Over the weekend, my husband, Cosmos, and I went to watch a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) game between the NY/NJ Gotham and the Portland Thorns. It was supposed to rain, but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived and saw that our seats were covered by a roof. Unfortunately, there aren’t many people who attend NWSL games, but this created an opportunity for us to sit right next to the field behind the opposing team’s bench. 

I love going to professional sporting events. We don’t go very often, so every game feels like a special occasion. It was the last game of the season and although Gotham FC is at the bottom of the standings this year, there’s nothing like being surrounded by many people supporting their home team. My optimistic mindset led me to believe everyone around us would be there to have a good time, but I soon found out that I was very wrong.

Most of the seats were empty, but there were people sitting directly behind us. They originally were sitting next to us but moved back a row for more space. As the game went on, it was impossible not to notice their conversation. Everything they were saying to one another was negative. They complained about how boring the game was, how it looked like none of the players wanted to be there, commented harshly on every single play made, and constantly critiqued coaching decisions. 

A valuable realization came to mind as I heard more and more of their comments. We are all at the same game, us and the couple sitting behind us. We were sitting in essentially the same seats - just one row apart from one another. Yet, we were having a completely different experience of the same game. 

Cosmos and I were cheering for our team, even commenting on the impressive plays made by the other team. There were probably ten players on the field who play for their country at the international level, the highest level in the game. Six goals were scored in the game - three by each team, and it was fast-paced with many changes of possession. There were plenty of shots on goal and tons of great defensive plays and saves. Yet the people behind us couldn’t seem to find a single positive thing to mention. 

See, I’m not here to judge. Everyone is allowed to create their own experience in this life. In fact, their conversation made me aware of just how far I have come with my own attitude and outlook. I used to experience life like them and look for the negative things and problems. Everyone else around me would be having a good time and I’d be unhappy and never satisfied. Thankfully, I eventually realized that I didn’t need to live that way, and the way I choose to experience life is completely up to me. 

I believe we attract experiences and opportunities based on the energy we put out into this world. If you notice everyone around you is complaining and everything always seems to be a problem, first check in with yourself. Are you the one embodying the negativity first? If so, take inventory of that and practice being aware of your thoughts and what you say. Awareness alone will help you shift this. If it’s not you, start collecting people who think, talk, and act accordingly to the type of life you want to live. 

If you’d like to dive deeper into these topics, I’d encourage you to listen to episodes 81 and 82 of my podcast: Becoming Intuitive with Meg & Maggi. You can listen anywhere you stream your podcasts. If you found this article or either episode valuable, send me an email at maggi@calofitnessllc.com and let me know your biggest takeaways.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi