Lessons from the Laws of Motion

LIFE'S LESSONS FROM THE LAWS OF MOTION

   First Law of Motion: Motivation

Every object will continue to be in a state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by a (external) force.

In life, there are many things we fail to do, not because we didn't have the opportunity, but rather because we simply failed to take the chance. How many a time do we realize we ought to do something yet we don't feel the zeal to accomplish it! Motivation is fundamental in achieving any goal. In fact, we need to be motivated to set our goals in the first place. That shows just how important it really is.

   Motivation can be described as an external force that acts on one's inner will such that it sets it to motion. It is simply a reason for which an action is intended.

Second Law of Motion: Proportionality of Force Applied to Momentum Obtained.

“A net force on an object will accelerate it—that is, change its velocity. The acceleration will be proportional to the magnitude of the force and in the same direction as the force.”

What motivates people is almost as diverse as the people themselves and different kinds of motivation are needed for different tasks. Finding the right kind of motivation is just as important as accomplishing the task at hand because the two are like pegs and holes, they must fit into each other. Whatever inspires an individual to do a thing must have enough momentum to surmount whatever challenges that lies in his path. The desire to get a decent meal might be enough to make a man walk down the street to the grocery store on a normal day but the same desire won't be enough to get him out of his house when he's almost deafened by gunshots just outside his home. But the thought of saving his skin would be enough to make him stand up to more daring situations.

   Sometimes, people set out to do things struggling very hard at first only to give up midway. This is mostly due to weak motivation i.e. the motivation for the goal falls short of its requirement. Simply, they don't feel the goal is worth the struggle, at least, not anymore. At such point, the individual has to look inward and re-evaluate the importance of the goal he desires to achieve. If he starts to feel the reason is not worth the effort, he needs to find a bigger reason and assert it in his mind and at times all that may be needed could be to remember the reason he set out in the first place to achieve his goal. As humans, we tend to forget things pretty quickly especially when faced with challenges.

    Challenges are no more than frictional forces acting in opposite direction to wherever we head. Funny enough, whichever way we head there will be opposing forces acting against our chosen direction. Though there is a great challenge associated with starting which is very comparable to the static frictional force, it does not end at that because there is also the dynamic frictional force equally comparable to the challenges you meet on the go. But as in physics, the dynamic frictional force is usually lesser than the static frictional force. Among the challenges we need to overcome before we begin anything is our fears, some of which we later find to be inconsequential as we move ahead.

Third Law of Motion: Reciprocity of Action and Reaction.

“Action and reaction are equal but opposite (in direction).”

In life, it is important to know and always note that the average person will treat you as you treat him or her especially when you are both on equal footing. For those who smile often, it seems like everyone smiles at them and vice-versa. When you assist people in their times of want they are often eager to return the favor to you. Thus, ‘do’ to others as you would most love for them to ‘do’ to you.

Note: I like to point out that this piece is an extrapolation of physical sciences into social sciences and as such, there are bound to be exceptions. In fact, every rule I know seem to come with its exceptions.