Motivation involves making it personal and stimulating a passion for excellence.

Recently a group with whom I was meeting discussed how best to motivate people to perform at their best in producing quality products. I believe it is within ourselves that we try our best. It would be a rare person who gets up in the morning and says to themselves, "I'm not going to do a good job today."

It is not within me to believe that anyone does that purposely. With that said, how do we motivate people to improve. The answer might come in two different, but not totally separate, ways. One is to demonstrate how to “make it personal.” The second is about stimulating a passion for excellence.

What are you passionate about? Do you dare to express and expand that passion in everything you do? If not, why don't you?

You might need to stand back and look at your life from a distance, as people around you do. What you might see is a pattern, a common thread running through all the various aspects of all that you have accomplished.

That common thread is probably connected to a passion that lies deep inside of you. The more fully you allow that passion to flow from you, the more success and satisfaction you will enjoy.

The more readily you admit and express that passion to yourself and to those around you, the more fulfilling your moments will be. Keeping it hidden and suppressed will only lead to frustration, pain and regret.

There is a passion in all of us that is constantly straining to be released. We need to let it out and let it energize us to greater success and satisfaction.

That passion is a unique and precious gift that each of us have to offer to society. We need to give it freely, with vigor, with courage, and let everyone truly experience its special value.