This post has been sitting in my draft folder for months; I wrote it in December - and the timing feels divine. As we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic, we have no choice but to wade through the hard that is grief + uncertainty.

It may seem silly to pull sports into a conversation about grief. Not to me.

Here’s why:

Sport is a vehicle that allows us to tap into the magic inside of ourselves.

There’s a collective coming together and synergy that’s born when we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.

Sport lifts us + unites us, because for a moment in time, what usually stands between us fades away and we SEE each other. And in each other, we see ourselves.

Sport teaches us that we can do hard things.

Sport teaches us that it’s OK to ask for help.

Sport teaches us that we are never alone.

Sport teaches us that our small steps accumulate over time.

Sport teaches us that although not every day is going to be a good day, inside every day there is good to be found.

Sport teaches us that rest is important.

Sport teaches us to believe in the not-yet-seen.

Sport teaches us that our power isn’t in the not-falling-down; it’s in our choice to rise.

Sport teaches us that it’s the journey that matters most, and there’s no such thing as a journey free from pain and lows and hard things. And so often, the hardest moments hold the greatest lessons.

We have no idea what our future will look like - or when / if we’ll be able to return to the things we love + miss - and that’s part of what makes this so hard.

We have no idea when this will end - just that it will.

What I know for sure…

Whether we’re driving toward our dreams and/or navigating the dark, our inner magic is still there.

These skills we’ve honed are still there, too.

It’s OK to be where we are, even if it’s not where we wish we were.

Let’s give ourselves permission to feel and breathe and be kind, to ourselves. The waves of emotions will come and go.

Let’s move toward the people + tools + supports we know soothe our soul.

And let’s allow ourselves to draw strength from the resilience of others —

Their resilience isn’t a sign that we’re not doing it right; it’s a sign of what’s possible.

We’ve got this, even when we feel like we don’t.

We can do this kind of hard.

Friends, on Monday, May 11th, I’m opening the doors to Ride the Wave: A Virtual Workshop to Strengthen Emotional Resilience. I’d love, love for you to join me.

I’ve re-worked the course to meet this moment - never before have we had to navigate a pandemic. And, here we are.

I’ve woven together my experience as an Olympic gold medalist, classroom teacher, high-performance consultant and instructor of both Mindful Sports Performance Enhancement and Mental Health First Aid to create the transformative experience that is Ride the Wave.

All are welcome - parents, teachers, coaches, leaders, athletes (11 & over).

For three weeks, I’ll drop content in the form of videos, deep dives, journal prompts, mindfulness challenges and live posts in the private community.

We need each other right now more than ever - we need a safe space to BE. To be seen + heard + held.

I’m so, so grateful for the tools I’ve acquired over the the years and am excited to pay forward what I’ve learned.

To join us, head over here. To learn more about the work we’ll do together, head over here.

Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic Gold Medalist, high-performance consultant, speaker, educator and mental health advocate. She is the founder of Livingstone High Performance, providing pillars of support to individuals and organizations to elevate mental health and improve performance.

In addition to private and group coaching, Samantha consults with teams and organizations on athlete wellness initiatives, leadership, strategic planning, rising skills and developing high-performance cultures. She is a certified instructor of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) and a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid.

Samantha is the founder and facilitator of two, multi-module online courses, the Rise Free Academy and Ride the Wave: A Bootcamp to Strengthen Our Emotional Agility — inspiring, empowering and equipping athletes, coaches and female leaders with the skills they need to become more mindful, courageous, resilient leaders.

Samantha and her husband, Rob, live in the Berkshires with their four girls. To learn more about her offerings, go over to www.samanthalivingstone.com

click here to book a free, 20 min strategy call with samantha