When I look for motivation I look to particular events in my life. The following are 5 things that motivate me to be the best possible partner, father, son, brother, friend, citizen, and human being:

1. The divorce of my parents

My earliest memory is of standing on the front verandah at age 4 waving goodbye to my dad. Being so young, I don’t think my parents divorce had an immediate impact on my life. I now believe, however, that this event had a big impact on my relationships through my teens and early twenties. I was never any good at relationships, I had difficulties dealing with anything that went longer than “short term”, and marriage was something I was never interested in.

How this motivates me: Whilst I understand that divorce is often unavoidable, I want my son Xavier to have a different upbringing than my own. I want him to grow up in a loving household with both of his natural parents. The fact that Kathryn and I are from countries on the opposite side of the world (Australia and Canada) has made our relationship very difficult at times. I am motivated, however, to give the relationship everything I have not only because I love Kathryn with all my heart, but because I want Xavier to have an upbringing that I didn’t.

2. Being the unpopular kid in high school

Highschool can be a cruel place. Between years 10 and 12 my popularity hit rock bottom. George W. Bush would probably be more popular at a Democrats fundraiser than I was. There is often not a good reason for teenage cruelty, and I certainly don’t think I deserved some of the treatment I received. However, in hindsight I can acknowledge that my behaviour certainly did not help. I matured late and definitely did some stupid things.

How this motivates me: this experience had taught me to live by the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In other words, treat others as you would like to be treated.

3. Growing up surrounded by rich kids

Firstly, let me say I think my parents did a great job. Their major achievement was probably scrounging together the funds to send me to one of the most highly regarded (and expensive!) schools in my city. A result of this, however, was that I grew up around kids who had a lot more than me.

How this motives me: I don’t really care about the material possessions others’ had (although I may have at the time). Looking back, what I recognise is that money gives people opportunities and opens doors (I have written about this in my article 5 Reasons to Grow Rich).

4. The birth of my son

When my son was born, the way in which I viewed the world changed forever. Here was a tiny baby who with time would grow into a person. Staring into his eyes I saw unlimited potential. I saw the future.

How this motivates me: Since the birth of my son my life has taken on a whole new meaning. I care more about world issues, particularly related to the environment, as I don’t want his generation to inherit a world that we have ruined beyond repair.

5. Moving overseas

In just over a week, I am moving overseas for an indefinite period so that my partner can be close to her family. I am filled with mixed emotions. I have always loved to travel, so I feel a sense of excitement to be leaving on a new adventure. However, I am also filled with sadness to be leaving my family behind.

How this motives me: The prospect of being a long distance from my family motivates me to really make an effort to stay in touch. With modern technology there are so many great ways to stay in touch: email, facebook, skype, etc. More so, it motivates me to be wildly successful and rich so that I can afford to visit home, or fly them to me :).

So I am interested to hear from readers: what motivates you?

Tags: Life, Meaning & Purpose //