I am absolutely mesmerized by Bob Ross. I could watch him for hours! While watching him, I know my Garmin watch would tell me that I had zero stress in my life. Aside from the incredible paintings that he brings out in every canvas, his words and voice are extremely therapeutic. 

 If you haven’t had a chance to watch him paint, I dare you to go to YouTube, look up any one of his episodes …and try not to smile. How can anyone not like “happy little trees”?

All it took was watching just a portion of a Bob Ross painting episode. That's when I decided I wanted to try and learn from him and paint with him.

Learning to Paint in Your 40s: A Joyful Beginning

I made a trip to our local craft store to purchase the necessary art materials Bob recommended for one particular episode. With a variety of paint colors, fan brushes, blank canvases and other materials in my bag, I drove home with a big smile on my face.

I never took art classes growing up, mostly because my extracurriculars always included sports of some kind. Although other hobbies kept me busy, learning to paint always sounded like fun.

I arrived home and found myself thinking back to the end of my Olympic journey in 2014. During that time, I could feel the weight of a huge chapter in my life closing. I also sensed the sadness that would undoubtedly come from it. I knew I needed to commit myself to being hopeful about the future. So I determined to continually learn all I could throughout my life. Even if that might mean learning how to paint in my 40s. You have to start somewhere, right?

The Mud Monster and the Art of Letting Go

As I sat down and began to paint with Bob Ross, I realized with every brushstroke, my picture looked nothing like his. I would rewind the episode over and over and play it back in slow motion. I would add more paint, look at it sideways and add more paint. However, it turns out, I have learned that this is not the best solution to fixing your painting. Where he would have beautiful trees and pine needles appearing on his canvas, I had a mud monster coming out of a swamp. 

I hit the pause button and let out a long sigh of frustration as I noticed all of the mistakes I had made. There was nothing that could be done about the swampy mess. So I decided to just push play on the Bob Ross re-run and finish the episode. 

How “No Mistakes, Only Happy Accidents” Applies to Real Life

Moments after the episode resumed, and I had a brush in my hand attempting to salvage my painting, Bob said something profound. He said, “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents.”

My first thought was, “Ha ha ha. You clearly haven’t seen my painting.”

But as I saw him take his brush over an area on his own canvas and blend the colors patiently together, I realized how he transformed something unwelcome into something beautiful. With patience, he gently passed over all the colors, left to right to blend the pea green bushes into the mountainous setting and in doing so, the entire picture was amplified because of it.

He truly did turn his mistakes into happy accidents. He saw a different solution to the problems that he faced.

Perhaps, he had an expectation of what those bushes and trees might look like if he turned his brush a certain way. Once the paint landed on the canvas and didn’t go in the direction he had expected, he first recognized the mistake, and then decided to use the patience and knowledge that he had gained from previous mistakes to turn it into something beautiful.

Learning the Art of Transforming Mistakes into Something Beautiful

I make mistakes in my life every single day. Sometimes these are mistakes that I actively say or do, and sometimes these mistakes are things that I should be doing and I’m not. In thinking about what Bob said about mistakes and happy accidents, it has made me realize that the biggest mistakes are the ones we never recognize.

When we take time to recognize our mistakes and try to be better because of them, they truly are happy accidents. They can help bring joy, peace and fulfillment into our life. When we make mistakes and recognize them, we learn to have patience with ourselves and with others. As we try to improve, those mistakes or accidents in our lives that have caused us to struggle, can truly lead us to greater understanding and happier days.

My paintings still look nothing like my dear friend, Bob Ross’ paintings, but they are definitely improving. Each blank canvas is an opportunity to create something beautiful.

When you make mistakes on your life canvas, remember Bob’s advice. You have the ability to create beauty from the smudges.

Click on the links below to learn how to bounce back from happy accidents

How to Get Back on Track When We Fall Short - In this article, Noelle shares her Olympic wisdom and some vulnerability as she reflects on how she has fallen short on her goal to run a half marathon. What does it take to get back on track? The tips Noelle shares will help you stick with your goals and overcome any setbacks you might experience.

