attitude

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Hike the Mountain!

IMG_4958I enjoy hiking with my sister and have racked up many miles through our years on foot with some stunning scenery along the way. As little girls, we would hike with our dad in the summers while on vacation in the mountains. We would always look up in awe of the daunting task ahead wondering if our momentum and little legs would get us to the top. When we reached the top, our faces beamed with pride, taking in the view and changing our perspective with greater confidence in place.

Dad always understood why we all need to climb a mountain every now and then; it was his quiet way of teaching us about life. When we climbed mountains, faced challenges, hurdled obstacles, and learned from difficult situations, we were reminded we have the strength and power to overcome life’s challenges, just like the strength and power needed to hike to the top of the mountain.

At first even a little mountain may seem like a big insurmountable mountain. IMG_5116But when you step back and climb it you realize you DO have the strength and power to achieve results. After all, the mountain, no matter how big it is, is no match for your faith and desire to climb it–attitude and effort are everything in life (and in climbing mountains). Mountains are meant to be climbed. Wounds are meant to be healed; problems are meant to become learning experiences. They all serve a purpose by making us stronger mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

While we often can’t control what happens to us, we can control how we see and climb the mountains in our life (attitude and effort again). We can look at mountains as being in the way or as THE WAY to personal growth and success. We always have a choice. We can stand at the bottom overwhelmed and possibly defeated, or we can dig down deep and find the very best in ourselves and fearlessly hike the mountain. Here’s to all of us hiking this week and onward through the remainder of the school year!

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Win some; lose some…

Here’s an intervention conversation from today:

  • Child:  I worked so hard last week and still didn’t make the team on Saturday.  That’s why I’m mad today and can’t do my work (as we discuss an attitude adjustment concerning school today).
  • Me:  I know you’re disappointed, but what matters now is where you go from here.
  • Child:  You mean like what I learned by not winning a spot on the team?
  • Me:  Exactly!  What will make you stronger next time?

This type of conversation with a learner brings the unique opportunitywinsome to share a life lesson along the way.  No one wants to talk about loss; let’s face it:  no one wants to lose!  Yes, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose; winning matters and losing matters.  In life, what really should matter most though is what we do with our wins and losses.  More specifically, wins and losses both provide exceptional learning opportunities while teaching the value of staying strong.

It’s essential to focus sometimes on the excitement of winning because there’s a fire fueling continuous improvement, passion, and the personal quest for excellence.  Just like a winning sports team, the members must go out week after week with the right mindset, desire, team effort, and determination to do it all over again.  This is a real challenge!

Likewise, when we lose, we should focus on what can be learned and how we can improve because of it.  Staying strong and working smarter is even more important for a come back and win the next time.

I think Jon Gordon sums up winning and losing best:  “No matter how hard we work and how much we improve, there will be times when we experience the worst of defeats instead of the greatest of victories.  Ultimately, life is about more than winning or losing.  Life is about the lessons we learn, the character and strength we build, and the person we become along the way.”  (Jon Gordon, The Energy Bus)

Whether we win or lose, I always encourage our learners to keep their eye on the ball because ultimately they are all winners in the game of life.  Stay strong because…Every Day is Game Day @ LME!  🙂