If you were asked: What motivates you? I think you could answer it easily, if you don’t mind. I think it’s a simple question, but at the same time, it’s confusing. You might even wonder what aspect of my life it refers to: personal, professional, social, etc. It also depends on age, role, and other aspects. Add to this that, according to the Royal Spanish Academy, “to move” means: to make a body leave the place or space it occupies and move to another.

In this sense, the book “Governance of People in the Company,” written by Manolo Alcázar and Pablo Ferreiro, mentions that all people have two types of motivation: spontaneous and rational, and three types of motives: extrinsic, intrinsic, and transcendent.

In this regard, during these first few days in Bogotá (the family’s destination for the next three years), we came to complete the immigration procedures and for our youngest daughter to take the exams at her new school. The curious thing is that she spent the entire Monday at school, and after taking the exams, she spent the day with her future classmates in Colombia. Later, after picking her up and on the way to the store where they sell school clothes, she told me: “Dad, they gave me tests in math, English, communication, and social skills. It was quiet. Then I shared recess and lunch with several girls. They’ve invited me to an after-school get-together this Friday to get to know each other better; there are almost 10 girls in total.”

This story has reminded me of the words of my friend and almost brother, Óscar, known since our college days as “Chizo.” The last time he visited us in Buenos Aires with his entire family at the end of 2024 to attend my second daughter’s high school graduation, he said: “Friend, I see you have people close to you who love you and are good friends of yours and your family in general. Now that you are about to begin your time in Colombia, please don’t close yourself off; open yourself up to new people and customs. You have a lot to give. Don’t waste time making silly excuses.”

Returning to what is described in Manolo Alcázar and Pablo Ferreiro’s book about motivation and motive, all of us, in every aspect of our lives, are driven by some combination of both concepts.

From my perspective, the right thing to do is to move out of rational motivation (where I use my will through my intelligence) and for the purpose of transcending my existence, because as the Latin saying goes, “Memento Mori,” which means, remember that you will die.

So, what are you waiting for to move (I include myself in the first person), because many times we don’t take the first step and we remain in…

• I am always innocent; others are responsible for how things turn out.
• I am unable to recognize the gifts that GOD has given me and that I must deploy in the service of others.
• I don’t easily acknowledge my mistake(s), and if someone points them out, I get angry.
• Don’t close your doors and embrace the opportunities that life gives you.

To warm you up and for reflection, I’ll share a couple of quotes related to the topic.

• It is much more difficult to judge yourself than to judge others. If you manage to judge yourself well, you are a true sage. (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry).
• There is no worse blind person than he who refuses to see. (Popular saying).

Finally, I sincerely hope that you can answer the question in this article. I am sure it will make you better people than you are today. Come on, with high spirits. Let’s keep rowing against the current!