Today, I walked into my office, sat down at my desk, turned on my computer and stared at my coffee hoping to mentally will my beverage from molten lava to a drinkable second degree tongue burn. My eyes fixated on the flashing red light of my phone pestering me like a relentless gnat on a humid summer day. As I leaned over to push the voicemail button and kick off my day with a barrage of messages, I couldn’t help but glance up to my bulletin board to see a slue of motivational quotes I have heard and documented over the years. Quotes like “Live life to the fullest” and “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
As I look at these quotes, I realize two things: 1) I can say with decent confidence I strive to achieve the desirable outcomes of said quotes and 2) these quotes aren’t only seen in my office. I have posted quotes all over my Facebook profile and on various status updates as if to impact others from the reiteration of wise interpretations of life from those before me.
Here in lies my problem: I’m starting to realize that my posting of quotes is often to mask a certain level of discontent—almost serving as a crutch when I am not feeling…well…motivated. By pure definition of the word, motivational quotes are used to “stimulate” a certain response. Therefore, someone requiring stimulation isn’t totally motivated and, in my own personal experience, leans heavily on words to validate something that might be missing. So am I using these words as description of my life or as a desire for my future? Now before I steer us down a negative and depressing path, let me bring us back. Nobody is perfect and I don’t think there is anyone on the planet that doesn’t have brief spat of discontent. In all honesty, I believe that to be content is to be lazy…but that’s a conversation for another time. My point is that motivational quotes just remind me of a certain level of wishful thinking.
My favorite journalist, Brendan Leonard, recently discussed in his blog, Semi-Rad, the phenomenon of Instagram. He acknowledged the overabundance of images of people doing awesome things and applauded their efforts. There is a stigma in the social media realm that so-in-so only posts pictures of an awesome meal or fun adventure. Leonard’s point: who cares? Maybe we all need to see our friends doing cool things to help inspire us to achieve post-worthy status!
I am really starting to agree with Leonard on this. I used to get annoyed with my friends only posting baby pictures, the amazing fajitas they prepared, the pic of just bare legs stretching out to the beautiful ocean, or the famous “look at me being pensive in this beautiful place.” But now, I say bring it on! These are things that need to be shared. There is too much negativity in our world and Instagram seems to be doing a great job of making things positive again.
I have recently grown obsessed with following the film crew from Camp 4 Collective. Not only are they wicked talented but they seem to be having so much fun exploring our beautiful globe, pushing their personal boundaries and sharing their story with others. I find myself inspired to go outside and push myself; I’m inspired to go make my own fun story in the hopes that someone sees what I am doing and possibly tries to replicate the excitement in their own adventures.
Motivational quotes are fantastic words of wisdom and can/should be recognized as positive reinforcement to living a fulfilling life. There is a place for them and we should not say goodbye to the art of the lyric. However, let us not hold these words as a crutch to our own discontent. The next time you hear a cool quote and start to post it on one of your 12 social media platforms, think about what people are going to be motivated by more: Reading your story? Or seeing your story?
The other day I posted a new quote on Facebook: “Limitations are optional.” I look back on it now and can think of 100 different images or short films I could have shared that would have done a better job portraying that message. Yes, I strongly believe limitations are optional but I also believe in “walking the walk.” One of my best friends, Lonnie Bedwell, happens to be totally blind from an injury suffered in a hunting accident. Lonnie recently became the first blind man to ever solo kayak the entire 226-mile Grand Canyon. He is proof alone that limitations are optional! Rather than posting a quote, sharing Lonnie’s story would have gone so much farther.
So in all this, here is what I’m trying to say. Don’t tell me your story; get out and show me!
Kyle Thomas- Guest writer for LSP