Can You Withstand The Waves?

We recently returned from a trip to O’ahu, Hawaii. What a beautiful place. We enjoyed many things and kept busy and moving practically the entire time we were there. We saw water and experienced it almost every day in one form or another.

The first day we were there we ventured to a beach to enjoy the ocean. The photo here is taken by me as the waves came onto the beach. I was standing, feet firmly planted as the water rushed onto my feet and then receded back into the Pacific Ocean. My wife, Deb, was sitting just a few feet from me. Sitting, relaxing and enjoying the sights and sounds.

Shortly after this picture was taken the waves got a little bigger and forceful. The sea wasn’t angry my friends as George Castanza famously said in a Seinfeld episode but the water was amazing. As I stood on my feet with a good base Deb started to get thrown around like a rag doll as the waves came in and then went back into the ocean. She laughed and took it in stride but she could not stand up because she did not have a good base to stand on. She got swept up in the power and at the mercy of the waves.

We could both see the waves coming at us, we were both ready, but I was braced for it and could take the waves that came my way. Without a good base Deb didn’t have a chance. Isn’t that like it is in life sometimes? The waves come at us and sometimes non stop. Most of the time we might see them coming and at other times we may not see or respect the power of the wave that is coming at us.

So What Do We Do With The Waves?

  • We need to make sure that we have a good base, a solid foundation, to withstand the waves when they come our way.
  • Jon Kabat Zinn is credited with saying “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to ride them.” We weren’t having to ride any waves but there are times in life when we just have to ride out the waves and learn how to best do that.
  • Lastly, as Deb showed us, we may have to wait for some help to assist us in getting back onto our feet. There may be times as you are getting back up with the help of a friend that the best thing you can do is, hang on, enjoy the ride and make sure you laugh a little bit too.

Look past the waves that come your way. You will be able to see the beauty as well.

Photo from same spot we experience the power of the waves

Made For This Moment is a collection of writings for living day to day on the journey that we are all on. Todd Gordon is the Director of Activities at Greene County Community Schools in Jefferson, IA. He has been in education for 36 years serving as a teacher, coach, and an administrator.

He has been married to his wife Deb for over 37 years and they have three married children and five grandchildren.

Todd wants to help you on your journey any way that he can because he believes that we are all better when we go through life together and with teammates.

You find him on Twitter and Instagram at @toddagordon.

Grateful and Thankful

Being grateful and thankful does not mean you will be free from the absence of problems and pain but is due to the presence of perspective and perseverance.

Todd Gordon

Yesterday afternoon I posted a very simple and honest tweet. It described how I was feeling and I just shared it. Why would I feel like that after picking up golf cart batteries in Lowe’s? It probably wasn’t because I was then heading to Sam’s Club. I mean that’s a pretty cool place but I’m not sure it is what prompted me to be feeling the way I was feeling. (It wasn’t even sample day at the club)

Why? I don’t believe it was even the culmination of having what one might consider having a good day. I had a productive day working and planning for the new school year and this always gets me pumped up. I had an uplifting conversation with a really good friend after a full weekend spent with other close friends. We had recorded a new episode for our Beyond the Bench Podcast on Sunday night with a top notch guest that encouraged and inspired. I had also done a few things during the day to help keep me grateful and thankful.

What happens to us during a day or a weekend shouldn’t be the catalyst for us feeling grateful and thankful. They (what happens to us) do help, but outside factors should not determine the joy and the lens that we see our life through.

I don’t want to just tell you to be positive and see your life through the lens of gratefulness and thankfulness. I want to give you a few practical things to do to help you do that. The following things help me keep the proper perspective. Maybe they can help you too.

  • I keep Thank You cards as book marks in all of the books I am reading. The extra ones I keep in a drawer at home and rotate them in and out as book marks as I start a new book. I recently found some Thank You’s from players and students I had 30 years ago. Those were special and are now in the rotation. Reading these keeps me motivated, thankful and feeling blessed to have done what I have done.
  • Gratitude walks. Jon Gordon has written about this and encourages them. I have been working on losing some weight so I make sure to get up and get moving every 40-50 minutes and not get stuck at my desk for long periods of time. Since I have to get moving why not make it a walk of gratitude and think about all of the things I am grateful for. I pop on some of my favorite music and take a brief walk of gratitude. Not only am I working on my physical health but also my mental health.
  • Say “Thank You” to the people you work with and around, as well as the people that serve you in the grocery store, at Lowe’s and at Sam’s Club. You get the idea. Think about how you feel when someone tells you thank you for something that you have done. Feels good doesn’t it? Why not help someone else feel the same way. Verbalize it.
  • Take some time to write a thank you or two to people around you. You know it feels good to get them because I have kept some for over 30 years. They are special.

