By Bryan K. Williams
Motivation: What moves you?
What motivates you? What moves you? What inspires you to be more than you usually are? People oftentimes ask me questions like that. The truth is, several things motivate me. For the purpose of this article, I will only focus on two.
#1: I am motivated by seeing people treated well. I mean exceptionally well. It particularly excites me when the recipient of the kindness and the giver of the kindness don’t know each other. I love that!
#2: I am also motivated by seeing people who work with pride, passion, and professionalism. You know the ones. The men and women who work with a purpose. You can feel that they didn’t wake up to be mediocre, and they are not going to sleep mediocre. These are the ones who always look for ways to do more than is expected of them.
The High-Chair
On a recent trip to a restaurant with my family, I asked our server to bring a high chair for our toddler. She responded with, “Of course! I will get one right away. But first, let me wipe it down and make sure it’s clean for you”. That may not sound like much, but that is the first time anyone has ever offered to clean a high-chair for us. And we have two children, and have dined in several restaurants over the years. When I mentioned how much I appreciated her gesture, she told me that seeing people happy motivates her. The server went on to say that her personal mission is to make each of her guests smile before they leave the restaurant.
Here is the key. As awesome as motivation is, no one can truly give it to you. You have to find it for yourself. Only you know what truly touches you. Is it your faith? Is it music? Is it a story? Is it a person? Find it. Hold it. Cherish it.
Unstoppable
A motivated version of you is unstoppable. The problem is that a lot of people don’t know that they were made to be unstoppable. You were built to leave a mark. Evidence. Legacy that you were here.
When it comes to your role at work, please know that you are either adding to, or taking away from the work environment. Make no mistake, SOMETHING is different because YOU are at work. It is up to you to determine if that “something” is positive or negative. It’s never neutral. When you are passive, it’s a negative impact. When you take initiative, it’s a positive impact. When you consistently agree with everything everyone says, it’s a negative impact. When you search for ways to add value to discussions, it’s a positive impact.
Keys to Remember
So, make suggestions and search for opportunities for improvement. Be someone who is known for multiplying the value of wherever you are. One of the best ways to add value is by motivating others. Interestingly, that is also one of the best ways to motivate yourself. Yes, by motivating others, you motivate yourself. By helping others, you help yourself. By loving others, you love yourself. All are needed, and you capable of doing them all.
As you go through your day, the key question is not, “Am I motivated?” The real question is…Who will I motivate today?
