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Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY #mondaymotivation

12/10/2015

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY – Our planet Earth, Mars, Expedition ship Discovery, Hubble Outer space, dreams and beyond

What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous. Thomas Merton
The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. Oprah Winfrey
The only history is a mere question of one’s struggle inside oneself. But that is the joy of it. One need neither discover Americas nor conquer nations, and yet one has as great a work as Columbus or Alexander, to do. D. H. Lawrence

What does Discovery mean to You? Have you discovered what motivates you?  In life, we take daily actions to get results that help us achieve one aim or another. We try to discover new ways to accomplish our goals and when we do, we rejoice … only to start all over again reaching for new dreams and horizons. We are on a journey to discover ourselves; to find our limits, face our failures, and overcome our fears. Often, we find ourselves rushing from task to task with little thought about what prompts our actions. What triggers our behavior and what creates the urgency to complete a task? We are motivated by three key factors: Sadness/Anger, Hope/Happiness, Fear/Competition. Think about it. For every action we take, there are a combination of factors that come into play. As we hurtle forward like a shooting star, motivated by our wants and desires, we are discovering facets of ourselves; our will, drive, ethics and more. We want to accomplish our aims for a wide range of reasons and anyone or anything that attempts to support or thwart our effort will trigger some of these emotions either right away or over a period of time. What is imperative is that we must discover ways to harness our dreams and handle our triggers. We must dive deep within ourselves for the answers. As we learn and grow, we will discover that others will elevate or castigate us. Treat all with equanimity. We are the messengers not the message.

A Story: We Are The Messengers Not The Message
“Tattoo inside your eyelids this reminder: ‘You are the messenger, not the message. You are just like
everyone else.’ ” This was the advice given by a charismatic Zen teacher to a class of Zen teachers-in-training.
“What do you mean?” they asked her.
“I’ll begin with a story about a besieged town that was surrounded by enemies who would slaughter all the inhabitants if help didn’t arrive. Just when things looked hopeless, a messenger slipped through enemy lines with the message that the army of the Shogun would attack in the morning and drive off the invaders.
“The townspeople were so enraptured with this news that they treated the messenger like a hero. And after the Shogun’s army left, they elected the messenger mayor. Though a pleasant fellow, the messenger turned out to be a thoroughly inept leader and was soon sent away in disgrace.
“The lesson here is never confuse the message–which is a precious gift–with the messenger. You are only a messenger. “When you stun an audience with the wisdom of a lecture, when your students cede to you the molding of their minds, when you are treated as someone special, focus on the message inside your eyelids: You are the messenger, not the message. You are just like everyone else.” Zen Stories via Read.Goodweb

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” William James

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY - Our planet Earth, Mars, Expedition ship Discovery, Hubble Outer space, dreams and beyond

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY – Our planet Earth, Mars, Expedition ship Discovery, Hubble Outer space, dreams and beyond

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY – Our planet, dreams and beyond

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. James Joyce
What everyone in the astronaut corps shares in common is not gender or ethnic background, but motivation, perseverance, and desire – the desire to participate in a voyage of discovery. Ellen Ochoa
The history of exploration has never been driven by exploration. But Columbus himself was a discoverer. So was Magellan. But the people who wrote checks were not. They had other motivations. Neil deGrasse Tyson

What does Columbus Day mean to you?  There are different interpretations of what Columbus did on his way to discovering the new world. Was he a tyrant or a voyager? Were his actions to get there just or criminal? Like Columbus, we are on a voyage of discovery; we have dreams we wish to achieve and character traits and depths we must face and address. Sometimes, on our way there, we get caught up in other actions that might not be part of our dream. What do we discover about ourselves and how do we work to address them? When we lose a job either by attrition, being undermined or due to our incompetence, we are sad and angry, and we fight back by searching for new employment or seeking legal action. When we are hired to a new position with increased income, we are happy that our hope to achieve more has been attained. While we are working hard to earn a living for our family  at our new job, a new hire comes on board. They might come on in a position we cherished or they might join the company as a coworker at the same level. Typically,  we become fearful of what it all means and so we become competitive to prove that we are better than the new hire or at least up to par. We might not stop to discover the impetus behind our actions but, these emotions or some combination of them, come into play on a daily basis and the key is to discover ways to master and manage them. Whenever we bump heads with annoying people, bosses or coworkers, some aspect of all three factors come into play. But what does this say about us and our approach to life?  What have we discovered about ourselves and how can we shift gears to make the outcomes less stressful? Discover what is beyond Your limited expectations, Your fears and Your competitiveness… the answer lies there.

