September 22, 2015

The Call.

va Flickr

Motivation is a slippery idea. We all aren’t motivated to do things in the same way. Heck, we’re not even motivated in the same way consistently in our own lives! One time I might be motivated to finish a task because there is an external reward, but another time I am motivated by the sense of satisfaction I get from a job well-done. Sometimes it seems that nothing can get me motivated.

How is it then that some people seem to have such high levels of motivation?

Many people think there is a connection between how much we are invested in the task, or how much we care about it, and our levels of motivation. I guess this make sense. The next question is how to find something to care about that much?

Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, believed that each of us is called to our own heroic journey. Not the running into the burning building to save the child kind of hero, but a kind of hero journey of our lives that transforms us and opens us up to our true selves. For Joseph Campbell, it’s not that we need to go out looking for ways to be a hero; we need to learn to answer the call.

Literature is full of examples of the heroic journey. Some like The Hobbit explicitly follow the pattern of the hero monomyth. Other stories only use parts of the cycle. As we work through Pay It Forward, consider how this lens, the hero’s journey, might apply.

What motivates Trevor? Did he answer the call?

January 8, 2014

Effort Matters.

Homework?

Why bother?

Being productive in class?

It’s not going to change anything.

And yet we know that growth and learning require effort.

Right?

To learn to skate, pass a puck, or hit the net took time and effort. You weren’t born knowing how to do these things.

To learn to hunt, fire a gun accurately, or track a deer took time and effort. You weren’t born knowing how to do these things.

To learn to dance, make regalia, or sing took time and effort. You weren’t born knowing how to do these things.

To learn to use Facebook, download music, and play video games took time and effort. You weren’t born knowing how to do these things.

To learn to read complex texts, make meaningful notes, and express your thinking through writing takes time and effort. You weren’t born knowing how to do these things.

Work on your growth mindset and you will be able to do anything you want to do. It’s all possible.