Remember the Why

Mondays can be tough. You're coming off a weekend when you made your own schedule. Maybe you laid in bed and watched four Lifetime movies on Sunday (not that I've ever done that). Maybe you spent your Saturday tracking the spread of NCAA football in order to place bets with your buddies. Whatever you did this past weekend, it was your choice. But, as we all know, the weekends are short; Mondays tend to sneak up on us.

Yesterday I started thinking about the upcoming week. For some reason, I started to get excited. While it should be a pretty typical week, I just felt happy about the promise of starting fresh. The possibilities and opportunities that are in store for me -- for you -- are unknown, but endless.

Maybe my positive attitude this morning is making you want to vomit? I don't blame you. If this is the case, it may be time to remember why you started. Whatever you are about to embrace this week, remember what led you up to this point. Why did you decide to embark on this particular journey? Sometimes when I am frustrated at school, I think back to why I decided to go back to become a teacher. I remember why I was called to teach -- to allow teenagers in my classroom to share their stories. While they may not always be super excited about writing a piece of fiction or reading Edgar Allan Poe, I can encourage them to be their best selves. Each day is a new start for them, me, and you. If it's hard to get out of bed today, remember the why.