Watch Bob Ross videos on YouTube - Paint with Bob Ross as your guide. Practice making something beautiful out of your happy accidents.

Watch The Best of The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross on PBS

Imagine a life without change.

If you were frozen in time, at this moment, what would that look like?

What Does Life Without Change Really Look Like?

If you couldn’t decline or improve in any way, would you like it?

If you’re unsure how you feel about it, imagine watching an endless football game and neither team can ever score. You already know the outcome. They just move the ball back and forth. They never try a new play, never put in new players, and never call a timeout to consider a different option. It’s an unchangeable game. The score ends 0 to 0. 

Would you enjoy that?

Why We Fear Change—and Why It’s Necessary

If you said “no”, why do we, as human beings, often dread and fight against change?

Maybe it’s because change is risky. Change can be scary. Change can be hard, painful and extremely heartbreaking, and who wants that in their life?

Experiencing health challenges, raising children at different stages, changing careers, setting new goals, becoming empty nesters, managing financial struggles or retiring from a career are just a few examples of changes that you might experience in your life.

If we didn’t have change, life would be predictable. Change is what makes life exhilarating, joyful, and very rewarding! 

Embracing the Chaos: How Change Brings Meaning to Life

• If you feel stuck in your job, have the courage to explore a new career path. It will possibly offer you a different perspective for a better future! 
• Enjoy raising your children through every stage of life. It could bring unparalleled joy. 
• As you experience health challenges, suffer the loss of a loved one, or make mistakes, take a moment to see the good in the midst of the pain. It just might open the door to humility, growth and compassion for others.
• Develop a new skill or talent that you have been wanting to learn. Doing this just might bring the spark of childhood excitement back into your life.
• Commit to doing something that you’ve always wanted to do. You just might find out how strong you really are.

Just like a football game or any other sporting event, life is better as we navigate each experience. Though change may come with uncertainty and challenges, choose to embrace change. 

As Mr. Ping stated in Kung Fu Panda 4 when talking about his restaurant menu, “If things stay the same forever, they soon will lose their flavor”.

Quote to Ponder

Question to consider

What is a change that you are experiencing in your life right now and how can you choose to appreciate and embrace it?

Click on the links below to gain insights on how to embrace change

Overcoming Adversity After Miscarriage: A Journey of Focus and Hope - In this personal account, Noelle shares her journey toward overcoming adversity after a devastating miscarriage. With the help of loved ones, she gained the strength to get back up by learning lessons of gratitude, hope, and focus.

Psychology Today – “Why Change Is Hard”: How to be kinder to yourself when going through change.

Greater Good Science Center – “The Upside of Uncertainty”: A positive take on how uncertainty can fuel personal development.

Mindset Minute Video - You Can Learn Anything:STEM Director, Tami Goetz, Tami teaches that learning is a lifelong process and you can learn anything you want if you set your mind to it.

It was the championship softball game, and I was 13 years old—struggling with eliminating distractions as the crowd roared and the pressure mounted. The late July sun beat down on the infield as sweat dripped down my forehead. Our team was ahead by one point.

The Noise, the Pressure, and Eliminating Distractions

It was the final inning, bases were loaded, and the crowd was on their feet. We had played this challenging team earlier in the season and devastatingly lost by one point in overtime. It was our only loss of the season and they were undefeated going into this match.

“Pitch to the mitt!”, my coach yelled once again to the softball mound.

My heart began to pound in my ears as I placed both feet on that pitcher's mound. At that moment, a warm breeze blew across the dirt, making it spiral past the batter. Naturally, I contemplated whether this would affect the ball release. Then, I glanced to the stands, where spectators were anxiously awaiting the next pitch.

The cheers coming from the opposing team dugout were irritatingly loud. As any former softball player knows, this is nothing new. In fact, I’m pretty sure the first softball players had dads who played baseball and cheerleader moms, because it’s a uniquely loud sport—one where cheerleading seems to be an absolute requirement in order to play.

