I’m not exactly unmotivated, but I am struggling. I am a volunteer and supporter of a non-profit organization, the +ME project, that strives to build confidence in youth through personal storytelling. Every March they host a week-long event called Motivational March, during which volunteers share their own stories of mentors and motivators with local high school students. While I support in other capacities, this will be my first time doing this event.
Tonight I’m supposed to attend the practice session, but I haven’t finished my homework. One of the prompts is to tell about a time when you were motivated to accomplish something and why, specifically during your teen years. As I sit here racking my brains for a story, all I can think of are times when I was motivated by an “I’ll show you” attitude. For example, when I became of age to legally work and get a real paycheck, not just under-the-table cash, my mom said to me, “Good luck finding a job that’s not fast food.” Her doubt became my fire. I applied anywhere and everywhere, so long as it didn’t involve fast food. My persistence paid off and I landed a job at Marie Callendar’s. It wasn’t fast food and it involved pies, so a real win-win. It’s not a story of a mentor who imparted some wisdom or modeled a motivated life that got me going, but one of a rebel with (or without) a cause.
But what message does my story reveal to my teenage audience? I’m not sure, but I hope I find one!
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