Who's Motivating Whom?

What is motivation?

After drinking the new toffee mocha at Starbucks, I got more energy than I knew what to do with; yet, I was not motivated to do anything in particular. I concluded that having more energy does not equal motivation. But motivation, on the other hand, does equal energy.

Peter Brown, a teacher of "reality" or the awakened state, writes in his new book "Dirty Enlightenment: the inherent perfection of imperfection," that we have nothing to do with motivation. We don't have the power to produce it or instill in ourselves or remove it. It already is how it is. It's a done deal. All we're doing is watching it unfold.

What motivated me to write about motivation?

I came to Insomnia coffee shop to work on my story, yet, I went up to the counter, asked the coffee girl what the password to the Internet was, and opened the blog page to write about this. I never ask for the internet password. I do all my Internet stuff at home. If I go to a coffee it is to get motivated to work on story.

Ever since I've been allowing for whatever happens to happen, I've been feeling more and more like I'm not in the driver's seat. It is much more relaxing and joyous not to be in the driver's seat. But then again, did I allow for whatever to happen to happen or did it do it all by itself? Where did the motivation come from?

Peter Brown points out that motivation comes from the same place we do. We didn't birth ourselves in much the same way as we did not birth motivation. The birthing process has been unfolding long before we became aware of ourselves. Motivation has been unfolding long before we knew what we're motivated to do or not to do.

The way I see it, it's not as important to know where the motivation comes from, as it is to be here in order to watch it unfold.

Stopping Doing

I want to do so many things and I don't know where to start. I haven't even finished what I started and I'm already planning something else. What should I do?

STOP!

Stop doing?

YES.

But I want to do something.

THE RIGHT ACTION WILL COME OUT OF ITSELF.

What should I do in the meantime?

NOTHING.

Isn't that wasting time?

TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO IS WASTING TIME. BY STOPPING YOU'RE SEEING WHAT WANTS TO BE DONE RITH NOW.

My heart is beating really fast like I'm having anxiety.

DON'T CALL THE SENSATION ANYTHING. JUST FEEL THE SENSATION ITSELF.

Thoughts like "I should be doing this or that" are arising.

LET THEM AND CONTINUE SITTING.

I went off into fantasy land.

COME BACK AND CONTINUE SITTING.

Am I waiting for an answer?

NO. DON'T WAIT.

Nothing is coming up, but the anxiety is gone.

Reflection

We don't always need to know what to do. Sometimes stopping doing is the only thing we can do.

Heart Walking

When is the time to stay and when is the time to walk away?

Each person within each moment is unique. The way you feel about each person in each moment is unique. There is no set rule that when this happens, you should stay and take it, and when that happens, you should leave.

I was pulled to leave, but my mind told me "you're reacting and you should stay and see what you're reacting to."

You're going to act in accordance with how you're going to act in that moment. Once the action is taken, then there's momentum. If you've taken an action that's different from most other times in a similar situation, then the mind will come in and try and reconcile this difference. There's no use in trying not to have these thoughts, because they are a part of the momentum.

Then, I should just accept my actions and move on?

You shouldn't do anything. Just notice. By trying to accept your actions, you're putting on another blindfold. Acceptance and moving on is the natural result of letting it be. If you feel like you've done wrong, then be with that. If you feel like you're justified, then be with that. If thoughts are justifying, then let them be. If you feel like apologizing, then do that.

Wouldn't people continue hurting others if they think their actions have no consequences by letting it all be?

All actions have consequences and you let that be as well.

I don't know if I can let things be all the time.

And that too. :)


Reflection

I had a situation arise with a person close to me. It wasn't really a situation as more of a typical action-reaction pattern that we've been involved in for years. Usually, I tend to act in a certain way, which involves, being there and taking it, no matter what. This time, I didn't stay and take it. I left. I didn't add any flowery words with my leaving. I just said that I was going and left. Then, the mind came in and tried to rationalize this difference in my behavior.

I went to the park and I just stayed with this inner conflict. I didn't do anything about it. I didn't try and rectify anything. I let it be. Something deeper within me told me that this is where I'm supposed to be.

We don't always trust that deeper knowing because of how the outer circumstances look. But if we stop and listen, then we can hear when we're being guided for our own interest at heart.

Join me in walking away when our heart is telling us to.

Thank you!