The Motivation Inside

What motivates you?

I’m at an age where getting prestige at work or fame or fortune. My drive to achieve doesn’t motivate me. If it ever did, that probably wasn’t a good idea, in hindsight.

External achievements don’t motivate me, but internal ones do. As you’ve probably noticed by reading earlier blog entries, my drive is to learn more and more and improve my skill set. Doing this will help me become a better spouse, parent, relative, and friend. That’s what I want to be, the best me I can be.

I don’t know, but that’s probably the motivation of many of us, at least in some part. I don’t think I’m special or unique, just realistic about my internal drives.

How did I use my motivation today, you ask, hoping for photos of pretty scenery? Why I admit that I mostly worked today, but I did rest my brain a bit by just enjoying the beauty of a ski town in summer. Wow, flowers hold up well in this climate! Everywhere you look here you see flowers, dogs, water, and beautiful buildings.

I did stretch myself to improve my skills, though, with the encouragement of my local friend Cathy. She invited me to go on a bike ride, a long bike ride. Now, I used to ride a lot…over 20 years ago. But it’s hard/dangerous to ride a bicycle where I live now. So a long ride was a challenge for me.

Cathy convinced me that the whole ride from Vail to Frisco was downhill and I could do it. So, her husband Ken drove us to the trail head, and off we went.

Once I got my bike legs back, it was so much fun to zoom along the beautiful trail, which wound along Tenmile Creek, mostly in between lanes of Interstate 70. There were flowers, ponds, rocks, and forests to whiz by and enjoy. We only stopped a couple of times, so I couldn’t obsessively photograph everything.

We never hit any of the cute ground squirrels or tiny chipmunks we passed, and the moose I saw (yay) was far enough away that she posed no threat. But there she was! I saw beaver dams and some mallards in the ponds.

The best part was that I wasn’t hot and tired when we were done. I felt great! I highly recommend downhill cycling for the out of shape.

We had a nice dinner afterwards, too, even though I was dressed in exercise clothing (glad I brought some). Cathy said that’s how everyone in Summit County dresses, so it was fine. With a belly full of sushi, I enjoyed what was on television and can now crash again!

I’m all motivated for bright and early work again tomorrow.