The innate nature of every human being is to get ‘a pat on the back’ at every stage of achievement or success. It is quite natural to all. At all circumstances one cannot count on these ‘pats’ from others. Because, a total reliance on such external impetuses, undoubtedly, proves detrimental to ones further success. Limiting ones aspirations to these ‘pats on the back’ will only hamper the achievement of real goals in life.
There are two kinds of motivations - External and Internal/Inner. The external motivations generally come from external forces like accolades, ‘pats’, honours, praises, flattery words, etc.; whereas internal or inner motivations come from within. Inner motivations, though not innate by nature, can inculcate in them the inner strength for the continuous efforts to achieve the milestones in their journey of success. Those who get motivated only by the external factors become downtrodden in the absence of such external forces; but inner motivation hardly relies on external forces like praises, commands, pats etc.
The internal or inner motivation sustains till the end without getting off-track or getting vanished from one’s life. Since this motivation is within, even if others try to trample it down, it emerges to the forefront by one or the other way. It is this inner motivation makes one to get ultimate success and not the external motivation. External motivations last mostly for a short duration and once they get satiated with expected goal, they diminish forever, unless some other external force makes it to transpire the same.
Parents must provide their children enough and more opportunities to generate such inner motivation in their life. At the initial stage the parents need to appreciate them for their achievements but as a whole they must be motivated with larger goals both of life and knowledge oriented ones. In order to infuse such productive inner motivations in children, they must be given sufficient avenues to get themselves excelled. The children need to compare their own growth day by day and to not compare themselves with others. Comparing their yesterday with today will motivate them to invigorate their holistic growth. If they compare themselves with others, their aspirations stop abruptly when they feel that they are at par excellence with their role models. So let us promote our children to imbibe the inner motivation rather than external motivation to have a holistic growth of their life.
Fr. Francis Assisi Almeida
Mangalore
