I truly believe Augustine’s words are true and if you look at history you know it is true. There are many people in the world with amazing talents who realize only a small percentage of their potential. We all know people who live this truth. we also know those epic stories, those modern-day legends surrounding the early failures of such supremely successful folks as Michael Jordan and Bill Gates. We can look a bit further back in time to Albert Einstein or even further back to Abraham Lincoln. what made each of these people so successful? motivation. we know this in our gut, but what can we do about it? how can we motivate ourselves? one of the most difficult aspects of achieving success is staying motivated over the long haul. motivation will almost always beat mere talent. Motivation is not an accident or something that someone else can give you – you are the only one with the power to motivate you. motivation cannot be an external force, it must come from within as the natural product of your desire to achieve something and your belief that you are capable to succeed at your goal. positive pleasure-oriented goals are much more powerful motivators than negative fear-based ones. Although each is successful separately, the right combination of both is the most powerful motivational force known to humankind.