What's Your Motivation????

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pre-dentalguy

pre-dentalguy

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I've been on the SDN for a while now and many of the members seem to look for each other for motivation to keep them on the up and up. It seems like a rollercoaster ride with a lot of my companions on here. One day their motivated giving advice and then the next day their needing motivation. For all you SDN guru's out there... what's your motivation that keeps you going?? Tell everyone about your drive and what pushes you!!!


Pre-dentalguy
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pre-dentalguy said:
I've been on the SDN for a while now and many of the members seem to look for each other for motivation to keep them on the up and up. It seems like a rollercoaster ride with a lot of my companions on here. One day their motivated giving advice and then the next day their needing motivation. For all you SDN guru's out there... what's your motivation that keeps you going?? Tell everyone about your drive and what pushes you!!!


Pre-dentalguy
Click to expand...

My motivation is to live my life the fullest and that means doing whatever I can to do what I want and be who I want to be and let no one, and nothing gets in my way.

Sounds real cliche right? but those are the words I live by these days. Up until about a year ago I dont know what the heck motivation means. I have no drive, no focus, no dreams. It's weird, but something changed about a year ago, I wasn't conscious of it but I find myself motivated more than ever to do everything that I've ever wanted to do no matter how ridiculously impossible it may seem.
I come from a humble family (dirt poor, 12 of us live in a two bedroom row house.) I 'm one of those who is always curious about what life has to offer and the one thing that has always stopped me from pursuing anything is lack of money and the fear of failure because frankly no one in my neighborhoods ever did anything. So I lived just thinking that "one day.. I'll do this and that....." until one day, I decided that I'm gonna do it, and that's that. So far, I've managed to go hanggliding, and back-packed through europe. kicked ass on the DAT, help started a family business that is currently booming all in one year. ( soon we'll move into a 4 bedroom house! nice! right? and they have 2 full bathrooms!!!!)

My motivation is just me wanting to live the best life I can get for MYSELF. Period.
 
blue_moon01 said:
My motivation is to live my life the fullest and that means doing whatever I can to do what I want and be who I want to be and let no one, and nothing gets in my way.

Sounds real cliche right? but those are the words I live by these days. Up until about a year ago I dont know what the heck motivation means. I have no drive, no focus, no dreams. It's weird, but something changed about a year ago, I wasn't conscious of it but I find myself motivated more than ever to do everything that I've ever wanted to do no matter how ridiculously impossible it may seem.
I come from a humble family (dirt poor, 12 of us live in a two bedroom row house.) I 'm one of those who is always curious about what life has to offer and the one thing that has always stopped me from pursuing anything is lack of money and the fear of failure because frankly no one in my neighborhoods ever did anything. So I lived just thinking that "one day.. I'll do this and that....." until one day, I decided that I'm gonna do it, and that's that. So far, I've managed to go hanggliding, and back-packed through europe. kicked ass on the DAT, help started a family business that is currently booming all in one year. ( soon we'll move into a 4 bedroom house! nice! right? and they have 2 full bathrooms!!!!)

My motivation is just me wanting to live the best life I can get for MYSELF. Period.
Click to expand...


I definitely understand about coming from that type of background. Your words speak volumes for people who have been underpriviledged all their lives. And the family business thing is just awesome. What is it that your family does? Me... I actually paid for my undergrad by selling embroidery plain colored t-shirts online. I know, it sounds kind of cheesy, but hey, it paid the bills.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!
 
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pre-dentalguy said:
I definitely understand about coming from that type of background. Your words speak volumes for people who have been underpriviledged all their lives. And the family business thing is just awesome. What is it that your family does? Me... I actually paid for my undergrad by selling embroidery plain colored t-shirts online. I know, it sounds kind of cheesy, but hey, it paid the bills.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!
Click to expand...
that's awesome! Actually that takes skills because it's hard to get people's attention online to buy your stuff when there are bigger companies around. My friend also sell T-shirts with screenings of his original artwork but it didn't take. I figure it's got something to do with the 100-260 price tag.

