Pain is a great starter, but a terrible sustainer. How to stay driven when life gets comfortable.

In my hometown, there’s a war memorial with an eternal fire.
It burns day and night. And it would die out in hours if the oil line feeding it were ever cut off.

Motivation is exactly like that.
It can last a lifetime — but only if you keep feeding it.

...

I was talking with my client about why motivation so often fades once the problem is solved.

- It’s strange,” she said. “When I’m in pain or fighting for something, I feel unstoppable. But once things get better, the drive just… disappears.

I smiled.

Happens to everybody.

- That’s because pain is a powerful survival signal, but it's a short-term, fuel. It kicks in for survival. But it doesn’t sustain you once you’re safe again.

She nodded slowly.

- Then what do I do?” she asked. How do I make it last this time?

It’s time to learn how to fuel your eternal fire, so it burns not only through harsh winters but also through calm, sunny days.

- What motivates you? I asked. What lifts your spirit up? What makes you feel hopeful, alive, ready to get out there and create?

She paused, thinking.

- Music, she said finally. Exercise. Being near water.
Dreaming about that house by the lake with my family.
Listening to entrepreneurs tell their stories.

- Right, I said. And do you have a regular practice of using these daily?

- She smiled. No, not really.

- Do you think it would help to keep your spirits up, especially when you need it most?

- Probably

...

I don’t wake up every day feeling motivated, optimistic, or unstoppable either.
But I do know what moves me in that direction.
And every person I’ve met who overcame the odds, every person you admire for making it despite the circumstance — without exception — has figured that out for themselves too.

So what’s on your list?
What will feed your eternal fire, not just when you’re in pain, but when life is good and steady?
Because comfort can dull your fire faster than hardship ever could.

Your eternal motivation isn’t something you find.
It’s something you fuel with practice.