Thankful for Re-Framing the Real Challenge, Planning Ahead, & Waking Up in My Own Bed

Day 3,999

Growth:

Recently I came across a quote that was attributed to Einstein, but is likely one of those old internet trope memes that is probably really from someone else… “Give me an hour to solve a problem, and I’ll spend the first 55 minutes clarifying the problem.” (or something like that).

Regardless of the true origin of that concept, there really is some gold there. Remembering to take time to really discover the deeper issue, the core challenge, is a step that is easy to skip and can cause a huge delay, waste of time, and completely incorrect answer.

Today I had the opportunity to listen and think while some teammates worked through a few different challenges and it allowed me space to pause, listen, and really consider what was happening to cause the entire situation. That space allowed me to change the conversation to work on the core issue and we were soon more quickly on track. Very interesting to see how that re-framing could have such a big impact!

Appreciation:

Getting back into the swing of things immediately following a long weekend can be a little rough, but it’s always nice when you start the day with a solid plan. Today I was especially grateful for taking the time to nail down my plan for today last week before I took off. That allowed me to breathe calmly when I started the day, sleep well last night knowing I had it all set, and kept me on track when my energy started to wane in the afternoon. Very simple to remember, not rocket science, but it was a wonderful success today!

Presence:

This one has been used before, but I can’t help it, the moment of presence this morning was fantastic! Waking up this morning in my own bed, fully refreshed after a very peaceful night of sleep was exactly what I needed today! I love the campervan, camping, traveling, and all that, but there will always be something calming about starting the day off by waking up in my own bed.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Living Intentionally, the Unexpected Upside of a Goal, & a Soul at Peace

Day 3,995

Growth:

Time to start winding down for the night, big day of adventure and challenge ahead tomorrow.  What’s funny is that the goal tomorrow isn’t technically on my dream list, but the concept of it is very much in line with the type of person who would live my dream list.  

This is a well timed reminder for me that while the dream list itself is in many ways the gateway to living more intentionally, living the life it is meant to lead toward is so much more important than living the specific dream itself.  In many ways I’m reminded of the metaphor used by de Mello of the vehicle that takes you to the house is needed, but you don’t use it to enter the house itself. 

In which other times have I focused too tightly on the specific dream rather than the life the dream was meant to support?  How can I keep that dichotomy of needing a clear dream to use to get me moving, yet keeping the flexibility and awareness to shift as needed?

As I prepare to start working on my 2027 revision of my dream list this reminder couldn’t have been more well timed!

Appreciation:

In a similar vein to the section above, I’m grateful for the goal which led me to today’s day with Dominic.  With a goal of being fully present with Gavin during his last year at home I was reminded of both the importance of presence and the impermanence of all stages of life.  The time we have with loved ones is so limited and can slip by so quickly, I must remember to be intentional with my moments.

As a result of that lesson I remembered to be very intentional and parlayed that into an adventure to Canada with Dominic for a ridiculous hiking adventure.  There’s maybe a 50% chance of success in our goal for tomorrow (the 20+ mile, 4,500+’ hike of Sleeping Giant in Ontario in one go), but there’s a 100% chance of creating memories.  We’ve already had so much fun on the drive up, almost no screen time for either of us on the entire drive except for confirmation of hiking details.

The goal was presence with Gavin, but there’s true intent was to be intentionally present and to create more moments with loved ones.  Today that had nothing to do with Gavin and had everything to do with Dominic.  Again, I’m grateful for not focusing on checking a box, rather, living the life the box was meant to support.

Presence:

I absolutely LOVE the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the North Shore of Wisconsin and Minnesota.  The entire US shore of Lake Superior is spectacular.  That said, I was in for quite the shock this evening as we drove across the border into Canada.  Literally only miles before the border the entire topography somehow shifted into an even more majestic topography.  This entire area with its severe cliffs, verdant forests, lowland swamps and lakes, and continually undulating landscape are beyond anything I could have imagined around Lake Superior.  Dominic and I spent the last two hours of our drive in awe as we soaked up all the sights.

