Intrinsic Motivation: The Key to Eternal Happiness

Have you ever thought why some people are happy and why some are not? The major cause of sadness lies in dissatisfaction and a man's craving for more. Our behavior is always goal-oriented, each one of us is striving to get something or the other.

But why are we doing it? The answer to this is generally for a reward. For example, if you work hard in the office, you will be rewarded with incentives or a raise in the salary. If you study hard, you will get good marks or some gift from your parents, etc.

But what if these rewards were not there? Would we be so committed to our work even then? That depends on the kind of motivation we are driven by.

There are times when we would be passionate and committed to do something even when we are not promised any reward. And it happens when we are intrinsically motivated. It is an inner or self-motivation, that inspires people irrespective of any reward.

In such a frame of mind, people take up things or do something just because they like it or because they think it is good or a nice thing to do. Here they are not concerned about what they will get out it. They do it because for sheer satisfaction and/or joy.

What is the difference between Einstein and any other unknown scientist? We can say that Einstein was a person with self-motivation. He was so passionate about his research and subject area, that even after many failures, he continued studying and experimenting.

The same with other great artists and scientists, who kept perusing hard until they got the desired result. They could do it because they liked what they did. It was something they felt for from the bottom of their hearts. They were so passionate that no amount of failure could stop them.

We know, every one cannot become Einstein. But if you do something that you are interested in, you would hardly think about the reward.

People who are self-motivated, feel more happy and satisfied in life as compared to people with extrinsic motivation. As per the psychologists, these people tend to excel and in their tasks, whereas, people with extrinsic behavior or lack of interest are impulsive and can easily give up or lose faith, that may put them in the girth of depression.

Endless curiosity and hunger to learn and acquire knowledge are part of the self-motivation strategies. Just go back to your childhood and try to recall if you ever felt lack of motivation and you would hardly find such events. The reason for this is, that children are always curious and in quest of exploring their environment.

But as humans grow, this quality tends to diminish. This makes us lose interest in things which do not fetch us any monetary or materialistic rewards. So to keep your spirits high, always keep the child in you alive and you are sure to get inspired, that will bring you satisfaction and joy.

In today's world it may not be possible to do what you like; so learn to like what you do. And this liking will provide you with the inspiration you need.

With the same logic, you can acquire motivation in classroom. If you take up a subject of your interest, then do not think about success or failure, just study because you like it, because you want to get knowledge. If you work or study to learn more, you are sure to excel, and then the reward and success is sure to follow.

In this materialistic world, life is all about loss and profits, and self-motivation is the only way to get the mental peace and harmony. So, give priority to your inner happiness and love every moment you live, and that will keep you upbeat in all the ups and downs in life.