Pain or Pleasure?

The primary function of the mind is memory, and it's primary motivation is pleasure. To put it more accurately, the mind's motivation is toward pleasure and away from pain. All of your habitual (memory based mental, emotional, or physical) behavior has this motivation. This is why you like to do certain things and why you don't like others, why some things are easier to do than others, and why you procrastinate even when there is something important to do. The mind-body quite automatically moves toward what is pleasurable and does its best to avoid what is painful.

If you create a "future" memory - in other words, if you imagine what will happen if you do a certain thing - your behavior will be strongly influenced by whether the memory carries the expectation of pain or pleasure.

For example: If you have created the expectation and/or memory that human encounters may result in painful rejection, you will find it hard to meet or be with people, to make phone calls (especially sales calls), and possibly even to write letters. On the other hand, if the thought of such encounters evokes an expectation/memory of pleasurable contact, then such things will be easy and enjoyable for you. And if, as is very common, you hold expectations and memories of both types of encounter, then the ease or difficulty of these activities will vary according to your present level of self-confidence and self-esteem (also called your "mood").