This is Ron with your Motivational Message:
This week I was asked to speak in front of a classroom of third graders and share my story. I posed a question to the children: if you saw a dime on the ground, would you bother to pick it up? All the children chimed in together, “Pick it up!” “But why would you pick it up?” I asked. One child raised his hand to answer, “Because it has value.” He was correct; because it has value we do not pass it by. So, I decided to share another, even more valuable “dime” with them. Although this “dime” has no monetary value, it is rich in life lessons. 🙂
DIME is an acronym that I like to refer to when explaining the importance of keeping a good attitude, especially with children. They sat intently as I outlined DIME. “’D’ is for Determination. Does anyone know what is ‘determination?’” I began. To my pleasant surprise a small hand went up into the air, “It means to not give up even when others want you to,” he said. “Exactly, and the ‘I’ is for Inter-dependence,” which I explained meant being able to depend on one another for help. “The ‘M’ is Motivation. It is what drives you to accomplish your goals.” I gave the example of a new sportscar sitting in a driveway. It looks fast and powerful at first glance, but if you pop the hood and there’s no engine, that car is not going anywhere! Motivation is the engine in your metaphorical sportscar; without it, there will be no forward progress. The final letter is ‘E’, or Encouragement. Much like Motivation, Encouragement is what gives you the strength to achieve what you set out to do. Having the support of others boosts our spirit and in turn, motivates us further.
A young boy had been watching me curiously throughout the speech and I could tell he wanted to ask something. “Are your hands real?” he inquired. Kids can be so funny sometimes and I had to keep myself from chuckling. I knew he must have wanted to ask that question from the moment he saw me. “Yes, they are real—I can move them if I have a muscle spasm.” So, using what little movement I had in my shoulders, I rocked a little in my chair to generate a small spasm. The children laughed once I was able to get some movement going, but I quickly realized that I’d set myself up for even more questions. That’s just fine, though—it’s what I’m here for!
So, when you wake up and reflect on the previous day, ask yourself if it was all worth it. Don’t forget the value of a DIME!
To your inspiration,
Ron