Farley.

In his famous "van down by the river" Saturday Night skit, the late funny man portrayed a 35-year-old, divorced,  unemployed motivational speaker who lived in a van down by the river. Or so the story goes. 

Seems easy enough to understand. Unlike the concept of motivation. Healthy motivation, that is. It's all a very personal endeavor until our motivations are under scrutiny by others. Which is altogether a real conundrum because anyone would admit that the entire idea of motivating factors depends ENTIRELY on the person that needs motivation. 

In change management training, I learned that a glass of cool water can be as motivating as a building on fire. Ironic, I know, but it all depends on the situation. Imagine yourself wandering the day in the hot dry heat of the Sahara until you finally stumble upon a tall cool clean glass of water. Who wouldn't empty their pocketbook for such a thing? 

Imagine walking across a tight rope in a circus act. Could you do it without a net? Could you do it with a net? Do you remember walking across a carpeted two-by-four in elementary gym class? Fun and easy, but how difficult is it really to balance yourself while trying to attain a goal? Imagine walking across that same balance beam four feet off the ground. Now imagine walking across a balance beam suspended between two four-story buildings. Yikes! Who would want to do that? Imagine walking across a balance beam suspended between two four-story buildings where the building you are on is on fire. Yikes! Who wouldn't be motivated to at least try to make the pass? What motivates you?