On Prompting Others

Any life, however long and complicated it may be, actually consists of a single moment — the moment when a man knows forever more who he is. – Jorge Luis Borges

Prompting others to act is something I approach very carefully, because I don’t believe in a standard method. Not even the “trust yourself” adage. Trusting yourself can be good for some people, helping them accomplish great things. However, for every person I’ve met that follows that philosophy, I’ve met other over-achievers who prefer to look for motivation outside of themselves, and let hard work and real-life results guide them.

Still, there’s one thing where I’d like to encourage action, and that is self-exploration. Mistakes. What my mentor calls The Experimental Mind-set. After some life-changing experiences in the last couple of months, I truly believe now that any sort of hierarchy of messages or philosophies of action is the wrong approach to inspire others. Not only that, but Eric Schiller proposed another theory:

“I now strongly believe that excess inspiration serves to cripple people, and actually prevent them from doing anything out of fear of not living up to case studies.”

The point then is to let your own experience define you, and not feel pressured to act or behave in a certain way. Trusting yourself is not a decision or a quality that some people have. It’s a consequence of introspection and humility. It’s the understanding that as long as you are willing to learn about yourself and the world, no one can have a better clue of what the best path might be for you.

The only thing that I let myself tell others now is “get to know yourself.” Anything that you do, once you know that it’s you choosing it, and it’s your personal philosophy of motivation what fuels you, is valid.