The feelings that I had after coming out of Lowe’s and before I headed into Sam’s Club felt good. Those feelings led to the tweet which led to the quote at the top of this post. We can do all of the things listed every day and it doesn’t mean that we will be free from some painful experiences, but doing positive things consistently for ourselves and others will help us keep our perspective and will help us persevere when problems do come our way. Choose and practice a life of gratitude and thankfulness. You might even be overwhelmed with that emotion in a Lowe’s parking lot on the way to Sam’s Club (on a non sample day).

Made For This Moment is a collection of writings for living day to day on the journey that we are all on. Todd Gordon is the Director of Activities at Greene County Community Schools in Jefferson, IA. He has been in education for 36 years serving as a teacher, coach, and an administrator.

He has been married to his wife Deb for over 37 years and they have three married children and five grandchildren.

Todd wants to help you on your journey any way that he can because he believes that we are all better when we go through life together and with teammates.

You find him on Twitter and Instagram at @toddagordon.

CHASE YOUR DREAMS

What dreams do you have in front of you today?

You probably already know there is no magic formula to make them a reality. Sorry, you won’t find it here either.

Everybody has dreams but very few have the perseverance to continue to pursue them. If your dream is worth it here is what I suggest you do.

Get Up!

Show Up!

Keep Moving, even if it is just a little bit, toward the dream!

Chase it!

Pursue it!

There are lots of dreams but fewer realized because we think the dream should happen in our timing.

The dream will happen when we’re ready and when the time is right. Our job is to be faithful to today and keep dreaming that dream.

The time will be right when the time is right. Keep moving.

Made For This Moment is a collection of writings for living day to day on the journey that we are all on. Todd Gordon is the Director of Activities at Greene County Community Schools in Jefferson, IA. He has been in education for 36 years serving as a teacher, coach, and an administrator.

He has been married to his wife Deb for over 37 years and they have three married children and five grandchildren.

Todd wants to help you on your journey any way that he can because he believes that we are all better when we go through life together and with teammates.

You find him on Twitter and Instagram at @toddagordon.

Born To…

I was the watching NBA Finals recently and the comment was made that one of the head coaches was “born to coach”. We’ve heard it said more than once about people in many different areas of work and life. I’ve also heard it said that some were “born to be musicians”. Speaking of musicians one said we were “Born to Run”. (sorry)

On a more thoughtful note when the phrase was said it got me thinking. If we’re honest we have and may still ask “what was I born to do”? I know I have asked myself in reflective moments and still do at times. Most recently, I have been thinking about what I was born to do when my time in education is done. Yes, there is retirement sometime in the future but that doesn’t mean I will quit working, play endless games of pickleball, rounds of golf and stop trying to make an impact.

I don’t know if I was born to be a teacher, a coach or an administrator but that is what I have done and I do have absolutely no regrets whatsoever with what I have done for the past 36 years. I am grateful.

Here is what I do believe we should be about in regards to the “born to” question.

We were born to live, lead, dream, love, learn and grow. We were born to be kind, show grace, offer encouragement, be a blessing to others and serve others.

What line of work we do it in varies and may change at times. If we are lucky the work will be something we are passionate about and have the talent and skill set to do well.

No matter what we do now, or what we may do in the future, it is important that we do what we were born to do. If we do what we were born to do we have a greater chance to be who we were born to be.

Made For This Moment is a collection of writings for living day to day on the journey that we are all on. Todd Gordon is the Director of Activities at Greene County Community Schools in Jefferson, IA. He has been in education for 36 years serving as a teacher, coach, and an administrator.

He has been married to his wife Deb for over 37 years and they have three married children and five grandchildren.

Todd wants to help you on your journey any way that he can because he believes that we are all better when we go through life together and with teammates.

You find him on Twitter and Instagram at @toddagordon.

WHAT IF?

We offered encouragement instead of criticism?

We treated others how we wanted to be treated?

We put others first and ourselves second?

We thought first and spoke second instead of the other way around?

We spoke out of love instead of spite?

We lifted up instead of tore down?

What we said “Amen” to on Sunday we lived out on Monday?

What if?

How about I will?

Made For This Moment is a collection of writings for living day to day on the journey that we are all on. Todd Gordon is the Director of Activities at Greene County Community Schools in Jefferson, IA. He has been in education for 36 years serving as a teacher, coach, and an administrator.

He has been married to his wife Deb for over 37 years and they have three married children and five grandchildren.

Todd wants to help you on your journey any way that he can because he believes that we are all better when we go through life together and with teammates.

You find him on Twitter and Instagram at @toddagordon.