For me, the answer is surprisingly simple, poverty or being poor and before that sounds strange, let me explain. I have experienced what it feels like to be really poor. Not the “I can't afford the latest phone” kind of poor, but the kind where money is genuinely a problem, where you have to think carefully about things other people don't even notice, and where certain opportunities simply aren't available because you don't have the resources and its simple I just don't want to go back. Thats enough motivation for me to be honest.
Their are of course days when life doesn't go the way you planned. You get rejected, something you worked hard for doesn't happen, or you look around and feel like everyone else is moving forward while you're standing still. Those are the moments when the world can make you feel very small but for me I remind myself that I've already seen where giving up can lead. I know what "not having " feels like. I know what limitation feel like. I know what it means to want something and realise that money can determine whether you get it or not and because I've experienced that side of life, I have absolutely no desire to romanticise it.
Some people are motivated by becoming rich and thats okay. We sometimes expect motivation to come from some beautiful speech about chasing dreams and becoming the greatest version of yourself, i dont need all that. Lol! motivation is much more basic for me. You remember where you started, look at where you are, and say, “We're not going backwards.” That thought alone can be enough to get you out of bed and make you try again or move forward. Being Poor also taught me something that comfort probably never could, you cannot afford to surrender.
So how do I find the strength to keep moving forward? I find it in memory. I remember the person I used to be, how i used to live, the limitations I experienced, and the things I didn't have. Then I look ahead and think about the life I still want to build, the future I want for myself and the people I will one day be responsible for and that for me is enough motivation and nothing in this life can ever make me feel small again, Nothing!!
Image is A.I generated
