Fall to my Knees

There have been some dark moments in my life in which I had to fall to my knees several times a day to get the comfort, peace, and direction I desperately needed. Today I was overcome with gratitude because of my many blessings, and realized that I should be falling to my knees to give thanks as often as when I need help.

My daughters and I were watching a college lecture on the Islam religion, and I thought about how they kneel several times a day to pray. Somehow I can't see us doing that here in our culture, but I want to be better at offering up a prayer when I feel grateful. It is something I really should feel all the time and give credit where credit is due.  If you see me at Nordstroms with a pair of new shoes that I have just purchased kneeling at the counter, you'll know.  Seriously though, it isn't the material stuff that I am the most grateful for.

Spinning Plates

Back in the dark ages, when I was young, there were performers that would spin plates on a stick. The goal was to keep all the plates spinning so that they wouldn't fall and break. The entertainer would start new plates spinning and frantically go back and forth to the other plates to keep them going, only to have several that would start to topple and fall. Yes, it was a pathetic form of entertainment (remember, we didn't have facebook and iphones), but it is a performance I have been repeating all my life.

My plates are goals and resolutions and invariably I get a few spinning nicely but I start focusing on spinning a new one only to have the previous ones topple and fall. I think I have gotten drinking lots of water spinning quite nicely; only to start to focus on reading more, and whoops, my water drinking plate fell and broke.  Story of my life. I'm just grateful I have an eternity to get this all down. In the meantime, I put on a nice performance.

Education Mojo

definition of mojo
energy, vitality, spirit, zest, verve; power, dynamism, drive; fire, passion, ardor, zeal; informal zip, zing, pep, pizzazz, punch, bounce, oomph, moxie, go, get-up-and-go, vim and vigor, feistiness.

I am working on my master's project about how we can educate to create intrinsic passion and love of learning.  I am interested in everyone's personal experience in what helps create your unique mojo. What helps you be motivated and passionate about something? Please share what kind of experience in education tapped into your mojo. What inhibited it for you? What do you do that reignites your mojo when you get in a rut? 

Since I want a lot of feedback, I will have a drawing for a gift certificate at Sego Lily Day Spa in Layton and Midvale for all those who post a comment. Thank you.

Embrace

In the last two days I went from the top picture to the bottom. It was kind of shocking, but yet; isn't it great that both kind of climates can be their own kind of wonderful. The first, basking in the sun with the sound of the waves is so wonderfully relaxing. In the second, there seems to be a sort of stillness that is soothing. Cold, but soothing. The first scene is conducive to flip flops (aren't you glad I didn't use the old term?), and the second allows for boots and scarfs. The first climate is perfect for playing in the ocean and sand and enjoying shaved ice. The second invites sledding, snow angels, a cozy fire, and hot chocolate. Both climates have something wonderful to offer. It is all a matter of attitude and the ability to embrace what is available instead of wishing for what isn't. I love it all.