Positive or Negative Motivation

This is a story of two brothers. One was a drug addict and drunkard who frequently beat up his family. The other one was a very successful businessman who was respected in society and had a wonderful family. Some people wanted to find out why two brothers from the same parents, brought up in the same environment, could be so different.

They asked the first one, "Why are you behaving like this? You are a drug addict, a drunkard, and you beat your family. What motivates you?"

He said, "My father."

They asked, "What about your father?"

The reply was, "My father was a drug addict, a drunkard and he beat his family. Then what do you expect me to be? That is what I am."

They went to his brother and asked him the same question. "How come you are doing everything right? You are a very successful person. What is your source of motivation?"

And guess what he said?
He too said, "My father. When I was a little boy, I used to see my dad drunk and doing all the wrong things. I made up my mind that… that is 'not' what I wanted to be."

Both were deriving their strength and motivation from the same source, but one was using it positively and the other negatively.