Someone asked me recently, “Carl, what exactly is motivation?” Well, according to the Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, it is “causing a person to act in a certain way.” But, personally, I don’t believe one person can actually motivate another person. We can help create an atmosphere that encourages self-motivation, because I believe that all true motivation must come from within an individual.

To me, motivation is the term that simply describes whether or not we are enthusiastic enough about something to act upon it. If we are truly motivated to do something, we will jump into that something with energy to spare. If we are not motivated to do a certain thing, the enthusiasm and resultant action that may lead to successful achievement will not be there.

Many newspaper “want ads” pertaining to job openings begin with the description of the type of person wanted with the words, “Must be self-starter.” This, of course, means the person must be able to motivate himself or herself to do a particular job or to sell a particular product. It would be terrific if everyone could find something in which or she was so enthusiastic that the actions come.

We become enthusiastic about something when we think about it enthusiastically. It gets back to the principle emphasized in philosopher/essayist Henry David Thoreau’s statement, “We are products of our thoughts.” Thoreau (1817-1862) lived in a world very similar to the world in which we live. There were robberies, killings, rapes, illicit sex, crooked politicians, wars, racial strife, and many forms of social injustice that upset him. He had the same type daily problems most of us have. He experienced small annoyances and large crises. But upon awakening each morning, Thoreau would lie in bed and think of all the good things he could think of. Such thoughts would lead to enthusiasm, and he soon would jump up from his bed, self-motivated and ready to live life to the fullest.

If we practice being enthusiastic about things, even when we don’t feel enthusiastic, enthusiasm can eventually come to us as it did to Thoreau. As Shakespeare indicates in Hamlet, “Assume a virtue, if you have it not.” It was this bit of advice that led Edwin Booth, one of the greatest actors in the history of the American theater, to decide he would never permit himself to assume any ungraceful attitude, even when he was alone. As a consequence, Booth is said to have had the epitome of unconscious grace on stage. His stage presence was said to be tremendous — on and off the professional stage.

Our enthusiasm presence can grow to be tremendous if we really sell ourselves on something and think of all the good that can come from it. This idea of thinking enthusiastically is not to suggest we be phony or assume a head-in-the clouds “Pollyanna” attitude. Rather, it is to suggest we be real — that we thank God for our ability to be able to get turned on to something and to life itself — that we be counted among those who are glad to be able to see the roses in the thorns instead of always being disgruntled over seeing the thorns in the roses.

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993) described enthusiasm as “faith that has been set afire.” Thoreau said, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” Philosopher/essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” The thoughts by these distinguished men, accompanied by my preceding words, present my answer to the question, “Carl, what exactly is motivation?”

— © 2009. Carl Mays of Gatlinburg is an author and speaker. E-mail to carlmays@carlmays.com, call 436-7478 or visit www.carlmays.com. The www.mymerlin.net site is based on his book and program, “A Strategy for Winning.”