I found myself thinking about other natural disasters, such as Katrina, landslides and wildfires in California, earthquakes in Japan and so on. Throughout life, we may be faced with hardships, some people more often and much harder than others. After the storms in life, both physically and figuratively, pass and leave their damage, how is it that people go on? How can one continue through life, trying to fit jagged pieces together that just don’t fit?

Some people may answer these questions with a simple, “It’s easy. You just put the past behind you and continue to go through life as it’s intended to be.” However, what happens when your past holds you back and you can’t help but think of the negativity of the elements around you at that time. If you lose all of your favorite possessions and family members in a tornado, how can someone recover from that?

Just as Mother Nature can devastate the nature around us, our past can also create unneeded turmoil that’s present today. It is definitely important to discover and work on the elements in our lives that are hindering our growth. What can you do to nurture yourself so your soul can heal and you can continue to go through life ?  What tools do you already possess that you can use to deweed the soul from being smothered with overgrowth? How can you expand your personal horizons so whatever has happened to you in the past is now so far behind you that you can exude tons of energy to propel you in the future?

A great exercise is to evaluate the people in your life and those who can support you during your time of need. Do you have a solid foundation of family and friends, community, church, etc that you can turn to? Do you find that there are people that you are holding onto that aren’t serving you but instead hindering you from growing? What is it about keeping negative people in your life that is of benefit to you? How are the people who lift you up help  you towards your goals?

Life is sure to change with the wind. Things in your life now can be gone tomorrow. Do you have the right tools, people in your life, and self strength to get through such hurdles? What can you do to prepare for your personal goals and leave the past behind you?

Where we have lost our focus on self is realizing that we can generate our own happiness. We often do not have to go outside of ourselves to look for it. Sometimes we do become curious and see what makes others so happy, only to realize that they may not be happy at all. It might be a huge show that they put on to pretend that they are happy.

What can you do to make your own grass greener? What can you use to fertilize your soul and make your own soul grow so grand that others wonder what is making you happy? I often write down things I am grateful for. Items that may seem the most mundane to some is what I truly cherish. I appreciate when I hear birds sing because it means I took the time to notice their pretty song. It means that I am being still long enough to choose to hear their voices over the chaos of the city noises all around me. I listen to music with positive messages and read quotes that inspire me. I share personal thoughts with others if in the hopes that it will get them to think as well. I love sharing happiness and new knowledge with those around me. That is what truly makes me shine in my own element. Being compassionate and loving wholeheartedly without any strings attached is what makes my grass grow.

Today, I am thankful for the beautiful weather, my pets sleeping soundly, the quietness of the house and getting up early to blog this post. I am often happiest when everything around me is quiet and still, and I can truly focus on my thoughts .When I can articulate with my writing what I can’t express verbally is when I truly shine. My own life experiences and personal reflections on how to continue on this positive path is what makes me grow.

What makes your grass grow? What can you do, in this very moment, to give thanks for all  you have in your life? What can you do at ANY moment in time to realize that you have all the happiness you could possibly want inside of you? What types of nourishment do you need to make your soul grow and continue to harvest the happiness?

Remember to always count your blessings – even if it means counting all the blades of green grass.

During my call, Coach Deanna placed a very provocative caveat on the table. She stated, ” How do we, as coaches, inspire that kind of expenditure of thought and energy and emotion, for the common good on a regular basis?” Her question had me officially mind-blown.

Let me repeat that statement, because it’s worth repeating.

How do we, as coaches, inspire that kind of expenditure of thought, and energy and emotion, for the common good on a regular basis?

How can we, as a society, use the type of energy that was used on our thoughts and emotions surrounding the death Osama for good instead of negative? How can we harness these energies and thoughts for good on a daily basis?

I propose that we promote and embrace tolerance. The amount of energy that is used in negative situations on our day-to-day lives, whether directly or indirectly related is, in my opinion, extremely obtuse. If we were to take on the role of a sporting team, and are the players on a team, we are there to support one another. We bolster other playmates when they falter. At the end of the game, win or lose, we gather as a team and wish the opposing team a good game. That’s the ultimate form of sportsmanship – to not jeer on the opposing team when they have lost. To not lose our cool when we lose. It’s what makes us the best player possible – on and off the field.

The promotion of embracing tolerance often alleviates the need to find justice that is derogatory instead of compassionate. Even in the most horrific instances of circumstances, there’s still the human element that resides in us which thrives on compassion. Should we, as a society, have celebrated the death of a conceived villain in the  nature that we did? Some people believe yes, while others say no. As a coach, I say no. I say that the celebration of someone’s death was grossly absurd.  In the hours following the announcement of Osama’s death, I was (do I dare say?) embarrassed at how my fellow American’s were reacting to his death.

How can we use all of this energy that is boiling about to create good in our life and in the lives of others? Energy is a powerful emotion and motion. It takes a lot of energy to expel what we feel. It takes a lot of energy to camouflage what we feel just the same. When we are fully awake and present, the awareness of our thoughts and emotions are overwhelming. It’s a matter of being still long enough to realize when there’s an energy that needs to be addressed. Feelings of negativity and even anger can be bolstered to positivity by realizing that there’s perfection in every situation. The moments that you are angered at the injustices of our life’s events are when we need to stop and evaluate our feelings. How can we address our anger, hurt and frustration into a POSITIVE nature? How can we carry each other instead of tear one another down? How can we all become one in life?

What can YOU do to help promote the energy and emotions that you feel for the better – and more so, on a daily basis? What can you do to make changes within yourself so that it directly affects the fellow man?

Here’s to living larger, thinking bigger and playing grander!

Be the spark that lights the world!

Sarah