Motivated by Fear Learning from Pain
I would love to say that I am an intrinsically motivated person. Wouldn’t it be beautiful just to do the right thing because of your inner guidance, or follow the best role models? Unfortunately, I always had to go through massive pain or feel fear to get motivated.
Getting sober, for example: I got sober because I am afraid to lose a good portion of my health or end up like a meaningless looser if I continue to drink.
Learning: I am learning because I am afraid to be forced, being in a mind-numbing 9–5 job that sucks out all of my soul and creativity.
Saving money: I had to be broke several times, running around from dead end job to dead end job, to finally understand the importance of saving money.
Trying to stay healthy and move my ass: Look around you, a lot of people can’t barely move anymore, their faces are in pain. That scares the hell out of me, imagining I could be like that in the future.
It is mind-blowing to me how many people are able to ignore simple facts and are continuing to humiliate themselves.
You are smoking? Getting cancer is a real thing.
You are drinking? It can mess up your body and your future.
You are eating junky food? Loss of mobility, bad quality of life.
Looking at social media the whole day? Messed up concentration, biased mindset.
I do eat bad food and scroll social media for 5 hours from time to time. But I can’t ignore the impact that these behaviors are having on me. At least not anymore, getting older and realizing I don’t have all the time anymore, makes me afraid to mess up all the opportunities that are left.
Maybe fear and pain is not that bad after all when we use it the right way and don’t get paralyzed by it.
I think if we want to have a great quality of life being healthy, looking for oneself and others is not optional. It is mandatory!
