Finding Opportunity by Coach John

It’s 8pm Saturday night, Anthony pulls a book from his bookshelf and places it on my lap. He says, “Dada, oooops”, I glance down at this seemingly, meaningless book on my lap. It is small in size, with a faded yellow cover, and thick cardboard pages. The title is “Beautiful Ooops”. It’s a book filled with pages of mistakes that are suddenly and creatively turned into something meaningful. For example, there’s a paint spill - becoming the shape of a goofy animal, and an accidental tear in the paper - turning into the roaring mouth of an alligator. The point is, you can either let those “accidental oops” ruin you, or you can use it to find an opportunity to create something beautiful and make the best of it.

As we find ourselves in one of the most uncertain times in world history, we are all living in what can feel like an “oops” situation. The global pandemic has affected us in one way or another. Our daily life has changed dramatically and new guidelines and restrictions for our normal way of living are changing as we speak.

Nevertheless, quarantine is tough and it’s a big change, which often is uncomfortable. Because of this rather sudden and uncomfortable change, it is so easy for us to go straight to a place of negativity. Regardless of how you feel about this new normal, it’s here and it’s real. In the midst of all this chaos, it’s easy to forget the opportunity we are given right now. So just like that tear in the page, turned into the roaring mouth of an alligator, look at quarantine as a time for opportunity.

Take a few minutes today to ask yourself: What do you want to do during this time - dedicate time to a hobby you enjoy, start meditating, improve mobility, run more, create a new routine of going on walks with family, read 5 books, improve sleep habits, connect with old friends over zoom, improve existing relationships, or just do nothing? The list is endless. The worst thing you can do is look back at the end of these three, four, five months of quarantine, and feel like nothing has happened or changed.

Take this time to rest, reset, appreciate, and prioritize your purpose and people in your life. When we get back to normalcy, challenge yourself to be able to look back, appreciate this time, and turn that “oops” into something beautiful.

Sincerely,

Coach John