If life is a ride, what kind of ride are you on? Is it a roller coaster fast and winding? Is it the tea cups at Disneyland spinning you like a top? Or is it a lazy river and you are simply floating in an inner tube?

How we each experience the ride of life varies from person to person. Some of us resist the ride even when it’s undeniable that there is no exit coming soon and it may be something we need to ride out. While others embrace the direction and speed of whatever ride they are on with ease.

When we resist, there’s often an expectation at work. We thought it would be fast when it’s not. We want for something so badly that we can’t see it never existed in the first place. This can make life feel like a frustrating, nauseating or disappointing experience.

Resisting the ride is not always bad and this week I feel an opportunity to give you permission to notice and choose. Be disappointed if the ride isn’t working for you AND choose how long you hold on to disappointment. On the flip side, when you enjoy the ride, choose to carry that joy with you after you’ve moved on to what’s next.

In coaching you always have permission to be right where you are, feel exactly what you’re feeling and not be wrong. Simultaneously, coaching asks you to notice when what you’re doing or experiencing has stopped serving you.

I invite you to be aware of what life’s ride is like for you now. Notice your reaction to it and any expectations you have about what life should or shouldn’t be like. Be allowed to feel what you are feeling without fear that you’re doing anything wrong and then notice, do I want to keep riding the ride this way?

When you answer this question, you’ll begin the first step of Move Strong Mind Performance Coaching. Step 1 is building awareness. Simply put, awareness is knowledge. The more you know, the easier it is to be honest with yourself about whether you want to make change or stay put experiencing life the way you are now.