The Myths Of Motivation
Author: Ericka Jackson

The traditional beliefs about attaining success have left us
coveting what others have, measuring our success by material
accumulation and possessions, and unclear about the full
process of bringing forth our destiny. I suspect that due to
the pursuit of success, more believers have ended up depressed,
oppressed, and doubting themselves. And what's even more
disturbing is that when the secular world looks into the lives
of believers, we are often not experiencing the life and life
more abundantly that God promises us.

It is time to break up the myths of motivation and the damage
it has done to believers in our process of living out the
fullness of God's vision and calling for your life. If we could
sort out the weeds among the truth we have been taught, we can
learn to flourish in the life that God created you to live.

Don't get me wrong, dreaming and motivation have had their
place. As a matter of fact, motivation and dreaming are the
first step to shifting your reality. It's just time to evolve
to the next level of human achievement – visionary attainment.
I actually boldly say that is time to stop dreaming and time to
align your life with God's vision for your life.

The humble beginnings of the age of motivation began in the
mid-1800's with Henry David Thoreau's radical philosophies of
the time and evolved into the genre of personal success
literature Charles F. Haanel ushered in in 1912. Napolean Hill
then based most of his early works on Haanel's work The Law of
Success. Hill then captured a new level of personal success
writing in 1937 with Think and Grow Rich, one of the
best-selling books of all time. These philosophers and business
men shaped what became known as The Philosophy of Achievement
and helped an entire generation begin to create firm and
deliberate beliefs out of the loose, haphazard thinking of the
time.

Even with this philosophical literature opening up minds to
what is possible the energy it needed to make the transition
from an intellectual experience to real-life was mission. It
needed human energy and passion to ignite. This is where
motivation came in. Motivation was the missing key that linked
the understanding of achievement to the energy it took to get
in motion to move toward achievement. Motivation is having the
desire and willingness to do something.

Fifty-eight years later, humankind made the shift from
motivation philosophy to motivation. It took Hilary Hinton (Zig
Ziglar) to come along and pave the way to an entire new industry
of motivational speaking in 1970. Ziglar began the era of people
keeping themselves energized and create the positive mindset it
took to nurture their dreams. Motivation was a critical
component in this evolution and it got us dreaming, which opens
the doors to new possibility. Since the onset of the motivation
movement, it has become evident that motivation is fleeting.
Even the Father of motivation, Zig Ziglar, says, "People often
say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing –
that's why we recommend it daily."

It has taken 37 years to come to a new crossroads. Now that you
are all motivated and know how to tap into your positive
thinking, the next evolutionary step is to master the process
of attainment – actually living the life that you have been
taught to dream about. There is something greater than dreaming
and even your individual vision and it's time to usher it in –
God's vision.

But first, we have to uproot the myths that have gotten in the
way. The concepts and teachings of the motivation movement have
thwarted believer's ability to bring forth God's vision for
their lives. There are some fundamental spiritual truths that
have been omitted from the equation of success that have left
believers frustrated and unable to tap into the wealth we so
often see being exuded from the pulpits of churches. Our
addiction to motivation has led more believers than ever to
experience depression, oppression and darkness in their lives.

Let's take a look at a few of the top myths of success that do
not fully align with The Word and uncover some beliefs that
you, as a believer may have all learned.

Myth #1: You can do anything you set your mind to. Your
attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

The Truth: You can do anything through Christ who strengthens
you and only a shadow of what you can do with Christ on your
own. Even when you set your mind to it and adjust your
attitude, God has pre-destined and called you for a specific
purpose. And once He has allowed you to go through the fire to
burn off your impurities and at the right season and time
according to your measure of faith, the fullness of His vision
for your life will manifest. It is when you apply your renewed,
Christ-like mind to your calling that you can achieve all things
that God created you to achieve.

Myth #2: Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can
achieve. All things are possible for those who believe.

The Truth: While you conceive with you mind, this is only 1/3
of the picture. Not only must you be able to conceive what you
desire, your spirit must align with what you deeply desire and
your body or actions must fully support it. Even greater than
all of these, it must be part of your calling or God's
predestined plan for you. It is God who plants your desire
within you and therefore your challenge is to align your will
with his will for your life through your thoughts, faith, works
or action, calling and most of all, obedience.

Myth #3: If you persist and work hard, you can have anything
you want.

The Truth: How many times has this been said from the stage? It
is usually accompanied by pictures of large homes, yachts, and
exotic cars owned by the speaker and the old adage, "Do what
I've done and you'll get what I've got."

It is not by your works, education level or know-how alone that
you achieve, God gives you the power to obtain wealth. Scripture
reminds us that seeking The Lord first and foremost in your
life, you should not want, but walk in the dominion and
authority He has bestowed upon you. You are not to covet the
material gain of others, but know that your blessings have your
name and only your name on them.

Myth #4: Follow your dreams. Go confidently in the direction of
your dreams, live the life you imagined.

The Truth: If you seek the Kingdom of God first, all things
will be added to you. Allowing your dreams to lead you can
leave you down the road of someone else's calling and purpose.
Get clear about what God has created you to do, commit to it,
and then, and only then, will you have access to all that God
has set aside and promised you.

The part the no one talks about is the test phase that is an
integral part of the process of attaining God's vision. You
will undergo a major, life-questioning test to prove your
worthiness, seriousness, and commitment to step into the things
of God. There is a the part of the teachings of the motivational
movement that will always live on – keep persisting and don't
quit because there are great rewards in fully giving yourself
over to God's promise of life and life more abundantly.

With All My Heart,
Ericka

About The Author: Ericka D. Jackson is a Christian Speaker,
Author, and Business Coach. She provides individuals,
organizations, and churches with the tools to achieve God's
vision for their lives. Visit http://www.erickajackson.com for
insights, techniques and resources to fulfill your calling.