Nothing like a day outside cross country skiing to make a migraine go away. Fresh air, powdery snow, and kids just wanting to have fun.
It helps too when are one of the ski coaches so your mind is focused on teaching kids and having fun.
When you are just learning, everyone has their slips and their falls. But if you can turn it into a game, then that frustration dissipates and ease comes with knowing that each wipe-out is bringing you one step closer to a gold medalist skate skier.Plus, wipe-outs make everyone laugh, and laughter makes everyone happy.
For me this shed some light on what it takes to become better at something, and more importantly, realizing that you can do so with ease and fun.
The effort we put into something is the heavy sticky snow everyone hates to tread through. The stuff that just seems to always get in the way of our goals. But, throw in a bit of imagination, and now you’ve got an journey to enjoy.
Achieving our goals, whether it is becoming the fastest skate skier in the class, excelling in your career, or making your loved one’s day, it is better done with kindness to yourself.
And I think that may be my goal this year as I continue to coach these kids how to cross country ski. That being kind to yourself makes the journey more enjoyable.
As humans, we seem to get bogged down by the end result. All we focus on is that super fast ski down the hill without falling,or receiving that promotion at work. Basically, finally feeling that sense of reward after all the hard work we put in to something.
I believe that kindness to ourselves is the key to not only meeting those ambitions, but being humbled by them too.
We create our happiness and our misery.
Today I saw kids skate ski better than I can walk on my own two feet. I saw kids that got so angry with themselves from trying to side-step up that hill and just couldn’t understand why they can’t do it as well as others.
So that’s what I plan on equipping these kids with this year. The tools to meet and excel at their ski goals, but to also do so with kindness to themselves and others.
