Motivation

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By Sammi Davis

Edited by Fernando Aguilar

If you ever need some motivation, just Google motivational quotes (Brainy Quote is great too.) I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Here are three of my favorites, and what I personally took away from them.

I sort-of know what I want out of life, but it’s a vague idea, kind of like I’m looking through a foggy window. I know I like the business of television. I know I like writing. I know I like storytelling, traveling, and the ocean. All of those interests motivate me to continue with my journalism major. But often times I feel like my life plan is still blurry, and that I tend to just go from one interest/ opportunity/ class to the next without thinking much about the big picture. I’m taking steps up some stairs, and only looking at the step I’m currently on, without thinking about where I’m going. It’s a risky way to be, and something I’ve been trying to change. But at least I’m living based on what I want, and what I find interesting. In that respect, I’m lucky. Nobody is pressuring me to study journalism; nobody is forcing my path but me. Which is good, I suppose, because I’m the one who has to live with these choices, and I think that’s good motivation in itself.

Failing is easy, as Mr. Edison would know, and success is hard. In a major like journalism, where you’re success is often based on other peoples involvement (interviews, editors, coworkers, etc.) it’s easy to get frustrated and want to give up when things go south… and not necessarily because of you. For anyone in a position of leadership, they also experience the same scenario—that their success (or failure) is based on their team’s actions and results. That’s why I think its important for leaders to be able to motivate themselves and their team to continue forward, despite any difficulties Because each failure is just another step before success.

In the end, it’s just our lives we are living, and we are always changing. We grow older; we learn; we adapt to new situations, opportunities and challenges. Today I might want to be a television producer for a morning talk show. Tomorrow I might want to be the next lead international news anchor at CNN. Two hours after that, a professional scuba-diving-novelist-poodle-puppy-rescuer. And that’s fine, it’s fine to change your mind and try new things and develop new goals and dreams. The freedom to do whatever you want with life is motivation for everyone.