It's really refreshing to watch old friends unite.  Even watching two strangers that clearly had not seen each other in sometime simply light up, embrace and glow from the reconnection.  As you read this think of at least one person you can pop in on, or at least call for the reason to say you were thinking about them and they mean a lot to you.  Take gauge of how you feel afterword.  Recharge, reinvest, reconnect with a good friend.

Love Always - Coach J

When things get bad they tend to feel like the weight of the world is upon us.  So my theory and practice to take the "regular" days and string them together and notice the daily miracles each - then you know for sure the good truly outweigh the bad.  It helps to have loved ones, family, and friends to connect with during these times as well.  This week has gone from despair with two of my children to levels of resolution and a connection with a long missed friend and a check in call form a cousin I respect and regard.  My wife is beginning a new endeavor and used the words she feels "Liberated".  When I feel like a day is too much to bear I simply go to bed a little early.  Because I know for a fact the difference a day can make.  Thank you for all the beautiful people and events in my life that help me string the best of life together.

Love Always - Coach J

Recently I was expressing my pain to a loved one.  My pain is from an not having a good connection with them and my desire to be more involved in their life.  Not to have control or input but simply to have a connection and be someone they keep in touch with - we had not spoken in quite a while.  I noticed the their tone changed from defensiveness to understanding when I was expressing my perception and I said "This is not judgment of you or your actions, I am simply expressing my pain".  From my reality this is all that I was expressing - my pain, I was not judging their action or lack of action, I was truly expressing the pain I felt from not being connected.  I want no control, no input, simply to be connected with and made aware of their safety and well being.  Pain comes in many ways and we express it in many ways.  Make sure when there comes a time to share your pain that you bring it from that place and not a place of anger or judgment.  I hope this serves you well as times of difficulty are few and far between but amplify our emotions making it hard to be objective. 

Love Always - Coach J

What would you sacrifice for someone you love?  What are you willing to let go or miss out on so someone you love can fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams?  Parents do it everyday, spouses have these conversations and make these adjustments.  Outside of immediate family are you willing to make these same sacrifices?  Are you willing to do small things like miss the game to help someone move?  Are you willing to accept that phone call just as your television program is about to start?  A little more service in the world and you will find yourself living in a beautiful reality.

Love Always - Coach J

Have your own dress code.  Understand what you are going for and know what works with your body type.  With that said - over dress for any occasion and be comfortable with it!  Also know how to look regal in your jeans and a clean tee shirt.  Have your style - and own it.  Now you know you are lookin good!

Love Always - Coach J

A friend of mine likes to live by the saying "When is the last time you did something for the first time?"  I align that in some respects to a thought I am having this morning.  I am living a once in a lifetime moment/life daily.  Savoring the company I have in my live, the blessings I am realizing, the coincidences, and the perfectly timed lessons.  I feel like in my youth I was tried that once in a lifetime was something so special you were lucky to have witnessed it once.  As I grow and learn to create my reality and accept all outcomes I am inspired to share with you that you can live a once in a lifetime type of life daily and it is invigorating, fulfilling, humbling, and rewarding.  Challenge yourself today to take inventory of the smallest miracles and victories and begin your walk down the road of a once in a lifetime lifestyle.  Thank you to all my family and friends that assisted me in this revelation by being amazingly beautiful at all times.

Love Always - Coach J

Yesterday morning as my toddler pondered the consequence of eating the oatmeal placed before him of resting his head on the table for a quick return to slumber he was staring at me, or better said kind of looking through me with an unfocused gaze of someone not fully awake.  He then proceeded to make a popping sound with his mouth, like when you are creating a spit bubble and just kind of pop your lips part and have that popping sound.  He hit a few different octaves in that sound to which I responded - slowly at first with my own popping sound.  Then I switched a few octaves.  Then he responded.  In my message I told him I love him, he was saying something like I am tired yet this is a fun and strange way to communicate.  Those special moments of bonding that you have with family and friends are so intimate they can alter your reality.  It made me recall the quote listed below and to encourage each and every one of us that we are restricted by our vocabulary to the volume we may experience life.  No need to be eloquent, make a noise of sound of joy, glee, or bliss when you don't know the words to express it properly.  Also continue to expand your vocabulary to expand your palate of life experiences.

"The world is richer than it is possible to express in any single language”

– Ilya Prigogone

Love Always - Coach J

I have witnessed a young man work hard at his academics and at his sport.  In high school he was an average performer that always had to apply himself to maintain around a 3.0 grade average.  He joined cross country in his junior year and fell in love with it but was not a top performer in that area.  He trained hard and got better and was very respectable.  His dream was to attend a university and run on their cross country team.  He got accepted by the school and pushed himself to unbelievable degrees and made the team after being denied the first year.  A side result of his training discipline is he became very focused in school and now maintains a 3.4 grade average at a top university.  Also after making the cross country team he joined a triathlon for sport and found this is where his heart really is.  His first major tri he placed second!  He had a coach reach out to him to help him train, he has a major sponsor.  He is breaking rookie records and is more fulfilled than he has ever been.  He put the work in.  Even when you are not completely sure what the work is going towards or you don't feel completely fulfilled any work you do, any strength you build is yours for future use.  I raise my glass high to know this young man and I know that anything he does in life will be successful.  I knew that from his first training sessions that junior year in high school when I had the pleasure of working with him because he's had the heart of a lion from the beginning.  The best part of this story for me is now he knows it is only going to get better - and he earned it all himself.

Love Always - Coach J

It is amazing to me that of our children some of them act and look a lot like me and some act and look just like their mother!  For the record more of them act like me than their mother - poor lady.  Fortunately more of them have her beauty!  Even with that said each of them is so different and wonderfully unique in their own way - it is such a blessing to be a parent.  I am grateful to have such wonderfully challenging children that teach and inspire me. 

Love Always - Coach J

What did the zero say to the eight?  Nice Belt.  What do you call a cow with no legs?  Ground Beef.  I love a simple, goofy joke.  These jokes came from elementary school age kids.  It doesn't need to be complicated, "adult" or complex, just witty.  A light giggle opens the door for a huge smile.  Enjoy life, be a little goofy and smile real big.

Love Always - Coach J