Giving Thanks!

Forgive me if I take this time to share a personal story.

Thanksgiving holiday was not part of my upbringing. As I was growing up, I heard about Thanksgiving through the movies, books and the news, but I only came to experience this feast when I was already 25 years old. And you know, you can read, you can see it on TV, you can hear other people say, but nothing is more relevant than truly experiencing something. During my first couple of years here in this country, it was interesting and touching for me to think that Americans had reserved a whole day -- and practically a whole weekend -- to stop their crazy and hectic lives to say thank you.

Far away from my blood family, through the years I built my own American family with the people that became so very dear to me. And one of our most sweet traditions has always been our Thanksgiving Day. Every year we gather at each other's houses, each one of us brings our special dish, we decorate our table, we use our best silverware and most important we enjoy each other’s company. At the time of our dinner, we sit around the table and we say thanks. But this is not just a simple prayer or a simple “have to” sentence. We spend almost the entire time we are eating -- among an endless amount of jokes and teasing -- pouring out the stories that made our year. We tell about the important moments, the achievements, the struggles. We go around the table and everyone has an opportunity to speak and truly say thanks. It becomes a kind of inventory of our year, of our lives and we do it in front of each other. Bragging, being humble, crying, laughing, being proud of each other, being thankful. And the most amazing thing is that no matter what wonderful achievement we have done during the year, our most heartfelt thank you is to each other and the fact that each one sitting at that table is part of and a witness to our lives.

I share this story with you, because I want you to think about giving thanks. When comes Thanksgiving Day, when you are with your friends and family, take the opportunity to truly say Thank You! Look around, look at your life today, look at who you are, look at the people that are present in your life -- even if they are just a few and as imperfect as they are. Say Thank You! Truly! You will see how transformative just this thought can be.

And when you say it on Thanksgiving, see if you can bring it to your life on a daily basis. When things are not going the way you would like it to go, say thank you! When the job is stressful, say thank you! When your partner complains, say thank you! When the phone doesn’t ring, say thank you! Truly appreciate your journey and everything that it brings to you. It may sound insane and ludicrous right now (how can I say thank you even in the midst of pain?), but when you understand that you are right now exactly where you are supposed to be, that every experience is presented to you for a specific purpose, there is nothing else to say, but thank you.

Freedom

Liberdade é pouco, o que eu quero ainda não tem nome!
—Clarice Lispector

Someone sent me this quote from a 20th century Brazilian poet. The loose translation/interpretation, if I would dare translate any poetry at all, is something like: Freedom is just the beginning, what I aim for has not been named yet. Powerful, no?

Why Does Tiger Woods Have a Coach?

Tiger Woods is known for being one of the best golf players in the history of the game. Currently the World No.1 golf player, he has so far won 14 professional major golf championships and was the highest paid professional athlete in 2007, earning a total of $769,400,709 since 1996. I guess we can say that he pretty much knows how to play golf, correct? So, why in the world does he still work with a coach?

In the sports world, athletes, fans and managers know well the importance of having a coach at all time -- no matter how advanced you are in your game. It would be inconceivable for a serious athlete to continue training without the support of a coach. They know that no matter how much of an expert they are in their craft, it is of ultimate importance to have someone skilled in providing feedback, support, a different perspective and accountability that would bring their game to a different level.

And even outside the sports world, historically, most people serious about their objectives, goals, general success as well as their overall quality of life, have worked with a coach. Great leaders have always surrounded themselves with professionals that would not necessarily tell them what to do, but instead be a support presence and an expert "sounding board" for them to polish their ideas, sharpen their goals and create a balance necessary for them to make their decisions and move forward.

In other words, if you want to excel in your game, you need a coach. No sports team, no leader can survive without one. So, if this is so true in sports and leadership, why should it be any different when it comes to living our own personal lives?

It is interesting that we so much value the role of a coach when thinking of sports, but when it comes to our own lives we keep struggling and pushing forward always thinking that we are supposed to do it alone, never even thinking of the possibility of hiring someone to help out. And when things get really tough, we end up overburdening our own friends and family, expecting a level of support that they are not always able to give.

If even Tiger Woods, on top of his game, still works with a coach to bring his performance to a higher level, why shouldn't you deserve the same when it comes to your own life? Hiring a coach does not mean you are crippled, helpless or desperate. On the contrary, it means you want the best for your life. It means you want to live a life of focus and balance and that you don't want to go on stumbling upon the chances, without clear perspective and direction. It means you know things can be better and that you deserve better. It means that there is nothing wrong with asking for direction when you feel a bit lost or overwhelmed, but that instead, asking for direction is a sign of strength. It means you want to live your life in the best of your ability -- not like an amateur, but like a pro.