Thankful for a Positive Impact, a Rewarding Work Day, & Chair Pose

Day 4,062

Growth:

We never know the ability we have to impact the lives of others with the small acts of kindness we do. I was reminded of this very clearly today as the thought of the maple tree in our front yard entered my brain on a few occasions today. “Pete,” as Becky named the tree, is still holding onto his leaves, they are a bright red in contrast to the largely empty leaves of his neighbors. After Dad passed away some of my teammates got Pete as a gift for us, a reminder of Dad to keep in our yard, hence the tree’s name.

The gift they gave me almost a decade ago continues to flourish, always outside standing sentinel by our home. Each view of it causes me to pause for a moment to think of Dad. That gift in the form of a tree has created so many smiles, rekindled so many memories. That act of kindness, it continues to give over and over again.

Appreciation:

My work day was a pretty bonkers one, some curveballs, some change ups, a fast ball or two. Some of the pitches I saw coming and was able to swing for the fences, others I swung for the fences but totally whiffed. Other times I was caught with my bat laying on my shoulder.

This was a day full of ups and sideways, one that helped me practice more on being present to fully listen to what was being said. A lot to take in, but a lot of wins. Exhausting in a few ways, deeply invigorating and rewarding – sometimes in the same ways!

Here’s to a work day that was not what I expected, more than usual, less crazy and stressful in some ways, and one that legitimately may have moved the dial more than any day before it. A deeply rewarding day.

Presence:

“Sit back into chair pose…”

This evening’s yoga session heard that phrase a little more often than I wanted! In all seriousness, it felt truly delicious in a twisted kind of way, sitting back, holding the weight of my body up with my quads, everything shaking while I drip with sweat as I focus on only holding my legs in place. All energy going into one of two spots – my legs and my breath.

After the exquisite feeling of release into a forward fold my brain begins to process how there was literally nothing else in my mind in that moment, only the pose, only my breath, only my shaking legs, only the sweat beading up and dripping off my face, only the feeling of opening my chest just a little more to expand for a more full breath.

There was no stress, no work, no worries, no thoughts of future, no concern for the past, only the now. Only presence.

My legs may be shaking afterwards, but my mind feels fresh and clear.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Acknowledging My Myopic View, a Busy But Chill Sunday, & a Sunday Morning Walk

Day 4,061

Growth:

Funny how we can all hear the same story, but we each take away something a bit different? At church today one of the readings left me feeling a certain way, I was kind of frustrated. It’s a story I’ve heard before and I always thought it was a display of selfishness rather than a sign of faith. Then our priest went into the story in more detail than I’ve ever heard before, getting very clear on what was actually happening when we were only hearing a little of it. It turns out that my view was completely wrong and actually would have caused serious issues had my “happy ending” to the story actually occurred.

Why the long explanation as a start to this section? How often do I hear one portion of a story, see only from my perspective, or filter through my own personal understanding and experiences rather than seeing the full truth? Why don’t I initially step back to take a wider view before forming an opinion?

Step back, see all the terrain, and then choose my path…

Appreciation:

This morning I awoke feeling completely refreshed and relaxed. There was a ton on my list to get done today, but nothing too crazy. We got our walk in early. I had enough time to make my lunches for the week before we left for church. After a thoughtful service we had time to drop off one of our long time fellow parishioners on our drive home. I had a quiet lunch and went to work knocking out more adulting. There was great peace to be found in the simplicity of the working, cleaning floors, sweeping the garage. With extra time somehow found I was able to get the next batch of rocks going in the tumbler, cleaned a bunch of our amethyst from Canada, and got a few other things put away in the garage. A long talk with Mom, dinner with our friends, knocking out a bunch of adulting between blocking calendars and reserving hotel rooms, and now blogging. Soon to be reading a book and then off to bed.

This entire day has been a bit of a whirlwind, but a very calm and productive one. Plenty of time spent in thought, lots of quiet peacefulness in the motion.

I’m very grateful for a day that say a lot get done while also helping me recharge my battery for the week to come!

Presence:

Our walk this morning was sublime! The sun was out, the weather cool but warm in the sun. The air was crisp and was heavy with the smell of fall leaves. By the time we got to the trail everything was so quiet and peaceful, it felt as if the entire world was still. Becky and I had time to talk, time to let our brains relax, and time to simply exist together in a moment. A perfect start to a Sunday morning!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Becky’s Positive Impact & Many Moments of Joy

Thankful for Becky’s Positive Impact & Many Moments of Joy

Day 4,060

Growth and Appreciation:

One of my mentors told me long ago to be sure to surround myself with people who push me to be my best. While the advice was meant in a work setting I can’t help but be grateful for how much this applies to all of life.

