Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
“New Year, New me.”..Again.
“What are your New Years resolutions?” My mom asked. I sighed, and gracelessly shoved another generous mound of spaghetti into my mouth. We were video chatting on Facebook Messenger, a roughly weekly routine we established after I moved back out of her house earlier this year. I hadn’t lived at home since I was 17, but the pandemic destroyed me.
By Crystal Rogan6 years ago in Motivation
Hard Reset
As we pick up our lives from the surreal events that have happened from the past thirteen months, some of us have to look inward and truly ask ourselves what we need to do with our lives moving forward. Do we say that this is a fresh start? A clean slate from the literal nightmares that were shown on our phones or the television news? I don’t think so; not for me at least. I cannot tell myself that it is starting from scratch because then I would have to ignore all of the things that plagued us as a family and us as a community. Last year I contracted COVID. I can't ignore that I am still feeling the effects of this virus that some people still believe it is nothing more than a glorified flu. It made me really realize where I was in this awkward and often confusing puzzle called life. I wasn't inflicted with it as hard as others; if you had to categorize my experience with COVID, it was mild, but still very scary. Losing the capacity to breathe for small periods of time could do that to a person. I wasn't hospitalized, but after hearing co-workers battle and lose with this virus made me fear the possibilities every single day I had symptoms. The after-effects still need to be examined, but because I experienced that, it made me realize that I wasn't doing as much as I could to make myself or my family happy. I mean, we do as much as we can while quarantined and with limited places to go. Even with most of the establishments in town are now open and you drive by them and shake your head as most are not wearing masks properly, you still have to make do with what you have. I realized that my mental health took a nosedive after COVID. Was it because of COVID? Was it a combination of my past mental health issues from the military? Was it quarantine? Was it worrying about money while all this was going on? I have no idea. All I know is right now, as I write this, I am recovering from a horrible spiral inside my own head. I have battled this before, but for some reason this was ten times worse. I need to work on my mind. The hardest part is recognizing that something is indeed off. Now it's time to work on it. So what did I come up with so far? Well for starters, I am not happy with where I am at professionally. I am at that age now where I start to question EVERYTHING I've done thus far and why it has landed me here at this moment, right now. I can tell you that I am not pleased about it and I am currently making changes. What am I doing? I am pursuing a dream of mine that I had since I was a freshman in High School. I'm trying to start a side career as a writer. Yes, I know. How original. How many people you know keep saying every year this is the year I start writing that novel. I've said that almost every year for the past ten years. Writing something that big is insanely difficult. I know there are those, who I hate by the way, who can write a best seller on their first attempt and get lucky with publishers and marketing and blah, blah, blah. It makes me angry, but we all know that there are some people in this world that don't need to work as hard as others. So I am trying. I actually did write a book two years ago and I'm still working at it, polishing it, finding editors for cheap is not an easy task. I have multiple denial letters from publishers and I kind of wear them as badges of honor. What makes this year different for a fresh start? I have to refocus how I get my work out there. Is this a platform for me? I obviously have no idea, but it is worth a shot. That is what I'm doing. I am taking shots. I can't sit and do nothing and expect that magical publishing fairy to grant me my wish with a book deal. I need to have laser focus. That is why I enter these challenges, that is why I devote time everyday to write. Blogs, social media posts, editing my book; it doesn't matter, just as long as I work. I want to tell stories. I want to describe how an Orc wildly misses a hit to an old wise elven fighter. I want to tell my personal experiences with the military and COVID. I want to give advice about mental health, stress, veteran issues. I just want to write, and hopefully get paid for it. I don't know what will come from any of this, but I know that I want my fresh start to be words on paper.
By Anthony Diaz6 years ago in Motivation
THE JOURNEY FOR HOPE
I almost always set expectations on myself regardless of what some may see as unlikely. As a result, I often stress myself out and push myself to be the best I can be. This leads me to feel overwhelmed and even burned out at times. My mental health was at its worst during 2020, and those expectations are one of the reasons. I hope to correct that in 2021. I don’t think it’s necessary to explain why 2020 encouraged the negative energy that was within me, and some of those unfortunate and unwanted issues are still occurring. But “hope” is the word that comes to mind when I think about my plans for 2021 and the years to come.
