Coach's Corner

What We’ve Forgotten

Rediscovering What We’ve Forgotten in a Fast-Moving World

By Coach Frank Sagasta

“Pass through this brief patch of time in harmony with nature, and come to your final resting place gracefully, just as a ripened olive might drop, praising the earth that nourished it and grateful to the tree that gave growth.”

– Emperor Marcus Aurelius

Why does our modern society wait for humans to learn about the greats like George Washington, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, Frederick Douglass, and others? Could it be possible that we’ve moved into the age of acceleration? I mean let's not sugarcoat this topic, but our modern life has become a race that few remember choosing to enter. We wake to alarms, not birdsong. We stare at screens more than skies. We measure value in capital, material items, and productivity instead of presence. All in the name of efficiency, we compress our days, time, energy, effort; attention, and focus into tasks and notifications, then wonder why our minds feel scattered. We wonder why our bodies fail us, or our hearts are tired.

In today’s world, we are moving faster than ever, constantly switching between screens, chasing deadlines, chasing what others have, and trying to stay one step ahead. The hum of technology and the pace of progress have created a rhythm that feels productive, but often leaves us detached. Somewhere between the notifications, pollution of politics, and the noise of public opinions, we’ve lost something simple yet profound. I call this moment “The Unbeautiful Event”, or “Blindfolded Society.” When we look back to what many greats shared throughout history. They called upon nature. Why? I have come to accept that nature, in her quiet wisdom operates by no such urgency. As Emperor Marcus Aurelius points out in the quote above; The olive is grateful for the growth the olive tree provided. But how many people do you cross daily that cannot share for a moment a sense of happiness that the breeze feels beautiful? Or the clouds look absolutely spectacular today?

You see, the sun doesn’t rush to rise. The Grand Canyon carved her ways over centuries. The gloriest trees of Sequoia grow where they are planted but nature, patience and steady they’ve become the giants of today. Yet in all their stillness from the trees, to the rivers; to the sun all lies a powerful truth… life doesn’t need to hurry to create something breathtaking. It only takes a moment for us to see what we are missing. So, as you embark upon the remaining portion of this year, step into nature–slow down, take a step back and breathe. There is nothing wrong with taking a timeout for nature.

Nature offers something more valuable: perspective. Our mind softens. All of the nosey world seems to move from our lives. The background anxiety that hums through everyday life begins to fade. Science confirms what our spirits have always sensed—spending time outdoors reduces stress, improves mood, and restores focus. Researchers at Stanford have found that even a short walk in a natural setting can quiet the kind of overthinking that often leads to burnout and negativity. The sky doesn’t demand attention. The trees do not demand for responses from emails. And the breeze that flows through the trees doesn’t cry for likes or heart emojis. The world outside our walls simply is truly perfectly ordered, interconnected, and alive. Why not go visit her today? What are you waiting for? She is inviting you today. Remember, humanity was once in tune with that same rhythm as nature. Nature’s power lies not only in its beauty, but in its invitation—to remember that we are part of something larger, something older, something silently miraculous. Today, in our constant movement, we’ve drifted away from it. We must find our way back or it will be gone forever and generations will not understand her or appreciate her presence

How? Go sit by the river. Go sit by the ocean or go for a walk through the desert at sunrise, there’s a moment—a still, almost sacred second—when everything else fades. Maybe the lesson we need most right now isn’t how to move faster, but how to root deeper. Beauty comes from patience, and balance is not found in motion, but in meaning. Remember, the sky doesn’t need validation to shine. And the mountains don’t need to prove their worth. Nature doesn’t demand that we escape the modern world. She simply invites us to remember that we belong to it and not to ever forget her rhythm.

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