Foreword

Magic Moments are those times in life when everything seems surreal, perfect and simply magical. These moments are often s a result of happy, joyful moments and memories which may arise for no particular reason. However, motivation and inspiration are two of those mysterious things that occur when you least expect it, and cannot muster an inch of it when you need it. These, separately or combined are the building blocks of Magic Moments, the ones which you want to cling to for as long as possible.

In this book, I will endeavour to uncover the mysteries of motivation and inspiration, and prescribe to you, tools which evoke these emotions in yourself, your friends, your family or anyone that needs it.

Something to remember is that everyone has their low points and everyone has their high points, and by recreating or reinforcing high points, we will become more motivated, more efficient and more successful in what we choose to do and those moments will stay with us forever.

As a teacher, a wife and a herbologist, Magic Moments are something I experience frequently. This is achieved through motivation and inspiration which are factors commonly known to lead to success. Everyone is capable of making this a frequent experience for themselves, you just need the right tools and the right outlook on life. Whether it's motivating students to achieve their full potential, seedlings to grow, people to change bad habits, or adopt new ones, or even to motivate yourself to finish that last task for the day, it is possible, and I will show you how.

The following chapters will outline the meaning of motivation and inspiration as well as offer ideas on which aspects of your life you may need to find motivation and for, and ways to make the most of our inspirations, because we all have those problem areas, and tactics which you could employ to create marvelous Magic Moments.

Understanding Motivation

Before we begin to unearth the tools and tactics you can employ to instigate feelings of motivation, we must first understand it. Motivation, in general terms, is the reason or reasons for why an individual acts or behaves in a particular way. It is also described as the general desire or willingness of the individual to do something, to participate or instigate events or activities.

However, there is more to motivation than meets the eye. Motivation may be considered in two ways. Firstly, intrinsic motivation, where our willingness and desire to do things comes from within the individual. This is also referred to as self-motivation. Secondly, and equally significantly, we have extrinsic motivation, where motivation is a result of factors in the individuals environment. This includes other people, family, friends, as well as physical environment, social events, community events or issues... the list is endless.

The key to strong and durable motivation, is intrinsic motivation. Self-motivation is the most powerful because it comes from the individual. This can be linked with selfishness, which is a powerful feeling, but it does not tarnish the character of the individual, it simply illustrates the respect they have for themselves.

This being said, extrinsic motivation is as important to an individual as intrinsic motivation, as this allows their efforts to be acknowledged by others. The feeling or sensation of being rewarded or acknowledged for progress or initiative is as powerful a thing as any. A simple phrase, a pat on the back, or a tangible reward or award does wonders for motivation.

The key to this, is to ensure there is a balance. Do not over reward children, students, people, otherwise you may risk making them complacent. Because everything loses it's appeal after a while. So, by making the acknowledgements fewer and further between, then it will be more beneficial in the long term. By the same token, you don't want to under acknowledge someone for their good deeds, as this may leave them feeling unappreciated or forgotten.

Understanding Inspiration

If it's inspiration you need, then a great way to get it is by understanding how it works and what it does. Inspiration, is formally known as the process of being psychologically stimulated to do or feel something. This is particularly true when considering creativity and creative projects.

Inspiration, like motivation, may come from an extrinsic source. These include objects, sounds, people, events, scents and colours. We can obtain inspiration from almost anything, at any time and anywhere. The key to making the most of it, is to hold onto it, keep a list or hold it in a safe and special place, embed it in your memory. But that's only half the task. The first half, and the most difficult, is finding it.

Inspiration may be limited or it may be durable. Limited inspiration is easiest to find, it results in inspiration which is limited, it does not last a long time and is only productive in the short term. These may include simple likes or dislikes, such as flowers, the sound of a bird in the morning, the scent of a cake baking... but they do not have the strength or potency to stay with us in the long term.

Durable inspiration is most desirable, as it is long lasting and is more productive. The short falls with this category of inspiration is that it is more difficult to find and obtain. Durable inspiration is often a result of experiences and emotions. Something so powerful and strong that it encourages people to make a change in their life, or give them ideas which they can put into practice or act on.

Be mindful of what inspires you, use limited inspiration as frequently as possible, but keep your senses open for durable inspirations, these will have the most significant impact on your levels of productivity.

Motivating and Inspiring People

There are numerous reasons for to motivate or inspire people. It could be as simple as motivating a child to eat their vegetables, a husband to take out the trash, students to complete their homework or yourself to do your job. But it can also inspire a change in the way we approach certain situations, tackle problems or complete a task. No matter who you are, everybody needs to feel motivated and inspired in their life.

The cycle of motivation may be compared to any other cycle in existence. It has a starting place, a process and a result, which may occur over and over again. And just as cycles occur, so does interrelationships or connections. This cycle does not only describe the way in which motivation or inspiration occurs but also how it stimulates individuals and the flow on effect that has on their environment.

Some people call it karma, others fate, but at the end of the day, the energy you give out, is what you get back. So do a good deed, motivate or inspire someone. Make them feel good about themselves or what they're doing, offer them guidance or direction, to help them reach optimum efficiency, and you'll see, that it will have a positive impact on your life too.

Take for example, a student, who has difficulty performing a task. By breaking it down into manageable chunks and explaining it, the student will then be able to attempt to complete the task using those steps. Remember, we all take baby steps before we can run. This allows the student to achieve the task, making them feel good about themselves resulting in motivation. This may lead them to want to help others (inspiration), and will ultimately make your teaching load lighter by reducing the demand for one-on-one assistance. By seeing your students succeed and become self-sufficient, you also develop feelings of pride or joy (magic moments), which then lead on to feelings of motivation and/or inspiration. So this cycle, while it may start with an individual, by helping one another out, we can all benefit from it.

Benefits

Magic Moments are truly magical, and by now I'm sure you've come to appreciate just how special they are. But in thinking about Magic Moments, and the work it takes to get there, we need to consider the ways in which they manifest. Magic Moments often occur in one or more of three categories. These categories include life, education and career.

The following chapters will attempt to uncover and discuss these categories and their particular benefits.

Life

Life works in mysterious ways. We're faced with decisions on a day-to-day basis, whether we realise it or not, and each of those decisions has some bearing on our future. In order to make the right decisions for ourselves, we need to acknowledge who we are, where we are, where we want to go and what path we need to take to get there. This, should be the easy part. Taking a course, applying for a new job, buying that broom, building a house, starting a family, making new friends... these all require some level of decision making, motivation and even inspiration.

The hard part comes when it's time to gather our resources, draft a plan and get into gear. Implementing our plans and acting on our desires, motivations or inspirations is the tricky part. Remember to use your motivations and inspirations wisely. Don't over do it, but don't get slack. The longer it takes, the harder it will be. Remember to set short term goals as well as long term goals and frequently conduct a self-analysis on your progress.

Education

Whether you are the one embarking on an educational journey, or whether it is someone else, motivation and inspiration are key for success. As a teacher, this is something I battle with on a daily basis. We've all been students at one point or another, and being a teacher, is not much different. The only significant difference is, that you're not only responsible for your own engagement, motivation and inspiration, but you're responsible for your students' as well.
While motivating students seems a simple enough concept, it's important to acknowledge that each individual is different and as a result of that, will respond differently to stimuli. From a teachers, and a students perspectives, a good way to gauge what works best for the individual is to spend some time identifying which of the multiple intelligences they fall under. Once you know your/their learning style, it's easier to cater to their needs and by doing this they will become more engaged and by extension, motivated.

Setting short term and long term goals will also increase productivity. By acknowledging their progress, the individual will develop a sense of pride which in turn will boost motivation and may lead to developing inspiration. These acknowledgements also become treasured Magic Moments which are those fond memories of success later down the track.

Activity based learning is the most useful in eliciting positive experiences with learning, as individuals have a greater opportunity to put theory into practice and achieve physical things which will serve as a token or as a reminder that they are capable of achieving anything they set there mind to. Is there any better form of motivation?

Career

Maintaining motivation and inspiration is the workplace is one of the most significant challenges we face. The level of happiness and satisfaction we get from our work seeps into everything else we do, and an unhappy workplace can result in depression.

This can all be overcome with a bit of patience, time and effort. It will seem hard at first, but the end result is desirable. There are a number of things you can do to keep your experiences enjoyable, motivating and inspiring.

The first, is to approach each day as if it's brand new. Smile, and go into it with positive thoughts. If you go into work each day expecting bad things to happen, then you are willing it to happen.

Secondly, it's important to feel involved, to be a part of your work community. Start by asking questions, offering suggestions to improve the work place or to overcome issues. Be mindful of others and be inclusive of them. Just remember to respect boundaries and do not overstep your mark. As an individual you need to assess your situation and make the right choices for you and your work place.

Another thing you can do to encourage motivation and inspiration in the work place, is to talk to people. Get to know your colleagues, customers, patients or students. Whatever your occupation, connecting with people can always be a memorable and positive experience. Through getting to know people's journey's and hearing about their experiences, you can enhance your understanding about the world around you, the people around you and gain an insight into other possibilities. Individuals have one of the strongest impacts on motivation and inspiration, all it takes, is the opportunity to get to know a single extraordinary individual.

Lastly, it's vital for you to be true to yourself, but also to be good to yourself. Manage your time wisely and never work through your lunch break. By ensuring you take care of yourself you will manage your stress better and in turn increase your ability to become motivated and inspired.

Warm Fuzzies

This tool is a very effective when used in groups, schools or workplaces. The aim of the warm fuzzy is to brighten someone's day or mood and encourage them to be more involved and part of the community.

