Motivation Is Found In Frustration

What's my motivation? What makes me go the extra mile? What keeps me going? I ask myself this time and time again.

It is not until something throws me off that I truly become more motivated. Weird huh? Often times I find myself frustrated by one thing or another. Whether I can't figure what direction my relationship is going. Or whether the job I really, really want will call me back. Or what I've been praying for will come to pass. I just get so worked up over the smallest things. I simply reach a point of frustration that is even embarrassing to admit. The funny thing is, in my times of the frustration is when I become the most motivated! I soon realized that my motivation is found in my frustration.

I look back over the moments where my love life was the PITS! I was dating guy after guy, picking them apart. Getting into relationships where I wasn't appreciated. Settling for men that were far beneath what I knew God promised. I just got to a point where I was simply too frustrated for words. For whatever reason, none of those relationships panned out to be anything legitimate, so I went back to focusing on self. I worked out more, I put more effort into being fly, I went over board making sure I always looked my best, I stepped it up all around. My frustrations in the 'love' department made me want to become a better version of myself. I was motivated to push to the next level.

It's funny that the thing that frustrates you, motivates you. I recently went to see Social Networking, the story of Facebook. I was SO inspired after leaving that movie. Not necessarily to go start a new version of Facebook, but to use my frustration to motivate me. Mark's (the founder) whole impetus for starting Facebook was to prove to his ex-girlfriend that he more than a genius a-hole and to get the attention of the prestigious clubs at Harvard. He wanted to prove to so many what couldn't be done. He broke all types of barriers and ideals. He was never really about the money, he was about proving people wrong. His whole premise for starting a $25 Billion company was because he was frustrated. Don't you wish your frustrations would warrant you that type of money? Well it just might.

Many times I find myself upset or in tears over things I can't control or simply perplexed over. Every time I am brought to tears, I use them to write. When I can't find the words to say, I find a melody to sing. When I don't know where to run, I open my bible. Each time the devil tries to throw a road block my way, I do my best to use those road blocks as mere stepping stones. My frustrations become my motivation.

I've been on this "daily bread" kick a lot lately because each day has literally been a new journey. I could start the day off being happy as pie and end it on my knees in tears before God. Or I could start the day in fervent prayer and end it in jubilee. You just never can tell. I think what God has taught me above all with my day to day journey is to make conscious decisions. I have had to make the decision to be happy or sad, regardless of what is thrown my way. When I am faced with bad news, I have the choice to process it however I want. I make the choice to fall down on my knees in prayer, or to wallow in tears. The next day could very well hold the explanation for yesterday's woes, but I can't stay in those moments. Those very frustrations can be the gateway to my breakthrough.

I think the most profound lesson I have learned over this past year is that I hold the key to my happiness. I decide whether I rise or fall. I am the keeper of my own destiny. I have to trust God whether I'm up or down. I can never lose sight of what He has promised. I have to trust and know that He is not a man that should lie. (And boy do men LIE! lol). I have to make the decision to see my frustration as motivation and keep it moving.

At this point, I have no other choice. God gave me another day to figure this thing called life out, and that is what I plan to do.

Allowing my frustrations to motivate me!

~Mel