Inner Motivation 101 by Anna Kathryn

Inner Motivation 101 by Anna Kathryn - August 2017 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, we are faced with thousands of outside influences. The television screams at you to act a certain way, while the glaring eyes of the community scan silent messages of conformity into your brain. Your parents pound in gentle commands of what to do and what not to do, and the children at school whisper strong suggestions, telling you how you must behave or else you risk social suicide and possible beat-downs. With the low rumble of external motivations growing into a roar as students get older, they must choose where they get their motivation and why. This is where my class, Inner Motivation 101 comes in.

Too often, young adults get mixed up with the wrong crowd and waste away their lives simply because they allow the voice of outsiders to drown out the voice inside their head. My class would attempt to help students reconnect with the positive voice inside of them and help to make sure that that voice is a positive one. Class would begin with a bit of self-reflection, allowing the students to decide where their decisions came from and if what they chose was really their own choice, not their friend's, significant other's, or parents'. From there, the river of thought would diverge into many tributaries of self-appreciation, positive influences, and new activities. There would, of course, be many options that the students have to pick from no matter what, allowing them to formulate answers without the advice of a hovering mother or a glaring friend.

I feel that if this class was taught, especially early on in college, students may get a better feel of who they are. The class would be subject to suggestions from the students themselves, allowing them to practice leadership while brainstorming new ideas. While it would be focused on teaching students to make their own decisions, it would also touch on the dangers of being persuaded to do something you probably shouldn't do, like drinking and driving, Because of this, there is a possibility that the class could save lives. If students know themselves better in their earlier years of college, then they will be more likely to make the best decision for them regarding majors and further education, like graduate school or trips to study abroad. Also, if students are aware of the dangers of forced opinions, then they will be less likely to squeeze their own voices into the ears of their friends or even their future young ones. Inner Motivation 101 would have a lasting impact, not only on the students who took the class, but on their peers, families, and admirers. It would promote individualism and self-formulated opinions, something so desperately needed in this society. Perhaps if I was able to teach this class, a chain reaction would occur and the roar of outside motivation will simmer down to a quiet hum, while individual's inner voices will be heard through a megaphone.