I am incredibly grateful for so much in my life.
There’s a song by The Indigo Girls that has a line in it that has always resonated with me and it’s from the song Closer to Fine, a lovely singalong song that says at one point ‘darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable and lightness has a call that’s hard to hear.’
That line hits close to home for me today, but not in the way you might think.
Sometimes it’s easy to dwell in the darkness and remember that life sucks at times.
And it does.
But you can’t live in that sad, angry space. Sometimes you want to, but it’s not healthy, and it’s not conducive to bringing our greatest good into the world.
You have to try to hear the call of the light.
Gratitude is a wonderful, daily way to do that.
I write down 10 things every day that I am grateful for and that helps me find the light and its call. I am supposed to write different things every day, but some of my items are repeat items.
I frequently write how grateful I am for my family and all the joy and love that they bring to my life. I write how grateful I am to have my Lakeshore football family in my life, which affords me the luxury to be able to coach football and affect lives on a daily basis. I love coaching – and my voice and physical countenance are proof positive I was put on this world to be heard by others and to allow my life to affect them.
Nowhere has that been more apparent than in my professional life, where I recently went out on a limb and rented office space at Monster Gym in the West Island of Montreal, which I call home.
The office was, until, very recently, kind of a drab, functional environment – without a lot of branding and other stuff.
Today, my wall art arrived, courtesy of the good people at Sticky Media, a marketing company that’s also based in the West Island and is a fixture as a sponsor of amateur sports in the region.
It’s an incredible display and I’m a little emotional about it all and the treatment I got from Sticky Media and its owner, Stephen Conroy. I am lucky enough to be able to have coached two of Steve’s sons in football and they are a joy to be around.
Steve’s company did an incredible job and I can’t argue with the value I got. I am so, so grateful to be able to count Steve among my friends and as a member of my Lakeshore football family.
I am grateful to Glen Cooper, Ted Stote, Scott Logan, Greg Dottin, Andrew Horn, and so many others that I coach with five nights a week for making the practice field a joy to be on and around.
I am grateful to my son, Cole, for being a wonderful boy who takes the time to ask me about my day when he could be burying his nose in his phone or a book.
I am grateful to my clients, who allow me the opportunity to speak my truth about the healing power of exercise on the mind, body and soul and who also fill my emotional cup when we are together.
I am grateful to the young football players I coach for giving me the opportunity to be heard and for honoring me with their efforts in practice and in competition.
I am most grateful for the most essential angel in my life, period. You know who you are. You fill me with light, hope and joy daily.