- The Driving Force.. The Spark That Keeps You on the Path
In 1980, a young Canadian man embarked on an extraordinary journey. He was only 22 years old and had lost his right leg to cancer. Instead of giving up, he decided to run across all of Canada, over five thousand kilometers, to raise funds for cancer research.
He did not complete his journey, as the illness returned to his body, but before he passed, he inspired millions of people around the world and became a symbol of perseverance, determination, and an unquenchable driving force.
Hundreds of successful people from various fields have been studied, and this young man was one of the most prominent examples cited when discussing the fourth trait: the Driving Force (Push). That internal energy that drives a person forward despite fatigue, circumstances, and setbacks, sometimes even despite pain.
Your love for what you do is the locomotive that pulls you, but the driving force is the engine that prevents this locomotive from stopping.
The driving force, or internal motivation, is not fleeting enthusiasm, but a continuous determination that pushes you when your strength wanes and reminds you of the reason you started when you lose direction. It is what makes you get up after failure and start anew when others stop. It is the inner voice that says, “You can do it, just one more step.”
The great individuals studied did not succeed because the path was easy, but because they possessed something inside them that drove them to overcome obstacles. Some call it self-motivation, others call it resolve, but its essence is one: a force that pushes you when no one else is pushing.
The founder of a fund, who worked for many years in Africa amidst harsh financial and psychological difficulties, says: “I used to cry almost every night, but in the morning I would wake up and start again.” This is the driving force that allowed her humanitarian project to change the lives of thousands.
A business and media pioneer faced significant failures and losses, but she would repeat her famous phrase: “No one pushes me like I push myself.”
These models share a common thread: each one of them found within themselves what drives and motivates them more than anything external.
The driving force sometimes arises from pain, as pain can be transformed into fuel. The young man lost his leg, but he discovered in his loss a reason to live. Many great people started from a wound, from a big dream. The dream alone is not enough, but it generates an internal energy that makes you endure hardship for its sake. Whoever has a worthy goal finds within themselves what drives them.
Your love for what you do is the locomotive that pulls you, but the driving force is the engine that prevents this locomotive from stopping.
Reward yourself for progress, not for perfection. The driving force does not need perfection, but continuity.
How do we cultivate the driving force in our lives?
- Always remember the reason you started. When you get tired or feel bored, go back to the question: Why did I start? The answer recharges you.
- Break your big goals into stages, as partial achievement generates a new push to continue.
- Surround yourself with people who push you forward, not those who discourage you. An encouraging environment nourishes your driving force.
- Learn from every fall. Every time you get back up, you become stronger. Repeated comebacks create an unstoppable internal momentum.
- Reward yourself for progress, not for perfection. The driving force does not need perfection, but continuity.
The driving force is not in the muscles or the body, but in sincere intention, deep perseverance, and the ability to tell yourself every morning: I will not stop now.
Some people rely on praise or rewards to continue, and they often stop at the first absence of appreciation. But those who possess internal motivation do not wait for anyone’s applause; they are driven by their belief in themselves, in their idea, and in the value of what they do. It has been said: “Great people have a
