The Motivation is an involved, somewhat compelling documentary that follows reality TV star Ryan Sheckler, MTV’s Rob Dyrdek, and Nyjah Huston along with all of the world’s best pro skateboarders as they vie for the opportunity to win $200,000 by winning Dyrdek’s Street League Competition.

As these unique ‘street athletes’ talk about their lives, we learn in-depth about who they are and how they came to participate in this competition. As with any documentary that portrays a group of various people, the film touches upon many themes: being a single parent, familial issues, balancing work and social life, and most of all, having the motivation to turn a dream into a reality.

The Motivation has a powerful effect, in that watching it, you may feel like you can do anything if you just put your mind to it. A central idea states: By following your dreams you’re not living a happily ever after, you’re just plain living.  According to one skater, “I don’t look at it like I gotta practice, I gotta do it. It’s just an urge, no different than you gotta eat food, you just have a craving, an urge, you have to do it, you’re compelled to do it. That’s what got me here. I’m just compelled to do it. I just have to do it. I love it.“