A quote to remember

This past weekend I joined my father in attending the graduation of his fiance out in Jackson, MI. The ceremony was for the most part not great nor entertaining, as had been my own from the U, but in a rare turn of events the most boring speaker of the entire bunch said something that has stuck with me the past few days, that I will now share with you.

She was the key note speaker, and further details of her long-winded and completely unrelated speech are not needed. Near the end, however, she repeated a quote from some famous author (I think?), and while I am not 100% sure of the wording, I am quite certain of the meaning. My version of the quote is as follows:

"You are not defined by what lies behind you, nor even what lies before you, but instead by what lies within you"

This quote had an impact on me so strong I suddenly awoke from my seat and paid attention for maybe 10 more seconds. No, really, this quote has a deep meaning to me that 99% of the people who know me can barely understand. It could even be what I need to turn things around.

To put it quite simply, I have lost my motivation. I know some of you out there may already say this behind my back, some may even get angry about it, question my intentions, or wonder what's wrong with me. This does not bother me, not at all. Even as the aspects of my life that others hold so dear crumble around me, I do not fret, nor do I take to action. Instead, I wait for my destiny to wisk me away to the promised land. Perhaps this is not a realistic way to lead my life. On the other hand, I may only need a push in the right direction to follow the destiny that I am so sure I have been assigned from birth.

The moral of the story is that the only greatness I will ever achieve must lie within myself. If there is one thing I know about myself, it is that no other person can motivate me. Only I can turn the ignition key. Like a light bulb, I seem to only alternate between burning bright filament and utter darkness, and Goddammit, I am confident that I am about to really flip the fucking switch. I believe that I have waited long enough.