WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

No one can argue that we do not live merely to satisfy our bodily needs. We spend a lot of time and energy doing many things, such as working puzzles, reading, going to church, window shopping, visiting friends, internet browsing, blogging, and a host of other activities that serve no immediate biological purpose. Unlike biological drives, which are similar for all members of the species, psychological and social motives are much more variable and dependent on cultural learning. For example, many cultures encourage individual competition. Being a winner enhances self-esteem. In other cultures, competition is frowned upon. Needs for self-esteem are met, not by excelling individually, but by being a contributing member of the group.

What we will look at here are those motivations that pattern our lives. Some may be characteristics of our culture alone. Some may span cultures. Sometimes we are self-motivated by forces in our environment. Often the reasons why we do something may be interpreted in a number of ways. Only you know what makes you tick.

"Motivation is everything, you can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people."

Lee Iacocca

IT TAKES TWO TO RELATE

... shy girl, shy girl, don't shy away ...

For a number of reasons, some people keep others at a distance. Proximity makes them uneasy or self-conscious. Shyness is often a barrier to having good relationships with other people. Typically, the shy person is someone who wants to join in, to share personal intimacies, to feel comfortable about being with others, but somehow is inhibited from doing so. Often this is because he or she has low self-esteem. Such individuals frequently become tongue-tied when they try to speak. They blush if others become friendly or intimate with them. The social exchange is even as an emotional threat--not an opportunity. The shy person backs away from the encounter for self-protection.

Of course, there are positive aspects to shyness. Some people simply might prefer their own company to that of others. But the person who likes to be alone can pay a high price for such privacy. When is or she does need contact with others, it may not be there. It takes two to relate.