Lean Into the Excitement
You can always tell that a new season is on the way by the change in energy. Be it an actual season or maybe a sports season, when you work in a school, you can always tell because there’s a different feeling to the air, a kind of buzzing that happens. That’s what I’ve noticed lately as we creep closer to spring. The conversations have started ebbing towards spring sports and who’s going to play or who’s going to coach, and I have to say that the excitement is contagious. It’s one of the reasons why I enjoy being around young people. Their enthusiasm for life is unmatched. Why can’t we seem to duplicate that as adults I have no clue. But it’s a skill or niche for the young and the topic of this week’s blog.
Teens have the ability to generate this unbridled energy for an upcoming event that I envy. Probably because I simply do not have the excess energy to do it myself, but for some reason it comes easily to them. Right now, everywhere I turn, students are talking about spring and moods are brighter because of it. Why is it that young people are able to do this, but adults cannot? Do we think that it is immature to show that type of unstructured happiness that we keep our emotions on a tight rein, or is it because we do not allow ourselves that range of emotion? I’m not sure, but I do know that I see it as each sports season begins but maybe more so in the spring. Winter is so long here in the mountains with our long, dark days, and even though this winter has not been as brutal as some have had in other parts of the world, we all need some future ray of light to focus on. Perhaps spring sports are essentially their bit of light at the end of the tunnel more or less. Maybe we have been adulting so long that we see no longer any type of fun ending; that is unless you’re planning a beach vacation. Perhaps you’re okay with living your life like that. The mundane day to day repetitiveness, but I’m not.
I want to be excited about what is around the corner. I want to look forward to the next season, whether it is spring sports or just because we may have longer, warmer days. I don’t want to live the same tedious day over and over. So will I allow my students’ exuberance to wash over me and allow myself to be caught up in a bit of it as well? Yes, I think I will. Life is about experiencing all emotions and I’m tired of winter and its drudgery. I’m ready for some warm spring vibes and those more vibrant emotions.
Bring on spring sports! Bring on that spring enthusiasm! Just because we are adults does not mean we have to lose our childlike zest for life. Being an adult does not mean we should give up on having fun and not look forward to the next season. Maturity is not about being boring but about appreciating life for what it is right now and making the most of what it could be as well. Let’s get excited about what’s to come because we can make the most out of those days if we just lean into them.
