Motivation strikes at some of the strangest times. In the past couple of months the strikes have been few and far between.
Often when my motivation is lacking I tend to play on social media or binge watch Netflix. It turns out, both of those things were beneficial to me in more ways than one.
First of all, I think I’m still recovering from the previous busy months. With anxiety, it can take a while to recover from the overwhelm of daily life. Sometimes just removing myself from the world for a bit helps.
Second, I found some motivation.
That second one might be the most important benefit of my social media, Netflix binge watching staycation.
Be a Shark
Today I was watching Arrow on Netflix and Oliver said something that caught my attention.
“A shark who does not swim, drowns”
Not the most optimistic of quotes, but there is some truth to it.
Oliver attributes this quote to a Russian proverb, however upon research I couldn’t find the source. (Please let me know if you have a source for this quote beyond Arrow.) In my research on the quote, I did learn that it’s not actually true. This is what the American Museum of Natural History has to say about the shark swimming myth:
“Some sharks must swim constantly in order to keep oxygen-rich water flowing over their gills, but others are able to pass water through their respiratory system by a pumping motion of their pharynx. This allows them to rest on the sea floor and still breathe. However, sharks do have to swim to avoid sinking to the bottom of the water column.”
So, it seems, even the truth has some meaning in the form of motivation. Some sharks who don’t swim, drown. Other sharks who don’t swim, sink. Either way this quote reminds me that you have to keep swimming if you want to reach your goal.
Maybe this is where Dory gets her advice about swimming, after all the sharks in the movie say “fish are friends, not food.”
Be a Try Guy
Yesterday, I was perusing Try Guy videos on Facebook.
If you haven’t watched them I highly recommend watching. They’re hilarious, adorable, addicting, and when they’re not being totally goofy they come out with a good message every now and then. Just beware if you’re not a fan of so called, colorful language. They don’t filter their videos for the PG crowd in terms of some language and the occasional innuendo. Don’t worry, they do blur out things when they need to.
Getting back on track, the reason I mention this is because most people who follow the Try Guys know they became Internet sensations thanks to working for BuzzFeed. I know that’s where I found them. Not to long ago, the Try Guys decided to leave BuzzFeed and take on their own business, still creating videos, but doing it on their terms.
I watched their video where they explained why they started their own company and wow did it motivate me. Not only were they making me laugh, as usual, but they did a phenomenal job showing just how dedicated they were to their goal, as well as how much hard work went into making it happen. Watch it to see for yourself, but spoiler… it was a lot of hard work. A lot.
My Motivation
While the sharks and the Try Guys are giving me a motivation boost, it’s not a do or die situation for me like the sharks, nor am I at the push myself to the limits, stay up for days, point where the Try Guys were. I am getting enough of a boost to help me push past my anxiety and find not only the desire, but the motivation to start in on some projects I’ve been meaning to do, and knock off a few of the items I’ve been putting off from my to do list.
Sometimes inspiration and motivation appear when you least expect them. They aren’t always obvious, but if something sparks your interest, run with it. Especially if you haven’t felt like doing a whole lot of what you need to do to reach your goals. Fan the spark and it will turn into the flame you need to get moving and make things happen.
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