Memories That Motivate

I had been in hospital for several weeks. A major development occurred one day - I was allowed home for 4 hour stretches mid-afternoon. Imagine that: weeks in an institution and being institutionalized, and then 4 hours of home. After winter comes spring.

It was wonderful - rediscovering my old home again - going through the door, sitting on the old familiar (and time to replace!) settee. And every image in the home told a story - had a memory - and strengthened my resolve to finally come home for good at last.

Up in the bedroom where my wife took me to wash my hair and groom me (somewhat) I looked at the windowsill and saw one of my favourite objects, and smiled: one transparent "jelly" shoe, once belonging to a four year old, sadly and happily, but now a hulking 18 year old who had left home recently to go to university. We are talking of my son, Joe.

Seeing the jelly shoe (more of a plastic sandal really) reminded me of how it got there, the moment and all the motivation. Walking my son into the sand and surf down at Bournemouth beach around 1997 - Joe proudly wearing his 2 jelly shoes on both feet, and then - suddenly - Joe getting stuck, one foot sinking into the sand, and as he pulled away, one jelly shoe coming loose.

Joe was distraught. I rushed to assist - helped him back to shore, but could not for the life of me locate the lost jelly shoe. Somewhere out at sea, may be only 10 feet from the shore and only covered with one foot of water was the shoe, but sinking into the sands and now not discernible to the naked eye.

He was inconsolable - now only with one jelly shoe. So, in a motivational moment, as we walked home, I told Joe I was going back to find it, and mum would take him home; a wink to mum and she understood.

Instead of returning to the shore where finding it would be impossible, I shot into the town centre and purchased an identical pair of jelly shoes from a convenient shoe shop. Then, rushed home - voila - I presented Joe with one new jelly shoe. (The spare shoe carefully hidden from Joe's vigilant sight).

He was 4 years old - but he took it in his little hand, delighted, but also somewhat bemused. At some deep level he suspected dad had tricked him but... there was the jelly shoe. So, a perfect end to a fraught afternoon had at last been achieved.

And now the spare jelly shoe - the one he never had and which I didn't give him - is on the windowsill - a trophy, a reminder, a witness to that wonderful afternoon when my son's tears were washed away as dad magically found the lost jelly shoe.

That's highly motivating to reflect on - all our tears will finally be washed away as we - the children - enter the light beyond that makes sense of everything.

Now as I sit in my home with images and ideas such as these surrounding me, I am strengthened.

If you would like to find out more about what motivates you, go to:

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James Sale is Europe's premier expert on motivation. If you would like to book him as a speaker, contact:

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