Internal Compulsion and Motivation (exerpts)(Norm Olson, Commander Alaska Citizen Militia)

Internal Compulsion and Motivation(exerpts)

(re: unsubscribing, quitting, or fading away) ........... What you are saying is that you are unable to participate because no one is creating training for you, or providing things for you, or making the training interesting for you, or for finding a date and time that doesn't conflict with your schedule, or having lots of other people around, or possibly because we don't move fast enough or in the right direction..

As a pastor myself and as a militia leader, I have been faced with this reality for years. I cannot even begin to estimate the number of phone calls, emails, letters, and direct contact I've had from people who leave because they didn't have the internal compulsion or internal initiative or motivation to keep on in the face of difficulty and opposition.

You are frustrated. Fine... So am I... So why not just be frustrated right along with me and hang in there for just a while. If fear grows great enough the people will DESIRE to rally together. Until that time we must try to motivate people. But how?

We cannot possibly motivate people by using the standard external motivations such as money, rank, gifts, etc. Only fear will motivate a person enough to take action to prevent that which he/she is afraid of.

That's where we are today. We have people curious about the militia, in a "motivate me if you can" mode, and others who are growing more and more concerned about what we are facing. I cannot motivate people. Nothing I can say or promise will bring or keep people together if they, INTERNALLY, do not feel the need to join with others when danger comes.

Paine said it right. "These are time times that try men's souls."

........ What you are feeling is expected, anticipated, and predicted. There will be many who will lose interest and you'll want to know why. In fact, the reasons we sometimes give are not exactly true. Maybe it's more than just a dissatisfaction with what the ACM is doing in these difficult days before the crisis hits, but rather a grasp the size and nature of the danger that is coming our way.

At the very bottom of it all, I want to remind EVERYONE IN THE MILITIA, OR AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH IT, that what you are doing--you are doing for conscience sake. So in that case, I do not, and cannot, and must not judge you. I just want you to know that I understand why these things happen.
Norm Olson, ...............................................................................................
Commander ACM