A Story: Discover What Is Beyond The Dream
In ancient India there was a King called Janaka, who was also a sage. One day Janaka was taking a nap on his flower-strewn bed with his servants fanning him and his soldiers standing guard outside his door. As he dozed off, he had a dream in which a neighboring King defeated him in battle, took him prisoner, and had him tortured. As soon as the torture began, Janaka woke with a start to find himself lying on his flower-strewn bed with his servants fanning him and his soldiers on guard. Once again he dozed off and had the same dream. And once again he woke up to find himself safe and comfortable in his palace.
Now Janaka began to be disturbed by several thoughts: While he was asleep, the world of his dreams had seemed so real. Now that he was awake, the world of the senses seemed real. Which of these two worlds is the real one, he wanted to know. None of the philosophers, scholars, and seers he consulted could give him an answer.
And for many years he searched in vain, till one day a man called Ashtavakra knocked at the door of the palace. Now, Ashtavakra means “entirely deformed or crooked,” and he got that name because that is exactly what his body had been from birth. At first the King was not disposed to take this man seriously. “How can a misshapen man like you be the carrier of a wisdom denied to my seers and scholars?” he asked.
“Right from my childhood, all avenues have been closed to me – so I avidly pursued the path of wisdom,” was Ashtavakra’s reply.
“Speak, then,” said the King. So this is what Ashtavakra said: “O King, neither the waking state nor the dream state is real. When you
are awake, the world of dreams does not exist and when you dream the world of the senses does not exist. Therefore, neither is real.”
“If both the waking and the dream states are unreal, then what is real?” asked the King.
“There is a state beyond these two. Discover that. It alone is real.”Zen Stories via Read.Goodweb
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for September and October are:

09/07 – LABOR & LITERACY
09/14 – POSITIVE THINKING
09/21 – PEACE/INTERNATIONAL PEACE
09/28 – GOOD NEIGHBORS/GOODWILL

10/05 – SMILE – World Smile Day
10/12 – DISCOVER – Columbus Day
10/19 – COMMUNITY – UN Day & Make A Difference Day
10/26 – FEAR – Halloween Day

More Below!

“Try not to get lost in comparing yourself to others. Discover your gifts and let them shine!” Jennie Finch

Motivation Mondays: DISCOVERY

DISCOVERY – Our planet Earth, Mars, Expedition ship Discovery, Hubble Outer space, dreams and beyond

I hope that posterity will judge me kindly, not only as to the things which I have explained, but also to those which I have intentionally omitted so as to leave to others the pleasure of discovery. Rene Descartes
You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things. Nate Berkus
Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery – there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair. Rick Warren

What does Discovery mean to You? Are you fascinated by NASA’s Journey To Mars? I’m a big fan of NASA and all the work they do exploring the outer reaches of space. If you’ve been paying attention lately, you would have heard of their Journey to Mars initiative and the fascinating photos and research being conducted on that small planet.  As I worked on this post, it occurred to me that,  like the work NASA does on Mars, life is about digging deep, pushing beyond our comfort zone and discovering new realms out there and within ourselves. Every time we let go of the small, petty, mean-spirited stuff and try a new way of treating others and dealing with situations, small or large, we open a new door on our own voyage of discovery.

