Welcome to the Spring – that is how the world feels today. Here in
Bournemouth
the sun is shining and I have been in my garden for an hour practising Chi Gung. Plus, of course, it is the First of April.
This will not be everyone’s experience today – for some it will be very different. But all of us, I think, have those moments in our life when looking forward is very good and very exciting.
Today, however, was even more different. I had a strange ‘blast from the past’ that I found extremely motivating. Some weeks ago a business colleague invited me to join Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php. Naturally, I had heard a lot about this ‘social network’, not least because my son is on it! It seemed a product for ‘young’ people – not one for me. Naturally, how wrong could I be?
Immediately, my friend Pic found me – then linked me up with someone I taught 25 years ago – Richard Bowen. Richard sought me out and gave me some fantastic feedback on my teaching of – specifically – Tennyson all those years ago. Richard is now a successful journalist, and frankly my contribution to his success is very very tiny – he has done what he has done. But, to know that one’s small efforts are still remembered and valued after such a long period of time is – simply – wonderful.
And all of us, I guess, from time to time, discount the importance of our own contributions to the human race and other people. Richard, when I left him, was 16 years old – he’s now about 40! Who has he helped and supported – left small traces that have contributed? Most of the time we forget and don’t know.
So, as Spring begins, perhaps too a time for reflection – who did we know then? What did we do? How has that helped? And as the memories come flooding back, we perhaps will feel renewed motivation to carry on. For the truth is – although I am a motivational specialist – see www.motivationalmaps.com – I find myself more motivated now than I was before; yet, if you had asked me before how motivated I was, I would have said, “100%”.
Thank you Richard – I am now 200% motivated towards making a difference! And as Tennyson said, or nearly did: ‘we need to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield’!
James
The Mapping Motivation Series 