n the United States, for
example, children are taught
from a very young age that we
have inalienable rights which
include life, liberty and the
“pursuit of happiness.” They’re
taught they have to go look for
happiness because it exists somewhere
outside of themselves.
From that baseline, goal-setting
begins, followed by the desire for
motivation to reach those goals. But
what is motivation? It’s an external
influence that impels, or convinces, us
to do something. Motivation can be
both very powerful and very positive;
I
however, relying too much on external
motivation can cause us to disconnect
with our own sense of self. If this
occurs, true fulfillment isn’t there in the
way that it could be, even if success is
achieved.
What if we took a different spin on
success? What if we have it backwards?
The fact of the matter is that every time
you’ve set a goal you've done so
because you believed you would be
happier once you achieve it. So, what’s
the real goal? It’s happiness! Instead of
thinking, “I need to achieve my goal to
be happy,” you can flip it: “I need to be
happy to achieve my goal.”
What many people who feel both
successful and fulfilled have found is
that when they choose happiness first,
the achievements come much more
easily. How does this work? When one
does this, they tap into something much
more powerful and longer lasting than
motivation: inspiration. These two
words are often used interchangeably,
but they are quite different. While
motivation is an external influence,
inspiration is an internal drive or
passion—and there’s a big difference
that comes into play when we act based
on motivation versus inspiration.
Often, when you’re motivated to act,
We're conditioned from childhood to believe
that happiness is something to be found, rather
than something we already have within us.
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PULSE
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January/February 2019