Today was a reminder of how Becky helps me be a better person so often. She got us up and moving on our hike with Leia this morning. She occasionally gave me a hard time for being too frustrated or stressed over things out of my control. Part of our afternoon was spent volunteering, specifically because she saw the opportunity and got me excited to join her for it. Over and over and over again throughout the course of the day I was reminded of how much she helps me live into a better version of myself.

This entire day was filled with shared memories, conversations, dreams of future craziness, and even laughs and fun to be found while grocery shopping – all because the day was shared with her.

For all of today’s reasons as well as an infinitude of others, I am very grateful for Becky motivating and inspiring me to be a better human for the past 9,899 days.

Presence:

Getting our morning hike in on what is normally a busy trail only to find only one other person on it the entire time…

Spending time in the woods smelling the aromas of fall, specifically the spot that had a strong pine needle smell with an overlap of aspen leaves, a hint of fresh soil, and a wisp of almost a cigar box spice…

Laughing as we listen to small kids at the La Crosse Community Theater talk and joke as they help out as ushers at the children’s play…

Sitting on the couch with Becky as we watch the movie Arrival, tears trickling down my cheeks for all the reasons (can’t say more or I’d spoil the movie), and then hugging Becky afterwards…

So many moments of joy found in presence. Life contains such beauty should we only pause to watch for it!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Pausing to Re-Frame, Several Directions, & Perfectly Chill Fall Running Weather

Day 4,059

Growth:

Reframing a situation really can help us find a new perspective. Sometimes this may mean finding a new way to tackle a challenge, other times it means zooming way out to realize we were asking the wrong question or were armed with the incorrect tools.

Before making a decision remember to pause and consider how much time you have prior to making the decision. Then use that time effectively to come at it from as many different directions and vantage points as possible.

Today I was able to save myself from choosing a less elegant solution. I also found a better way to tackle a different challenge. Lastly I was able to reframe an entire conversation differently as a result of the pause.

Appreciation:

Hmm…. I’m going to go in a few directions today, a few interesting notes I want to be sure to drop as bread crumbs for Future Mike to be able to come across at some point.

There were more than a few conversations about death today, and many more over the past week or so. Largely Halloween, likely a mix of fall weather mixed in. What’s interesting is that none of them were scary or nerve wracking, more accepting and leveraging the end all of us will eventually face to live into our best lives possible.

So much fun getting to know people who are new in our lives, especially on road trips to other offices. I had a wonderful time getting to know one of our newest teammates much better today, so much fun being able to connect as a human being rather than just a teammate.

Spending a calm Friday evening at home with Becky, eating dinner together, relaxing on the couch as she read and I watched high school football while we both snuggled with Leila a bit. A very calm end to a week that seemed so hectic in so many ways.

Presence:

This morning’s run was kind of a chilly one! I was bundled up a little more than usual, wind pants, a windbreaker, and gloves as the temperature felt like it was below 30 for the first time this fall.

While the air was crisp and chill my lungs soaked it right up, it was really quite invigorating! Becky and I were both in a good mood as we did our best to keep up with Leila, who thought this was by far the best weather we’ve had since last winter!

Fresh cool air, clear skies, many stars, and a thumbnail of a moon. What a perfectly fall way to start off the morning!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Best Moments of My Life

Thankful for the Best Moments of My Life

Day 4,058

Becky recently read Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves and recommended it to me. Over the past three nights I’ve consumed it, deeply moving on a few levels.

One of the quotes really hit home as I read it last night, I just had to save it:


She holds them tight. She smells their hair. She remembers Layla when she was Neda’s age, when they lived in the old flat, and how terrifyingly fast it’s all gone, and she thinks about how old Layla will be when Neda is Layla’s age, and how quickly that will go too. And it hurts, and it swells in her chest like the panic of drowning, but she breathes, and she squeezes them tighter. She knows this moment – this precious clarity, this twenty-minute gift – this moment right now, just sitting with her children is everything she will ever miss.

Ben Reeves, Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

This evening Becky, the boys, and I all hopped on FaceTime for over an hour of talking, joking, connecting, and existing with each other.

In every way it was perfectly ordinary, nothing unusual.