My family, we make food to order. ( mostly eggrolls, sushi, ..finger food:) It started as a thing we did on Sat. and Sun. Mostly people just order a few things when they have parties on the weekends, words traveled, now it's full time. It's not like it's crazy money but it's a lot more than we ever got before . We also don't have to worry about the factories laying off my parents when the demands are low. Best of all, my family can do this without my involvement once I'm in dental school. Once we have enough capital, we'll venture out some more, but one step at a time. They are already planning how they will switch to dentistry once I'm a dentist. My sisters ( 4 of them) are going to go into dental hygiene. The younger ones ( 2) are dreaming of also becoming dentists. The other two younger ones wants to be teachers, but who knows they are still in grade school. I guess I won't have to worry about being short of staff when I start my own practice.
 
My motivation is to be a millionare one day. No joke.
 
blue_moon01 said:
I 'm one of those who is always curious about what life has to offer and the one thing that has always stopped me from pursuing anything is lack of money and the fear of failure because frankly no one in my neighborhoods ever did anything.
Click to expand...
That is great how you have learned to take care of yourself. This is just like me, except with the exact opposite feelings regarding fear of failure. Maybe a rebellious lack of fear of failure...will and do everything regardless of whether I had the money or not. Not just frivelous things, but higher education, traveling, etc. Worked my butt off, but never could keep up with my drive to see and learn new things. I think it got me into a rut, and discouraged me when some of these things were less fulfilling than I had imagined. But now I feel I've experienced enough to feel truly grounded and know what is important to me, therefore leading to a "new" sort of drive that keeps me going.
 
I'm going to refer to a Dr. Cox-ism for this one:

Chicks, money, power, and chicks.
 
first you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the woman



motivation? a lot of people will say money, because hell...we all want that financial security and to live a comfortable life. but its not all about the money...


for me personally, its two things: fulfilling a 20 year old dream, and showing my extremely competitive extended family that I can accomplish whatever I want and that I am no way inferior to any of my rather gifted, ambitious cousins.


we all have our reasons, but in the end we all want the same thing: to be dentists. hopefully we'll all be able to drop the D.D.S. by our names in a few years
 
bruinpredent said:
first you get the money, then you get the power, then you get the woman



motivation? a lot of people will say money, because hell...we all want that financial security and to live a comfortable life. but its not all about the money...


for me personally, its two things: fulfilling a 20 year old dream, and showing my extremely competitive extended family that I can accomplish whatever I want and that I am no way inferior to any of my rather gifted, ambitious cousins.


we all have our reasons, but in the end we all want the same thing: to be dentists. hopefully we'll all be able to drop the D.D.S. by our names in a few years
Click to expand...

HELL YEAH!!!!
 
My motivation is a 997 Turbo!!! :D
 
my wife and 2 kids, and any subsequent ones drive me about as hard as I am driving myself to finish something i start, and to tackle something that i would normally consider too difficult. I've been blessed with a good mind, but cursed with laziness. They've taken me as far as I can go, and I decided it was time to buckle down and actually work my butt off for something that is worth achieving. I'll be the first in my immediate family (apart from my attorney father) to get a post bac degree and the first in my extended family to get a doctorate. I have a huge family.
 
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Wait, my motivation is gone now that I have been to a bunch of interviews. I don't care about school, I just want to relax. C's are fine for me, I will gear up for a shatty D1 year by relaxing.
 
My motivation is that I grew up dirt poor as both of my parents dropped out of college to get married and then divorced each other like 6 years later. I grew up one of three kids of a single parent who had an ok job, but we surely struggled. Both of my parents have ok jobs, but I can tell neither of them are really doing something that makes them happy and rather just doing something they can live with to pay the bills. Despite growing up dirt poor I have had a lot of people do really great things for me in my life, such as helping us buy food and pay our bills after my parents got divorced, my mom didn't have a job, and we had no money. Additionaly I am greatful to my aunt and uncle for helping me pay for college and to my other aunt and uncle for giving me a car so I could get a job and get to and from college. It sucked sometimes, but I have learned to live with little and the experience has given my a big heart, compassion, and sense of need to return the favor to those who have spent so much time, effort, and money in me (which includes society...we were on welfare for years)

My motivation is that I never want my future family to have to struggle the way my family did. Additionally, I don't want a job were I feel liking I'm doing it just to survive and make due. I want to enjoy and be passionate about what I do. Money only has negative meaning to me, so I think it's nice dentists usually make good money, but really all I need is enough to take care of my family and not struggle doing so, and what is left over I believe should go back to helping others who were once in my family's situation.

It is hard to stay motivated, but if you really want something in life, I really think eventually you will get it if you try hard enough and don't give up.

