As a generation X business owner I find myself spending an unquantified portion of each day tending to social media.
Like most of you, I post, tweet and comment on things that speak true to my personality and my business.
As I gain experience with the "new" medium of communication I can't help but notice trends in how we interact with each other.
One of these trends in particular stands out to me; I see an absolutely endless number of motivational quotes and sayings.
Is generation X (or Y) in such dire need of motivation or are we each seeking to be the heralded motivator? In a world filled with increasingly transparent lives and an internet exponentially filled with articles of how to do everything why are we in such need for inspiration and motivation? For those of you that believe we are all desperately seeking motivation, the old adage 'you can lead a horse to water' comes to mind.
Should we not be seeking how to find motivation from within instead of filling our tank with borrowed inspiration of yester-year? Why do words created by others arranged in a particular order and spoken by a man or woman of history give us a sense of spirit and give us the feeling we can succeed, that sounds very strange to me to be quite honest.
What about those who believe it's not truly that we are seeking the motivation from the motivational quotes but that we are actually trying to inspire and be leaders of our generation by creating and repeating these wispy quips.
I have a hard time with this one because, as I'm sure you have experienced as well, there are very few true leaders and even fewer influencers and inventors.
Here are a few thoughts I have on how to find real motivation.

• Read real literature.
  Catch up on a classic novel you've always wanted to read.
  Bestselling authors are best sellers for a reason; they have a real conviction and passion for their craft that you will absorb and love.
  
• Find your passion.
  Time to be honest with yourself, reflect on where you've been, and where you want to be going.
  If you are in constant need of motivation then I would speculate you're missing passion.
  Go find it.
  
• Find some humans.
  Exchange some of the social media time for happy hour time.
  Attend some local chamber events, socials, club events, etc.
  Avoid talking about work the entire time please, get some leisure time in.
  
• Play a sport.
  Recreation is a powerful tool, whether enjoyed casually alone or at a YMCA touch football game that is being taken way too seriously.
  Enjoy the sweaty adolescent fun, lower your stress levels, and boost your brain's power!

Motivational one-liners have their place; don't get me wrong, I have certainly read a few that really influenced my day.
But let's be honest with ourselves and use them responsibly.
Take the time to find your own fuel source and reap the rewards of being self-fulfilled with endless amounts of motivation and passion.