In every way it was a moment of complete presence, of the connection of my family, a moment of shared love.

The moments of love and presence with my family I will miss most when my time is up. I will miss them, but I’m even more grateful that they happen so often that they seem ordinary in-spite of their extraordinariness. Without a doubt the best moments of my life.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Our Own Tides, Planning a Trip, & a Moment of Awareness

Day 4,057

Growth:

This quote from Golden Son by Pierce Brown is one of my favorites:


“We all have our own tides inside. They go in, out. Not really ours to control. The things, people that orbit us do that. At least more than we’d like to admit.”

Pierce Brown, Golden Sun

What got me thinking of this today was the number of times in which the impact of others was very much felt on me. In turn, there were several moments in which I realized how my presence had had an impact on others. Likely none were intentional, we were all just being who we each are, but without realizing it we all caused each others tides to ebb and flow.

Our presence always contains gravity of some type for the others nearby, how can I more often live into the best version of me that helps the tides in the right direction rather than disrupting them negatively? How can I work to better shift the tides of others, or maybe deflect is a better term, in order to minimize or maximize the impact of their “presence” gravity?

Every step we take, each action we make, each smile we share, all impact others.

Appreciation:

Let’s be real, vacations and travel are some of my all time favs!!! There are more than a few reasons for them, one is very fresh in my head this evening.

Of course the trip itself is usually lights out, right? If not, why would we go?

After the trip we have a lifetime of memories to share. Bill Perkins called these “memory dividends” in his book Die with Zero (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READ). By experiencing these moments with others we have memories to draw on for the rest of our lives.

What hit me today is the gratitude for the fun in planning the vacation in the first place! Yes, it is work to get it all organized. Yes, it can be interesting as we’re coordinating things we’ve never done before with people / countries / options we’ve never dealt with before. Yes, there is some stress, but it is worth every moment. What’s more important – we’re able to draw from the future memory dividends as we plan the trip! We plan, we bounce ideas off each other, we talk with other friends, we connect with others who have had these similar experiences – each of those conversations lights us up and fills us with joy before we’ve even gone on the trip! Think about it, have you ever asked someone about what it’s like to travel somewhere for fun and not walk away with both of you smiling?

Planning the vacation, one of the most underrated benefits of the entire process of traveling!

Presence:

One of my all time favorite moments is a version of this repeated. Seeing someone finally see in themselves and believe in themselves in the the way you have always seen them. The moment of awareness that you can see on their face and in their eyes when they see their potential in a way similar to how so many of us already seem them. Amazing!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Full Day with Several Different Currents

Day 4,056

This morning I had a fun conversation with my brother as we both started off the day with early morning long drives. He had me beat by a few hours, though his drive was likely more scenic than mine. We shot the bull, spoke of nothing of true consequence, essentially having the same type of conversation Becky and I often have on our early morning runs when we are up while the rest of the world is asleep. So much fun joking with him and knowing we have well over forty years of stories to share. I can’t help but be more grateful for the time we spent on our road trip a couple months ago, the bond seems stronger than ever.

My work day was a lot of prep, prep for a new teammate, training them a bit, prepping for a few conversations for tomorrow, prepping for a handful of projects to finish this week. Prep for additional coaching and mentoring, and definitely prepping for continued growth. When I look back on today it won’t be filled with anything that will show up on a scorecard, but will make a big difference in the future scoreboard. Very fulfilling in a very different kind of way.

Usually my first two days of the week leave me feeling like I’ve run ragged, so much packed into the first 40% of the week. Today I realized I was feeling quite full of energy, a couple of schedule shifts led to a couple of subtle changes that left me more rested and feeling less taxed than normal. I could get used to that, I need to spend more time considering what exactly was different and then work more of that into my future weeks.

A relaxed start to the evening and dinner with Becky was fantastic! No screens, no stress, even dinner was leftovers (my favorite!). Just the two of us shooting the bull, relaxing, and smiling knowing we’ll both be going to bed early as we both get used to the new time change. Looking forward to our run tomorrow morning, our quiet time to start the day!

This evening I’ve been able to knock out a handful of relatively simple tasks I’ve had on my list for quite some time. Nothing crazy, but progress. Having this bonus time with the boys not being home has led to more open time, and now I’m finally starting to feel it more – I had forgotten how much time the Brewers had taken up over the past couple of weeks for me! Now in the quiet I’m able to get things done, and relax. I miss the chaos of chasing the boys, but this is very rewarding in a different kind of way. That said, I am totally looking forward to them being home to disrupt this quiet.