There is something about this area that feels so right, so much like home, like a bit of my soul has always been here, like it is returning to the place of its birth.  I know no other way to put it, my core of me is more in tune here, more grounded, than virtually anywhere else. 

For clarity, it’s not a desire to live here (visiting is definitely the right way for me), not a place I need to come to all the time (but I’ll likely be here a little more often), but something similar to and yet more intense than what I’ve always felt up in the UP.  A peace, a calm, at a visceral level.  A feeling of home, of rightness, like I’ve crossed a boundary into something that exists just outside of the plane of life.  Not the sense of awe and wonder of travel to places like Sequoia NP or Patagonia or Iceland, there is awe for sure, but more feeling like a deep exhale when walking into my home after being away for two weeks.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Planning Ahead, a Top Ten Hike, and Shared Adventures

Day 3,996

Growth: 

I can’t express enough how grateful I am for remembering that the point is not to check a box, that the point is to live the life the box was meant to check.  I’ve had the opportunity to create a core memory with Dominic, one we’ll hold forever.  While it wasn’t specifically a goal this year it is directly as a result of a lesson I wanted to remember in 2026, a different goal I set in 2026, and a supporting goal I set for myself in 2026.  It is also in part thanks to honoring the season of life I am in, of living intentionally, and also thanks to remembering that living into our purpose creates so many opportunities for joy in our lives.

Thank you to the Mike of the end of 2025 for taking the time to pause, create a plan based on how I wanted to live my 2026, and putting all of the work into action for this all to have come together!

Appreciation:

Today was easily one of the top ten day hikes I’ve ever done in my life.  The scenery was spectacular and stunning to say the least, ever changing and full of wonderful surprises if I want to go deeper.  

Honestly, while all of that blew my mind, what I am most thankful for today was not the hike, the park, the views, the accomplishment or anything else.  I’m most grateful for a day share completely with Dominic, one we will both remember for the rest of our lives.

We will forever remember the sights we saw together.  The ridiculous hike we accomplished together.  The conversations and the jokes we shared together.  The memories we shared while having walking tacos for supper and a couple of cold beers after.  We will remember the laughs, the talks, the experiences, the dreams, and the stories.  We will remember the time together – I’m beyond grateful for creating this opportunity for us to share this day together!

Presence:

I can’t even…. Every peak was a practice in presence.  Each overlook was a practice in presence.  Each lake and beaver dam and boulder field was a practice in presence.  Most importantly, the conversations with Dominic throughout and after were practices in presence.  The total amount of intentional presence was through the roof!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Unplanned Time, Shifting Perspectives of Being a Dad, an Unplanned Trip to the Amethyst Mine

Day 3,997

Growth:

Just because we have time doesn’t mean it has to be packed with activity.  Just because there are trails everywhere around us doesn’t mean we have to be hiking.  Just because there are lakes all over doesn’t mean we have to be paddling.  When you get tired, relax.  When you’re worn down, rest.  No need for constant activity just because the activity is there to be done.

How many times has Becky helped to teach me this?  Today Dominic was the one reminding me it was okay to chill – and reminded me of the epic hike we did yesterday. 

Slow down, enjoy the ride!

Appreciation:

I had an absolutely grand day with Dominic, from start to finish we had a blast shooting the bull and enjoying each other’s company.

Quite often my thoughts went to Dad and the time he and I had together.  I wish there would have been more of it, and I wish it would have been doing more things like this.  I love Dad, but I feel we could have had so many memories like this of time spent together, but that was not the case.

While so much of who I am came from Dad, I’m grateful for times like this when I’ve created my own path as a father to do more of what I feel a dad should be.  What’s interesting is that I know Dad would not only understand, but would hold me to that type of standard.  All we want as sons are two things – to have an awesome dad and to be a better dad than ours was.

