Reflecting on Motivation

Motivation is the driving force behind our actions, sometimes expressed as feelings, at other times it is that reason that gives us that strength to push through rough times and fight for a goal.

By Br. Hector Duarte

Analyzing our motivations can be a great exercise to do as part of our examination of conscience in a way that can help us to really look into our inner-self and examine what truly matters for us and be able to work with them and even purify them to be able to align your actions with God’s will and therefore live a fulfilling and purposeful life.

Let us begin with a prayer:

“O God, you who are the source of all good and all wisdom, I ask you to give me the grace to be able to be sincere before you and before myself and be able to truly align my actions with Your will and that which brings glory to Your Name. May my aspirations and motivations always lead me to You. Never allow me to be separated from You. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.”

There are different things that can be motivators for your life, and generally speaking could be divided into three categories: personal aspirations, external rewards, and spiritual beliefs. However, sometimes it can be hard to really know what is truly the source of motivation and it requires a certain level of self-reflection to be able to see beyond the surface. Sometimes we can even get to a point of lying to ourselves for various reasons, but mainly because we recognize something is going against our conscience. Recognizing this is crucial for making better decisions and in the future that align better with our values.

Personal aspirations are those dreams and goals that are reflected in our deepest desires and ambitions. Following these can make us feel fulfilled and have a sense of accomplishment. Those aspirations that flow from external rewards are those that include financial incentives (think of those who keep a job that doesn’t fulfill them because they need it), recognition and praise from others. These two, although frequent motivators, bring a danger because relying solely on them may not really bring a lasting fulfillment and in the end may make us feel empty inside. Lastly, for us who have faith, there are the spiritual motivators. Belief in God, in the natural and revealed law and the desire to live a life in accordance with these values bring motivation to act in specific ways that lead us to holiness and God’s will.

As mentioned before, sometimes it is really hard and requires a big effort to be honest with ourselves. We can have a tendency to deceive ourselves and try to make our motivations lighter for our conscience when we recognize desires that enter into conflict. However, it is necessary to clarify a few things. For an action to be truly good it has to have a good end but also good means. Integrity is crucial in ensuring that our actions align with our values and principles. Think about this as a muscle. When we go to do weightlifting, we don’t go for heavy weights at once and expect to succeed, we go and exercise consistently and each time it becomes easier to bear.

In a similar way, this alignment requires regular self-reflection and willingness to go through uncomfortable truths about our motivations. Recognizing self-deception is the first step toward aligning our motivations with our true values. It involves being brutally honest with ourselves and seeking God’s guidance in prayer and reflection. There are some practical steps that can helps us look inside: regular self-examination, seeking guidance from an external point of view (from a spiritual director for example), prayer and put it into action (and repeat.) Understanding and working to align the motivations is a lifelong process that involves continuous reflection, prayer, and a commitment to fight for living the life you truly desire to live.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Our Blessed Mother exemplified perfect obedience and trust in the divine plan. Teaching us to align our motivations and push through hardship, accepting God’s plan with simplicity, humility and faith. She teaches us that this is the greatest motivator: love. We should work towards this mentality, recognizing that this is what truly matters.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (I Thes. 4:3)

We are all called to become saints. Sometimes there is a (wrong) perspective that only the religious, or only the hierarchy of the Church is called to be sanctified, but this is not true. We are all called to be saints in a very specific way, that is what we call particular vocation, but the Vocation is a call to sanctification, a call to live for God and pursue His will in all. The concept of motivation is deeply connected to the universal call to holiness. As Christians, we are all called to live lives of holiness, striving to become more like Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions. We are called to incarnate our faith so that it gives testimony to others, not a dead faith that gives anti-testimony. This call to holiness means that our motivations should be rooted in our desire to love and serve God and others.

This means that identifying the true source of your motivation is essential. Recognizing whether motivated by personal aspirations, external rewards, or spiritual beliefs, understanding what motivates you can help you align your actions with your values and goals; purifying them whenever is necessary. Taking time to reflect every day on what drives you and consider how you can nurture and sustain your motivation in a way that leads to a fulfilling and purposeful life that will lead to Heaven.

Laus Deo Virginique Matri