Reflections on Motivation

In this day and age, I think young adults have developed a problem. An entitlement complex. When children are waited on hand and foot, they expect good things to happen. We’ve all been taught that we can do whatever we dream, if we believe we can do it. I believe that I have the potential to become a millionaire. Everyone has it. What our elementary school teachers forgot to tell us was that if we want to be the best, we have to set our goals, never lose hope, and work harder than we can imagine to accomplish our dreams.

I worked a third shift full time job over this past summer as a way to make some quick money for the school year. The pay was nice, but I walked in as one of these unmotivated, entitled people. I walked out an adult. This school year I really noticed how grown up I have become. This was my first real job. Going from completely dependent on my parents, to working 40 hours a week, from 9pm-7am; the least I can say is that it was a shock to my system.

There is that saying, “you never know what you have until it’s gone.” That is true, but more important should be the fact that once you are exposed to what it is like to work paycheck to paycheck, and see people that do it for a majority of their lives, it puts things into perspective. These people that I met in this completely new environment set an example for myself. They were great people, but growing up, they weren’t as privileged as I have been. I didn’t understand at first, but I slowly began to feel guilty about myself.

These people were working their asses off for the past year just to pay their bills. I was off at school dicking around. I noticed that if I didn’t shape up, I would be taking a blessing for granted. The opportunities that were set out in front of me, with little of it due to the miniscule efforts I put into school in high school. My parents broke their backs providing for me, unknowingly spoiling me. It was a realization that nearly knocked me off my feet. I had been living a sheltered life, expecting things to fall into place. To graduate with some kind of degree and get a cushy office job somewhere.

Then I realized that was not what I wanted. I wanted to do something I loved. I realized that college was nowhere near as demanding as 40 hours a week of blue-collar work. I don’t remember if it was a watershed moment, or it happened gradually, but I realized what I wanted to do with myself. I want to become a clinical psychologist. I have always been interested in counseling, but I never knew if another 4 years of school was worth it. I realized that the extra school is a vacation compared to what could face me in the real world.

If you take one thing from this article, please never try to take anything for granted. Unless you are a homeless meth addict on the street corner, you have something to be thankful of. Be aware that no matter your situation, you can be successful in whatever you try. You just have to be willing to work hard and become the best at whatever it is that you want to do. Oh, and stay focused, but don’t forget to unwind once in a while.