What is the motivator in your life?
There are so many things in this world that can drive us to experience something greater. Wealth, possessions, traveling/sight-seeing, health, etc. I think it’s fair to say that for a lot of us, the two most popular motivators come in pairs. Those pairs are wealth & possessions and experiences & community. Per usual, there are two sides to the coin. Do we live, grow, and learn to become wealthy? Or do we live, grow, and learn in order to fulfill our hearts with experiences that we share with loved ones?
My question is why can’t it be both? Why do we have to assume that it is only one or the other? I believe we think that way because we have pre-determined analyses of what the person is like on either side of that coin. If he/she is driven by money, wealth, or possessions, most would assume that they are selfish, stuck-up, and don’t have the time of day for anyone else. If he/she is driven by experiences with community, we may assume that he/she is just a free-loading hippie that takes peace-sign selfies and wants to live off of the hard work of others. You may not agree with those statements, but my experiences have told me that it seems to be that way. We tend to associate the person and their motivator with some kind of stigma. This brings me to my main point.
So going back to the question at hand, why can’t it be both? Why can’t we be driven by all of the above? In my mind, it’s simple. We CAN be driven by both. I believe this to be true enough to say that in order to reach the full potential or even fulfilling season of our lives, we MUST be driven by both. They go hand-in-hand. In order to drive this point home, we need to take a look at how logistics and philosophy come together in the melting pot of self-purpose.
In order to avoid throwing more generalized statements out there, I’ll make this personal. Here is my take on this topic based on what I believe, experience, and enjoy in life. I am the person that is driven by money and wealth. Heck yes I am. I’ll admit it. I feel no shame on my end for it. (Just FYI, there may be a little more personality and fire to the content in the remainder of this blog. Strap in.). Here is a news flash to some and a reminder to others. The world that we live in operates around money. It’s a fact, and there is no getting around it. We don’t live in a field of dandelions where people can kindly lend you whatever you want while we hold hands and sing lullabies. Money is required in order to live. Money is required to buy food, shelter, etc. Logistically, it makes sense to be driven by money. If I was starving out in a dessert, food and water would be my motivators. Duh. So can you really blame me for being motivated by it? Hear me out, because this is where I want to bring all of this to clarity.
Last note before I move on to a deeper meaning of this point. What’s the point of being motivated by money and possessions if I don’t have people around me to share the experiences that come with it? Don’t let your drive for those things bring you to a world of solitude.
Anyway, logistics and material things aside, I firmly believe that I am on this earth to make some sort of positive impact. Now, I don’t want to make this a discussion of theology, self-purpose, faith, etc. but I feel not only a desire, but also an obligation to leave my environment/community better than when I first came to it. I have the desire to improve my surroundings just as much as I want to have wealth. Some of you may not feel that there is a point to having that train of thought, simply because you are 1 person out of billions. So how much of a change could you really make? I don’t blame you for thinking that way. Heck, I used to be in that frame of mind. But read further. Here is where this gets interesting because we are now at the intersection in which all of my desires work perfectly together.
I’ve addressed two facts thus far. I want wealth, and I want to positively impact my environment. So how can I be the most well rounded individual if I am chasing two different things at one time? Actually, it’s quite simple. I know that if my heart and my mind are set in the right place, I can utilize both desires to leave a significant footprint on this earth. Not only do I let my desire to obtain wealth drive me to live like no one else, I also allow that desire to drive me to GIVE like no one else (shout out to my boy Dave Ramsey). In my mind, more money not only means a nice car, house, and early retirement, it also means having the ability to serve my community in a way I've never dreamed of.
Monetary desires don’t have to come with a heart to serve. And a heart to serve doesn’t have to come with monetary desires. But both of those forces can come together to create some of the most powerful movements this world has ever seen.
I leave you with these questions. What drives you? Really, why do you do what you do? Does what you're doing even have a place in your heart? If not, perhaps it's time to make changes. Maybe not. Comment, ponder, think. You have been given a life to live. Don't forget to actually LIVE.
