...on motivation, energy and passion!

Hey! How's it going?
I was speaking to my partner today and we were discussing motivation, i.e. how to get motivated to do things etc.
Just what is it exactly that drives a person to to things, to achieve? What makes you even get out of bed in the morning? Do you wake up with energy and excitement and can't wait to 'seize the day' or do you drag yourself out of bed, obligated to spend another boring day stuck at work in a job which means nothing more than a way of paying the bills?
What is it that is driving me now to write this at such an hour (ten past midnight)?
And as our conversation progressed we discussed passion and purpose. If you are passionate about what you do you obviously feel more motivated to do it. Like putting coal on the fire; energy creates more energy.
I'm writing this 'cos I feel compelled to get these ideas down on paper.
We all need meaning in our lives. We all need direction. We all need to find and then follow our purpose.
When I met Lullabys percussionist, Brett, he told me he was bored and in a rut. Now, nearly a year on from our meeting and with the band going from strength to strength, Brett has rediscovered his passion for music. He is riding high. His life has meaning again.
So what comes first? Do we first need to somehow summon the energy to take action or does the energy come from following our passions?
It alarms me sometimes when I ask a therapy client, 'What are your hobbies, what are you passionate about?' and they say 'I don't know' or, even worse, 'nothing'!
What did you love doing as a kid? What did you want to be when you grew up? What gets your juices flowing?! What do you do to absorb yourself or lose yourself in for at least an hour a week?

For me it's mostly music. Music has been my saviour! It got me through the darkest hours of relationship break-ups. A good book can also entrance me for hours on end. A walk in the countryside or along a beach. Sitting by a lake or pond.
Do you allow yourself time to BE STILL?
As well as the need for purpose and meaning, us humans need to take time out and relax - everyday! Even just 5 minutes can be hugely beneficial. But of course, most of us lead such hectic lives that we overide the body's need to unwind. This can lead to symptoms of stress, affecting our sleep patterns and energy levels.
So, we're back to energy and motivation.
in 2001 I started training to be a hypnotherapist. I clearly remember studying in my back garden, KNOWING I would succeed. I didn't have to try. It was as if destiny was taking over. I was following my purpose - my passion. I'd always been fascinated by the mind and psychological stuff. I studied meditation and yoga for years, recorded my dreams in journals, studied Buddhism, became a hermit with a very long beard!! When hypnotherapy helped change my life I knew beyond any doubt that I had to learn how to also help others through the power of hypnosis.
When you've suffered with a problem for 10 years and hospital specialists can't help you - but then a hypnotherapist cures the problem in 2 hours - you want to find out how!
So, I was driven by a very strong desire and personal experience. Unlike students who end up in a profession 'cos their parents say they 'should do it' (or who are driven by money) my heart was fully involved in the process. AND THIS IS WHERE WE ALL NEED TO USE OUR EMOTIONS INTELLIGENTLY! We need to get emotional about something!! It is our emotions and feelings that drive us to do anything. Question - why do you want what you want? Answer - because having it will make you feel good! A person doesn't drive around in a sports car for no reason. It's because it makes them feel good (or, at least feeds their ego's need for recognition and attention - which is another normal human emotional need). Why are we all so prone to addictive habits and behaviours? Because, to begin with, they make us feel better (until, of course, the addiction takes over and you then do it just to stave off the withdrawal symptoms).
In a nutshell, if we can get genuine highs we don't need false highs. If you have meaning, purpose, if your emotional needs are met (more on this in another post) you will have the energy to motivate yourself to TAKE ACTION! You'll do it because you love it! That's why I'm writing this now, knowing that only a handful of people will actually read it (you know who you are; thanks for taking the time). I WRITE, I READ, I PLAY MUSIC, I 'THERAPISE', I WALK, I SING, I MEDITATE, I LAUGH, I JOKE, I CRY, I HUG, I MAKE LOVE - ALL WITH PASSION!!!!
I cannot live my life any other way. Even when I am sad it is with a passion! I might come across as quiet, shy, introverted, even melancholic - especially that - ('cos that's part of my personality) but inside I am full of desire. A desire to live life to the max. To embrace the highs and lows. As a famous German philosopher once said, "Whatever you can do, or think you can - begin it! Boldness has genius and power and magic in it!"

So, what can you do today to embody that phrase? Where can you take a risk, a leap of faith that could make all the difference? Where in your life do you need to be bold and courageous? It might just be that in so doing you find your energy and motivation and rediscover your life's purpose. THEN PUT YOUR PASSION INTO IT!

Enough, I hear you say.
I know; you have a busy life and must get on.
Thanks if you made it this far.

N.B. You can watch passion in action this coming saturday (Sept 19th)!!! At 2PM in the Arc Shopping Centre, Bury St. Edmunds, my band, The Lullabys will be playing on the back of a truck, raising money for charity. Then, 'cos we love it so much, we're playing again in the evening.

More info at http://www.thelullabys.com.
Hope to see you there!

Til next time...

Lullaby Gav