What would you do even if you never got paid to do it?
Let’s talk about motivation to find an answer to this question. Motivation is what drives our world and it can be either internal and intrinsic or external and extrinsic.
Internal motivation is a deep human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create, to find purpose and meaning.
Very often we begin to abandon out intrinsic motivation when we are children. We decide that the reward of other people’s approval is more important to the success of our lives than our intrinsic motivation. We decide for external rewards and the avoidance of punishments (external motivation).
Does external motivation lead to true happiness and joy? Probably not. We feel empty. We start to seek things outside of us to try to fill in that emptiness. We find ourselves in jobs we don’t like, in relationships we don’t honour because of the paycheck because of the pay off. Running the rat race will get us the cheese but not the fulfillment and happiness we desire.
Moving back to intrinsic motivation needs a brave decision.
The decision to prioritize your own enjoyment and desire for fulfillment over wanting to gain rewards and avoid punishments from others.
And then a wonderful thing will emerge. Following your own happiness you will run into the center of your purpose.
Questions:
What is happiness worth to me?
What would I do if I had all the money in the world?
What would I do even if I never got paid to do it?