Today was a great day in so many ways. Time with loved ones. Time making progress. Time in thought. Time to reflect and relax. A full day.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Questioning How Much I Need, Our Dream Lists, & a Few Moments of Stillness

Day 4,055

Growth:

Over the past day I’ve had so many thoughts revolving around what does one really need to be happy? What do I need ot have in order to find joy in daily life? How often am I wasting my valuable life energy on something without a return, on something that doesn’t lead me closer to my conceptual purpose? How much energy is wasted trying to make money for something I don’t really need? Why do I often consider buying “stuff,” rather than using those resources for something important? Why do I reflexively want to make sure I have enough and am afraid of sharing too much with others (cash, time, etc…)?

Some of these thoughts likely come from my buddy’s recent trip to Walden Pond, reminding me of the economics of Thoreau. I’m also in that state of mind when reading Endurance by Alfred Lansing, hearing the story of Shackleton and his crew being stranded in the most inhospitable place in the world and even after being stranded for over a year have comments like this:


“Macty [McCarthy] is the most irrepressable optimist I’ve ever met. When I relieve him at the helm, boat iced & seas pouring down your neck he informs me with a happy grin ‘It’s a grand day sir’ I was feeling a bit sour just before….”

The Endurance, Alfred Lansing

Or maybe as I’m prepping to re-read Life Lived Wild by Rick Ridgeway and remembering this story about a tribesman in the amazonian rain forest who is going to leave his village for a month and takes nothing besides his bow and arrows, machete, and his small loincloth.


“That guy will go with us.” “Great. Tell him we’ll wait while he goes to his hut and gets his stuff.” Alberto translated my message to the headman, who replied to Alberto, who turned to me. “He doesn’t need to go to his hut. He has everything he needs.” I looked at the man. He held his bow and several arrows and he had a machete. Like the others, he had a small red loincloth that covered only his privates. He would be gone from his village for about a month.

Life Lived Wild, Rick Ridgeway

How much more do I have than what I need, and how much is it really costing me?

Appreciation:

Almost twenty years ago I wrote my first real dream list while sitting on the shore of Lake Superior. Throughout the past couple of decades it has shifted and evolved. Many of the dreams have been knocked out, so many more are waiting in the wings. Some have existed for brief stints and then vanished as time passed them by.

In the past few years I’ve started re-writing the list once per year, taking time to curate a list of 100 or more things I would like ot do, see, or experience. Some can be easily completed with a little focus, others will take quite some time and a lot of focus – like going to every US National Park with Becky, 40 down and 24 to go!

One of the things I appreciate most about the list is the fact that some of the things that get written down kind of get forgotten about, and then out of nowhere there’s an opportunity to knock it out. Sometimes I totally forgot it was on the list until a while after it happened! It’s almost like once it’s in ink on paper it takes on a life of its own, it just up to me to watch for the moment or to choose to focus on it to make it real.

The reason I bring it up today is that there have been a few on my list for quite some time that are not my dreams specifically, but dreams of others that I want to accomplish with them. Dominic, Gavin, and Becky all have their own dream lists, and it’s sometimes fun to “borrow” one of theirs to help it come true, especially rewarding when we are able to share that moment together. There’s nothing quite like the magic of experiencing a dream come true for someone else, talk about your heart bursting with joy!

This evening we’ve thrown a few chunks of dream lists at each other, so much fun going back to see what we each had at different times, and seeing how we can help them come true. Without that list we could still dream, but the lists make it so much easier to craft into reality!

Presence:

Today was full of moments, running with Becky, conversations at work, yoga this evening, texting and joking with the boys. What really sticks out for me most was the quiet moment I took to myself today. On my drive to work I took a slightly longer route to go through a cemetery, the leaves fallen like snow, the cold dark grey skies, everything making it feel like the exact place I should be. I paused, sat in the car quietly. Sipped my coffee. Let my mind wander. Spent a moment thinking of those above who’ve gone before. Relaxing and re-calibrating my thoughts to remember that I will be amongst them at some point. Smelling the leaves and scents of autumn, savoring my breaths. Centering my mind and soul. Stillness.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Moving Song, Almost Twelve Hours of Sleep, & an Afternoon with Dominic and Caitlyn

Day 4,053

Growth:

Some human experiences are near universal. Dealing with the death of a loved one is something we’ll all work through at some point in our lives, likely many times. There are times when someone can so completely open the door to emotion so compleely that we can all recognize the feeling. This song is one of those – Grief is Only Love by Stephen Wilson, Jr.

