[tweetmeme source=”cbyndas” only_single=false]What motivates you?  A good book, listening to books on tape, attending seminars and conferences, following blogs of the likes, of Stephen Covey, Seth Godin, James Gittomer?  All of these are good choices, but a bit typical for my liking.  Of all the great things I have learned from the masters, I would have to say it is the clown that has taught me the most valuable lesson.

Now you might be thinking the clown, what clown?

You know, the punching clown that used to be popular when we were kids.  This clown is about a five foot tall blow up with a bottom filled with sand.  No matter what you did to that darn clown it always stood back up.  Punch it, push it, sit on its head, as soon as the abuse was over the clown stood right back up.

For years I had the clown in my office, day-in-day-out motivation!  Now, being the professional I am, I never punched my clown.  But on many a frustrating day I would walk over to that clown and with one finger push him to the ground tell him “hey you haven’t seen the best of me” and then I would let him snap back up.  Might be a little crazy, but I always thought of myself as being as good as that clown, no matter what happened I had the ability to stand back up and make things work.

Looking for daily motivation?  Get yourself a clown; there won’t be anything that holds you down if you learn from the clown!