Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
Happy Birthday, Billy!
Remember Frosty the Snowman? Every time that hat landed on his head he’d say “Happy Birthday!” I like the idea of celebrating every awakening as a birthday of sorts. Try to keep that in mind as I tell you about a friend of mine. I had a conversation with someone a few days ago, who on the condition of anonymity agreed to let me share his story. I'll call him Billy (not his real name). Billy began the conversation with a stark statement. He said that everything he had ever touched in his life until just recently had turned to c_ _ p. He related several incidents spanning decades of adult life that included careless accidents, mistakes, a few actions taken in panic. There were a few things that he admitted were wrong but done without greed or malice, but simply because he gave way to temptation. He was weak. He made no excuses for his actions, but he has admitted to doing wrong and has paid for what he's done. But he also keeps it in mind. While any others involved have closed the file, as it were, he hasn't. So Billy keeps a list of sorts of things he's done wrong in his life. Everyone makes mistakes, I said. We all do things wrong. We all do things we regret. Sometimes we give in to temptation because we are all weak. But we also all do things right. I asked him to tell me what he thought he'd done right. He thought for a few minutes and told me that when he was much younger he'd introduced two people who had gotten married and had recently celebrated their twentieth anniversary. But, he said, he couldn't think of anything else. Well, first off, I said, not everyone can say that. He has given two people an opportunity for 20+ years of happiness. Every day they wake up with something to celebrate is thanks in part to him. Every anniversary card exchanged has his name somewhere behind it. So he should feel very good about that. Something else about Billy is that he has pets, and every day that those pets have love and shelter and food, he's done something right. Our good deeds aren't always as dramatic and memorable as our mistakes. It is easy to think, especially if we are decent people with a conscience, that we are more defined by what we do wrong than by what we do right. I told Billy that he was right to be aware of what he'd done wrong. To regret being weak and dishonest, and to face whatever consequences there were. But I also told him that once he'd done that- once he's apologized to everyone he needed to and reformed himself and really, really changed, then it was time to move on. Learning from our mistakes is important, and true, missteps and lapses in judgement should be remembered so that they aren't repeated, but once a wound has healed, no good is served by cutting it open again. Just remember how it happened the first time. In the series premiere of Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Benjamin Sisko doesn't understand why wormhole aliens seem to keep returning him to the time and place of his wife's death in battle against the Borg. He asks them why, and they basically tell him that he has never left that moment (I don't recall the exact line). Sisko finally came to realize that he kept seeing it because he hadn't allowed himself to move on emotionally from that point. Billy has been doing the same thing on a number of issues, and I told him that he had to give himself permission to leave all of those scenes behind. Everyone else has forgiven him. It's time for him to forgive himself.
By Mark Abukoff6 years ago in Motivation
Ax Facts, Findings, and Fittings
Pack an ax, you won’t regret it. An ax is one of the most versatile tools of which humankind has ever conceived. At least one ax should be present at every social occasion. Much like a pearl inlayed lighter or an elegant silver card case, your ax may remain hidden from public appreciation, but rest assured, should the moment present itself for brandishing your ax, the admiring gaze of all who are present will be upon you.
By Matt Keating6 years ago in Motivation
How To Avoid Cleaning Your Room
I become one of the most productive people in the world whenever I have to clean my room. There is no end to the tasks I can come up with to avoid cleaning my room and doing my laundry. I’m not a perfect person, I'll admit it. Procrastination is my middle name.
By Amanda Mitchell6 years ago in Motivation
Quarantine, We The People and The World
We all have different emotions and deal with emotion differently, end of the day we still got to be there for one another, you are not alone. March 15 2021 is coming up and It’s been a year since our first stay at home order in California, USA. We have lost loved ones, we have lost friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers we don’t know, suddenly we have a time out. A Time out from our life - A Time out from our mind - A Timeout from our days - A Time out from the world. We have had to adapt to a zoom land, zoom world and it hasn’t been easy say the least. Parent’s that have dealt with homeschooling and then you have parents who have not been able to see their child due to stay at home order or due to their service to our nation. I am heartbroken just thinking of how many people that are and feeling alone and don’t know how to absorb this year long tragic event. I am here to say there is always a light end of the tunnel, and if it’s to heaven or to a better life here on earth only GOD knows. Having a life when you don't have a life - Having hope when you don't have any hope - Living a life with hope. Remember one thing, life would be extremely boring if we didn't have any challenges.
