For the last four years I have been teaching a seminar at the University in Oslo on Motivation and Leadership for the master students at the Faculty of Educational Science. At the end of the last semester one of the students raised her hand and asked: But where does motivation come from?
I was pleased to hear the question, because we had to go beyond the theories to explore on it. We decided to spend some time on the question in the class, and the discussion went on for quite a long time. As the students were discussing in small units, I wasn't able to hear everything that was said –but I could tell from their faces that they went into something really meaningful to them. They got very inspired !
So this is also the core value in this story: Motivation is about inspiration, but what is it – and where does it come from? The very best definition I have heard on motivation so far is that motivation is energy – the energy behind our actions. It is the norwegian professor Torgrim Gjesme who made me aware of this definition, but even this one doesn't explain where motivation comes from ...
"It's inside us" – that was the conclusion from the main-part of class: But is it something we have or is it something we are? This is about where the discussion ended – as an still open wondering and reflection, and this is where I am about to end this post – but one last thing I can tell:
When I looked at the students faces while they were discussing, they had shining light in their eyes and happy engagement in their voices. I believe some of them ended on that motivation is something we have - other ended on that it is something we are, and to me both of them are really great answers. This because the students were able to bring forth and share from their own wisdom with eachother. As their proud teacher that day, I would say that this is the most important treasure they could find on the topic: Their own engagement !