A 13-Year-Old’s Lesson on Focus

I pitched the first ball slightly outside the home plate to test this batters ability.

 “Ball one!” The umpire shouted loud enough to be heard through the noise.

 The opposing team roared in excitement and the chant in the dugout grew louder. 

“G. Double O. D. E.Y.E! Good eye - Good eye - Good eye!”

The catcher threw the ball back to me. She put two fingers down and tapped the inside of her leg indicating she wanted me to try a fast pitch on the inside of the plate. I nodded and placed the ball in my mitt. I positioned my fingers accordingly, did my wind up and released the ball. The batter just stood there while the ball flew right into the catcher’s glove.

“Stiiiiiiiiirike!” The umpire yelled as he put his arm in a 90 degree bend with his hand clenched in a fist.

The Pressure is On

Once again, the opposing team dugout erupted in a chant, suggesting that the batter meant to let that strike go by.

“You’ve seen it! Now hit it! Now go! Go and get it!”

The catcher threw the ball back to me. I took a deep breath in and slowly released the air in my lungs. I looked at the bases and at every opposing player standing on each of the three bases. The player standing on second base stared back at me and with a smile, she shouted, “This pitcher has nothing on you. You can hit off her!” 

My 13-year-old blood began to boil.

I placed both feet on the pitcher’s mound once again, did my wind up and released the ball uncharacteristically late. The pressure got to me and the ball flew 15 feet in the air before hitting the backstop. All the runners came off their bases in the hopes of stealing home and winning the championship game. 

Fortunately, the ball took a good bounce back towards the catcher. She stopped the runners from advancing and they immediately returned to their bases. 

My coach was shaking his head with his hand near his forehead in disbelief. I knew my coach was saying something that I was glad I didn’t hear. 

“Come on Noelle! You’ve got this!” I could hear someone yell from our stands. “Pitch a strike! Give her something to hit!”, yelled someone else. 

I walked back to the pitcher’s mound and dug my right cleat into the dirt to get a good push off the mound. I was upset at myself for losing control of the ball and my emotions. The distractions were getting to me.

Regaining Control in the Chaos

“Pitch to the mitt” my coach said loudly, as he nodded his head. This time saying it in a way that showed he had confidence in my ability to do so.

“Two balls and one strike!” The umpire shouted as he raised two fingers on one hand and one finger on the other.

The catcher held two fingers down again, but this time she tapped the top of her leg. She wanted me to pitch a high fastball. I nodded my head.

Once my fingers were in position, I wound up the ball and released it right where I wanted it. The catcher raised her glove to catch it as the batter swung hard. The bat barely nicked the ball, sending it flying into the stands.

“Foul ball!” The umpire yelled.

A young boy excitedly grabbed the ball that was rolling down the sidewalk and threw it back onto the field.

Locked In and Letting Go

This was it. The next few moments of the game would determine the champions of the year. It had been an incredible season and our team had really come together. Our team was unique in that we relied on each of our strengths and had confidence in one another’s abilities. We had been the underdogs when the season began and pulled through when it really mattered most. Could we do it again?

The ball was back in my glove, and the game was back in motion. All three athletes on their bases were anxious to score and the batter was determined to help get them there.

The warm July breeze picked up again, and the dirt from the infield flew around us. I covered my eyes for a moment and waited for it to settle. 

“One more pitch, Noelle!” My coach assured me. “Just pitch to the mitt!” 

This time, I looked over to him. My dad had been my coach for years and I loved seeing him out there on the dirt with me. We had been through many highs and lows, and there was always comfort in knowing we were in this together.

The Backyard Practice That Prepared Me

Day after day, we would practice pitching in our backyard. He would get off his long shift at the steel mill each evening and immediately, before dinner, we would go throw together. Oftentimes, he would make me pitch 10 strikes in a row before we could go inside. If it was a wild pitch, we would have to start over. My poor mom spent many evenings reheating meals while the pitches were thrown in the backyard.

