American author Anais Nin said, “And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom”. We all have immense potential within us that is just waiting to be awakened. Yet, most of us prefer to lead mediocre lives. There’s nothing wrong in being content with what we have, but are we really, totally satisfied? Somewhere deep inside our hearts, do we feel that we are capable of much more? If you are always looking out and wishing you could be like this or that person, there is no point. No one ever got rich by counting his neighbor’s wealth. At the end of our lives, all we will have are the memories of the risks we took to reach beyond our limitations and achieve the impossible that we desired. We do not need the outside world to do this for us. The motivational giant we require exists within our lives.

Steps To Awaken the Motivational Giant Within

Here are a few tips to awaken the motivation that will spur you forward:

Know yourself

A Buddhist scripture expresses the unique beauty of each individual with the metaphor of the cherry, plum and peach blossoms. Each blooms and bears fruit in its own time and in its own way. We all have our own special talents and abilities. Know what they are and build on them.

Visualize a goal

Set meaningful goals that accord with your ideals, beliefs and abilities. Aim as high as you can, for in life we achieve much less than what we aim for. If your goal is small in the first place, you will achieve even less than what you set out to.

Believe in yourself

Everything starts and ends with you. Our minds have the power to move mountains. If you believe you can do it, you can. Obstacles will come but if your mind is strong you will not be defeated. Ultimately, it is not the ridicule of others but our own inner demons, like the fear of failure, of getting out of our comfort zone or of the hard work ahead, that defeat us.

Refresh at intervals

Even the most positive person can lose heart sometimes. Inner motivation has to be nurtured. You can do this in three ways:

• Read about the lives of great people, people you admire and who have made a difference.
• Recall the times when you displayed unexpected potential.
• Meet someone or do something that makes you happy about yourself.

Take action

The best intentions are useless till they are translated into action. Don’t sit and dream that the right opportunity will come your way. Go out and find them. Actually seeing concrete results of your efforts will motivate you further.

History has shown us that neither Martin Luther King nor Mother Teresa would have achieved anything if they had not listened to the voice within them. You can do it too.