Do you love to ride rollercoasters? I have a couple of favorites. One is Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens and then Space Mountain in Disney World. How old are these coasters? 30-40 years old? New rollercoasters are built, however, the lines are still long at these two famous rides. I love riding and then hopping right back on again. We rode these rides as young children and learned the rides so well that we prepare our bodies for dips, turns and shooting through the tunnels in the dark. When I hop on one of these rides now as a adult, I feel like a child all over again. I am a little resistant in riding these new, shiny rollercoasters. I haven’t memorized the twists and turns.
Life is like a rollercoaster. Full of Peaks and Valleys. We know the drops are coming but yet we are somehow surprised in how we feel and respond. The Peaks, on the other hand, are a rush of adrenaline. I love Coach Wooden’s quote shared in today’s post. It is a great reminder to keep our hearts in harmony with the ebb and flow of life. Coach Wooden, who led his team to 7 back to back National Championships, knew how to lead and coach a team so they had the focus and energy to win over and over again. The best time to get back to bootcamp is right after you have stood on the world wide stage to be honored. I have also heard it said, “don’t let success go to your head and failure go to your heart”. Emotional management is key to a vibrant life.
Life is full of Peaks and Valleys . . . the climb to the peak seems to take forever and then the valleys are so much quicker. We are never ready for the drop. No matter how many times we have climbed and enjoyed the peak, we are never quite ready for the valley. As soon as we find ourselves in a valley, we start looking for another peak to focus on. Just like the Loch Ness Monster and Space Mountain, we run right back to the line to get on the ride again. After several rides, however, we realize we need to sit on a bench, enjoy some ice cream and do some people watching. Is the valley so bad?
The past few months have been a huge climb to a big goal which has been realized. Standing on the peak and enjoying the moments of the journey have been exhilarating. Just today I realized that I am on my way back to the valley. As I feel the rush coming down, I intentionally catch myself with my thoughts and remind myself the valley is wonderful. It is a place to grow, rest, be still and know that I am being prepared for another climb to another peak. Being mindful of these emotions creates energy that is used along the next magical journey. Mindfulness is the only way to help you keep the peaks from being too high and the valleys too low.
Enjoy the journey . . . Until next Friday
