Lesson 4 Review Answers

Submodule 4

What is Motivation?

Motivation is a stimulus to do or avoid something. Motivation drives behavior based on a desire you have. It may be a desire to realize a wish you have, to satisfy your curiosity or to alleviate pain.

Describe the difference between Direct and Indirect Motivation.

Direct Motivation is straight-forward and based in the present. There is a well-defined goal and the focus is fully on reaching that goal. There is no subconscious Agenda to meet a need from the past or ease a pain from the past.

By contrast, Indirect Motivation is complex and not what it seems to be. Indirect Motivation is not about WHAT you’re doing, but rather about WHY you’re doing it. The real motive for doing or avoiding something stems from the past and has nothing to do with the apparent goal.

In case of Indirect Motivation, your behavior is driven by the compulsion to get approval. Getting approval makes you “Feel-good-about-self”. This state of Feeling-good-about-self functions as your artificial Sense of Self, when a Healthy Natural Sense of your Self is missing.

Reaching this state is therefore experienced as a matter of life and death. And because the stakes are perceived to be so high your stress levels are sky high and you can’t afford to aim at anything less than perfection.

However, you are not aware of this unhealthy aspect of your motivation.

Q3) How are Direct and Indirect Motivation associated with your Sense of Self?

The level of your Sense of Self determines the type of motivation from which you’re acting in your life. When you have a Healthy Sense of Self, you’re doing the things for their own sake, which means that you act from a healthy, Direct Motivation. If you have a Lack of Sense of Self, your motivation is Indirect and unhealthy. You’re doing the things to get approval from your parents, guardians or other authority figures. If you want to cure your motivation, you must start by restoring your Sense of Self!