2014.12.10 01:00 - Habits and Motivation

The Guardian for this meeting was Darren. The comments are by No Self.

Avaline DeCuir: 's current display-name is "Ava".
Avaline DeCuir smiles
Darren Islar: 's current display-name is "leaping Panther".
Darren Islar: sorry I'm late, but I couldn't get in, I used another host, which makes me very laggy :)
Avaline DeCuir: No one has been here since I arrived .. I was about 5 minutes late
Avaline DeCuir: 10 minutes late aparently
Darren Islar: 's current display-name is "leaping Panther".
Darren Islar: ok, managed to come back on my wifi connection, suddenly working

--BELL--

Darren Islar: let's extend the time a little bit and talk about a subject ... anything in mind
Avaline DeCuir: ummmm
Avaline DeCuir: nope
Darren Islar: what about the benefits of meditation?
Darren Islar: ok
Avaline DeCuir: hmmm ok if you want to
Avaline DeCuir: what about them?
Darren Islar: what do you gain from meditation?
Darren Islar: and if I want to, what's that?
Avaline DeCuir: well .. you are the leader ... so the subject is your choice
Avaline DeCuir: I just think it is a limited subject
Darren Islar: I'm not, I can suggest something and I need to make sure that people understand what this is all about ... I'm not the leader
Darren Islar: so if you have another subject, please tell me\
Avaline DeCuir: ok .. this is new to me remember so I am just following your lead
Darren Islar: but is it a subject you like to talk about?
Avaline DeCuir: I really don't mind .. I am open to discuss anything ... not sure how much I cantribute to the subject though
Darren Islar: ok, what about a subject on motivation, what is your motivation in life, what keeps you going, what keeps you focussed?
Avaline DeCuir: erm ... at this point in time ... there is very little motivation in my life, I find it hard to keep focused on anything .. in fact I feel somewhat like a ball in a pin ball machine bouncing around in reaction to random bumps
Avaline DeCuir: I suppose like a pin ball machine which actually runs on the basis of the laws of physics there must be some universal laws that are governing my movements and reactions, I am just in the dark about what they are at the moment
Avaline DeCuir: what keeps me going? Habit mainly I guess and responsibility
Darren Islar: habit is interesting
Darren Islar: since we can have habits that inspire us, or ... just habits

--BELL--

Avaline DeCuir: I think we all live most of our life out of habit ... we get up and go to work or school, or do chores, or whatever out of habit ... I think most people are only really motivated occasionally when something special is happening in their life
Avaline DeCuir: of course there is the primal motivators ... a full bladder, hunger etc
Darren Islar: as a promotion, a new love, something like that
Avaline DeCuir: yes or something different ... maybe a concert at the kids school, a party at a friends place, pick up a new toy .. things that don't happen every day
Darren Islar: which are all temporary motivatins
Avaline DeCuir: yes
Darren Islar: I thin it's hard to look into ourselves and find our motivation or get motivated so to speak
Avaline DeCuir: I don't think there is a huge degree of major motivation in people's lives, perhaps smaller motivations to get particular things done, for example to finish an essay so we can graduate from a course
Avaline DeCuir: I think those motivations keep people getting out of bed each day and doing things, but the basic motivator there is habit ... you do it because that is what you do
Darren Islar: yes, but shouldn't there be another motivation, maybe not something that is easy to detect
Avaline DeCuir: does there need to be?
Avaline DeCuir: I think most people are like me ... like the balls in a pin ball machine, bumping against objects in their path and reacting some some universal laws that they don't really understand
Avaline DeCuir: reacting through some universal laws*
Darren Islar: well, I think you're right, we have motivations that are connected to staying alive
Darren Islar: we work since we need to make money, to be able to have a roof over our heads
Avaline DeCuir: yes they are the basal motivations
Avaline DeCuir: but really I think that on a daily basis .. those things become a habit rather than a motivation
Darren Islar: I'm having a hard time to find my motivation
Darren Islar: yes but habits can go either way, if you have a habit of creating ...
Darren Islar: I have my formal meditations, I think they are the motivation in life for me now, knowing they will result into something, though I don't kno what
Avaline DeCuir: well ... the thing is if just providing a roof over your head and food for your family was the motivation that hit you each day ... without habit ... would you choose to keep doing your job or would you look closely at other options
Darren Islar: if you would be aware of those motivations on a daily basis, you might start to ask yourself questions
Avaline DeCuir: exactly .. that is why I say it is habit more than motivation
Avaline DeCuir: the motivation is to find the job in the first place ... the habit is what gets you up each day to keep doing it

--BELL--

Darren Islar: which I realize can lead to a situation where you start to wonder what you're doing and having no solution for that, might make youi ... grumpy, to say the least
Avaline DeCuir: I think it leads to depression over the years, and may explain why so many people are depressed
Darren Islar: it might be yes
Avaline DeCuir: and leads me back to my original answer ... I have no motivation just habit at the moment
Darren Islar: you talked about smaller motivations, things that change the day
Avaline DeCuir: small motivations ... neding to go to the toilet .. needing to eat
Darren Islar: taking life day by day might be a good start, doing something on that day that is of value to you
Darren Islar: [02:06] Ava (avaline.decuir): I don't think there is a huge degree of major motivation in people's lives, perhaps smaller motivations to get particular things done, for example to finish an essay so we can graduate from a course
Avaline DeCuir: yes that too
Avaline DeCuir: but again those don't happen every day
Darren Islar: or realizing you do something of value, like joining this PaB-discussion
Darren Islar: not to mention I'm here :)
Avaline DeCuir laughs
Avaline DeCuir: You know you are my primary motivation ... otherwise I probably wouldn't bother even getting out of bed
Darren Islar: the question of motivation is what makes you come out of bed
Darren Islar: literally
Avaline DeCuir: well maybe that is not exactly true .. my bladder is the primary motivation to get out of bed in the mornings .. it is what comes after that which needs more motivation
Darren Islar: grins
Darren Islar: yeah my bladder does the same thing
Darren Islar: talking about bladders, I read something about a possible B12 problem in the long run with me
Avaline DeCuir: yes it is possible .. you may need to get shots for it .. I think they are every 3 months
Darren Islar: I didn't realize that, came across it on the website
Avaline DeCuir: it depends
Darren Islar: but B12 is processed in the stomach

--BELL--

Darren Islar: comes after that which needs more motivation?
Avaline DeCuir: yes ... I guess the motivation or habit kicks in and stops me going back to bed
Darren Islar: then maybe we need to change our habits ... maybe a good topic for next time
Avaline DeCuir: yes
Darren Islar: ok, it's time, let's leave
Avaline DeCuir: okay