Looking back on this experience made me realize that dad never told me where NOT to put my focus, but instead, he taught me what to focus on to increase the chance for the best outcome. He didn’t say, “Don’t hit the batter” or “Don’t mess up”, but instead, he was teaching me to focus on the result I was hoping for. This also taught me the success that can come from eliminating distractions in sports and in life.

“Pitch to the mitt!” He said once again. Then, he motioned for me to pitch a changeup pitch. 

This was my specialty and I grinned from ear to ear in approval.

Dad and I practiced a changeup pitch over and over in the backyard. My wind up would stay the same speed as my fastball, but I would hold onto the ball a second longer and slowly release it off my fingertips. This would cause the ball to float through the air, almost like a paper airplane heading to home plate.

I placed both feet on the pitcher’s mound and tucked the ball into my glove. My fingers were situated in a way that could release the ball slowly. 

Eliminating Distractions in the Heat of the Moment

At that moment, I don’t remember hearing the crowd, seeing the dirt blow by or even recognizing that a batter was at the plate. I was free from distractions and intently focused on what I wanted to happen. Pitching to the mitt was the only thing on my mind.

I rocked back in my stance, pushed forward, wound up my arm, and released the ball. 

The fans gasped.

The batter swung before the ball even got to the plate.

“Stiiiiiiiiirike three! That’s a ball game!!” The umpire yelled as he put his arm in a 90 degree bend with his hand clenched in a fist.

The cheers from the field and from our stands could be heard from miles away. My dad ran out onto the field and embraced me with the biggest smile I had ever seen. 

The Power of Eliminating Distractions

In that final pitch, everything else fell away—noise, pressure, even doubt. I learned that eliminating distractions doesn’t mean blocking out the world, but rather tuning into what truly matters. Whether you’re on a softball field or facing a life challenge, success often comes down to focusing on the right target: your goal.

Quote to ponder

“Focus is the art of knowing what to ignore.” -James Clear

Question to consider

What is distracting you from achieving your goals or forming better habits? (Examples: Social media, staying up too late, imposter syndrome, comparisons, judging others, over scheduling, etc)

What is one thing you can do to improve your focus this week?

Click on the links below to learn more about maintaining focus in pressure situations

1 Thought

I spoke at an event recently where an audience member asked me a question that I had never been asked before. He asked, “How did your focus and ability to compete change after having a miscarriage at 18 weeks?” For those of you that know my story, overcoming adversity after miscarriage became a defining chapter in my life.

In 2010, following the Vancouver, Canada Olympic Games, I retired from the sport of skeleton. Having finished in fourth place, just .10 outside of an Olympic medal, I knew it was time to move to a different chapter in my life. I wanted to focus on my family and various goals that I still had.

Our oldest, Lacee, was born in 2008. Competing would require me to leave Lacee and Janson for months at a time as I tried to fulfill this Olympic dream heading into 2010. I was miserable. I missed Lacee’s first steps, her first words, and her first birthday. My life was completely out of balance and I was flat out miserable.

After I retired from World Cup competition, we welcomed a baby boy into our family in 2011. Traycen brought us so much joy and happiness and we knew we wanted to have another child.

In the spring of 2012, I was pregnant with a little girl. We were picking out names and preparing a room for this new little baby that would soon be joining our family.

On April 7, 2012, at 18 weeks pregnant, I began losing blood so rapidly that I was rushed to the emergency room and told that we had lost our little girl. Her heart stopped beating and no one knew why.

My heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces.

This trial in my life was absolutely devastating. It was a sadness that I had never experienced before, and it took me down the path of depression.

“What did I do wrong? Why couldn’t I save her and provide for her?”

The pain was constant and deep.

Two months of sadness later, Janson asked me a question, “Would you consider going back to compete towards the Olympics in 2014?” This marked a major step in overcoming adversity after my miscarriage.

He knew that I needed something to look forward to and he knew that I never wanted to leave my family again, so he quickly followed up by saying, “But this time we would go as a family. We would be right by your side.”

