Our Driving Forces

In our interconnected world and its hyper competitive landscape, goals and objectives have become our mantra. In order to succeed, we need to align our bodies and minds to better adapt to our day-to-day activities, leveraging both old (meditation, yoga, etc.) and new (videos, devices, etc.) offerings, which will also help to unlock the untapped potential within.

The Driving Force
The words “passion” and “motivation” are often overused when describing the driving force and only describe one part of the downstream process. We often forget that there are also conscious and unconscious forces that enable us to act with a sense of purpose in our upstream process.

These driving forces encompass an emotional kaleidoscope that range from meek (pouring a cup of coffee) to very powerful (writing a piece like Mahler’s Symphony #2). They are the sparks that kick off our emotions, empowering us to reach new heights and push the envelope—not just inspiring the will to live, but a love of life. These powerful forces from within enable us to do the things we do and being able to control them allow us to create a harmonious internal balance and be better prepared to reach our goals and objectives.

Square One
We must first sync our minds and bodies to better deal with reaching our defined goals and objectives—and there is no shortage of ways to do it. From reading a paperback copy of Ovid’s Metamorphoses for inspirational purposes to throwing a Fitbit on to track your activity and sleeping patterns, choices are infinite. While someone may prefer attending a yoga retreat in a remote part of the Adirondacks, another may find balance from walking along the beach in Copacabana on a quiet morning. Of course, excuses are always plentiful but it is up to the individual to take action and become better prepared for the tasks at hand. At an organic level, the better aligned we are as an organism, the better our ability to dig deep within ourselves to spark downstream feelings like passion and motivation.

Unlocking Our Potential
Potential is often sparked through a variety of measures—some being visual, some from previous experiences and synthesized knowledge, and others from motivation and inspiration—and these triggers set off a whole new set of possibilities. From a visualized point-of-view, this process of unlocking hidden potential looks a lot more like unlocking a combination lock within in a bank vault than using a simple lock and key. The triggers (articles, videos, artwork, etc.) help to stimulate our thought process much like the tumblers housed within the bank vault. Sometimes previous experiences that guide our learning, like a visit to the Smithsonian, and other times we learn by doing, like touching a hot plate.

Unlocking potential is also provoked through synthesizing information. One may hear the latest gossip on Sand Hill Road about what companies are in vogue, which could prompt swift action in the form of an investment.

It’s up to each of us to find what makes us tick.

A Sense of Purpose
The real question is, “why are we doing this?” Let us look at two possible scenarios. First is our own self-interest. We could be crafting an online presentation to a high-level group and want it to be perfect. In this scenario, a great deal of research has to be done regarding what the intended audience is looking for as well as ensuring the accuracy of the content. It must also be crafted in such a way that the people viewing the presentation can both comprehend and absorb the content being shown. The theme is twofold: attention to detail and a creative spin—and this is precisely where upstream meets downstream. The subconscious may spur the creative process, while the conscious tackles the more technical issues. In any event, a person has to draw upon the aforementioned facts and, in the process, unlock hidden potential brought about by this task.

Second is others’ interest. This “motivation” or “inspiration” could be in the form of directing, coaching or teaching—for example, getting a child fired-up to take an exam like the ACT or SAT. This is a situation in which a person’s inner force, or drive, is meant to result in action that will influence others. It is a way of “transferring” these motivational or inscriptional feelings to others so they can better deal with, or excel, in their tasks. In this case, extensive research must be done regarding the topic in order to provide the other person with useful advice, so they may be better prepared. This is not a trivial undertaking, as one can mean well but still give poor advice. Accordingly, the person giving the advice must be well versed in the defined topic, while being very careful on tactics regarding advice, motivation or inspiration, and properly manage expectations.

There is no question that the force that drives us is derived from both our conscious and subconscious, which directly influences our behavior. We must also be cognizant on how we advise, motivate or inspire, and properly manage expectation of others. That is why we must try from the outset to align our bodies and minds in a balanced and harmonious manner that will not only benefit our own actions, but also the people we influence.