Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
30 Things to Do Before We Turn 30
I turn 30 this year. 30 used to be the biggest milestone; I remember being 16, and about to leave school. Everything I wanted to do seemed so possible. I teach 16-year-old's now, and I do give them that withered, age-old advice "It goes too quickly," and "You'll look back and wish you had tried harder." I'm already picturing myself in a rocking chair, slippers on, with an old fat cat on my lap, and they are the picture of youth! It's so unfair! Yet, here it is, coming up around the bend. I WILL ACTUALLY BE 30... very soon.
By Laura Alexa8 years ago in Motivation
Adversity Builds Perspective
My Story: Getting into the University of Tennessee-Knoxville was a dream that exceeded all expectations I had for myself. When I got my acceptance letter I thought it was a joke. Up until the day I moved into my dorm I was waiting for the university to call me and to say they had made a mistake. That’s how unworthy and undeserving I felt of the opportunity.
By Kimberly Burley8 years ago in Motivation
Things I Learned When I Turned 21
In the 21 years that I have been on this Earth, what I have come to understand is that, if there’s one thing for certain, it is that DEATH is a FACT. Time is an illusion, it’s a lot more pleasant to think in terms of hours, days, months, years… because why not? I’ll save It for later, I have time... And once under the illusion of time, we begin to PROCRASTINATE.
By Juan DeLaRosa8 years ago in Motivation
Lessons Learned from Reading 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck'
First off, let’s talk about the title of the book. Did it grab your attention? Probably… It’s not every day you see the word “Fuck” in the title of a NYT Bestseller. Mark did this on purpose. It’s interesting, confusing, intriguing and polarizing. Kinda makes you wonder what’s in it, right? Regardless of whether you think it’s clever or distasteful, it’s working. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is the most downloaded audible book EVER (according to Mark Manson).
By Kyle Metcalf8 years ago in Motivation
Me Time: Do We Have Time?
Our lives move so fast, it's similar to the USS Enterprise hitting warp speed. We are always rushing off to work, school, lunch, appointments, home, etc. Even when you get home, you think you can relax. Nope, you start to do more things like cook dinner, make sure the kids are doing their homework, cleaning, looking for important docs, etc. Before we know it, it's time for bed and you forgot to set our alarm. Do we really have me-time that is slow, calm, and quiet? I can't even drive to work without my phone going off with a phone call or even a calendar notification reminding me to do something. There goes my brain running in a thousand directions. There goes my stress level adding distractions while I'm driving and working. I just put everyone around me, including myself, in danger. Is it worth it? The important things we do everyday stress us out enough. Sometimes the *ding* from our phones or I-pads make us jump and our minds start thinking things like: great, why is my boss calling me again? or what does my mom want now? or even is he/she calling me back after five voice-mails?!
By Sarah Villanueva8 years ago in Motivation
Stuck
I’ve felt stuck for a long time. Caught in the middle of a sociocultural tug-of-war. On one side there is “good,” it being conservative, righteous, obedient, godly. On the other side: rebel, liberal, “inactive,” unrighteous, “bad.” I have never been able to fit either mold completely and so I’ve felt completely and utterly isolated.
By J H8 years ago in Motivation
Daily Discipline
Discipline is the hardest, yet most important personal trait for an adult to develop. In previous articles, I covered the importance of learning new things and making them a part of your skills and abilities. I want to continue on a similar note for this article on the topic of "daily discipline." We often think of having discipline in terms of avoiding that delicious piece of chocolate cake or making sure you don’t procrastinate when you’re studying for a test. However, discipline is so much more than that as a concept. The best definitions for discipline, in my opinion, focus on controlling one’s behavior and honing it towards a certain goal you have in mind.
By Ben W8 years ago in Motivation
The Black Swan
Every Wednesday my grandparents pick me up from school and take me to a lake where we feed the ducks together, before going to the resident coffee shop to have two espressos and a hot chocolate. Today is a Wednesday and I quickly rub some sunscreen over my pale skin as I see the turn left sign for our destination. I like watching my grandfather while he drives, I like watching the smile he shares with my grandmother from time to time and the funny faces he pulls for me through his front mirror. I like watching my grandmother sing along to whatever retro countdown is playing on the radio, although, for the majority of the time I’m unsure of whether or not it’s real music as I can never hear the instruments. Sometimes I sing along too, as the words are catchy and it’s fun to sing with her.
By Virag Dombay8 years ago in Motivation
I Will Not Be a Square
I went to bed last night with a question burning on my mind. I woke feeling like I just sat through the second viewing of a movie hoping the outcome would be different. The outcome is always the same; never changing because it cannot change. I am not in a movie; I change. I can be more than the words that I type or whisper. I can be more than the lies I recite hoping no one can see through the ruse. I am a good person… I am a good person… I thought I was a good person. I need to know if I can be the kind of good person I want to be. Standards so high, the intention is really to fail. Did you know that about me? My question was, am I living a stereotype in denial? I knew the answer before I knew the question. Sometimes the question is the answer. This question was my answer. Knowing doesn’t feel good, though. It is good to know the truth. The truth can set you free. They say that this is half the battle. I have always been half way done then. It feels more like I haven’t taken one step forward in a while. In fact, it feels more like I am walking in the prints I already left. My foot doesn’t fit… I am making the prints bigger, wider, and fatter. Buddha says you are what you say you are. Not literal in the way that I can say, I am a bird. (Literal in more of how words have power.) If you say you will fail before you start, you have already failed. This is why I have so many words. I want to succeed before I start. You can talk so much that walking becomes impossible; a task that you put on a pedestal too high to reach. I talked up a good story with no intention of living it out… If I stop talking, will I live my dreams instead?
By Fuck Off8 years ago in Motivation
Here's Why "Finding Balance" Doesn't Really Exist
As I type this, I am: writing an email, next week's list of things to do, scheduling the staff meeting this afternoon and writing this post all at once, and I wonder for a second if it is an appropriate time for my third cup of tea. It is 1:58 PM in the afternoon on Valentine's Day and no one in my office has received any midday roses yet.
By Delilah Jayde8 years ago in Motivation
