Motivational Monday

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."~ Ayn Rand

Ruth, at Inspiring Readers and Writers, has been posting quotes on the side bar of her blog in hopes to inspire anyone who reads her blog. Well, this has been up for a couple of weeks and I enjoy reading it everyday. I have copied it for my quote wall in my classroom so that I can view it without technology. Why do these words speak to me? Why do they motivate me? Hmmm...

I teach with some great people. Some people I work with are like a fire that can not be quenched. I love to be with them, ask them questions, watch them, and then use their talents and wisdom to be a better teacher. I also work with people who don't care so much about what they are doing as a professional. They don't give their 100%, they don't treat children with decency, and they need constant fanning of their dwindling ember. The latter of the two people tax me, when I think about what we could do if we were all a collaborative effort... it's not motivational, it's dreary.

This one quote makes me feel like it is attainable, even with people whose flame is snuffed out. Because of this one quote I feel like it is more about what I can do and not what the others around me are doing. I can't focus on them, I must focus on my work, my children, the attainable goal of lifelong learning. These words motivate me in the middle of adversity to keep going, because "it exists, it is real, it is possible, it is" mine!

What words encourage you when you are feeling boxed in on both sides?