Many of us lead busy lives with a lot of "things" going on, and regardless, life still happens. Recently, the two of us have experienced and/or witnessed some pretty powerful life events that made us stop dead in our tracks and "ponder the meaning of life," for lack of a better way to put it. From our frantic and adrenaline-filled rescue of two elderly canoers on a lake, to a tragic drowning accident of a little boy known and loved by our dear friends, to a frightening auto accident just outside our front door. And of course, as Minnesotans, we have experienced the magnitude of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse as well as watched the deadly floods unfold on TV in the southeastern portion of our state. 

What were the messages for us in all of this, we wondered? After some discussion, we weren't really sure, but what we did conclude is that we continue to remain in awe of life and all of its complex lessons. In the end, everything seems to happen for a reason; for us to learn and grow as we experience life. So we began to talk about how deeply crisis impacts us all and also how it affects everyone so differently. We also noted that crisis seems to be the number one instigator leading to positive change in one's life. We've seen this for quite some time now, especially following Bill's battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which so drastically changed our lives, ultimately in many positive ways.

Recently a client told us how she explained coaching to a friend: "I told my friend that working with a coach is like tackling your life head-on and taking care of things before there is a crisis that ends up actually forcing you to deal with things." Well put. It's a fact that there will be things that show up in our lives that we didn't initially plan on, or as Michelle's grandparents put it, "Things that we didn't plug into our computers."

After becoming Professional Coaches, we often talked about wanting to find a way to connect with people; to help them "wake up" before they reached the point of crisis like we did with Bill's health issues. We wished that others could take the time to consider what is really important in their lives before they get smacked in the face with a crisis. But then again, who are we to judge others and their life experiences? When it really comes down to it, what we believe is that everyone experiences exactly what they need to experience, at exactly the right time in their life. And just like everything else, we shouldn't judge it as good or bad. It just is. 

Two days after the I-35W bridge collapse, we spent the evening in downtown Minneapolis--walking around, enjoying the evening, and meeting up with friends for dinner. It was a beautiful summer evening and there was quite a bustle as the business offices closed up for the day: Buses headed to the suburbs, business folks with briefcases transitioned into "weekend" mode, and happy hour crowds amped up their volume on restaurant patios. Before we met our friends, we found a spot to settle where a crowd had gathered to watch an extraordinary tango band.

The music was alive and authentic, and we smiled as we watched an older gentleman scan the crowd intensely, looking for an agreeable woman to dance with him. He found his match and then the two of them scooted out to an open space in the crowd right in front of the band. Their fluid movements showed off their skills as though they were professionals giving us a coveted performance! The two, who obviously didn't know each other before that moment, smiled from ear-to-ear and radiated such joy and zest for life. As we watched this beautiful moment unfolding in our presence with people clapping and cheering around us, we were profoundly touched, because at that same moment we knew that just down the road a national tragedy was continuing to unfold as divers were searching for bodies in the Mississippi River.

The dichotomy of life: The joy and the happiness; the sorrow and the pain. To be a part of the human race, we must experience all of it. And so, the "pause" is where that richness in life comes from, if we dare to make time for it. It's too easy to keep doing what we've always done, skimming the surface of life and not delving down into where the real living takes place; the place that is full of feelings, values, and mirrors revealing who we really are.

So now think about your own life. What is it that you need to take care of before something comes along that you didn't "plug into your computer?" Is it a particular relationship that needs to be tended to? Is it your own state of physical well-being? Is it a secretly held wish that has gone unfulfilled? Whatever it is, honor it. Nurture it. As we mentioned earlier, we shouldn't judge it as "good" or "bad"; it just is.

We have all witnessed, or experienced, the uncertainty of life here on earth. And we can be assured that life will throw unexpected curve balls, probably when we least expect it. Anything important that we leave unattended will eventually surface in one way or another. We can either do the things now that are important to us or we can wait until something outside ourselves literally forces us to face the preciousness of life head-on. We do have the choice. Taking time to pause, and assess our lives routinely, can also minimize the surprises we encounter along the way.

How willing are you in your daily life to make time for that pause? To stop and think about who you really are, and what you really want in your life? 

Just like the couple entrenched in their tango dance, English poet William Blake said it most eloquently: "Celebrate your existence!"