Pre-dentalguy...you bring up a great point though. We all need a support network to help us stay motivated and focused. Most of us, especially myself, are at a very strange frustrating time in our life in which we are trying to figure out who we are, what we want out of life, and how to get it. It is a tough game. I've never been so confused in my life! The idea of even entering the real world outside the security of home and/or school is scarrier than hell for some of us. The only comfort I have found though is by asking others in my situation and others who have made it through my situation for advice and then slowly try to get things figured out. It is an important time to have good family and friends! You just got to stick through it and keep your eye on the prize. Everything will fall into place eventually, but not if you give up.
 
lemoncurry said:
my wife and 2 kids, and any subsequent ones drive me about as hard as I am driving myself to finish something i start, and to tackle something that i would normally consider too difficult. I've been blessed with a good mind, but cursed with laziness. They've taken me as far as I can go, and I decided it was time to buckle down and actually work my butt off for something that is worth achieving. I'll be the first in my immediate family (apart from my attorney father) to get a post bac degree and the first in my extended family to get a doctorate. I have a huge family.
Click to expand...


Nothing will put a flame under a person like your family will.
 
dddsmack said:
Wait, my motivation is gone now that I have been to a bunch of interviews. I don't care about school, I just want to relax. C's are fine for me, I will gear up for a shatty D1 year by relaxing.
Click to expand...

haha.. yeah right!!!
 
lgreen_aci said:
My motivation is that I grew up dirt poor as both of my parents dropped out of college to get married and then divorced each other like 6 years later. I grew up one of three kids of a single parent who had an ok job, but we surely struggled. Both of my parents have ok jobs, but I can tell neither of them are really doing something that makes them happy and rather just doing something they can live with to pay the bills. Despite growing up dirt poor I have had a lot of people do really great things for me in my life, such as helping us buy food and pay our bills after my parents got divorced, my mom didn't have a job, and we had no money. Additionaly I am greatful to my aunt and uncle for helping me pay for college and to my other aunt and uncle for giving me a car so I could get a job and get to and from college. It sucked sometimes, but I have learned to live with little and the experience has given my a big heart, compassion, and sense of need to return the favor to those who have spent so much time, effort, and money in me (which includes society...we were on welfare for years)

My motivation is that I never want my future family to have to struggle the way my family did. Additionally, I don't want a job were I feel liking I'm doing it just to survive and make due. I want to enjoy and be passionate about what I do. Money only has negative meaning to me, so I think it's nice dentists usually make good money, but really all I need is enough to take care of my family and not struggle doing so, and what is left over I believe should go back to helping others who were once in my family's situation.

It is hard to stay motivated, but if you really want something in life, I really think eventually you will get it if you try hard enough and don't give up.

Pre-dentalguy...you bring up a great point though. We all need a support network to help us stay motivated and focused. Most of us, especially myself, are at a very strange frustrating time in our life in which we are trying to figure out who we are, what we want out of life, and how to get it. It is a tough game. I've never been so confused in my life! The idea of even entering the real world outside the security of home and/or school is scarrier than hell for some of us. The only comfort I have found though is by asking others in my situation and others who have made it through my situation for advice and then slowly try to get things figured out. It is an important time to have good family and friends! You just got to stick through it and keep your eye on the prize. Everything will fall into place eventually, but not if you give up.
Click to expand...


Great words my friend!!! You are not alone in your situation... there are many of us that's been there and are even still there. Stay focused bro... you got this!!!
 
I'll tell you motivation is turning 40 and owing a million dollars.

I am so motivated.
 
No, wait...this is motivating....being on call but forgetting you are on call and then getting called in only to have a dead battery in your mini-van and you can't get a hold of your husband to pick you up because he turned his cell phone off while he was in church so you have to ride your mountain bike to work.

Being a nurse is awesome...but no call, no holidays, no weekends, my own practice, not being owned by the hospital or the OB office...that's motivation!!!!! And a new Toyota Sequoia. And that's all I need.
 
Motivation: To surprise myself with an acceptance to a d-school

Can't wait till the first acceptance. . ..

Pretty corny but I can't seem to think of anything else.
 
pre-dentalguy said:
MONEY, POWER, RESPECT... THEN THE WOMEN!!! HA.
Click to expand...

You don't have to be rich or powerful to meet hot women or men. It could help but not necessary. It's all the realm of people social skills. Money or power skills is a separate skills itself and sometimes luck.