It's a simple activity where you write an individual a brief message highlighting the qualities you like about them. This reinforces positive relationships and notions of self and identity. This acts to make people feel good and dare I say it, warm and fuzzy on the inside. This activity works for all age groups and genders and is a great tool to motivate people and perhaps even inspire them to continue to focus on their strong qualities.

Whether they are written on basic note paper, coloured card, decorative parchment or an object of some significance, it makes for a simple and effect activity which may be appreciated in the moment and cherished over the years.

Calendar Chain

A great way to motivate yourself to achieve long term goals, is to keep a calendar to track your progress. It doesn't have to be elaborate, nor does it require a great deal of time or effort. This is a strategy that will work for any long term goal to which you are required to work toward on a daily basis. Often, it's things like reading a book, or even writing it in my case, which sometimes doesn't seem manageable with our daily responsibilities and time constraints. But it's all about managing your time wisely.

To use this strategy, you need a goal, a daily aim, a calendar and a marker. Try to use the same colour each time.

For each day you achieve your aim in working toward your goal, you need to mark the day with a cross, or an icon of your choice. The objective of using the calendar is to ensure that you spend a particular amount of time each day working toward your goal. This forms a chain of productivity, you're task is to not break the chain.

Though the calendar doesn't impose any consequences on your lack of productivity or participation, often, just the visual representation of your progress is enough to keep you motivated and on track.

Remember to keep daily aims simple. For example, as an author, sitting down to write a book can be an overwhelming and daunting task. I start by setting myself a time limit on how long I expect myself to write each day. It usually starts with something small, such as thirty minutes, and then gradually as my confidence and motivation grows, I increase it to forty-five or even sixty minutes. Once you get into the swing of things you'll fine that you're achieving much more than you've set for your limit. Just don't lose focus, don't give up, and hold yourself accountable. It'll be worth it in the end.

You can use this strategy for multiple goals at the one time, just remember to colour co-ordinate your task progressions.

Inspiration Journal

The funny thing about inspiration is that it comes and goes when you least expect it. It's often fleeting and seldom remembered. Sometimes we try to document it on scraps of parchment, the back of flyers or even on our hands. This is usually a futile attempt to conserve ideas, thoughts and emotions which may lead to the production of something special.

Keeping an inspiration journal will minimise the hassle of losing scraps of paper or even the trouble of finding tools to document these sources. All it takes is a modest investment into a notebook, whether it be functional size or even pocket size for those on the go.

A slimline quill or muggle pen variety will increase the efficiency in taking notes, just make sure you always have it handy by attaching it to your inspiration journal.

Things you might like to record include images, photographs, letters, articles, drawings, sketches, slim objects such as leaves or pressed flowers, feathers or anything else you may wish to preserve. Song lyrics, quotes, receipts, brainstorms, contacts, descriptions or more. The possibilities are endless, and it's all entirely your choice.

By managing your thoughts and inspiring resources, you'll be able to use this pool of positivity to inspire or inform your work, projects or goals.

The Wall

A wall may appear to be restricting, but it can be the best source of motivation or inspiration at times. The key here, is to use the space in a functional and efficient manner. Don't be afraid to think outside the box or do something unusual. As with the inspiration journal, use a wall to display objects and things that you like, that you enjoy, that help you focus your thoughts and motivate you to achieve great things. It's also a good place to keep your calendar and track your progress.

If you feel uncomfortable attaching things to your wall, perhaps use a cork board to display your arrangement instead.

The wall is a great tool to engage your senses and improve your desire to achieve. Surround yourself with positivity and use this tool to create a space that works for you. You'll be surprised at what you can achieve through doing this.

Gifting

Often, there's nothing more motivating than gifting. Whether it be an elaborate gift to mark a significant occasion, or whether it be a spontaneous token of affection or appreciation, a gift can give a person the energy and motivation to do extraordinary things. Furthermore, positive energy from gifting, sharing and communication help people engage with one another and build positive relationships.

The benefits of gifting may be reaped by both parties. The gifter and the gifted, and both in significant ways. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that effort which has been expended by you in selecting a gift, has been received and appreciated by the other. The look on their face, the tone of their voice and the gratitude in their eyes is as good for the soul as a warm fuzzy or a warm cup of tea on a cold winters day. But by the same token, those that have been gifted experience similar positive sensations in that they feel appreciated for the role they play in your life.

The key to choosing the perfect gift, has little to do with the price tag and has everything to do with the intention and sentiment behind the gesture.

Small, heart-felt but inexpensive gifts, that are spontaneously given, have been proven to be the most effective in boosting positive energy, increasing motivation and has inspired many to do the same. The art of giving, and of gifting can bring happiness to many, all it takes is for you to capture a moment in time that communicates that you have been thinking of this significant person in your life.