And I miss my father every day
The kinda pain I pray don’t fade away
And the ones above guide me down the road
Yeah, grief is only love that’s got no place to go

Stephen Wilson, Jr – Grief is Only Love

This one really has hit home as I’ve listened to it over the past couple of days. What’s really struck me isn’t just the way it makes me think of losing Dad, there are so many levels to this.

This song takes something incredibly difficult and uses it as an opportunity to grow.

It reminds us to soak up the emotions and let them flow through us. Sometimes we may want to hold them back, that’s okay to. We’re human, give ourselves grace as we work through the dificulty.

As the song reminds us, the ones we lost are always there to guide – take your pic of literally or through the lessons they taught us in life, either way is right – we only need to pause and listen for them.

We’re all human, we all have difficulty. Things like politics, money, fame, power, and the like really don’t mean anything when we remember we’re all going to face the same human challenges and losses, we need to love each other as we all get through our lives together. We are all one more than we are individual.

Appreciation:

Last night was my earliest Halloween bedtime (that I can recall anyways), I was in bed a little before 8pm and asleep before 9pm. This morning when I woke up and got out of bed it was almost 8am, I slept for almost TWELVE hours! That’s the most I’ve gotten in a very long time, Certainly the most I’ve gotten without suffering through an illness of some sort. Half a day, sleeping.

Based on the past couple of days / weeks / months it is no surprise that my body and mind took total advantage of the opportunity to get the sleep and rest it needed. There might be another one of those monster sleep nights in the next week or so just for good measure.

What I’m most grateful for today is the sensation of waking up after a full and complete night of sleep. I awoke completely rested and ready to go. My brain was sharp, everything seemed a little more clear than usual. Everything was working in the right direction very well. Great way to kick off the day!

As a result I was totally present while we grocery shopped, remembering all the little things. At church I was much more focused and attuned to the sermon. When we had lunch and a walk with Dominic and Caitlyn I was one hundred percent there with them. Our FaceTime with Gavin went very well, it was clear how much I miss spending time with him in person. As Becky and I laughed and relaxed I was able to be there with her as well all day. Life was a little extra on a very normal day.

Cheers to finally getting the sleep I needed to get myself mostly caught up!

Presence:

This afternoon we had lunch on the grill with Dominic and Caitlyn, the four of us relaxing outside and enjoying the weather while shooting the bull. Afterwards we hit the road and woods for a nice long walk together. The time was spent without screens in front of any of us, we were talking the entire time. So wonderful getting that time together with them!

I’m very grateful for the twice a week we’re all together on the phones for FaceTime, but spending time together in real life is always so much better. Having an afternoon together like this was exactly what my well rested soul needed, especially as I kept thinking of Dad throughout the day, specifically through a combination of the song Grief is Only Love and much of the focus of our church service today.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Day of Family and Fresh Air

Day 4,052

This pumpkin has seen much later Halloweens, that’s for sure! I’m likely going to be in bed by 8:00pm this evening and have zero intent of setting an alarm to wake up to tomorrow morning. As I wrote about a couple of nights ago, it is time to pay the Late Nights Watching the Brewers Win the World Series Tax!

This morning started with a wonderful walk in the woods in the acreage behind my inlaws’ home. Leia loved being off leash and running all over while Becky and I took our time walking the trails and enjoying the fresh air. So chill to be in the woods with no goal, no timing, and the almost total quiet. At one point there was a very light rain, one that was heard more than felt. Such a magical sound, the pitter patter of raindrops on freshly fallen leaves.

We then spend time with her parents relaxing and talking for a bit. Chill conversation, nothing crazy, just fun catching up and spending time with them over coffee. Shortly thereafter we went for a ride to Becky’s sister’s to catch up with her, and then off to Wisconsin Rapids for our nephew’s State Cross Country meet! More family time while hanging out on the golf course soaking in more fresh air and getting even more steps in!

After the meet we walked back a mile and a half to our private parking spot, my brother’s driveway! As luck would have it, the meet was that close to Nick’s so we got to spend some time together with Nick and the family for a bit after the meet.

Becky and I loaded up to head back home, listening to a podcast about the study of beavers. Now we’re home, relaxing on the couch, and ready to call it the earliest Halloween night I can remember.

Such a great day, very relaxing, full of family time, and so much fresh air!

Thanks!!!