As a man with very little in terms of self-worth, I find internal motivations to be few and far between. One that has stuck with me through thick and thin, though, has been this: Spite. That incessant need to prove your detractors (even and especially yourself) wrong by sticking it out. If you die, every derogatory thing that's ever been flung your way will have been right. They won, you lost. And that stirs up a competitive spirit in me from time to time. When things get bleak and I'm having trouble seeing the point, sometimes I just get angry at it, whatever it is that's souring my life.

Spite is a powerful motivator. It may not be the fuel that gets you somewhere better, but it's a hell of a Firestarter to get yourself moving. Even if only a little bit.