This week's Pep Talk: "A JOCK Mentality"

I really try and encourage others to see the benefit of being joyful for the blessings of life. Granted, when life sucks, that’s a challenging proposition. But blessings are usually present, we just struggle to sense them.

It’s just my opinion, but I believe gifts of blessing, when talking about this condition we call life, usually show up disguised in one of three ways: surviving, growing or thriving. Many factors determine location within that tri-level residence. Most of us sure would enjoy more time on the top floor, right?

The joy for blessings meter was registering in the growing area as I zipped south toward the Mile High City after a quick trip to Longmont, Colorado. I had visited the proud community where some of North America’s earliest residents lived 14,000 years ago. It’s a beautiful spot with breath-taking views of the nearby Rockies. I had the honor of giving a Pep Talk at the Longmont Association of Realtors’ annual awards/induction banquet.

It had been a wonderful evening observing dedicated women and men being honored for past deeds and future responsibilities and encouraging everyone in attendance to play like champions wherever they roam - home, work and elsewhere. That’s a real joy of mine and the entire Faith, Life and Sports (FLS) Foundation family: giving others hope and confidence.

In short, spirit was upbeat as I’m navigating a detour in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood. A construction project near a hospital in the area is disrupting a normally smooth final few, from travels north of the city, miles to home. It was annoying. Then, while obeying a four-way stop, something appears in the car’s headlights that moved the spirit needle dramatically.

Two young adults entered the crosswalk in front of the car, arms around one another and crying. Something transpired inside the nearby hospital on a splendid Centennial State evening of late summer creating great sadness for a grieving - looked college age - young woman and man. It sure seemed like their world had been rocked and this was an evening to recall much differently than I would, for grief, not joy.

It quickly brought me back to a brutal, but true, fact of life: rarely does it go the way we planned, right? One of the biggest responses from the Longmont crowd had been when I asked, early in the message, “What’s the only thing constant in life?” Almost in unison, and emphatically, about 200 folks offered, “Change.”

When we least expect, and desire, it too. The change might be our health, job, relationship or other circumstances - venues change. What doesn’t change is our strategy - call it a game plan - for dealing with life’s lemons: focus on blessings even when they’re real tough to find; remain optimistic about the future and courageous despite the past. Joy, optimism and courage are terrific teammates helping us kick ass in the game of life!

Joy. Optimism. Courage. Kick ass. You could call it a JOCK mentality.