Is Motivate a 4-Letter Word?

What motivates you to start your own business? I have been blessed to be exposed to some of the greatest motivators in the world over my 50+ years. A motivator is something or someone that teaches you a lesson you need to learn when you need to learn it – where your feet are, what or who you get introduced to, or when you experience something or hear what you need in that specific moment of time.    

As an undergrad, my motivator was two professors that didn’t allow any of us to settle for second best. They pushed us and instilled a healthy fear of consequences if we weren’t living up to their expectations. Believe me, you did not want to see a sign on the corkboard outside their office that said, 

“See Me, See Me NOW!”

I am thankful to have had that experience, and I know that they did it out of love for all of us. I’m also thankful that both motivators are still here for me today.  

My next great motivator was starting a family. All parents share a healthy fear of doing the wrong things: “Why won’t she sleep through the night?” “Should he eat that?” “Why is she always crying?” “Why isn’t he talking?” “Why doesn’t she have teeth?” 

Let me tell you, it doesn’t stop when they grow up. My children are now 22, 20, and 17. I’m still asking those kinds of questions daily, second-guessing at times after two decades of parenting – fearing that I have somehow let down someone I love. You just feel responsible, especially in the dark times when you really screwed up or it is completely out of your control because they’ve grown into adults. Either way, you will always be responsible.  

I’ll ask again, what motivates you to start your own business? There’s motivation through books and speakers. Billions of dollars are spent every year on self-help, motivational books, personal coaching, and therapy programs. I have invested more than my fair share in some of these – as we all should – because these are messages that will speak to you (once again) where you are in your life at that exact moment in time – where your feet are.

It amazes me that some people will read a book once and think they have gotten all they can out of it. There is a list of books that I have read multiple times and will continue to read almost annually. SWAG by Coach Micheal Burt is an example. I’m reading it again now, and it is speaking to me again in this particular moment of my life. 

To answer the question posed in the title, I would say “motivate” is made up of two 4-letter words: fear and love. These also are the answers to my other question: what motivates you to start your own business?  

I would say the two motivators work in conjunction, although I have heard several hypothesize fear is a greater motivator. If you don’t love something, can you truly have fear? Losing something we love is what gives many of us the determination and the stamina to weather the storms we all face. These days especially, allow what you love to be your focus and everything else will fall in place.