I wanted to ask today what motivates you? I mean pre-pandemic or post-pandemic this question is always there as what motivates you? and now its even more because no matter what we are stuck at home though in California it’s not that bad but still we work from home and are kind of getting used to it.
How do you charge yourself ? I mean don’t tell me that you listen to a motivational speaker and it works for you because that doesn’t work for me at all!!!!

I like to do something that makes me motivated and so what I did last year while we were stay at home, besides hiking was something that I am going to share today.
Yes, even though we were working from home and were able to be with family all the time and enjoy the backyard still you need something more that will excite you isn’t it?
“Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.”
It was last year same time when the Indian festival Navratri that I recently wrote about was happening. We were not able to meet with friends so I started the trend of wearing saree on those nine days of Navratri. Each day has a significance to a color that relates to the Goddess and for me it was more of the saree love which strike the idea to wear each day based on the color significance. At least for those nine days I was making sure that my work was planned well such that I could take time out to wear saree.

Dressing up is something that at least excites most of the women and this is me who used to be a tom-boy, now loves saree so much that I enjoyed wearing each day. Some liked my determination, some liked my saree and some liked me all this was fun. By the way this year, again I continued and tomorrow is the ninth day 😍!
“You will never always be motivated, so you must learn to be disciplined.”

Similarly, I opted for learning an instrument. Guitar being my favorite I picked it up and feels so good when I played Happy birthday on guitar for my son’s birthday this March and April for my daughter, and Bob Marley’s three little birds and then the Bollywood song and so forth…! It’s a good distraction from the chaos of life.
“Try to find that motivation in your life which only you can create it no one else.” ~ Dawn
~ Dawn
Note: Now you can listen to the audio version of my blogs in Hindi on the UshaDawn Hindi Podcast on Google, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Check it out and new episodes uploaded every day 3 AM Pacific Standard Time
In the third stage of life, Vanaprastha, which is also the name we’ve given our mountain house—and a name I know you appreciate—my motivations are largely spiritual. I am more curious about life and living than anyone I know or have heard about. I have always been. My main single interest and motivation is my wife, a woman of infinite depth and nuance. Despite her beauty and intellect, she is bafflingly humble and loves me. Wonder of wonders. Another wonder for me is the shallowness I see in modern culture, the throwaway mindset and despoilation that hides behind self-righteous posturing. Toys, casual sex, and more and more stuff hide great emptiness and sadness. They are poor motivations
Good to hear about your thoughts and Vanaprastha name for your mountain house 🙂 I am still in Grahastha ..and believe in detachment a healthy one ! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Modern culture is not the motivation its filling in gaps until they figure out and sometimes its too late. Cheers!
This is a great reminder to actually value today (it’s early afternoon now, so I still have the opportunity), because tomorrow is never promised, and I’ll never get today back, no matter what happens. Thanks for this!