Motivational Monday - Find Your Source Within
- lewopschall
- Jun 15, 2015
- 2 min read
I learned this concept the other day of “surprisingly obvious” truths. It’s when someone shares an idea with you that maybe you knew all your life, but the way the information is presented gives a new enlightenment.
While in Texas this weekend, visiting for a wedding, I got to catch up with another friend. We of course went on a run. As my friend, Amy, and I discussed the idea of motivation she shared with me the idea of two different types of motivation. Internal and external.
External motivation is when you are motivated by the want to impress others. Maybe you have a chip on your shoulder and you want to “show them.” Internal motivation is the opposite. The drive to succeed comes from inside of you. I understand this concept well, but it was never defined for me. It was a “surprisingly obvious” truth.
What I know about internal and external motivation is that one of these types only lasts so long. Here is a story of my friend Ross who learned the difference between the two during his fitness journey.
Finding Strength Within
In the spring of 2008 Ross Hammond graduated from college with a degree and too much extra weight. He lived a lifestyle of a southern boy, full of meat, chicken fried steak to be exact, and potatoes. He weighed 267 pounds, which was a lot for a guy under six feet tall with a tiny body frame.
A month later, Ross became inspired to lose weight after seeing his friend, Steven, drop 70 pounds. Steven said he did it without dieting gimmicks, just eating well and working out. Steven’s passion for his new lifestyle energized Ross. Soon Ross began taking cues from Steven’s new habits.
By 2011 Ross was down 90 pounds. He was feeling great, but he was starting to lose steam. He was getting tired from programming his own workouts and noticed his motivation, which was fueled from being last in high school athletics all those years, fading. His motivation stemmed from hate and rage. Then he had a mind shift.
Today, Ross does his workouts not for the students that teased him, but for himself. He wants to be healthy to live a long and prosperous life. Ross says this change in thought has made all the difference. His motivation now comes from his own strength, rather than the taunting of others. Ross says when your fuel comes from within it will remain an endless fire burning inside you, and that’s when you become unstoppable.
Where does your motivation come from? Perhaps it's time to look internally for it.
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