TroyW

I'm curious, where do you derive your ambition to continue pushing yourself forward in life? I know every mother / father in here will say their kids, which obviously is extremely noble and awesome. You want to provide your kids with the best life possible, right?

Aside from that though, what drives you? What motivates you? What makes you get out of bed every morning, and give life everything you've got?

Reset

This exact question is why I went back into therapy. So if you figure it out, let me know!

ScottFromWI

I'll be honest, I have to look for it sometimes. I think most people ( everybody ) does?

I find it in my Kids and my family.

I get it here when I see people doing good things for themselves and helping others.

I get it at work by having goals of my own and those set by those above and round me

I'm not a very religious or spiritual person but I find a lot of inspiration in the natural world and in the power that religion/spirituality brings to others

Sometimes you just find it too, and other days you just don't have it...but I accept that there will just be bad days sometimes.

Wholesome

Money! Security. The dream of retirement. The feeling of accomplishment when I know I did a good job and met the deadline and exceeded expectations. Feeling like I have my $hit together. Liking living in a clean environment. Vacations. Ownership. Providing for my family. Independence.

PurpleKnight

Having no kids or wife I haven't got that to rely on, so for me I have to find it in other places, I also don't practice any faith so that's out too.

Though to be honest there are many days when I'd rather stay in bed, life I find isn't always seizing the day and bouncing out of bed full of energy.

For me accepting I'm here and I can make of life what I want and have the opportunities that I do have to make a real go of it, and especially now in Sobriety, maybe people may never remember PK many years after I'm gone.

But whilst I'm breathing I'm going to give it a shot out of curiosity more than ambition most of the time, see how far I can go, what can I achieve, what happens if I try this out, let's have a go at this, what have I got to loose!!

Wholesome

PK I never bounce out of bed with energy haha I bitch and moan every single day.

Holds1325

My ambition is of course my wife and children.

Also my spirituality. I believe in God and prayer helps so much these days. Some days its all I can do but just fall on my knees and pray for help and it does come to me. Going to church, fellowship with other believers, Bible studies, these things help my recovery tremendously and I'm sure they would help others.

TroyW

Don't get me started on the God thing. I get banned when I speak my mind about that, lol

Anna

Finding the purpose in my life was really important to my recovery. I really had to do some soul-searching. I am very spiritual and try to follow my soul's purpose in life.

I highly recommend:

A New Earth by Echart Tolle and
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav

Verte

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. No matter how many versions are read, stories told, my experience is always mine. I love the moment that I have the opportunity to know with absolute certainty that I have never been 'here' before.

Last year someone gave me a hug and in her perfume I smelled something, or a combination of something, that I had never before smelled. It was amazing! My brain could not categorize, place or visualize where in the world it originated. Iceland? Greenland? Someday I might get a hint of whatever that was, again.

Keeping my eyes open for the novelties in the obvious. Looking for new opportunities. Knowing that no matter how I feel at a given moment, tomorrow will be its own unique thing.

Haha! Bouncing out of bed in the morning? That is funny.

Good question Troy. I enjoy thinking about these things. Thanks.

ItWillBeWorthIt

The first thing to explore could be your occupation... do you really enjoy what you do - it is important that you like it.

I do a lot of reading - self-help stuff that gets me thinking positive, motivated, inspired. Lately a lot on Mindfulness... and it works great.

Retread1959

The only ambition I have right now is to avoid pulling the trigger on any given day. Ask me the same question after I've sorted out a few things in my life and, hopefully, I will have a better answer.

alphaomega

Einstein said - "There are only two ways ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

One of the things that's helps me when I'm feeling low is I try and practice random acts of ridiculous kindness and senseless acts of beauty. Little do the recipients know that *I* feel like I benefit more than they do. It feels good to do good. It makes this experience on this little blue dot worthwhile and gives it meaning.

I was at work feeling blue and I looked around and saw a bunch of the guys that work for me smoking on their breaks.. I decided right at the moment to call a company wide meeting and offer everyone of them hypnosis to help them stop. And so as not to forget about the others who don't smoke, they all got gym memberships.

Damn, that felt good.

In an instant, I changed the trajectory of my day. And a few others in the interim.

I'm sure my accountant will have a hissy fit as sales are down and blah blah blah.

Who cares.

What if I were to die tomorrow ? Which would matter more ?

Can't take the money with me, but, I sure as hell can take the love.

Marcher13

We get one life as far as I know, I need to make it count, I want to leave the world a bit better than it was. Then, on the grand scale of things, I have so very much that it would be a crime not to get up out of bed every morning and give life everything I've got.

Dee74

I nearly died, so every morning is like another win to me

I have a lot to drive me - helping others, being happy, making amends - I aim to live the way I should have done all those years

D

Deleteda

Good post TroyW I'm struggling with motivation and purpose myself just now so it's been good reading people's responses. What motivates you Troy?

Peace X

Upwardspiral

To be honest the first thing that comes to mind is the simple knowledge that no-one else is going to take care of me. I love my independence so much I guess I'll work my fingers to the bone to afford it.
Beyond that I live my life the way I do because somewhere early on I got the notion that I had to do something that made a positive contribution to the world. I have a certain unquantified duty to serve a purpose other than my own personal advancement. It's not huge, but once in a while I feel I need to volunteer or help out just to give back, and to hold some occupation that I don't find parasitic or morally reprehensible.

Notimetoloose

At the very core of me, I don't believe I have the right to ruin my life..(or anyone else's life for that matter.)

That self destruction ..the addiction thing contradicts my basic instinct.!

So no matter what, I have to keep on trying to be true to myself...that is my responsibility..

Nowsthetime

For me it's living in the moment and feeling every feeling all the way. I accept the good and the bad and remember that this is my only life. I practice gratitude too all the time and that always gives me perspective. I o realize that that is easy for me to say because I am really what some called blessed and others lucky but in a way I think that attitude is everything. It permeates every aspect of life so I try to create a positive attitude always.

Tetra

This is an interesting question.

For me, I spent a long time drinking and hiding myself away so I am starting my life over, so to speak. It is lovely to be out and about, meeting new people and having new experiences.

My mom can be difficult to deal with (she has her own problems). But I love my parents. My dad in particular is one of the kindest people I know. I have seen him cry three times in my life: at his father's funeral, at his mother's funeral, and over me and my drinking. After everything I've done, I want him to be proud of me. Everyone has told me that I've changed an awful lot over the past year. My dad told me that he is proud of me a few months ago and he called me "a miracle".

It just feels good to do the right thing.