Today I felt like I lived into both and was hopefully the first half for Dominic.

Presence:

Such a great day with Dominic again today!  We knocked out a 7.5 mile hike in the morning to get our legs stretched out and warmed up, and then we opted for one of the most random vacation side quests ever…. We went mining for amethyst!  Yup, we went to an active amethyst mine, dug through piles of dirt, rock, and mud, and walked away with about five gallons of amethyst covered rocks!

Such a unique activity, such a blast!  We were joking and talking as we learned the ins and outs of the basics of amethyst mining, delighted by so many wonderful finds AND the times we thought we’d found something big, only for it to be nothing.

Throughout it was one of the best investments of a couple of hours ever, we had a blast together and enjoyed our shared passion for rock collecting!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Grasping the Moment, Moments of Calm with Becky, & More Outdoors Moments with Dominic

Day 3,998

Growth:

Life changes, it always has and always will. Regardless of how we try the hands of time continue to spin, and in a cosmic joke they seem to increase in velocity each time the calendar cycles through. Just as I try to hold onto a moment I’ve already lost it as it slips through my grasp. The more I attempt to cling the more ethereal it becomes.

When I allow the moment to happen, let it unfold and be there in it, focused right there at that moment on only that moment, the moment seems to expand and grow. After it has gone and my mind reaches back for it the moment seems to contract again to a flash – the same moment which lasted for so much longer as it happened.

How do I stay more focused on each moment as it happens? Why do I let my presence wander to the past so freely and run for the future with such reckless abandon? The more I stay here, right here, in this moment right now, the longer it feels, the more I get to enjoy and savor it. Slow down, be here.

Appreciation:

The whirlwind of the past few weeks continues, the reminders of appreciation for moments of simple joy like eating at home with Becky come through loud and clear. Quickly unpacking and eating supper with Becky on our deck was exactly what I needed. Pausing all of the crazy and nonstop motion to take a deep breath and relax and spend time together was fantastic.

I love vacations, travel, and adventures – no question… but my favorite times are the moments spent with Becky as we relax and enjoy moments of calm. This transition to empty nest life and turning fifty will be interesting, but knowing it will be shared with Becky reminds me to look forward to more time together for the two of us.

Presence:

Spending the night talking with Dominic while having a beer (or two) around the campfire. Totally relaxed, still respecting the father and son relationship while also very much honoring the awesomely deep friendship, a great night for so many reasons.

This morning we both got up early (4:45am CST) to give seeing an early morning moose one more shot. There was no one else stirring in the campground, no one else on the trail head, not even a moose on the trail! Getting that early morning walk in together using our headlamps to guide the way was a wonderful way to get the day moving.

Spending time on a beach outside of Grand Portage looking for agates in Lake Superior was another opportunity to spend time together enjoying the outdoors, doing something we both enjoy while having a combo of time talking and joking while also being lost in our own thougths.

These moments were all concentrated in the present moment, creating memories for a future me to enjoy!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Remembering to Sleep

Day 3,994

Today has been a great day in so many ways. Way more positive professional growth and success than expected throughout the day. Lots accomplished, progress on several projects, and living into the goals I’ve been setting for myself. I’ve been present in my conversations, been attuned to where I should be, and in some ways ahead of where I expected to be at this point in the week.

That said, I’m feeling worn down, exhausted, and kind of beaten up. This is exactly the opposite of how I should be feeling. Everything took a little extra work, more effort than expected. My motivation keeps waning, I’m struggling to stay positive. Again, so bizarre because for all intents and purposes it has been a great day!

What’s the issue? Why the dissonance between how I should feel and how I actually feel? I’m exhausted. I packed in too much. I haven’t slept enough. A little under 6 hours of sleep in average over the past to nights. I feel gross, lazy, like my brain is foggy. Very meh. The only reason is specifically because of a lack of sleep.

