BELIEVE
In our basement hangs a red wooden sign, covered in glitter and snowflakes. The sign says “BELIEVE”.
My son, Mason, sustained a spinal cord injury in January of 2021, and following his accident we relocated to Colorado for several months during his recovery and physical therapy. Our holiday decorations remained until April that year when my partner, Donn, finally arrived back home and was tasked with taking them down. I wasn’t clear why the sign was left hanging when all other decorations were removed. Now I know.
The sign quickly became a part of Mason’s lighting cue for “Alexa”. Instead of having to physically turn lights on by the switch, he created accessible lighting by using the “Alexa” voice-activated system. All Mason needs to do when he comes into the room is to say “Alexa, turn on Believe”. Needless to say, the sign is now a permanent fixture. Frankly, It pays its own rent.
I am a big believer in mantras. Mantras are words, phrases, or sounds that help to give us focus, purpose, or intention. Mantras have the power to change our behavior and redirect our thoughts. In fact, concentrative meditation often uses a mantra to help anchor our wandering minds during meditation.
Upon returning home the other day, brimming with news about some new projects for Klear Water Coaching, I looked at the sign right in the “I” and laughed out loud (get it B-E-L-I-E-V-E). The sign has been there quietly guiding each of us in our darkest hours and days.
Each of us has held tight to the word “believe” whether we knew it consciously or not. At the core, we believed that Mason would stand and that he would take steps again. It was right under that sign that Sydney (our daughter) and I gave Mason one of the first “standing” hugs and we were reminded that he is taller than any one of us. We marveled at the fact that his body slowly learned how to put one foot in front of the other again, despite his spinal cord injury. There are still challenges and we still believe.
As I have nurtured the creation of my own company, while pausing for life’s challenges and losses, I have been reminded by my loved ones and my own coaches to “believe” in my dreams and to take steps toward my own narrative of success. As a strengths-based coach, I can see how my own “superpowers” have helped me navigate the choppy waters of life. Believe is my mantra of choice that reminds me to keep forging ahead.
What words give you strength? What do you believe? What do you dream of?
P.S. Stay tuned for some exciting news about Klear Water!