Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
Fear, Hope, Action!
New year is a time that, for many, symbolises hope. There’s the looking back and reflecting on time passed, followed by the ‘reset’ - positive intentions and desire for more of the things that went well and a chance to improve on the things that didn’t. This new year has been no different, in some ways. We all know that pandemics and political crises don’t care what date it is, and yet, we may wish to shed 2020 like a too-tight skin, casting its chaos into the past and looking towards brighter times. I’m always at my most reflective at the turn of a year – I enjoy the opportunity to pause, take stock and consider what’s next. And the extraordinary events of the last year have got me in full ‘meta’ mode – reflecting on reflecting. I’m interested in the nature and purpose of the hope that we may bring into a new cycle, and its relationship to fear. Recently, I’ve heard a few people say that they dare not allow themselves to hope, which strikes me as desperately sad. I’ve allowed myself to peek at a little crack of light coming from somewhere, but it seems dangerous to trust that the light source is the end of the tunnel. This seems at odds with my usual way of being these days – I worked for years on making cracks in my (frankly, very impressive) emotional suit of armour. There’s nothing like a persistent pandemic and its mismanagement to make me run towards the old familiar defences, I suppose! And I’m angry about some of my hope being ‘stolen’ because of a lack of clear leadership in the country I’ve moved to. I want to look ahead to thriving arts scenes, live music, hugs with friends and shared spaces, and use them as leverage to persist a little longer with the inconvenience and the fear. But it’s never long before my refrain of ‘I wonder how they’ll manage to screw it up this time’ kicks in. This feels like real powerlessness, and I don’t like to stay in that place for long.
By Mo Ford6 years ago in Motivation
Starting Over At 49
Who would have ever thought that divorcing the father of my children in 2017, would lead me to being laid off by my children in 2019. I spent eighteen years being a housewife and devoted mother. I did not have a plan B. I never made yearly resolutions that did not include my children. However, due to the simple fact that I was not able to afford to take care of my children alone in Houston, Texas without living in an awful neighborhood, working four jobs, leaving them home alone after school and on weekends. I had to give up my full custody rights, and let their father raise them. My biggest fear had become a reality. I then became homeless and was forced to reevaluate my life.
By Greer Collins6 years ago in Motivation
The Promises That Thread Through My Heart
Writing a traditional list of resolutions has never worked for me. In the past, I've tried to make a lot of big changes at once and that always backfired. By the end of January, most of my resolutions had flown out the window.
By Tree Langdon6 years ago in Motivation
New Year, New You
When Vocal opened this challenge I was excited, I started jotting down notes on how to get creative with my answer. A lot of people see the new year as a way to self-improve themselves for a better year others have goals to just make it through another year. I am not one of those people that just want to get by. I consider myself to be a fairly generous person and I tend to get carried away with my generosity. I have a hard time saying no to people and I rarely stand up for myself. Those are my faults that I am fully aware of and it is difficult to change yourself, but before the new year started I started to say no to people more often, I stopped being a push-over at work. I think it could be because of my past relationship I was often taken advantage of regularly and I really got sick and tired of it. Anyway instead of focusing on my relationships and home life I think it is time I start thinking about my future career. The truth is being 27 and still having no idea of what you want to do in life can be intimidating as most of your friends are either married, having children, or have a set career. I honestly do not have a set career despite me having a unit clerk certificate. I thought I was doing the right choice by going to school in 2018, but I was not thinking about a career at that moment I was thinking about how I can pay for my marriage and my wedding. It seemed to be the most logical thing at the time, but now I see that I never liked doing paperwork in the first place. It is time to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life.
By Adrianna M. Braun6 years ago in Motivation
To Hell With Resolutions
Going into this new year, I have decided not to set myself up for failure by making New Year's resolutions. Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against resolutions or people who make them. For the people who find good resolutions and stick to them, more power to you. As an average person, I've come to realize that for most people, resolutions are something we hype ourselves up about, and stick to for maybe a week. Well, I say no more.
By Niyah Heaggans6 years ago in Motivation