Some folks treat everything in life like a one dimensional, rigid experience. They only see black and white, no grey or colorful areas. Life is not linear and we can’t change other people or make them to become what we expect them to become. We can ONLY change OURSELVES!  Try new things. Keep an open mind. Stop judging others through your rigid lens. Discover new ways of viewing the world and others. Enjoy your life and Stop Sweating the Small Stuff. Once we come home to that fact, we will see new vistas open up and new ways to explore our strengths and weaknesses without beating up ourselves or others. What do you hope to DISCOVER in this life time? What difference will that knowledge make?

A Story: Discover When Night Meets Day
Rabbi Isadore was a wise teacher. A student asked, “How is one to know the precise time when night
ends and day begins?” One student volunteered, “It is when one can distinguish between a dog and a sheep in the far distance,
that is when day begins.”
Another said, “It is when you can tell the difference between a fig tree and a date tree, then night is fully
gone.”
“No, it is neither of those things,” said the Rabbi. “It is when you can see your brother or sister in the face of a stranger. Until then, night is still with us.” Zen Stories via Read.Goodweb

Positive Motivation Tip: Discover what motivates you and pursue the best parts of it.

Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note.
Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below)
Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)com
Category tag: – Share your post using Motivation Mondays
Twitter hashtag: – Use this on Twitter #MotvnM
Dedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-up
Facebook Page: MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others.
Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.

Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page)
Tag: – Motivation Mondays
Hashtag: – #MotvnM

Related Posts

PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS:  Zen Stories via Read.Goodweb  All Photos Earth DSCOVR, Expedition ship Discovery, Hubble Ultra Deep Field Outer SpaceMars, Mars Planet, via Wikipedia and/or from my Personal Collection.

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet

111 Comments leave one →
  1. Miss Millennia Mag permalink
    14/10/2015 5:29 am

    Such an motivational post as-usual, I love the story “We Are The Messengers Not The Message”!!

  2. franckxethee permalink
    14/10/2015 6:02 am

    I guess our life is not set in stones and that we discover new ways and new goals each day. We should take charge and define our destiny.

  3. Jonathan Key permalink
    14/10/2015 6:28 am

    Discovery to me means constantly learning something every day and never being satisfied with the status quo. I’m motivated by helping others find financial freedom and improve their blogs. Great post as always love your content!

  4. Karlyn Cruz permalink
    14/10/2015 6:47 am

    Thomas Merton’s quote says so much about discovery to me personally. Love it!

  5. Nova permalink
    14/10/2015 7:12 am

    There are so many different discoveries the human kind have seen, yet there are certain things that no matter what and how they do, still remains undiscovered.

  6. Tiffany Yong permalink
    14/10/2015 7:19 am

    I’m not sure about NASA’s journey to Mars, but I was definitely inspired by the movie The Martian where the NASA took so much pride and effort in making it right. Life’s always about discovery. Discovering something new about someone, something or some place.

  7. Louise ღ (@louisechelle) permalink
    14/10/2015 7:23 am

    I love discovering new things and I love seeing the discoveries of other people because it reminds me how there are so many other things in this world we don’t know of. It somewhat motivates me to continue exploring which will help not only my knowledge but my personality as well.

  8. thewomentalk permalink
    14/10/2015 7:33 am

    What a great and motivating message. A positive attitude can certainly alter one’s life.

  9. Pooja Kawatra Gupta permalink
    14/10/2015 7:41 am

    It is so true that most of the time we keep comparing and looking at what others have got that we forgot to see how bless we are !

  10. Jason Panuelos permalink
    14/10/2015 7:56 am

    Discoveries should happen everyday both big and small. I think it’s a big part of what makes our everyday life so interesting 😀

  11. Jojo Vito permalink
    14/10/2015 8:26 am

    discovery…the word is so perfect for me… i love to discover and re-dicover…

  12. Shaylee Field permalink
    14/10/2015 8:37 am

    I love the first quote you chose about seeing with new eyes! That’s truly what discovery is!

  13. JessicaACassidy permalink
    14/10/2015 9:39 am

    Thank you Christopher Columbus for discovering America. We owe it to you.

