From the Editor

Motivation is powerful.

It is the driving force that gets us moving, whether to go to the gym or go back to school. It is a factor in our decision-making, both on a daily basis and for big decisions: will we choose a healthy meal or comfort food, a familiar path or a new endeavor, accept good enough or strive for excellence?

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As this issue’s stories dropped into my inbox and I dove into the lives of women around our region, I found many instances of that kind of motivational spark that sets paths in motion. But I was also reminded of something I heard on a health-related podcast a few months ago about motivation. To paraphrase, we won’t always feel motivated to do whatever it is—get up for a 5 a.m. run, spend time meal prepping, sacrifice an evening for a class to advance our careers. It is in those times that we have to go beyond motivation to commitment. That fitness class is a commitment—something you just DO, just like brushing your teeth every morning. That volunteer shift is a commitment—you wouldn’t skip it any more than you would skip taking your child to their doctor’s appointment.

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If we picture motivation as a spark, the stories we share here show how commitment is the steady fuel that transforms that spark into an enduring flame that moves us from idea and inspiration to completion.

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As anyone who has ever used a wood-burning stove or set up a campfire for a long night of conversation knows, it takes more than a single spark to get you through the night.

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That spark of motivation may come from a long-held career dream, a newly found passion sport, an idea for a business that touches communities and the entire world or even a life-changing diagnosis.

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The spark sets things in motion, but by itself, it can easily flare and quickly die.

Carefully tending that spark requires commitment. Sharon Lukert’s spark came from a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, a revelation that set her to searching for answers of how her life was likely to change in the coming years. She fell back on a routine and commitment she had made to herself years before in journaling, feeding the fire steadily rather than letting it consume her. Those journals fanned the flames to become Until My Memory Fails Me, a guidebook and light for others walking her same path.

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Amanda O’Heron’s spark was nearly smothered by her challenges with dyslexia, struggles in her first attempt at college and the flow of life, but the embers never fully died. Something blew back into her consciousness years later and revived that spark. Her resilience in taking on the challenge of college as an adult with a family and job is testament to the power of dreams.

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Fran Rybarik and her “Superior Sisters” refused to let their passion for hiking be doused by a wet, slippery, treacherous trail, keeping their resolve smoldering until they could return years later to the scene of their previous rescue.

One of the best things we can do with a spark of motivation, the steady fire of commitment or the resilience of embers that just won’t burn out is to share that warmth with others.

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Even at her young age, Livi Pappadopoulus is committed to passing on the flames of passion she has for the sport of logrolling, reveling in seeing her former students and mentees standing side-by-side with her on the water.

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The fitness family that has grown from Burn Boot Camp shares that flame every day, warming each other with encouragement and enthusiasm that catches on and spreads.

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Fall is the perfect time for a fire, whether in a cozy family room fireplace or a campfire under the stars. Think about how it takes a spark to get it started, steady fuel to keep it burning and enduring embers to provide heat through the coldest, darkest hours.

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Motivation, commitment and resilience. Women of the Coulee Region harbor all three in their souls. So do you.