THE GADGET THAT GETS ME STARTED
A funny story has it that, late one night, a party-goer decided it would be best to walk home. He found a shortcut through a poorly lit cemetery and, in the darkness, stumbled into an open grave.
He tried to climb out but the walls were too slippery. Again and again he fell back into the grave. Finally, in exhaustion, he settled in a corner to wait for sunlight.
A few minutes later another man cutting through the cemetery fell victim to the same grave. He, too, tried desperately to climb and claw his way out, and he was equally unsuccessful.
As he was about to give up in hopeless resignation, he heard a voice from the darkness of his pit: "You'll never get out of here."
He did!
He just needed the proper motivation. And in this case, a shot of fear did the trick. But when it comes to finding the motivation to accomplish most worthwhile things, his example is the exception.
I am learning that the best motivation, whether we want to accomplish a task, go back to school, start something new or kick a habit, usually comes from the inside. To be successful, we must want to do it. Others may certainly help to encourage or to "pump us up," but, in the end, we will usually succeed only if we have the desire.
Dorothy Heller illustrates this with an all-too-true poem:
I spent a fortune
On a trampoline,
A stationary bike
And a rowing machine
Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,
And others to show
The miles I've charted –
But they left off the gadget
To get me started!
Of course they left it off! The gadget to get us started lies within. And the best part is...since you already own it, you can use it anytime you want.
Today?
A funny story has it that, late one night, a party-goer decided it would be best to walk home. He found a shortcut through a poorly lit cemetery and, in the darkness, stumbled into an open grave.
He tried to climb out but the walls were too slippery. Again and again he fell back into the grave. Finally, in exhaustion, he settled in a corner to wait for sunlight.
A few minutes later another man cutting through the cemetery fell victim to the same grave. He, too, tried desperately to climb and claw his way out, and he was equally unsuccessful.
As he was about to give up in hopeless resignation, he heard a voice from the darkness of his pit: "You'll never get out of here."
He did!
He just needed the proper motivation. And in this case, a shot of fear did the trick. But when it comes to finding the motivation to accomplish most worthwhile things, his example is the exception.
I am learning that the best motivation, whether we want to accomplish a task, go back to school, start something new or kick a habit, usually comes from the inside. To be successful, we must want to do it. Others may certainly help to encourage or to "pump us up," but, in the end, we will usually succeed only if we have the desire.
Dorothy Heller illustrates this with an all-too-true poem:
I spent a fortune
On a trampoline,
A stationary bike
And a rowing machine
Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,
And others to show
The miles I've charted –
But they left off the gadget
To get me started!
Of course they left it off! The gadget to get us started lies within. And the best part is...since you already own it, you can use it anytime you want.
Today?
Daily Smile:
When his pager went off during a council meeting in Knoxville, Tenn., police chief Phil Keith was startled to see that the call was from his mother. Concerned, he rushed to the press table and phoned her. "Phil Kieth, are you chewing gum?" asked his mom, who had been watching the council meeting on cable TV.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well, it looks awful. Spit it out." Keith dutifully removed the gum and went back to his meeting.
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds
1 3/4 cups Milk Chocolate Chunks
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in almonds and milk chocolate chunks. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack. Cool completely.
To toast almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On shallow baking pan, place slivered almonds on pan and toast until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds
1 3/4 cups Milk Chocolate Chunks
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in almonds and milk chocolate chunks. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack. Cool completely.
To toast almonds: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On shallow baking pan, place slivered almonds on pan and toast until lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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