Inspiration and Motivation comes from YOU.

I have to admit, lately I have been a little lacking in things. I haven't been on top of all my homework, completely ready for tests, or always prepared in my musical groups. I've felt like life is moving way to fast, but it's really been that I've been moving way to slow. I think I have been lacking the inspiration and motivation to do things. I got a little too comfortable and I started to relax, which is something that you should never do. When I finally woke up from my day dreaming, I realized people had come and snatched my little cushion of comfort out from under me, leaving me dazed and confused. Others have come and occupied the positions that I've grown accustomed to, leaving me feeling as if I'm sitting on the back burner, unnoticed by all except those who are back there with me. I know I can't be upset at them for moving in and taking it from me, I can only be upset at myself for becoming lazy.

I thrive on competition with others, even if it is wrong as you should only be competing with yourself, the competition with others pushes me, and I've realized that. I take advantage of that drive to be better than others because it allows me to be motivated to do the best that I can. I think once I reach a basic level of superiority, and I use that word only as means to show that I think I'm better than others in a certain area, I slack off in it because there is no one to compete with. I turn a blind eye and focus on other areas, which is stupid. That's the reason I am in this hole today, I stopped working once I got to a certain point and others hard work finally paid off and surpassed me. I started writing this blog to make a point that it's ok to use competitive attitude with others to reach a goal and forget about doing it for yourself. Then I remembered something that I've heard my band teacher say many times:

"Good is the enemy of Great."

That is exactly the problem I face. I get good enough at something to be better than others around me and then I stop trying. That is why you NEED to do things for yourself and not others. Though a little rivalry is always healthy and might be a good source motivation and inspiration, you should use it to initiate the motion, not fuel it. If you letter your competitive attitude towards others fuel you, you will eventually peak and flatline the rest of the way. But if you let your competitive attitude towards yourself fuel you, there is no limit to what can be achieved.

So am I going to let these other people fire up my engine? Of course! But this time, I'm racing towards a whole couch full of cushions, not just one puny little cushion, and the only way I can make it is if I am putting the fuel in myself. And no matter where I am in this circuit of life, I'll be right there pushing others along, because influences and support are your wheels in this race.

But that's a topic for a whole other blog some other time.