This sparked a new hope within me. It actually put butterflies in my stomach and made me see past the darkness.

That miscarriage, that massive trial in my life, ultimately drove me to come out of retirement in 2012 and compete in Sochi Russia in 2014 where we won the silver medal.

The audience member listened patiently for my response.

I thought to myself, ‘How did my focus and ability to compete change after having a miscarriage at 18 weeks’?

As I stood there on that stage, deliberately thinking how that moment in my life changed my ability to compete, the words began to come out of my mouth, like syrup from a plastic squeeze bottle. It was fascinating to have my eyes opened to this experience and recognize that this challenge actually allowed me, or possibly even required me, to learn how to let go of things outside of my control.

I wanted so desperately to control that pregnancy and that outcome. I desperately wanted that baby girl in my arms. But in the end, all of my worry and care and heartache and sadness didn't change the outcome. It was outside of my control.

Previous to this miscarriage, I was in charge of my schedule, my time, my equipment, and so focused on a result, a podium, an outcome that the experience was always about me.

Following the miscarriage, I relied more heavily on those around me. I realized that I couldn't control the weather, the timing, the reactions of others or the environmental factors around me. The only thing I could control was the process and the effort that I was putting in each day. I could control my reactions, my emotions, and my hope and belief for the future.

Following the miscarriage , I learned how to hope for a better future and show gratitude each day for the blessings that I have been given.

As that man sat in the audience, listening to my response, both of our eyes began to feel with tears. I could sense that he had been through challenges and trials as well and was looking for hope and understanding.

Until he asked me that question, I didn't realize that having a miscarriage completely changed my focus.

That experience was a pivotal moment in time where my Olympic Journey shifted from an “I” mentality to a “we” mentality… and having that mentality changed everything. My journey toward overcoming adversity after my miscarriage strengthened me forever with these valuable lessons about gratitude, hope, and focus.

1 QUOTE

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it, the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” -Napoleon Hill

1 QUESTION

Think of a challenge you've faced in your life.

How did your focus change following this challenge, and is there more you can learn from it?

1 Thought. 1 Quote. 1 Question.

When life beats upon us and breaks us into pieces, don’t give up. There is beauty and strength that lies in each of life’s challenges. Inspired by the art of Kintsugi, I discovered how we can find strength in life's challenges.

The Japanese art of Kintsugi repairs broken pottery with gold, rendering a new piece that is more exquisite than it was before the break. It literally means “to join with gold”.

This is where the art of kintsugi began.

The kintsugi technique is thought to have been invented around the fifteenth century, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa, a Japanese military leader, broke his favorite tea bowl. He sent it to a village in China to get it repaired. However, when it was returned to him, he was not satisfied with the result. At that time, objects were repaired with metal in unsightly and impractical ways. It seemed to many that the bowl was unrepairable.

However, its owner decided to ask a Japanese craftsman to repair it. Everyone was surprised at Ashikaga’s steadfastness, so the craftsman decided to put in extra effort to transform the bowl into a jewel by filling its cracks with lacquered resin and powdered gold. Ashikaga was very pleased with the result. This story of Kintsugi shows how brokenness can teach us to find strength in life's challenges.

So what can the art of kintsugi teach us when struggles occur?

I am fascinated by this style of art, and all it represents. Rather than trying to hide the damage, kintsugi highlights the repair! The imperfections are what make it beautiful and valuable. A broken piece that is put back together has more of a story, seems more authentic and is stronger and more resilient than something that has stayed pristine. The breaking of what once was, the layered and time-consuming process of putting it back together, and mending it with gold, all contribute to its value. And surprisingly, it becomes more resilient after it has been mended by kintsugi and is even stronger than it was before.

As we test our limits, our potential, and our grit, we often hit breaking points. Sometimes these breaking points are termed, “burnout”, or perhaps a breaking point in our lives is a result of trauma, overscheduling or even a series of mistakes.

