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I was stopped in my ’07 Pathfinder next to a newer model Porche. The light turned green and the Porche was gone, while my car did 0-40 in about 10 seconds. This is to be expected. My car isn’t built for racing. It’s built for storage capacity and rough weather and road conditions. Why would I have the same expectations for my Pathfinder as I would for the Porche? I wouldn’t. Why do we do this to people? We take different people and place the same expectations on both. We expect our athletes to perform in a certain way but are missing their individuality and ultimately their strengths. Ask yourself today coaches, “Am I fostering a team of athletes, with individuality cohesively propelling my team forward to excellence”. Ask yourself today athletes, “Am I living out my true self and placing realistic expectations on myself”. I see athletes and coaches afraid to accept individuality because we fear if we don’t meet certain expectations ourselves, then we won’t succeed, and that’s just not true. If you’re trying to fulfill an expectation that was never meant for you, then you won’t succeed. But there are many paths to success, and it starts with your individuality. Coaches: See your athletes. Know them. Really know them. Athletes: Know yourself. See your strengths. Step into them and use them. Together, you’ll not only see success in performance, but also in life. It’s not Pathfinder vs. Porche but both/and. Find your both/and.
Webster's Dictionary defines gratitude as: "(adjective) 1a-appreciative of benefits received."; 2b: "pleasing by reason of comfort supplied of discomfort alleviated." Interestingly, the words benefit and comfort are associated with the definitions of grateful. As if to say to be grateful, one cannot lack benefit and comfort. If we truly identify gratitude as an encompassing descriptive state of being, is there room for it even in the darkest days and deepest pits? Can gratitude and despair coincide? Can we truly be grateful for the life we live, the challenges in front of us, the fires we walk through, without comfort and knowing there is a benefit to us as we walk through it? Is gratefulness independent of suffering? I don't believe it is. However, this is where many of us feel hopeless. When we're at the lowest of lows, the darkest of days. It feels beyond suffocating, and there's barely any room for any other state of being. I'm not talking about toxic positivity here. This only does more harm than good. I'm talking about a deep, intense ability to experience comfort (or the alleviation of discomfort) and benefit amid despair. Deep gratitude at a somatic level can be challenging to experience in the depths of suffering, but it is possible. It brings us a deeper understanding and awareness of humanity and its experiences. We are ending this year. The year 2023 has come and gone, and maybe it's been a year of rejoicing, a year of suffering, or likely a mix of both. Navigating despair and gratitude does not have to fall on your shoulders alone. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency right now, reach out to your nearest emergency department or reach out to 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). There is support for you. I am grateful for you and the fight you continue to endure in both despair and joyful times.
contact
720-213-8272
kjuerling@speakstonecc.com
address
3969 E Arapahoe Rd, Ste 210
Centennial, CO 80122