Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Motivation.
Make Someone Happy
There are three pieces of "media" that make me happy to view. I am a very solitary person so this current time of quarantine doesn't really change my ways or lifestyle very much. For the most part, I spend my days alone in my home writing or surfing the internet or thinking of some artistic, creative project to enjoy myself with like playing the piano, sewing a n0-sew skirt, or sketching a drawing of something in my mind. These activities may seem insignificant. They are not going to pay my bills or buy me a new car. They won't cure my illnesses or free me from my debts. They probably even won't get noticed or liked by anyone unless I give them as a gift to someone. I do it anyway, because it gives me joy and peace in life. I need joy and peace. They are so very important to me as I near my 49th birthday and realize that my glory days and my youth is really over. I have to look at myself and my life and see what I've done to myself. It's not always a pretty picture to me. Sometimes I'm quite ashamed of myself. I've made many mistakes. I also stood up for people and tried to stand up for "what's right" whatever that means. I am not the "winner" in life. I didn't end up with the big house and a bunch of cool toys to impress the rich neighbors. I'm just lucky to be alive, truth be told. Still, I have a few things that warm my heart being in my possession, and some of them are connected to media: a photograph of me in my wedding dress, a video of my son, and the website Pinterest. These three bits of media bring me joy and hope and comfort when I'm lonely and lost and really not sure who I am or what to do anymore. Have you ever felt that way? Wondering why you woke up this morning? If you haven't, consider yourself blessed. If you have, then you know how hard it is to face the day when you wake up feeling that way. The question of just being seems to haunt you through the whole day. When that happens, I like to watch one of my son's videos and remember that he loves me, and I love him, and even though I wasn't a very good mother, I did the best I could, and just knowing that he turned out to be a beautiful, strong, and loving young man means that just by bringing him into this world, just by creating one life, I did at least one thing that mattered.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 years ago in Motivation
Love Again! Trust Again!
A smile doesn't always mean things are good. It's never a good thing to assume. It is always good to build trust with people, that's the only way they will feel comfortable talking to you. It's not enough to just build trust, that connection you're trying to have with someone HAS to be genuine and not used to control them. TRUST ME, sooner or later, they will catch on to it and it'll never be the same with you again, and while you try to blame them saying that they've changed and are acting different, look at the real reason behind the behavior. You've lost a person that trusted you with everything. Sure, you can apologize and they can forgive you, but you can't expect things to be the same after that. Never hide things from them, if you can't say something to their face, it's probably best that you don't say anything at all.
By Anthony Fisher6 years ago in Motivation
Purity
Sitting in front of an orchid, a constellation of flowers, bushes, and a couple of trees that sit on the far left and right extremities, centering the focus, I feel pure. Pure of the stress, responsability, and of myself. I feel as if I'm lost in a meditative abyss, sinking into my conscience. I can feel the wind brush my loose hair. I can feel it slither through my arms and legs, run up my back, and caress my feet. It seeps between the crevices of my teeth as I breath in. I look up at the sky on this grey, gloomy day. At a close inspection one can see the sun's efforts to penetrate the heavy clouds that blind its vision. But the clouds are unwavery. A sea of mist runs through the hill side. The gut of its mass sits in the valleys, dispersed. I look to the north, where the hills form the horizon, where the clouds begin to funnel right at the center, forming a vignette-like effect. A heavy contrast between what is green and what is gray. What’s colors are full of life, and what’s colors are depressive.
By Sebastian A Mendoza-Gomez6 years ago in Motivation
Rising from Abuse
As I stood in front of the long antique mirror and scrutinized myself, I realized how the continuous mental, physical and emotional abuse by the person I loved had affected my whole being. I could not recognize the blank face that stared back at me. The once cheerful persona had withered into a scarred being; bringing along an endless journey of pain and turmoil.