Way back in the day I thought I could accomplish more by skipping hours of sleep, staying awake for all but four hours to give myself bonus hours of awake time. Now I realize how foolish that really was. To go from averaging well over eight hours per night over the past week and a half to a sudden drop to a little under six has blown my mind with the impact.

This evening I’ll be sleeping much longer, making sure I get the eight plus I need to feel human, and then will do my best to do that again tomorrow night.

While this sensation of being exhausted sucks, it is a very clear reminder to me of how important it is to get enough sleep. The positive impact of sleep is much more intense than I’d remembered!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Moment of Awareness, Our Shared Humanity, & Maximizing Family Time

Day 3,993

Growth:

Why do I attempt to fit in too many things at once over and over again? I know better, I’ve been there done that before. Yet I still seem to struggle to keep the buffers needed for optimal performance.

Today the universe threw me a lifeline and shifted part of my schedule for me, creating the space I needed, the space I should have created for myself in the first place. Why did I need that intercession rather than realizing it on my own?

So easy to take on extra, to overcommit. Today this issue was made so much more clear to me, how do I leverage this moment of awareness into an ongoing change?

Appreciation:

This may be short and simple, but I’m glad we don’t get through any of this alone. There are always others out there willing to help us, to support us. There are always others facing similar challenges, issues, changes, situations. There are certain changes in life we all encounter should we live long enough. We are each unique, but we are also all so similar. No one comes into life alone, no one lives their life truly alone.

I’m very grateful for those moments that remind us of our common humanity, of our shared struggles, of the importance of loving and supporting each other, of our universal connection. In these moments it is so much easier to love all people intensely.

Presence:

So much bonus time with family in my limited outside of work hours today! Joking with Becky before she headed out of town for work. A family FaceTime with all four of us (& some Caitlyn too!). A conversation with my brother that left me laughing, Shopping with Dominic and Caitlyn and then spending time with them shooting the bull while snuggling with Leia.

There weren’t many hours outside of work today, but almost all were shared with family and I was there for each moment.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Sharing Vacation Photos as a Family

Day 3,992

Super exhausted from a very full and busy day, going to be a short one tonight.

The first day back to work after vacation is always bonkers, sometimes more so than others. Today’s was largely full of busy in a good way, there was just a lot of everything going on all at once.

What I’m most grateful for is the time we had with Dominic and Caitlyn to celebrate Dominic’s birthday dinner. We all went out for some tasty Mexican food (Dominic wanted his first legal margarita) and we followed it up with time on the couch going through their recent vacation photos from Glacier NP and the Canadian Rockies.

Several parts of the experience really caught my attention:

  • The shared passion for some of our favorite places to travel. Seeing how excited they both were to see some of the places Becky and I love most was heart warming, so glad to see their love of both Glacier and the Canadian Rockies.
  • The nonstop smiles of excitement, awe, and wonder as Caitlyn experienced seeing those majestic sights for the first time. So wonderful seeing how much she was truly glowing in the experience, there’s a magic to witnessing the reaction of someone seeing those places for the first time. In so many ways it reminds us to look at the places through fresh eyes.
  • The reminders of how badly Becky and I need to head back out to those areas was palpable! Each scenic pic had me moving the next trip up there about a week or so in my mental calendar.
  • Their pictures were also such vivd reminders of the times Becky and I went out there together. In some cases their photos were in almost the exact same spots, so wild how t refreshed the memories of our travels!

Lastly – and most importantly – the bonus time as a family talking about some of the things we appreciate the most, sharing in each others’ experiences, reminding each other of what is most important, and doing so all together as a family. Some of my favorite moments in the world!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Lyrics Sharing How I Feel about Becky

Day 3,991

Over the past week Becky and I have had the opportunity to launch Gavin off to start his college career and took time to spend time together traveling and soaking up the outdoors as our lives transition to being empty nesters. Throw in closing in on the big 5 – 0 and our 25th wedding anniversary and it’s been wild to think of how much we’ve been through and how much life there is ahead of us.

