It's tough to find motivation during these uncertain times. Even if you do manage to find it, it runs out faster than usual. I find myself scraping the bottom of my motivation barrel from time to time, as the worries, the concerns, and problems seem to have no end in sight. 

But here we are, still fighting.

Many factors motivate me to keep pushing on. Inasmuch as I want to let one aspect be my source of motivation, I find myself clinging to a combination of factors, which allow me to function and survive for the day. Sometimes, they all work at the same time, sometimes they don't. Some work better than others, some depend on my mood, but they all serve one goal, and that's to keep me going.

So what motivates me? There are plenty.

1. My family- I am the eldest of three, and it's tough trying to make ends meet whenever everything happens at the same time, but I love how I can be myself around them, and be honest about things. They also appreciate what I do, and I am glad that my meager earnings can help us stand on our own. We do what we can to help one another out, and I am happy that somehow, I have fond memories of our times together, helping and sharing with one another.

2. My friends- I have a good set of friends after struggling to find those who will accept me for who I am. They do not judge my likes and interests, and they allow me to flourish in the things that I like to do. They support and encourage me even when I put myself down. For things I cannot share with my family, I can share with them, and they are almost always there to lend an ear.

3. My craft- I have reached a point where I constantly ask why I continue to teach. I can give all the noble answers, but my heart is not in it. As I grow, I realize that teaching is not only a classroom thing, but it is also a sharing of ideas and experiences with others. We learn from one another, and I am glad that I can continue honing my craft even without being in the classroom.

4. My dreams- I am happy that I was able to successfully acquire the material goods that I wanted, but then I asked, "Now what?" So I changed my dreams. My dream is to find a skill that I do apart from the traditional skillset and improve on it. Thanks to the quarantine, I was able to invest time in learning how to make a podcast, a vlog, improve my blog, study a different learning track, invest in some equipment to help me with my online classes, work on my planner, and read. Allowing myself the chance to grow my small dreams keep me going, happy, and fulfilled day by day. Baby steps. One day at a time.

5. Strangers- The internet has many stories to tell about people who didn't take the quarantine as an excuse to fail. They got up and pressed on, and I draw strength from those stories of hope and encouragement. This is also why I was intrigued by goodinfonet.com, because I was looking for another place where I can find stories that can help me push on despite the crises in my life. I want to learn from others. Isn't that how we grow?

My motivations are not perfect, but the little that they give me are enough to keep me going. We all need a little bit of intrinsic (inner) and extrinsic (outer) motivation to survive. I hope to continue using them even as things settle down. 

Each person's motivation is different. I hope you find yours and hang on to it tightly. If you haven't yet, keep searching. The process can also be your motivation to find your motivation. 

Keep trying, keep searching, keep looking.