There is strength in the mending process. There is beauty that comes as we put in the effort to strengthen our weaknesses. There is wisdom that is granted as we take time to pause in our lives, be patient with ourselves and consider how we might reconstruct our personal life puzzle in a better way.

When we feel broken, run-down or undeserving, don’t give up. Life’s challenges are simply opportunities to grow in wisdom, strength and understanding. The art of Kintsugi reminds us that through mending, we find strength in life's challenges, creating something even more beautiful.

Quote to Ponder

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Question to Consider

Are the people you surround yourself with helping you to become who you want to become?

Lessons From a Mountain Biking Ride With My Son

My first hand experience with learning to shift gears in life began when I woke up one morning, and went mountain biking with my 13-year-old son Traycen.

In that sentence alone, you may be thinking that I do this frequently and that I’m an avid outdoors woman. But don’t be fooled. I can count on one hand how many times I have been on a mountain biking trail. However, since our two oldest kids took an interest in mountain biking a year ago, Janson and I have decided to invest ourselves in this incredible culture and fun outdoor adventure. Little did I know that my son was about to teach me a lesson about shifting gears in life.

As my boy and I loaded up our bikes and began to head to a nearby mountain biking trail, I couldn’t help but smile and think about my first mountain biking experience I had when I was about his age. 

I have always been scared and intimidated by mountain biking… Yes, Olympic skeleton athletes still have many fears. 

This sport is filled with sharp, pointy rocks that are directly in front of you on a very narrow path that heads straight down a tree-lined mountain side. The trail is always changing and the endurance, agility, anticipation, awareness, grit, focus, and fearlessness that is required in the sport of mountain biking is heart-stopping. 

My fear of mountain biking began when I was 14

Growing up, I had a sparkly pink bike that had three gears: slow, slower, and mystery. The mystery gear always skipped from one gear to the next without ever touching a button. 

In 9th grade, my best friend Olivia invited me to go on a mountain biking ride with her family. As we drove up American Fork Canyon in Utah and unloaded our bikes, my heart felt as though it would leap out of my chest. Those that I was riding with that day were very experienced. They all had fitted helmets. (I didn’t even own a helmet! I borrowed one of theirs!) They had fitted gloves. What were the gloves for!? They had a carrier on each of their bikes that could hold water! My mouth began to be dry and my throat was now parched. They even had gear buttons… on both handlebars! They were professionals for sure! What in the world was I doing here? 

As they started down the trail, they told me not to worry and to follow their lead. It was simple, right? Just do what they were doing. However, the gap between me and them grew wider and wider.

As I veered around each bend and cycled up every steep hill, I would try to keep up with them with every ounce of energy I had, but it was useless. Gear one, gear two and mystery gear made it impossible, not to mention very dangerous, to attempt to catch up to them.

I was unable to shift gears. I was trying so hard to keep up with their pace, ability, and skill set, and in trying to do so on sub-par equipment, it discouraged me from trying to mountain bike ever again.

Fast-forward 27 years

Traycen and I arrived at the mountain biking trail and unloaded our bikes. After clipping a fitted helmet on my head, I put on my gloves, and slid my water bottle into my carrier. I smiled a noticeable smile. My recently purchased mountain bike has buttons.…on both handlebars. I’m still figuring out what the all buttons do, but it HAS buttons and I’m pretty excited about it. I may not be able to play the part of a mountain biker (yet), but at least I look it, right!?

“Are you ready, mom?” Traycen has been looking forward to taking me on a trail that he’s been practicing for quite some time. When I would express my concerns, he would reply with a smile and sarcasm in his voice, “you’ll be fine.” 

We approached the trailhead where it branched into three trails. The signs for the two pleasant looking trails to the left read, “Nirvana” and “Brass Monkey”. The steep, uphill, pointy rock trail to the right read “Creed”. 

“We’re doing this one.” He said with another smile as he pointed to the right.

