Oxthink

If there’s one thing a person could do – should do – for themselves, the one thing that would improve their lives tremendously, it is to find their mojo – the something that makes life fun and enjoyable, the something that gives them energy and an enthusiasm for life.

That mojo can come from a variety of sources – exercise, the creative arts, volunteering, entrepreneurship, work, competition.

It’s whatever gets them going, whatever gives them a buzz. It’s their motivational drug, that which gets them up in the morning, that which makes them want to get up. It’s what they cannot get enough of. It’s that which they strive to do more of or to get better at.

When a person finds their mojo, it gives their life a purpose. It will take their life in a positive direction. Having a mojo also brings out the best in an individual – conscientiousness, diligence, commitment, endeavour, purpose, focus, desire.

It tends to be fairly apparent when somebody has their mojo. Not only do they exhibit these qualities, but their chosen activity is what they enjoy doing, what they want to do more of, what they keep coming back to doing, what they miss when they have a break from it.

The earlier in life a person finds their mojo, the more they will get out of life, and the more satisfying and enjoyable it will be.

That’s why one of the tasks of parents and schools should be to help children find their motivation: what interests them, what they enjoy doing, what drives them.

It’s therefore important that children should experience a diverse range of activities. They should be able to explore as many possibilities as possible to see whether an activity works for them.

But more than that. When an interest is roused, they should have the opportunity to invest in that interest, to be able to nourish that interest as much as they want.

A person doesn’t have to be the best at something. They don’t even necessarily have to be good at something. They just have to be interested in it. They just have to enjoy it.

Some people don’t find their mojo till late in life.

Some people never find their mojo.

Some people can find their mojo in something that isn’t good for them – drugs, alcohol, crime.

It’s a failure of society that so many people can lack their mojo or be remiss in their selection of a mojo. It’s also not good for society. It’s a waste of a resource, a squandering of potential.

To be lacking mojo is to be missing out on life, to be living a dismal, meaningless, non-contributory existence. That can’t be right.

That’s why, even if finding our mojo is proving difficult, we should be open to new experiences. One of those experiences may just put us on the path to finding our own mojo.