By Villian Of The World6 years ago in Motivation
Life is a School
Define life and not what you been told? Give yourself a minute and think? Unfortunately, we are hidden inside of our own material desire world and not seeing the outer beauty that is surrounding us. We still complain and complain of the things we don’t have and we don’t really know what those things will really be making the difference to us or not.
By Sese6 years ago in Motivation
My Three Silly Resolutions for 2021
My dad always encouraged me to be a vegetarian when I was a kid. He was against the killing of chicken, lamb, cow or fish. Good for him but why did he have to pull me into that treacherous path? Anyway, I grew up without even the smell of chicken-eggs in our small house. However if I turn back the clock and look at my childhood, I don't think I ever regretted being a vegetarian. My mum used to make the best Indian cuisines for me, of course vegetarian. However on one occasion when I was drunk during my teenage years, I tasted fried meat for the first time when my friends disguised it for fried cauliflower. That was the beginning of a new me. Like a busted dam, I began to explore everything around me. My palate ended up expanding to the furthest corners of the world - to anything that walks or flies or moves, but plants.
By Rajaroy Joseph Alphonse6 years ago in Motivation
The 5K
Tomorrow is Rob’s first 5K. Rob has carb-loaded all day to boost his energy, and he plans to grab a pair of proper sneakers tonight before the stores close. His sweat-proof shorts are in the same dresser drawer they’ve languished in since he moved in, and his 32-oz. water bottle is in the fridge. With one last scroll through #motivation on his Insta feed, he is ready.
By Barbara A Force6 years ago in Motivation
Do a little, it means a lot
Every morning I wake up to pain and anxiety. The pain hits first, with aching joints and sore skin. I do not really know why it hurts, but it hurts. It takes several minutes to get up and out of the bed. As I prepare myself for the first step onto the floor, the anxiety sets in. The feeling that today will be the worst day. Being a little dramatic? Maybe, but that is where my head goes. I did this morning routine for years. Day after day of waking up to pain and my brain telling me to go back to be because it is safe in bed. My dogs need me,and I need to get a hold of things. This year I am making changes to combat the dreaded mornings.
By Ele Anini6 years ago in Motivation
Learning How to Tell the Truth
Every summer, I start the school year with the same resolution. This is the year I will put my health and wellbeing before the job. This is the year I will prioritize myself over everything. And usually by November, I am crying in my boss’s office, burnt out and exhausted. Year twelve was shaping up to be more of the same. By November 2019, I was overwhelmed by a full schedule of classes I’d never taught before coupled with a pile of grading I never got to the bottom of. I was drowning. Truth be told I’d been drowning for twelve years.
By Robyn Neilsen6 years ago in Motivation
Looking Forward
At the beginning of each new year, most of us set intentions or resolutions that we would like to apply to our own lives as a way to improve upon them. With 2020 behind us, this year hasn’t been much different in that regard; however, the resolutions I keep hearing vary from person to person.
By Amanda Rae Rodriguez6 years ago in Motivation
Restarting your year, month, day
I have often said I go into hibernation from about Thanksgiving until my birthday, which is near the end of January. In retrospect, I think my latest hibernation started in early November with the US election. It was a high-stress time for me, plus getting dark out early, and light out late, and then all the political events that were like watching the wreck that I could not take my eyes off.
By Lynn Dorman, Ph.D.; J.D.6 years ago in Motivation
New Me 2021
This is me. Now. Before the whole World went crazy, with the COVID, riots, looting, and just total unsettlement, I was on my way to losing 125 pounds of fat body. Then, it all went to hell in a hand basket. Did I give up? Sort of...okay, yeah. I let my depression smack me around until yesterday!
By Leandra Czech6 years ago in Motivation
I'll Start on Monday
I must say that I have had multiple fresh starts since I became a conscious adult. I might have had a few fresh starts as a child as well, influenced by my families' fresh starts. At some point at 16 years of age, I actually believed that nothing else would help me follow my dreams than moving to another country. And I did, I moved. I jumped in the deep, dark beyond and I didn't have any fear. This was my fresh start, the place that would allow me to be my best self.
By Amar 6 years ago in Motivation
