What Compels Us to Move and Why We Need to Know About It

Have you ever wondered what makes you do the things you do? Why you take such actions in certain situations? How do you get from here to there? It only comes down to two things really.

♦ What drives us? ♦

1 . Our needs & wants

If you think about it, the only reason we humans do anything is because of our needs and then wants. That's basically the two reasons why we do the things we do, it's where everything else stems up. Everything we physically need and want requires money. And so we always strive for money but making money alone does not motivate most of us, in fact, it can make us feel dirty like greedy bastards if we only want money and not care about anything else.

Before we go any further let us first look into this: organic and inorganic objects are two very different things, much like animate and inanimate things are opposites. And if I remember it correctly science taught us that anything immobile will only move when something else moves it or causes it to move. In a sense this only pertains to the physical body (or mass/matter) but as humans it doesn't happen that way. We are alive. Unlike inorganic materials we can move ourselves.

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To be physically alive there are things we need to survive. So again the basic answer to the question on what makes us take action is the need to survive, and once we are able to survive we want to ensure that we will stay alive. Note that while we sustain our bodies we also need to be happy, we have to know where we're going and what we should do here on earth. To live means taking action every day, entailing the two main things stated within this article. To live means to take care of our body and soul.

Now if you will consider external factors, same as with inanimate objects, these will make you move forcefully depending on the situation and how much you need or want to take action. Unlike non-living or inorganic things, we can choose which way we go.

2 . External factors

And so the second reason why we do what we do is because as humans: we can't help it if we are social beings. We cannot exist on our own. This is the only external factor we need to consider. This external factor also compels us to move in any direction we choose. Which road we choose to take is of course another matter to be discussed elsewhere.

Peer pressure, social norms and culture are all related to our being social creatures. We also take action because we care about people and things other than ourselves. Why? Because we need other people and things in order to survive or live and be happy and fulfilled. We are humans after all.

♦ Why We Need to Find Our Drive in Life ♦

You might be thinking, "Why should I need to know about these things?" Again there is the word need. Maybe you are saying to yourself, "I don't have time for this shizz," then why are you on Steemit or the worldwide web? Why did you read this if the title didn't resonate with you?

We are struggling to live because we have a need to know things other than just how to earn big money and live in comfort. Sometimes we need to stop and go through the road of self-discovery as this may also help us realize a lot of things on our own - what we are, why we do things and how to get to where we need to be especially when we think we're not going anywhere for years however much we try. If we are striving for other people's measurement for success then we will all be lost indeed.

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If you feel stuck, perhaps you're meant to stay there. Oh but that is the defeatist/negative mindset.

I will tell you why you're stuck.

• You're stuck because you've already achieved some personal goals and now you don't know and have not decided on what your next goal will be. _{(This is my current problem.)}
• You're stuck because you don't want to get out of your comfort zone and do not want to experience pain, hardships and any type of discomfort.
• You're stuck because you are afraid of the unknown.

Think of it this way. What do you really want to do? Where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve? Are you willing to sacrifice something in order to achieve that goal? If you haven't decided on something yet then how will you get there? How will you arrive at any destination if you don't know and have not decided on where you're going?

Have you met anyone who asked you, "What would you do if you didn't need any money?" These people probably heard it from Alan Watts, Robert Kiyosaki, other motivational speakers, multi-level marketers, business minded individuals or those who have a wider view of the world. It can be a very powerful question indeed.

On your own (internally) you have to determine (again), specifically, what your current needs and wants are in order to take action. Taking action is important because it's the only way to change your life. Look into your current situation and other external factors involved in order to finally start moving again.

Please do not get stuck in analysis paralysis like I do at times. If you don't experience that then you are probably in a very comfortable life situation where you will not move unless you experience any hardship.

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As we all should know, we were taught that there are about seven basic needs we need in order to survive (food, clothing, shelter, medicine etc), but aside from those basic needs, what are your own personal needs? Is it a car so you can easily go to work after dropping off the kids? A second job to help pay off bills? Do you need to move closer to where you work? What are the things you want to have? Is it that new dress worn by a famous star? A new gaming console? Is it feasible? List them all down.

External (or social) interaction adds to knowing what motivates, inspires and drives us.

• Motivations are the result of knowing what can influence us in getting those needs and wants so we can move and take action - what excites/incites you (riches, career, love, freedom etc).
• Inspiration is an influence that allows us to positively move forward, the things we like and love.
• Drive is there to sustain that action - think of it as stamina in a non-physical sense - what we can do to keep moving forward as long as we can.

Motivation is the result of drive. Inspiration is the result of our wants and needs.

If you find your drive, you'll find a neverending supply of inspiration and motivation to reach that dream or fulfill that goal and reach the finish line.

Once the goal has been reached, your drive will disappear and then you will feel empty again. You will come back to saying, "What is my purpose in life?" If this happens again and again perhaps you only have and fulfill short term goals and dreams. Maybe it's time to find the drive for a long term goal and dream.

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A warning though, a lifelong dream can be tiring and may sometimes not be fulfilled within one's lifetime. This is where family and other people will come in to continue your legacy and dream.

_{Omg I am getting sidetracked again. Eherm. So as I was saying...}

Now on this journey of self-discovery do not forget to note (or list down) what hinders you from moving or taking action as well - internally and externally. In order to move forward you need to know what keeps you stuck (or what other people identify as those that drains you). You need to identify your flaws and the things you don't like to be done to you and why. You need to know how you react to external factors (society). Do this so you’ll know how to get rid of them (or do something about them) to be able to move forward.

Remember: You can only change yourself, not other people.

There are a lot of books or online articles out there that you can sift through to know what you need to do in life to move forward and how you can find who you are, this article is just one of them. You can also ask for other people's help, like a family member, your best friend or even a psychiatrist or life coach.

When you get the answers to these questions then you will know and decide how to get to where you should be. The next thing you will need to do is take action to make a change. Knowing is useless without doing.

Bottom line: What drives you is what will motivate you. Find out what it is. You can be temporarily motivated, you can be encouraged, but if you don't have the real burning drive to do it then you will not be successful at whatever you do.

Here's a short video of someone who is driven.

We all want to achieve something. Achieving something makes us happy and satisfied and then we go on to the next goal. That's how we are. We want to always be better than before so find out and decide on what your short term and long term goals in life are to know what your next action will be.

_{NOTE:
This was an article I originally wrote less than a decade ago, when I went through some personal changes and improvement after the challenges I experienced. Finding it now made me remember what I need to do and so I revised and added much to this and am also sharing it with you in the hopes that it will also help you one day.}

_{The things that will be on your list today and your answers to the questions here will change in time. As we grow older we all change so it's better to do this self check periodically to assess how you're doing in life. You can do this again after a year, maybe 5 years or more, it depends how often you'd want to do the check.}

_{Keep in mind that each of us do things differently. What works for me might not work for you, your friends or your family and vice versa. This is just one of those guides, if you need more then go and find whatever works for you and move forward towards peace and love! We can do this!}

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XOXO,
@artgirl

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Written by @artgirl for Steemit.
© Art x Stephanie Rue

@artgirl is a freelance artist and also a sales person. Currently an agent for resort-type condo communities in Metro Manila.

For any art or property inquiries, you can chat me up on steem.chat or send me a Facebook message. Link in my bio.

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For more of my latest posts still within the 7 day period upon posting this, do check below:

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