Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
Are You Living Or Just Existing?
Are you living or simply existing? Is there a difference? If so, is it that big of a deal? Well, yes to both questions. We, as humans, have a bigger purpose than to pay bills and die. We are made for so much more. Our potential shouldn't be based on how much money we make, the type of vehicle we drive or where we vacation. Potential should be based on whether or not we fully lived our lives.
By Cedric Joubert8 years ago in Motivation
Growing Out
So there I was, 11 years old, opening night of “Oliver!” at my primary school. I can still remember the excitement…the nerves! I was playing Mrs Sowerberry, the undertaker’s wife. Not exactly the main part but I had lines, and even a duet with my “husband”! A comical role of sorts with slapstick, a cockney accent and a Victorian style costume to boot. School plays provided me with some of the best memories of my life. And yet, as soon as I turned 18 and began University, I didn’t pursue anything dramatic ever again. That is, until I was 26 and decided I should have a hobby…
By Eleanor Fyfe8 years ago in Motivation
How to Present Yourself Well
We live in a world where the first impression that we give out to others is a key determining factor into what kind of relationship we have with them and how they see us as human beings. I believe that it is naïve in this day and age still to think that first impressions don’t matter at all because they really do matter and if you don’t know how to present yourself in a positive, mature manner, it may affect your life in various negative ways.
By Ben W8 years ago in Motivation
I Am a Product Of...
"I am a product of divorce." I hate that phrase. It's just so limiting, so defeating. Don't get me wrong, divorce is a very serious topic that has everlasting effects on the people that it touches. I know this; I am from a broken family. My parents split up when I was four years old as a result of an affair my father was having with a family friend. The same woman he is still with today. The same woman who abused me. I have suffered long and hard for the mistakes of others, the mistakes of those who were meant to protect me. I had to learn to protect myself, and as so often happens with children who are forced to grow up too soon, I protected myself in the most destructive ways imaginable. As I have grown, and truly only recently discovered, I have learned that sometimes the only way to move forward is to let go. It took me years to realize this fact, and it is one that I wrestled with tirelessly for what seemed like an eternity. Believe me, I know how cliché this sounds, and the conclusion came at no small cost, but it is the truth. A ship cannot complete its voyage while its anchor is cast. Healing cannot begin if one is not ready and open to the idea of letting their past be just that - the past. Too often it happens that people spend a lifetime punishing themselves for the sins of those who hurt them. It is so important to reach an understanding within yourself that it is okay to move on. You are allowed to let go, you're allowed to heal, you're allowed to grow. You do not have to carry every single thing that has ever happened to you through your whole life, in fact, that is an extremely toxic way to live. What I'm trying to say is, you cannot let the bad things that happen to you as a child define who you are as an adult. And that is no easy task, believe me, I know. I have countless stories of personal punishment that I could delve into, intimate horrors I could lay out for everyone to see. I still find myself using food, or the lack thereof, as one such punishment when I feel I am not doing enough, when I feel I have messed up, when I feel like I am just no good. I do this because that is what I was taught. When you upset someone or do wrong, you don't get to eat, you have to earn it. And I know this is ridiculous, which is why I try so hard to remind myself every day that what happened to me doesn't have to follow me for the rest of my life. And it shouldn't. No one will ever be able to take away what I experienced, no one can take away the pain. But beauty can still grow from those ashes. I can, and I must choose every single day to let go and to grow, to break out of the box that I built around myself to keep from getting hurt again. The box was only hurting me more. I am so glad I can see that now, and I am so glad that I have allowed myself to have a voice and to speak about my journey into freedom- because that is what I am. I am not a product of divorce. I am a product of my own making, a product of letting go and being free.
By Final Thoughts8 years ago in Motivation
How I Became Content with Jesus
For a while I found myself feeling dissatisfied with where I was at in my life. I had gone many recent months feeling down about something I couldn’t explain. It was an emptiness I had never felt so strongly before. And as one does I tried many ways to fill the void that had crept up on me. I tried many things including trying to surround myself with friends, talk to boys that didn’t have my feelings in mind, at one point I even tried to isolate myself from everyone. I felt as though no one could feed my heart that had starved for something I couldn’t find. So if no person could do it, why be around anyone at all? That was my mindset for a good a chunk of time, and I don’t blame myself for thinking that way. I was hurting more than ever, but what I can say is that mindset didn’t help. If anything, it made the void grow larger.
By Kayleigh Barbosa8 years ago in Motivation
Guardrails
We all have guardrails we depend on in life. Guardrails are meant to keep us on track, they're there to show us the edge of where we weren't meant to go and help bounce us back along our journey when we begin to veer off course. But when we ride the rail, we're left with scratches, scrapes and incredible damage that was never meant to happen if used in the way it was intended. When we abuse something that was meant to help to the point it begins to hurt, it's time for a wake up call. It's time to get back on track.
By Savannah McKinley8 years ago in Motivation
Life Ain't All Sunshine and Rainbows
When I was in high school a decade ago, I remember hearing part of a quote someone had written decades before that that said "If you think you're beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, then you don't-". I wish I knew who wrote that quote so I could give them a big hug to thank them for what they have done by saying those words. I not only heard them but I lived by them whenever the going got tough. I stood my ground and dug my heels in, not giving up, not giving myself the chance to curl into fetal position and allow the world to swallow me whole.
By Morganne Thayer8 years ago in Motivation
Tend to Your Heart, Water Your Happiness
Now that you're here, I want you to smile. Laugh even, if you'd like. Happiness is reactive. Once you simply think about being happy, reactors go off, and your whole mood, aura, and groove is thrown into this party of serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. In this moment, I want you to realize that you have complete and absolute control of your happiness- regardless of the mishaps of today and yesterday. Life is hard, I know. And when you're continuously tripping over the weeds that grow beneath your feet, you succumb to the cyclical nature of pessimism. But, never underestimate the power of perseverance. The war against the wickedness that surrounds you is a far more pressing war to be fought than any another, and it is one you can thrive upon. You are a sphere of sunshine in the midst of decaying weeds.
By Samantha Fraga8 years ago in Motivation
What Do You Do When Your Life Is out of Your Control?
What Do You Do When Your Life Is Out of Control? I sat on the hard metal bench at the Greyhound bus station in tears. My 23 hours rode trip had just been extended by ten hours, and it wasn’t my fault. My bus from New York was two hours late arriving in Raleigh, and my connecting bus had long left the station. Probably fearing a verbal beat down from the 40 or so tired passengers arriving at the station. The two ticket agents on duty provided no comfort. They made little to no eye contact as we lined up to trade in our obsolete bus transfers and get new tickets.
By Renee Reid8 years ago in Motivation
