Are You Driven by Externals or Internals?
Staff Reports
Everyone is motivated by something, and for most of us, it’s discomfort. One of the most common motivations for change is being uncomfortable or unhappy about something your current situation.
For instance — we all talk about exercising, but until you are more uncomfortable from NOT exercising than you are from exercising, you will have a hard time talking your brain and your body into biking, walking, or running. Our brains will NOT let us do something we absolutely do not want to do!
It is very easy to believe that “externals” are the driving force for us, that they hold the power. A bigger job, a better car, a bursting checking account, these are all external motivations, but in reality, our thinking is more important than our situation.
When we get down to basics, we recognize that there are two types of
thought: thoughts of fear and thoughts of love. Anger is based in fear,
and so are anxiety and depression. Thoughts based in love give us
acceptance, patience, and hopefulness.
Every moment of every day, we are making a choice. You and you alone
control your thoughts — no one else “sticks” them into your brain! Where
are your thoughts? What drives you?
If your attitude is controlling, rigid, and closed, then your thoughts
are based in fear. If your attitude is patient, willing to listen, open
to ideas and approaches, then your thoughts are based in love.
Marie Curie, discoverer of the element radium and winner of the Nobel
Prize, said, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be
understood.” Learning to trust the process is crucial to opening up our
minds to greater understanding. Have we gotten ourselves in a financial
bind? Well, let’s understand the “how” and the “why” of it rather than
fear it. Understanding will move you forward more quickly than fear and
anxiety will.
The Indiana-born spiritual writer Max Ehrmann says that “the universe
unfolds exactly as it should.” That is trust!!
We want to remain trusting and positive — especially during times of
change. This information might help you understand yourself better and
will be beneficial when making decisions about changes in your life.
Rather than letting external forces or desires guide you, strengthen
your internal locus of control and let your own actions, thoughts, and
attitude control your destiny.
If you can see it, you can achieve it. You control your fate! Whether
you make a brilliant investment in yourself depends on practically
everything under the sun — but most of all it depends on YOU!
