Motivation-It is the motive for an action.
According to Napoleon Hill,
“Motivation is that which induces action or determines choice, it is the hope or other fire which starts and returns in an attempt to produce specified results, and therefore hope is the magic ingredient in motivating yourself and others! 2
To be motivated, you bring down all trivialities and exalt maximum seriousness, that seriousness will help you to increase your efficiency. When they say a machine is 100% efficient, it has no friction then it is perfectly okay. As your efficiency increase, your learning skill will increase and you will be perfect.
You can also motivate others. Napoleon Hill wrote:
Make them understand there is hope for their future, they can get a destine position, where they are going is greater than where they are coming from, give them success proven principles, write them thought provoking letter to trigger their interest that anything in life worth having is worth working for. 3
Since it is an agent to success, to motivate according to the Oxford dictionary is to make somebody want to do something especially something that involves hard-work and effort. Motivation triggers your interest. A motivational speaker is one that admonishes on how to do something very well and a highly motivated student works hard. If you are not motivated you cannot have a motive, you may set vision and goals but so far you are not motivated you cannot achieve them.
“I could recollect when I was about writing my SSCE, I was greatly motivated to pass because I hear about the failure stories off many of my seniors. I go for motivational talks at any available place. My mummy also motivates me a lot. You know how? She told me if you get this set of grades, I promise you a laptop and many other things, that would trigger my interest to the extent of my sleeping late at night, I was always reading; I read during school hours, after school hours, at home (day and night) and at times I find myself free, I ensured I was reading intensively. I also motivated myself by the honor I will receive when I score high grades all by myself since my school is known for no-cheating, it is indeed a pride”.
Motivation comes in different ways; take for example, internal motivation comes from within, such as pride, a sense of achievement, responsibility and belief.
“There was a young boy who used to come for regular practice but always played in the reserves and never made it to the soccer eleven. While he was practicing, his father used to sit at the far end, waiting for him.
The matches had started and for four days, he didn't show up for practice or the quarter or semifinals. All of a sudden he showed up for the finals, went to the coach and said,
"Coach, you have always kept me in the reserves and never let me play in the finals. But today, please let me play." The coach said, "Son, I'm sorry, I can't let you. There are better players than you and besides, it is the finals, and the reputation of the school is at stake and I cannot take a chance." The boy pleaded, "Coach, I promise I will not let you down. I beg of you, please let me play." The coach had never seen the boy plead like this before. He said, "OK, son, go, play. But remember, I am going against my better judgment and the reputation of the school is at stake. Don't let me down."
The game started and the boy played like a house on fire. Every time he got the ball, he shot a goal. Needless to say, he was the best player and the star of the game. His team had a spectacular win.
When the game finished, the coach went up to him and said, "Son, how could I have been so wrong in my life. I have never seen you play like this before. What happened?
How did you play so well?" The boy replied, "Coach, my father is watching me today."
The coach turned around and looked at the place where the boy's father used to sit.
There was no one there. He said, "Son, your father used to sit there when you came for practice, but I don't see anyone there today." The boy replied, "Coach, there is something
I never told you. My father was blind. Just four days ago, he died. Today is the first day he is watching me from above."4
The motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to achieve a purpose.
Napoleon Hill wrote, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve."
”A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, 'What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied, "Air." Socrates said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it." There is no other secret.
A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results, and so it is, one has to motivate himself with the sole aim and desire to succeed”.5