All of these shifts and changes and milestones and everything are so much easier to work through knowing I’m able to partner with my absolute best friend and love of my life. Everything can change, we will remain – and, more importantly – we will find a way to keep growing closer.

What I’m most thankful for this evening is a shortlist of song lyrics that I swear the artists wrote specifically for how I feel about Becky. I’m beyond blessed to share my life with her every day!

This might not be an easy time
There’s rivers to cross and hills to climb
Some days we might fall apart
And some nights might feel cold and dark

But nobody wins, afraid of losing
And the hard roads are the ones worth choosing
Someday we’ll look back and smile
And know it was worth every mile

And it don’t matter to me
Wherever we are is where I wanna be
And honey, for once in our life
Let’s take our chances and roll the dice
I can be your lucky penny
You can be my four-leaf clover
Starting over

Chris Stapleton – Starting Over

And when the stars don’t shine no more and all the good days have come and gone. Well, I just want you to always know – my home is you, my home is you…
…I don’t know where I’m going, I don’t know where I am, But I’m here till the end with you. All this time, well, I’ve known – that my home’s with you.

The Strumbellas – My Home is You

Home is wherever I’m with you.
Home is when I am alone with you.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Home

We swore we’d travel, darlin’, side by side
We’d help each other stay in stride
But each lover’s steps fall so differently
But I’ll wait for you, and if I should fall behind, wait for me

Now, everyone dreams of a love lasting and true
Oh, but you and I know what this world can do
So let’s make our steps clear that the other may see
And I’ll wait for you, and if I should fall behind, wait for me

Bruce Springsteen – If I Should Fall Behind

Since we met, I feel a lightness in my step
You’re miles away, but I still feel you
Anywhere I go, there you are…
…Everything is fine, when your head’s resting next to mine, next to mine.

Vance Joy – Fire and the Flood

I don’t get many things right the first time, in fact, I am told that a lot. Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles, and falls brought me here.
And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday and I know that I am the luckiest.

Ben Folds – Luckiest

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Utilizing the Spaces Between, Re-Visiting a Birthday Tradition, & Quiet Calm on a Cliff

Day 3,990

Growth:

Becky’s been reminding me that we don’t have to squeeze more into our trips, sometimes the spaces in between, the unfilled times, are exactly what we need.  This trip has had opportunities for over-scheduling, but we’ve kept it pretty calm by our standards.  Having that extra time to breathe and process has been exactly what I needed.

Appreciation:

Another vacation with Becky is just about wrapped up!  This was a kind of crazy one, we dropped off Gavin and became empty nesters, we go to give our camper van it’s first “Mike and Becky only” trip longer than two nights, and we got to celebrate Becky’s birthday on vacation.  In past years we’ve somehow happened to time being on a vacation or outing of some sort on Becky’s birthday – including the Grand Canyon and Alaska.  Nice to get back to celebrating on the road!

This bonus time for the two of us has been supremely relaxing, this was pretty much the only morning we woke up early to an alarm.  We were able to get in one last hike at New River Gorge NP this morning before starting the trip back and it was a beautiful one for sure.  The clouds were hanging in the river valley as the sun slowly rose.  To add to the fun the moon was still out and the sun rose to just the right height to create a circular rainbow in the clouds.  It was pretty epic!

Another trip for the two of us, likely the first of an increased number with just the two of us with both boys being out of the house.  Celebrating her birthday while on the road doing what we love seemed a very appropriate way to spend the day!

Presence:

At one point this morning Becky and I both sat on a rock that was very close to the edge of a 1,500’ vertical drop.  We sat watching the rapids in the river between the ever increasing gaps in the clouds above the water but below where we were sitting.  We watched the sun slowly rise up, the clouds drift, and we just enjoyed a moment of quiet calm.  

Thanks!!!