Me personally, I want to combine the dentistry skill to do something else.
 
My motivation is definitely job satisfaction ! I make plenty of money in my current job at a large corporation (more than some starting dentists). In 5 years I would make more than any dental specialist could ever hope to make. Bottom line, I'm not happy. Knowing I'll be in a career that provides me satisfaction is really important! Money definitely isn't everything. In many ways I see pursuing dentistry as a major pay cut in the long run (and particularly the short run).
 
An 8000 square foot house with a 4500 square foot garage, lakeside, working 4 days a week, paying for kids education, wifes wants, respect, personal pride.
 
achieving personal goals,joining family business,financial security,making daddy proud(cliche but its true),taking care of my parents when theyre older.
 
I plan on saving people's lives by getting all that nasty money off their hands. Money is so dirty! I can handle it though, I have a special bank account for filthy money.
 
HAHAHA...MY GOAL IS TO ALSO MARRY ONE...otherwise they might waste my millions. if they have their own millions...

dddsmack said:
My motivation is to be a millionare one day. No joke.
Click to expand...
 
On a serious note.After Four years of college I am off the family pay roll...So I had to find a profession that I see myself enjoying and possesses' (however you spell that) the potential to maintain the same quality of life that I enjoy today:), this alone motivates me to succeed.
 
Thinking about all of the things I will able to buy after graduation!!! :p

Lifestyle that most people don't have, but the biggest one... to never come back to this **** job I have now!!!!
 
motivation : coming out at as a respected dentist, being able to afford high end stuff, it's a profession, not just a job. the lifestyle it offers.
 
pre-dentalguy said:
I've been on the SDN for a while now and many of the members seem to look for each other for motivation to keep them on the up and up. It seems like a rollercoaster ride with a lot of my companions on here. One day their motivated giving advice and then the next day their needing motivation. For all you SDN guru's out there... what's your motivation that keeps you going?? Tell everyone about your drive and what pushes you!!!


Pre-dentalguy
Click to expand...

One's motivation changes with age. What drives one in his/her 20's is going to be different at least in some form to that in the 30's and beyond.
 
Motivation:

Want to be a respected member of society.

Want to give my future wife and kids the lifestyle my parents gave me.

Want to be independent, secure, and comfortable.
 
Well, I just want to get accepted so I'll be eligible to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-interest government loans to buy a yacht, then I'll cruise down to the south pacific. I should be able to scrape up enough down there doing odd jobs to buy gas and pay the minimum on the interest.
 
I've posted on a thread identical to this before, but after some soul searching since last semester ended it all came down to one thing really.


I moved out of the u.s. after highschool, and moved back into it a while later. I was pretty much lost, a family member had jacked my college fund and I had no idea about what direction to go.

Someone pretty much found me out of the blue, helped me and put me on the right track. Ever since day one, he's been there for me, believing in me and always telling me I can get through what seemed like a scary and thrilling transition in my life.

I always think about what he gave me, and I wake up every morning feeling like I could've never made a better choice than doing what I'm doing and pursuing what I'm pursuing; he practically brought me from a low place and gave me everything I needed to succeed.
 
I'm studying again for the DAT and am finding it hard to keep the fire burning inside me. How do you guys keep telling yourself to keep going?
 
Seems like a lot of respect money power relationships and stuff being mentioned :O

I um... woke up about 8 years ago when i was 10 and was like "I am going to be a dentist"
everything just fell into line after that.
I work at it because i love it. If i didnt enjoy school, or enjoy what i need to do to become what i want to do for the rest of my life then what is the point in living that life.
I will be good at it because i love it.
Motivation comes easy when you dont need to search for ways to love what you are doing.
 
ADentalHopeful said:
Seems like a lot of respect money power relationships and stuff being mentioned :O

I um... woke up about 8 years ago when i was 10 and was like "I am going to be a dentist"
everything just fell into line after that.
I work at it because i love it. If i didnt enjoy school, or enjoy what i need to do to become what i want to do for the rest of my life then what is the point in living that life.
I will be good at it because i love it.
Motivation comes easy when you dont need to search for ways to love what you are doing.
Click to expand...

Wow, that was quite an epiphany for a 10 year old....haha. I liked your answer though, it doesn't mention respect, money, power, or ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, but it's nice to here other motivations.
 
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