Share Your Spirit

The month of April is often confused for the beginning of spring.  The equinox tells us that the first day of spring is March 20 at 10:15am MST.  I will not argue with this scientific fact, but my reality appreciates the weather consistency of April versus the greater chance for a March snowstorm.  So, my mindset for spring in Colorado is summed up by expecting great spring powder in March and coming down to the front range with 50 plus temps and the chance for a round of golf, in the same weekend.

I love the contrasts of Colorado weather, giving me such great choices, and this great country providing the freedom to make a choice without retribution.  As I consider these great choices I am remembering that April first is known for the day of being foolish or perhaps fooled.  So, as I spring ahead into spring and then into summer, I should take my own advice and be mindful of foolishness and practical jokers.

When I was younger and naïve I was such an easy mark for a practical joke.  I suppose that is part of growing and maturing that I learn from being caught up in foolish acts or being fooled by others more experienced.  So, when has the joke crossed the line? Is it when I have not learned a new lesson and just humiliated?  When is the jokester responsible for my discomfort or physical harm?  I can tell you that I could not spring ahead fast enough when I was the focus of an April Fool.

I was speaking with a military special forces client about laughter and smiling during a conflict.  He said laughing and smiling is essential for preparing and overcoming the memory of conflict.  Laughing and smiling become distractions and methods for forgetting tragedy that may result in someone’s death.  Springing ahead from moments like these requires laughing so hard that you cry.  My client said, “Striving for emotional balance is a high priority.  If you cannot find this balance you may make mistakes that could get you or someone else killed. Laughing at anything helps me get that balance.”

When I felt the seriousness of his comments and yet lighthearted tone in his voice I realized his world was very different than mine and I was grateful for his service.  In that moment of our conversation, I felt helpless and an urge to help him even more.  Now this is really crazy, when we started talking, I thought I was helping. 

My task was to address any person or thing that may diminish his ability to be his best.  What I did not consider was he was already searching for strategies.  So, I had sprung beyond my oversight and began asking him what he had tried to renew within his performance capability.  Despite all the violence and trauma, he had seen he wanted renewal strategies quickly. So, he could get back serving his unit and his country. 

How would you perform when faced with events that physically harm others?  What would you do to spring ahead of the status quo to make changes improving the quality of life?  I am questioning what more I may do to improve the quality of who I am and with this provide guidance for others to be their best.  A motivator for me has and is the influence of our Olympic athletes.

Our elite Olympic athletes are amateurs and too often have full time jobs to manage along with their training agenda.  The strategies these athletes use for creating high performance outcomes are models for problem solving and performance execution.  These athletes set specific goals and implement methods designed to deliver results they prescribe.  How can these success strategies be used to solve community issues?

Perhaps it is not specific Olympic strategies that can be used but rather the Olympic commitment, the energy, and the drive to succeed that is more transferable to solving community issues.  In our communities, I find our Olympic characters in the fire house, police station, and school classrooms.  So, as I spring ahead during the month of April, I will be more mindful of those people and things improving the quality of my space.

As you consider your Olympic athlete mindset imagine yourself hiding hard boiled eggs and chocolate bunnies.  Or maybe you are preparing the table with one open setting for Elijah.  In either case remember that history provides us with markers and symbols defining outcomes where everyone who is forgiven shares their blessing forward.  As I look at the world, in this moment, I see real symbols and markers representing outcomes of positive concrete success.

For example, in Tokyo Japan 2017 the police force discharged a weapon 6 times.  That is six bullets for the entire year.  How does this happen?  What are they doing that creates this type of positive performance.  Another fact for South Korea and Japan.  In 2010 both countries had 0, that would be zero suicides or any handgun related deaths.  Should every country with human deaths higher than this asks Japan and South Korea how they do this.  Will our Olympic energy and desire for results demand insight from Japan and South Korea or should the children and teachers in Colorado, Florida and Ohio allow the rhetoric to continue?

What is more important; getting your way or creating outcomes that improve the quality of everyone’s life?  Our children will inherit the outcomes of their parents’ agenda, so leave them a foundation that improves their quality of life, now!

Dr. Lowell Wightman