Remember that all motivations arise from the same source, the desire to be satisfied with yourself. Even the fear of failure, in its most basic form, masks a desire to feel good about ourselves — competitiveness also derives from the need for self-esteem.
So, the roots of even these motivations are quite sound. They are present in all of us to some degree. How we frame our desires, and how we define the benefits we expect to receive will determine what drives us forward, and how far it will take us.
By focusing on positive, healthy motivations and letting the more negative ones pass you by, you can purify the source of your imaginative power. The longer you work on it, the easier it will be to frame your motivation toward intrinsic and positive achievement.
Excerpted from The Psychology of Motivation.