By Carolyna The Rambler6 years ago in Motivation
Behind the Black Cover
It was one of those days that started quietly, without hinting at any significance but ended up being one of the most important days. MaryAnn was lying on her bed and listening to the stillness of the room. In her mind she could hear the powerful play of the ocean waves as they collide with the shore and breakdown giving out majestic white foam before they disappear, and the new waves come with the same zeal and power before they meet the same fate. She pondered at the resemblance between life and the waves. Her eyes wide open as she discovered the meaning and purpose she has searched for so long. For a moment she felt peaceful and complete. Then she remembered Steve and their meeting tonight and a veil of slight darkness fell over her face. They have been together for over two years. Everyone including her thought they will end up in a marriage. However, for last few months she has not been happy in their relationship. Steve is a nice man, but he gets incredibly angry sometimes which truly scares her. The thought that she will have to live with this occasional outburst of extreme anger made her heart sink. She thought hard whether she should end her relationship with Steve. Finally, she made the decision. Everything was clear in her mind until this morning. She was hesitating now, and the doubts were emerging on the horizon of her soul. He loves her. Perhaps he will be willing to work on his behavior. She sighed, feeling heaviness building up in her chest. Then the stillness of her soul was coming back and her chest quietly depressed. But can people ever change? The thought interrupted her peace. Steve has a lot of wonderful qualities. He will sure make someone happy who truly loves him and can handle his personality. She was afraid that she is not that person. She felt this is the right time to break up with him. But now when only a few hours are left to do it, she is not completely sure. Her eyes fell on the little black notebook resting on her desk. She wrote all important moments and milestones in her little black notebook which knew her better than anyone else, maybe even better than she knew herself. She stood up and approached the little black notebook. She knew if she wrote it down it would be official. She opened it feeling tired and she could feel the weight of her impending decision. She knew that it is the right one, but something was causing her to hesitate.
By Dijana Erskine6 years ago in Motivation
Make Good Choices
Make Good Choices The white room was empty except for the woman lying unconscious on the floor. She wore a tan tank top, matching underwear, and nothing else. Her brown hair was trimmed short into one of those popular pixie cuts. The room had four corners and a single door. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead and then there was a voice.
By Sam Bouie6 years ago in Motivation
A Tuesday At The Docs
It was a Tuesday afternoon and I decided to go down to the docs. I liked sitting at the edge of the docs and watching the ducks swim gracefully in the water. It was very peaceful there. Since I finished school, I had a lot of time on my hands to write in my favorite little black notebook. I took my softcover notebook and began to write down all the things I wanted to do in my life. Everyone expected me to get a job as soon as I finished university, but I had other plans. I wanted to get away. Travel. See the world. Most importantly, I wanted to start a life with him. The only problem with getting away was the fact that I had no money. Well, not enough money to start a life. There I was sitting with my feet hanging off the docs when an old man approached me.
By Anniebella6 years ago in Motivation
Red Chaise Lounge
With hands full of books, Nora pushed open the cadet blue metal door. The room was small and it was certainly a fixer upper but it was all hers. She collapsed dramatically, letting the books slip from her fingers and hit the floor beside her. The ground was cold and dusty but there was nowhere else to sit. The room was empty. She had a million things she should be doing but instead she melted into the floor and laid there a while.
By Allegra Louise6 years ago in Motivation
Nicinville
I didn’t choose this. But I guess nobody chooses how their life goes. We all get a hand of cards to play, some are lucky and get a flush, most like me get nothing and leave with nothing. But hey we take whatever we can and do the best with it. When I was five years old my mom dropped me off at an Orphanage, “Saint Paula’s home for children” wasn’t a bad place but it certainly wasn’t for me. The homemade me leave when I was eighteen, not like I didn’t plan to anyways. Today, my landlord kicked me out of my little neat house. I guess no one is sympathetic enough to let someone stay when they haven’t paid rent for three months. I had a minimum wage job, can you guess it? Yes, a waitress cliché I know. But it seems like renting a house was only meant for the wealthy. I’ve been trying to fit in anyway a single twenty-five-year-old orphan can. Though with my luck I should have seen this coming. All of my things are gone, even my notebook. Now I only have my old, rustic backpack, and a ripped, rugged tan jacket with its impossible to zip zipper and all its glory. I know I have nowhere to go and no place to sleep. So I started walking without a destination, it seems like I never have a destination.
By Summer Jordan6 years ago in Motivation
Random Acts of Kindness
Thursday lunch hour I often set aside for running quirky personal errands, like today’s quest for something to cheer up a co-worker going through a tough time. Looking back later, I would wonder what lead me to the tiny gift shop and a series of unexpected events that turned my life upside down.
By Jade Elk6 years ago in Motivation
Finding Home
Eating was not an option. But I did have just about 4 ounces of water left so I figured I could ration that for a day or two. Besides my tattered Merrills, (one with a broken lace and 2 eyes missing), a pair of ripped painter pant cut off shorts, and Styx t-shirt form the 80's, I only had three beloved belongings. A hydro-flask covered with stickers from every country or state my son Dane had ever visited, a personalized pen getting dangerously low on ink and my moleskin journal.
By Julie Trotta Vanderblue6 years ago in Motivation
