I know you’ve got dreams, struggles, worries, hopes for the future…
Looking forward is one of our national obsessions. That makes it even more important to take time to celebrate the journeys you’ve already taken.
Perhaps you, like me, tend to spend most of your energy moving away from where you’ve been—building on it, working to grow from it. I was reminded as I watched the classic film Mr. Holland’s Opus this week, of the importance of noticing and celebrating the journeys you’ve already taken
I love stories.
They’re perhaps the most powerful way to communicate. And film—visual combined with audio—is a profoundly rich medium. You know Mr. Holland’s Opus, starring Richard Dreyfus, made in 1996. That’s 20 years ago now! Very possibly it’s been a while since you’ve seen it.
It’s time to watch it again.
The final scene, honoring Mr. Holland’s work as a teacher—the work that kept him from pursuing his passion of composing, but which became a heartfelt passion in its own right—is momentous at many levels.
Here are three reasons I love Mr. Holland’s Opus:
- It reminds me of the enormous debt of gratitude I owe to the many wonderful teachers who’ve touched my life as deeply as Mr. Holland touched the lives of his students.
- It reminds me how lucky I was to grow up in a time when music and art and drama were still part of the public school curriculum.
- It reminds me to pay attention to the journeys I’ve already taken—and to celebrate them. They may have been unintentional, they may have been temporary, but they had value—to me and to those I journeyed with.
Coach’s Challenge: Write down two or three things you consider “finished” in your life… those “been there, done that” things you usually dismiss. Now take the time to list three positive results that came out of each of those endeavors. Look for the little things. Acknowledge and celebrate them. Those little things are the fabric of life! Give yourself a resounding cheer for the journeys you’ve already taken!