By Ambreen Ahmad6 years ago in Motivation
"The American Spirit"
Today I woke up and for a few seconds forgot about the ever changing storm outside looming over us. Each day has seemed more uncertain then the last, scarier and more dreadful scenarios keep greeting my newsfeed. It was after I had made my second cup of coffee and I was busy questioning my decision to skimp on creamer that the most wonderful thing happened, my phone died. It was like the Sun coming out on an overcast day. I stood there in my fresh sweat suit not sure of what to do, it felt good, really good. Instead of scouting out a charger I set my cell on the table and walked away. I opened the door and stared intently outside at a beautiful Pine tree I often look to for comfort, the warmth of my coffee cup hugged my hand and I noticed a Chipmunk chasing another over the blanket of stubburn mountain snow. I felt envious of how carefree and uninformed the little Furrballs were. It was then that a clearer picture of reality hit me. Normally I'm not very clingy with my cell phone but the intensity of current events has had me hanging off every update. That device was infact harnessing me to a cloud of fear and stress enveloping everyone that tunes into it. What's happening right now is concerning and we all want answers, guidance and most of all for our "normal" back but the moment the schools closed in our country our "normal" was not coming back.
By Ama Sisu6 years ago in Motivation
...OTHER PEOPLE EAT PIZZA.
I wanted to write this update much sooner, and I kept putting it off for reasons I haven’t yet figured out. The week following the publication of “It’s All Yellow,” life started to taste really sweet really quickly, and every time I tried to write something about all of the changes that were happening in my life, I couldn’t get myself to do it. I think I felt like I was bragging, or, I was listening to the very real, and terrifyingly consistent, subconscious fear I have that if I get too excited about the good things happening in my life they will ultimately either be taken away from me, or something bad will happen to balance it all back out. So, here we are, a few weeks later, with a 2nd update about all of the good things that happened that week, and all of the seemingly bad things that happened this week, that I’m telling myself is not the universe’s balancing act attacking my life (even though it really feels like it).
By Emily Fritz6 years ago in Motivation
Normal
Normal What is the norm anymore anyway? The census tries to answer that question every 4 years but it’s not really answering it in any meaningful way. It may tell us what average is but what’s the point of knowing averages? So, we can know how far from Jo average we are?
By Brendon6 years ago in Motivation
The Wooden House -
We were pretty lucky when we were younger, lucky enough to have a holiday house up the coast. It was located at Smiths Lake which was about 20 mins outside of Forster. The suburb was small, probably only a couple of football fields that was surrounded by a lake. One way in, and one way out. Mother and father had purchased a block of land that was on a vertical slant of 45 degrees that led up the hill into the forest. Smith’s lake would have bored the crap out of any high schooler. There was the lake to swim in, and a coffee shop and that was it. My sister and I ran up and down the coffee shop, disturbing anyone unfortunate enough to be there at the time, but that was all the excitement to be found at Smiths Lake.
By Brendon6 years ago in Motivation
A Life-Changing Moment
“Stop it!” “Please, stop it!” “Stop hitting my mom!” Wailing and sobbing tearfully the 6 year old girl hoped her father and grand-father would listen to her cries. Holding on to her 3 year old sister she hurdled in the corner too afraid to move. But when she saw her mom who lay on the floor taking her father’s hits repeatedly, she swiftly got up and tried to come between her father’s punches and her mother. Suddenly, she was dragged to the corner when her grandfather abusively cornered her.
By Ambreen Ahmad6 years ago in Motivation
Corona Virus
It's been a long couple weeks to say the least. On March 6th, my car got stolen. My Nissan Altima that I worked so hard for, that I just bought in August. It was taken right out of my parking spot at my apartment complex. I left my keys in the car. I know that's my own fault, but it still doesn't mean that I deserved to get my car and everything inside of it stolen. $200, a new license, and a rental car later, I was finally able to legally drive again, but now my boyfriend and I had to struggle through figuring out how to pay rent and his car payment and my bills. Life started to get really complicated really fast.
By Hannah York 6 years ago in Motivation