  14. Shann Eva permalink
    14/10/2015 12:36 pm

    I feel like I’m always discovering something new. Whether it be about myself, my children, or just life in general.

  15. jenniferclay795 permalink
    14/10/2015 1:02 pm

    That quote is so true!! If my attitude is bad then everything is bad around me. If I have a positive attitude then the atmosphere around me is pleasant.

  16. The Wardrobe Stylist permalink
    14/10/2015 1:21 pm

    Thanks for the motivational quotes and stories! I loved reading them.

  17. Chubskulit Rose permalink
    14/10/2015 5:43 pm

    When I was still single, I never knew that blog exist. I used to write on journals but I discovered that blogging is more fun.

  18. Sunshine Kelly permalink
    14/10/2015 7:38 pm

    Life is about discovering new experiences, I am open and welcome more discoveries and it will definitely enriched my life.

  19. Lisa Rios permalink
    15/10/2015 1:49 am

    The story of King Janaka is very interesting. I agree discovering what is almost beyond your dreams is going to be so real. I am a big fan of NASA as well & I know the Journey to Mars has been making news lately & I am sure they are going to succeed.

  20. Rosey permalink
    15/10/2015 2:49 am

    i like to read these posts. You’ve always got really good food for thought in them.

  21. 15/10/2015 2:54 am

    Great motivational tips.

  22. Roxi Santiago permalink
    15/10/2015 6:27 am

    Discovering something new about myself is quite amazing. I mean, I’m not very young, nor very old but I thought I know everything about myself already. Surprisingly, I learned lately that I enjoy make-up.

  23. Papaleng Pagulong permalink
    15/10/2015 8:19 am

    To discover to me simply means that the universe is vast and finding new things just only proves that there is the Great Creator.

  24. Michelle Solee (@michisolee) permalink
    15/10/2015 3:51 pm

    It is really nice to discover new things or discover old stuff that you need to change or improve.

  25. Karen permalink
    15/10/2015 5:10 pm

    Discover your gifts and let them shine. Nice thought of the day as I welcome another 364 days of my life.

  26. Papaleng Pagulong permalink
    15/10/2015 8:59 pm

    If I may add, the age of discovery continues perhaps not in a monumental one. A lot can be discovered simply looking a butterfly. BTW, your photos are awesome.

  27. Eileen xo permalink
    15/10/2015 9:20 pm

    3 blogs – you are amazing!! so impressive!

  28. Camesha | Mama Motivator permalink
    15/10/2015 10:06 pm

    Columbus day is interesting. Considering everyone knows you can’t discover a place where people already live…not sure why we celebrate it. lol

    As far as motivation. I’ve always been motivated by my dreams. My kids have taken that up a notch. They motivate me to live out my dreams and show them what’s possible.

  29. Erika Ashley permalink
    15/10/2015 10:39 pm

    Love this collage.

  30. Allan permalink
    15/10/2015 10:58 pm

    Actually, life is a voyage that is full of things to be discovered. As we go on, we will discover lots of things.

  31. kareen liez datoy (@blessedliez) permalink
    16/10/2015 2:28 am

    I love your posts! I like the stories you included here. Good job on your blog 🙂

  32. Acadiana'sThriftyMom (@acadianathrifty) permalink
    16/10/2015 2:28 am

    I love your thoughts and the photos! What a great way to start the week 🙂

  33. JessicaACassidy (@wifetoalineman) permalink
    16/10/2015 5:16 am

    The earth/moon looks so beautiful in blue and round.

  34. Anna permalink
    16/10/2015 5:25 am

    Motivation is important as it serves as our inspiration to do the things we need to do.