"Be sure to use your gears, or you’ll never make it"

He saw my wide eyes and repeated the same phrase with the same smile and sarcasm, “you’ll be fine.” As he put his right foot on his pedal to begin moving forward, he stopped immediately, turned around and said in a much more serious tone, “Just be sure to use your gears, or you’ll never make it.” With that, I heard the clicking of his shifting gears and he began the steep climb ahead.

I took a deep breath, exhaled and looked at my gears. I clicked them down as low as my bike would allow, and almost effortlessly, the tires began to spin. 

This was far from my sparkly pink, three gear bike!

I leaned forward closer to my handlebars to keep my bike from flipping backwards and just kept peddling. Watching Traycen, I noticed how he strategically dodged between the sharp rocks and avoided the boulders that would cause him to stop moving forward. I tried to follow his lead as he maneuvered his way up the hill. My heart rate increased, and my legs began to burn. I couldn’t keep up with his fast pace and had to slow down.

Then, as if he read my thoughts, he shouted, “Just don’t stop! It’s really hard to get going up this hill again if you stop!” With that motivation, I continued to focus on pushing each pedal down one step at a time. 

The view from the top is worth the climb

We finally made it to the top of the steep entry slope. Traycen shifted gears as the hill leveled out and then he paused to take a break. He reached to the side of his bike and grabbed his water bottle. 

“I love this view.” He said as he gazed out over the beautiful valley below us and breathed heavily. 

“Most days we’re going so fast on the trails that we don’t get to stop and see the scenery around us. It’s nice to stop once in a while and see where we’re going.” He took a big gulp of water and returned it to its place on his bike.

My 13 year old boy was throwing out words of wisdom like a preacher from a conference center seminar. 

Shifting gears helps us climb our mountains in life

How often am I going too fast in my life and I don’t get to stop and see the beauty around me or take a moment to see where I’m going?

While taking a deep breath in, I closed my eyes and slowly exhaled. I wanted to capture this moment in my memory. I wanted to freeze time for just a minute longer. The solitude of this mountain peak, the crisp fresh morning air, and this quality time with my teenage boy was priceless. 

This moment was a complete shift in gears from the fast paced life I’d been living and I knew right then that I needed to be shifting gears in life more frequently.

In this busy world of checklists, deadlines, and distractions it’s easy to get stuck, moving uphill in the highest gear. We often feel that we have to keep up with those around us and rarely take time to slow down and enjoy what we already have. 

Sometimes fear paralyzes us—we stand at the bottom of the hill, staring up, unsure how to move forward. At other times, when our lives hit overload, we might even shift into mystery gear. This is where we’re busy running around hour after hour, but going nowhere and getting nothing done.

When this happens, it’s time to begin shifting gears in life

Traycen and I took in one more magical moment of the beautiful view below us, got back on our bikes, shifted them into high gear, and headed down the mountain side. 

I faced a major fear today. 27 years ago, I was determined to never try mountain biking again, but with the support of my 13 year old son and the ability to shift gears through the difficult ups and downs of the steep, mountain terrain, I’m now really looking forward to the adventures ahead…and the breathtaking vistas along the way.

I’ll forever remember my boy’s wise words, “Just be sure to use your gears, or you’ll never make it.”

Quote to ponder

“ The sweet spot is about shifting the small gears, the ones that rotate relatively easily. And because all the gears are interlocking, when we tweak a small gear, large gears start to move -effortlessly- as well.” -Christine Carter

Question to consider

Whether you are moving too slow or too fast in life, what is one small thing you can do today to begin shifting gears in life and move closer to where you want to be tomorrow?

Learn More About Overcoming Fear and Growing Confidence

Overcoming Fear - A Story of Courage, Growth, and Faith: Read how our once-fearful boy who was scared of elevators, dogs, and even swings found the courage to face a crowd—and how his journey just might inspire yours too.

Mindset Minute Video - Face Your Fears: Watch actor Charan Prabhakaras he shares an entertaining story from his younger years where he summoned the courage to face his fears just in time to save himself from a nighttime intruder.