LESSONS FROM POWER OF MOTIVATION
TODAY, I am going to tell you, our esteemed readers one of the most inspiring stories you have ever read. It is about how some boys, girls and some dogs amused me with the power of motivation. What I saw on that day reminded me of many theories and practical examples of importance of motivation.
As I was taking a stroll from one of my small houses in Lusaka’s John Laing compound to another; probably to solicit something from one of my humble tenants while my power of the eye and power of the ear were ignited on like those of a monkey, I saw what my eyes have never seen in my life. Two boys and two dogs were playing football (soccer) from a ball made from rags as some girls and some other boys were cheering them excitedly.
With astonishment, I stood at akimbo to convince myself whether dogs were really playing soccer with human beings or not.
Each boy with a relatively nice blue pair of shorts and a yellow T-shit while the other had a red pair of shorts with a green T-shirts; both written on their backs like graffiti, cheerfully played soccer with the stated dogs. One dog was in his usual khaki suit as the other one was in black and white hair with some light grey spots on it.
At about 06:45hours in the morning, the four players and the cheering girls wore wide and enthusiastic smiles on their faces like they had already taken their mouth-watering and nourishing breakfast.
Seeing two boys playing soccer with two dogs, I could not believe my eyes. As one boy passed such a ball to another boy, the two dogs anxiously and swiftly ran after the ball as it rolled to the other boy.
If one of the boys did not calculate properly when passing the ball to the other boy, one of the two dogs could hurriedly intercept the ball; and stop it with one of its front paws as some girls who were cheering for the effectiveness of such dogs in playing soccer clapped their small hands while singing soccer related songs. ‘Yeee! Chipolopolo. Yeee! Chipolpolo’ the girls and other boys sang. The stated girls urged one of the dogs to pass the ball to the other dog as the boys struggled to retrieve such a ball from the dogs.
Upon interviewing some of the children who were watching and cheering for such a game, they said actually the game was in a form of a league where three teams were playing against the other. Such teams comprised two boys, two girls and two dogs.
Like in real soccer teams, each team had its own chance to play against the other. Surprisingly, the two girls appeared to be supporting the two dogs which, at that time, were doing relative fine compared to the two boys.
No sooner did I leave that place than I started cogitating about what was actually happening in this world. “Have I lived on Earth more than necessary for me to start seeing such things? I asked myself.
Knowing that soccer has become one of the most high paying careers; probably second to politics, I remembered George Shinn’s “The Miracle of Motivation.” Reflecting on how powerful motivation can be in achieving one’s academic, professional, career or life goal, I re-phrased Shinn’s “The miracle of motivation,” and transformed it into “Power of motivation.”
But a ten thousand and one Zimbabwean dollar question is: “Why is it that most boys and girls are so attracted to playing soccer that they do not need to be forced to play such a game as the way we sometimes persuade them to go to school or do their school homework? Is it that, in modern days, soccer is more motivating than the current formal education?
Amazed with what I saw, I started asking myself some good and some relatively foolish questions relating to why, nowadays, most boys and girls do not need to be compelled to play soccer as most parents do to force such children to go to school.
As early as 06:30 hours when the sun’s rays are still fresh; and cutting through many shades, one finds at least two or more groups of young boys of less than seven years old already gathered in a playground or anywhere where there is some space to play soccer. In most cases, there are less than 11 on each side. They can be two or five on each side; and the game starts.
These days, most children do not need a playground to practice soccer. With relatively good sums of money or wealth some Under-20 players and some Chipolopolo national team players have so far amassed; and the high potential soccer players have to see many local and foreign places, probably such boys and girls; including some dogs now might have convinced themselves that there is good money in playing soccer. But how did the dogs learn that, with effective and stylish playing and practice, one can develop good soccer playing skills; and raise good money in soccer?
The boys, girls and now including the dogs have realised that when one works hard to practice something, socially and financially, one can make great strides in life.
But in addition to Shinn’s “The miracle of motivation,” such an episode also reminded me of what another motivation writer wrote.
The other writer wrote that when one wants to achieve something great in life, first one should visualise that type of life he or she wants. Having visualised it, the writer went further to urge such a person to assume that now he or she is actually enjoying that type of life; and smell, taste and feel the comfort associated with it.
As Shinn argued that success has both mental and physical factors, the other writer stated that when you imagine the academic, professional, career goal or type of life you want to enjoy in your life, you should now go back to your current real life; and start making every effort to achieve the perceived life you want to lead.
This appears to be the process some boys, girls and now some dogs who I found playing soccer might have gone through; and are now on implementing the vision.
Unless one is motivated to do something, one cannot be committed and do it properly at the right time.
It is from such a perspective on the importance of motivation that most human resource management (HRM) or general management books include a chapter on ‘motivation’. For example, “Management and motivation” book edited by Victor M Vroom and Edward L Deci is one of the books on the importance of motivation. Some authors have written books on motivation theories and their implications on human behaviour and productivity.
In this light, this writer feels that those who have little or no appetite for reading miss a lot of nice ideas, knowledge and strategies on how best to approach life to achieve whatever goal one has. Many beneficial ideas and strategies are hidden in most newspapers, magazines, journals and books which most people avoid to read. Develop positive appetite for reading. You might get ideas and strategies which might make you achieve your goals within affordable time frame.
For instance, why do some people start certain careers, study for some academic or professional programmes? Why do some people join certain hobbies while some are interested in other hobbies?
Not only does motivation help us know what to do in life but it also facilitates being committed to and setting right priorities with our resources and activities to achieve our goals.
Therefore, as a student in any academic or professional studies, are you motivated to study that programme? If so, do you do it whole-heartedly? As already alluded to above, when you are a student in a certain programme, you should be committed and apply yourself fully to those studies until you achieve your goal.
Being committed to your studies in that career, academic or professional programme, you cannot ask for short-cuts to achieve that goal. Examination malpractices, cheating and copying from friends in the examinations or hiring someone to write your assignments and probably final examinations for you is not being committed to your studies or goal in life.
With such a background, reflect on those boys, girls and dogs playing the soccer game I illustrated above. They did not hire anyone to play soccer for them. The stated boys, girls and the dogs were mentally and physically involved in playing that soccer as part of practising to be effective in the game.
This is what you and I are also supposed to aim at in our academic or professional studies; or in our career or lives. Study hard. Earn higher marks on your own. This is what will make you and I successful in our respective fields. Leave a positive mark in that professional field or on Earth as part of history about your hard work to achieve great things!