Inner strengths (power) are the supplies you’ve got within as you make your way down the twisting and often hard road of life. They include a positive mood, common sense, integrity, inner peace, determination, and a warm heart. Researchers have identified other strengths as well, such as self-compassion; secure attachment, emotional intelligence, learned optimism, relaxation response, self-esteem, distress tolerance, self-regulation, resilience, and executive functions.
It is scary to feel uninspired. The lack of inspiration strikes fear into the hearts of many; when students, for instance, face an assignment or test, a blank sheet of paper and a ticking clock, the fear of failure can imprison inspiration.
Equally as important as the concept of Inspiration, is the concept of Motivation. These two concepts fuel each other within an individual. When you are inspired, which is a mental thought of something to be done; to allow the translation into action or behavior, that person would require motivation.
Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst or reading a book to gain knowledge. It involves the biological, emotional, social, and cognitive forces that activate behavior. In everyday usage, the term motivation is frequently used to describe why a person does something. For example, you might say that as a student, I was so motivated to get into the psychology program that I spent many nights studying.
Anyone who has ever had a goal (like wanting to lose ten pounds or wanting to run a marathon….’ Inspiration’) probably immediately realizes that simply having the desire to accomplish something is not enough. Achieving such a goal requires the ability to persist (‘motivation’) through obstacles and endurance to keep going in spite of difficulties.
There are three major components to motivation: activation, persistence, and intensity. Activation involves the decision to initiate a behavior, such as enrolling in a psychology class. Persistence is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist, such as taking more psychology courses in order to earn a degree although it requires a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. Finally, intensity can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal. For example, one student might coast by without much effort, while another student will study regularly, participate in discussions and take advantage of research opportunities outside of class.
“If you want to succeed in the world must make your own opportunities as you go on. The man who waits for some seventh wave to toss him on dry land will find that the seventh wave is a long time a coming. You can commit no greater folly than to sit by the roadside until someone comes along and invites you to ride with him to wealth or influence.”
John B. Gough