Motivation is the psychological force that energises, directs, and sustains human behaviour, arising from a dynamic interplay of needs, goals, expectations, and social influences; in psychology, it has been explored through foundational work such as Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943), which framed motivation as a progression toward self-actualisation and ultimately transcendence, B. F. Skinner’s behaviourist studies (1953) showing how reinforcement shapes goal-directed actions, and Edward Deci and Richard Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (1985), which demonstrated that intrinsic motivation flourishes when autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported. Together with Albert Bandura’s research on self-efficacy (1977), these studies reveal how internal beliefs and environmental conditions drive persistence and growth, offering powerful tools for personal wellbeing by helping individuals cultivate purpose, resilience, and emotional balance, and for societal health by informing educational practices, workplace design, public policy, and community programs that empower people to thrive. The over-arching goal of all motivation, as implied by Maslow’s later formulations must be to transcend the limitations of our finiteness, a goal supremely achieved through the sacrifice of Christ in the Cross. At the Cross, and only at the Cross, a way is opened for loving relationship with God and an eternal life infilled and empowered by His Holy Spirit.