  35. Becka @ Probably Crafting permalink
    16/10/2015 7:30 am

    I love to discover and try new things. 🙂 Discovering new hobbies and things I enjoy is what made me start blogging

  36. Rocio Chavez permalink
    16/10/2015 10:09 am

    life is a self discovery journey – we just have to be open to evolve from where we are – comfortable and content – toward greatness 😀

  37. Ashley permalink
    16/10/2015 10:38 pm

    Discovery means learning and growing in my own life. Finding out more about myself as time goes on. What makes me happy, and what triggers me.

  38. kleebanks permalink
    17/10/2015 3:54 pm

    It’s funny, I just posted today about how our attitudes affect and can change our lives.

    Yes, my hubby and I enjoy watching Discovery and History channels, especially for recent discoveries – but also for additional information on ancient historical finds.

  39. Ana De Jesus permalink
    18/10/2015 8:52 am

    I did not even know there was a Columbus day but I think it is a wonderful idea. Life is a process of discovery and we discover the key to happiness by decoding our fate.

  40. Anna C. permalink
    18/10/2015 2:50 pm

    I’m still trying to figure out what motivates me… It’s quite hard to put your mind together when you suffer from anxiety and depression.

  41. Shannon P permalink
    18/10/2015 4:18 pm

    I love that last quote – “Try not to get lost in comparing yourself to others. Discover your gifts and let them shine!” Jennie Finch. I always thought of discovery in the ‘finding a new world’ aspect, but discovering ones own talents and dreams and wishes and gifts is very important as well!

  42. marly_ms permalink
    18/10/2015 7:46 pm

    Discovering new things is a part of learning. Broadening the horizons to great opportunities, too.

    Mhar Sefcik

  43. miss permalink
    18/10/2015 11:34 pm

    I follow my dreams and always try to discover new things. Thanks for sharing a beautiful post.

  44. Nilyn EC Matugas permalink
    19/10/2015 12:26 am

    Life is boring without discoveries! I love to discover things, it makes everyday life thrilling! 🙂

  45. Mommy Anna permalink
    19/10/2015 5:30 pm

    Discovery makes us better person also, we can discover a lot if things from ourselves sometimes we think we cannot do it but eventually we can do it by discovering our strengths.

  46. Maria Teresa Figuerres permalink
    21/10/2015 4:06 pm

    Oh, I love this quote: “You are the messenger, not the message. You are just like everyone else.” People have the tendency to think highly of themselves sometimes without realizing that they’re no different from others. Keeping this quote in mind helps keep both our feet on the ground.

  47. Melgie permalink
    22/10/2015 8:19 am

    Its always nice to discover new things in life, from simple discovery onto great discoveries. Thanks for Monday motivations. Truly inspiring!

  48. Mommy Maye permalink
    23/10/2015 12:15 am

    I wonder what else will be discovered. So many things have discovered already and it’s interesting that during those times when there’s no advance technology that people have discovered a lot. Thanks to them.

  49. theresa permalink
    23/10/2015 5:59 am

    My term for discovery is to find (discover) more things to learn and appreciate! Little by little, I am discovering more things life has to offer.

  50. Christianforemost.com permalink
    13/10/2021 6:39 pm

    The thrill of new discoveries! I live for those!

  51. Talya Stone permalink
    18/10/2021 5:37 am

    Absolutely loved this phrase – You are the messenger not the message. You are just like everyone else. So powerful. Your image collages also gave me goosebumps. Thanks for sharing.

  52. Ntensibe Edgar permalink
    19/10/2021 2:20 am

    Discovery means so much but most of all, getting something in the world that most probably wasn’t there before! You’ve written elaborately on it! Thanks for sharing about it.

  53. bye:myself permalink
    19/10/2021 2:38 am

    As always a deep and inspiring post. There are many valid thoughts written down here- however, my favorite sentence is We are the messengers not the message – makes you feel humble 😉

  54. Harassedmom (@laurakim123) permalink
    19/10/2021 5:37 pm

    Discovery is so important to move forward and grow. There is ALWAYS something to discover 🙂

  55. Cook Appetite permalink
    20/10/2021 7:38 am

    Not sure why we have Columbus day but okay. Anyway I love these quotes as usual.

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