Showing Up

What if motivation isn’t what we think it is?

sadhana

When we succeed, we are proud of our inner motivation.  High-five that inner strength!   But when we fail, we feel like our inner motivation failed.  And if something deep inside us can fail, does that mean we are a failure?

Maybe motivation is isn’t what we think it is.

Feeling motivated is amazing.  It’s full of energy and smiles.  But real life is ups and downs, ebbs and flows, yin and yang.  Which means that feeling unmotivated is not a personal failing, it’s a normal person feeling.  And it also means that feelings alone can’t be relied upon to get us on the mat or on the trail. So if motivation isn’t a feeling, than what is it? 

Perhaps we should look at motivation not as a feeling, but as driving towards a goal?  But if rewards are what is needed to get us onto the mat or onto the trail, then we are forever bound to looking forward.  Every hiker knows what happens when we are looking forward and not right in front of us!  What is going to help us when those inevitable, real-life stumbles happen in the present moment?  Rewards alone can’t be relied upon to help us show up.

So what is motivation then?

Yoga suggests that instead, we focus on sadhana “practicing our promise”.  We make a promise to ourself to show up, and we practice keeping that promise.  If we are low energy, we practice showing up (and then we choose a shorter trail or a slower yoga class).  If we are struggling, we practice showing up (and then we use hiking poles or yoga blocks).  If we don’t show up, it doesn’t mean that something deep inside of us failed.  It means we missed out on an opportunity to practice.  So we show up next time so we can try practicing again.

Double clicking that fresh, new motivation idea is easy and fun.  Practicing your promise day in and day out… not super sexy.  But it is Real.  And as I go through the ups and downs of life, Real sounds pretty good to me.

Until next time,

Laura