Makes Me Tick

What makes you tick? What really motivates you? Is there a single thing that you can specifically pin down as the ultimate factor which can turn your entire outlook on life around at any given moment? I would imagine that we can all whittle down our many motivators down to a single, shiny motivator which makes us tick. On the flipside of that, if we do not receive enough of that particular motivator in our lives, we are apt to be very depressed, angry, and just generally aggravated.

Is the motivator in your life something physical, spiritual, or emotional? Can you quantify your particular motivator? More often than not, I would bet my money that the motivators for most are emotional and spiritual. Physical motivators are fleeting and are vastly overrated. Shooting from the hip here, I would guess that the physical factors for most are money/wealth, physical attributes/looks, and possessions. These are things people can easily touch and quantify. They are also things that are very shallow and volatile. For the most part, physical motivation does not last and only creates a continuous need for more because satisfaction can never be achieved without having more and more.

On the other hand, we have spiritual and emotional motivators. These factors can also create a constant state of dissatisfaction because many people cannot honestly express themselves and sacrifice their true needs for the needs of others or for fear of public retribution or humiliation. There are also situations where these needs can mimic that of a possession motivator. They can be a never ending hole that cannot be filled for whatever reason.

What makes me tick? At one point in my life, I can honestly tell you that physical possession meant more to me than anything. I wanted the best and more of it. I wanted the top of the line and wanted better than anyone else. I wanted it, I needed it. Many, if not all of us, probably go through this period of selfishness and greed in our lives.

Later in life, I entered an emotional motivator focus on life. Within this segment of life, I was specifically motivated by appreciation received from others. I would do anything as long as I felt that I was being appreciated and respected for my efforts. If I felt that I was being taken for granted or slighted, I would be immediately angered and become very aggravated. This emotional motivator is a very sharp two-edged sword. Very rarely is there balance or a middle of the road. I lived a hot and cold life while focused on my appreciation motivational ticker.

Now, I believe that I am entering a new stage in my motivational life. My life has become more motivated by my spiritual relationships. I still cling to the remnants of physical motivation. I don’t think any of us can truly be rid of our basic sense of want, not 100%. I am still holding on to my appreciation motivator too. I am trying to temper those times when I feel like I am underappreciated. Even with those still hanging around, my single most motivating factor in my life is becoming my spiritual relationships.

That truly makes me tick these days. As each day progresses and my previous motivators diminish in relationship to my core motivator, I feel more at peace. My spiritual relationships alters my outlook on the world we live in and provides me the necessary buffer against the damaging emotions other motivating factors bring with it.

My relationship with my wife and my Savior are my two most important motivators in my life. As I focus on these types of relationships, the other motivators become meaningless. I believe my progression through physical, emotional, and spiritual motivation is the path most of us walk through as we mature. Some may experience these motivators earlier in life or in a different order, but I feel that spiritual motivation is the pinnacle of life.

That’s what makes me tick. What makes you tick?