Motivation

I've been thinking about motivation lately, as I watch the Wall Street protests progress and I wonder HOW IN THE WORLD to motivate my boys to wash more dishes and turn their socks right side out. This week I began a new graduate level Education course and the introduction to one of the textbooks described two monkeys in an experiment. The scientist gave them a mechanical puzzle to see if they could solve it. There was no "prize" for the monkeys for solving the puzzle, yet they worked for days to figure it out and solved it over and over. This was curious to the investigator. What motivated the monkeys if there was no promise of food or play, no reward at the end of the day?

(I am, apparently, no better than a monkey because I don't give an iota about solving puzzles)(But then again...I am up at 4:45 a.m. to bake banana bread, wash dishes, fold laundry and blog).

Our cottage closing is tomorrow. I asked my brother for a ride there and he texted me back that he couldn't because he had too many errands to run. I would think that thousands of dollars would be a motivating factor in making sure that your older sis, the co-signer, arrives at the court house.

On the other hand, my friend Heidi didn't blink when I asked her to take me and stay for emotional support. Her motivation: friendship.

We have, of course, been watching the boys' football team play all season (they are headed to the sectionals...woot woot!). They are a strong, disciplined team. Up until Friday night, however, their execution seemed to lack passion.

Last season they played for Nick, their fellow team mate who was battling leukemia. After Nick passed away in June a deep sadness settled in. They continued to play in his memory.

On Friday the rival team constructed a coffin and placed it outside of the h.s. with a note...that at the game our boys would be "goin' down." At stake was a spot in the sectionals, and for my son, 24 cupcakes baked by his good friend Liv (a student at the "other" high school.

Tradition says that the winner of this yearly battle takes home "the rock," a large lake-stone-turned-trophy.

Friday night's game was suspenseful, intense, and FUN to watch, because the boys were, at last, fired up.

I'm hopeful that I can keep my own "eye on the prize" this week, the new farm we will be able to buy once the cottage closes.