Staying Motivated

Random Thought on Staying Motivated 

Staying Motivated means different things at different times for me. If I’m referring to my health, I know my diet has a lot to do with how I feel. Not feeling well is a motivator for me to stay on a clean diet. Keeping my immune system up so I don’t get sick. And when I stray from healthy foods, I feel it. It shows up in different ways and that can motivate me to return to feeling good and I know what I need to do. 

I remember hearing once that we need a balance between love, work and play. Well the last 15 months have been anything but that! What a challenge it was for me to feel like I had balance in my life. Stress can derail me. I have a shell I retreat to… after all I am a Cancer/crab! In this sense, pain and discomfort motivate me to fill in the missing gaps and find what my soul is longing for. Reconnecting in Nature is a great motivator for me. Being near the water has always been a relaxing way to reconnect and lately I have had this strong desire to go sit somewhere quiet near the water and just write whatever comes. I will make time for this over the summer. Sitting in the sun is a way for me to relax and reconnect. Seeing a beautiful sunset, experiencing the ocean, or watching a butterfly flit about happily. I love hearing birds and when spring starts to color everything around me, coming out of the long, cold winter months in Michigan. New life, renewed energy. Motivated to move forward. 

A while back I found this wooden plaque that said…”Alexa, do the dishes” and I had to buy it because it made me laugh! It sits on my windowsill above the sink. If you really knew me you would know I do not have an automatic dishwasher and often my sink or counter is piled up with dishes. What motivates me is if I know someone is coming over I do not want him or her to see my mess. I’m embarrassed. And the pan I need or my favorite spatula is in that pile and in order for me to cook my next meal I have to clean those darn dishes. What motivates me is the feeling I get when I see a clean sink and I know I did not succumb to the persistent voice that tells me to wait till later to do the dishes! Go me!!! It’s the little things right? 

Regarding my music, I need to feel creative or have something to inspire my creativity. If I’m stressed and over busy (which does show up more often than I would like) my mind takes over and does not allow much room for being creative. I need to take care of myself in healthy ways so I can hear what my heart tells me I need. In writing songs, I need to be aware of my surroundings. Sometimes I will hear something someone says and I will write it down, as I hear the potential for landing in a song. A play on words can motivate me! Something clever that grabs my attention. And I am motivated by challenging myself to write what’s never been written before. And knowing something I wrote in a song that touched another soul in some way keeps me motivated to continue. I love hearing how someone interprets my song based on his or her experience of it! 

What motivates you? How does this show up in your life and what are some things you have discovered about yourself? If you were willing to share I would love to listen! Your story may be the very thing that motivates another! 

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