Motivation Information

Motivation - How to Design a Life


"Have you ever felt like you've become the worst possible version of yourself?" - Tom Hanks in "You've Got Mail"

Have you ever been relaxing at the movies, enjoying a nice lite movie, only to get blown away by a line said in passing?

That's what happened recently as my wife and I watched "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The couple are having an ongoing email courtship, exchanging messages in the wee hours of the night, when this question comes out of nowhere: "have you ever felt like you've become the worst possible version of yourself?"

And I thought we were just going to the movies.

I think the question is so striking because most of us have felt that way at some point in our lives. I know I have, and so have lots of the folks that tell me their stories every day.

Here's a story emailed to me (thanks Aunt Jan) that does a nice job of setting the stage for designing the kind of life you want:

"An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter.

"This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It's the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project."

Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today." - Author Unknown.

I'll close with these two questions:

1 - Are you happy with the results of the attitudes/choices/decisions you've made that got you here?

2 - What do you need to do, beginning today, that will support you in being happy with the attitudes/choices/decisions you've made 3 months from now? six months? a year? 5 years? 10 years? and the rest of your life?

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.


MORE RESOURCES:

TVNZ

Titans’ Bulluck Finds Motivation in Adversity
New York Times, United States - 1 hour ago
By GREG BISHOP NASHVILLE — The space allotted to linebacker Keith Bulluck in the Tennessee Titans’ locker room is furnished like a studio apartment. ...
Lewis never lacks for motivation against Titans My Tennessean.com
Novacek's picks: Ravens will pull off lone upset KING5.com
Baltimore using history as motivation Niagara Falls Review
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Former U of I hoops stars could provide some motivation
Bloomington Pantagraph,  USA - 20 hours ago
By Mark Tupper CHAMPAIGN — If the Illini basketball team needs any extra motivation for Saturday’s game against Indiana, coach Bruce Weber hopes it’s the ...
Illinois-Indiana Rivalry Renewed Saturday IlliniBoard.com
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CBC.ca

Defoe reveals Spurs motivation
The Press Association - 14 hours ago
Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has credited Harry Redknapp and the club's fans as the key reasons for his return to White Hart Lane from Portsmouth. ...
Defoe fired by Tottenham ambition Independent
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Motivation goal-setting seminar Jan. 10
Caldwell Progress, NJ - Jan 8, 2009
Frank Williams will moderate a one- day motivational goal-setting seminar on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Parsippany Hilton, 1 Hilton Court, Parsippany. ...


New Sampdoria Recruit Raggi Has 'Great Motivation'
Goal.com, Switzerland - Jan 8, 2009
"I have great motivation," he was quoted as saying by Calciomercato. "Samp is the perfect place for my revival." The defender could not put his finger on ...


Motivational tools have changed for area coaches
Bloomington Pantagraph,  USA - Jan 7, 2009
By Randy Reinhardt The motivational powers of fear are immense. As a football player at Illinois Wesleyan, Dennie Bridges and his Titan teammates discovered ...


New York Times

Heisman jinx continues with Bradford
SBR Forum, Costa Rica - 13 hours ago
"I try to use anything I can as motivation," Tebow said. "I think every player does. You try to use that, everything they said, just everything as ...
Tebow's been waiting for this moment since he was a little kid Orlando Sentinel
10 Reasons Oklahoma/Florida will win ESPN
BCS perfect place for Sooners to stop skid Florida Today
GatorCountry.com - USA Today
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You Can't Afford to Break This Resolution
Motley Fool - Jan 8, 2009
But they don't expand their facilities to accommodate all those new members, because they know that motivation usually fades fast. Why? ...


Los Angeles Times

Ravens use an old motivational ploy: lack of respect
Los Angeles Times, CA - Jan 5, 2009
Respect is a motivational tactic as old as sport itself. Coaches and players portray themselves as unwanted, overlooked and underpraised. ...


Motivational group a boon to local women
The News-Press, FL - Jan 6, 2009
On Monday, Ninth Wave, a nonprofit motivational group for women, kicked off its 2009 motivational-speaking series at Designer Shoe Gallerie on Cape Coral ...

Motivation - Google News

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