Thankful for Uncharted Territory, the Secret, & an Outdoor Morning Moving Meditation

Thankful for Uncharted Territory, the Secret, & an Outdoor Morning Moving Meditation

Day 4,046

Growth:

One of my favorite authors once shared that the reason they write what they do is to figure out how they feel about a certain thing. As I was starting to think about my blog today I was almost giddy as I had an idea or two, but I really didn’t know where this post was going to take me. Then it hit me, that’s one of the reasons I appreciate this practice so much – I never know where it’s going to go and I likely wouldn’t have gotten there without taking time to write and think it through.

This practice, more than eleven years in, and it’s still surprising me with the reasons why I appreciate it so! Here’s to all of the uncharted territory I worked my way into without intent over the past decade and change!

Appreciation:

After spending a few hours working on my passion project today my mind kept pulling back to this quote:


The awful truth would begin to dawn on him: there was no Secret! His days would have to be spent in exactly this manner, give or take a mile or two, for longer than he cared to think about, if he really wanted to see the olive wreath up close. It would simply be the most difficult, heartrending process he would endure in the course of his life. At that point most of them would drift away.

John L. Parker, Once a Runner

How many of us spend so much time trying to find a shortcut, a way to make something difficult easy? I can’t even begin to express how much of my life energy has been spent in this simple pursuit of the quick way. In some ways it’s incredibly humbling, but I also fear it is also incredibly human.

When I read the quote above I picture the imagery from the book, Once a Runner, in which the focus is on putting in a ton of miles of running… day after day after day… as the way to getting to the goal. Everyone wants the shortcut, but once they learn the awful truth that “the secret” is nothing more than putting in the reps over and over and over and over, they lose heart and quit.

Interestingly enough, when we somehow find a way to keep grinding, to keep putting in the reps, we might eventually find just how much of an impact that repeating action made. Case in point, this daily blog has averaged about 320 words per day. Those 320 words per day have somehow accumulated to almost 1.3 MILLION words over the past eleven years! How wild is that? They just keep adding up, piece by piece by piece.

As I keep working on my next project, Life Topography (more coming very soon now) also has a longer term underlying structure beneath it. What started almost twenty years ago as a way for me to remember what was important to me in life has slowly grown. Over the past five years it’s become a core of who I am and has generated more and more of the daily grind / slow burn habits that have helped me grow towards more and more of my dreams recently. Those habits include reviewing my annual map each morning before I get out of bed as well as daily scorecard to review my day as I lay in bed before going to sleep. Small and simple steps, but unceasing, relentless.

I love creating and inventing things. I really enjoy the process of shaping something from the aether that has never existed or re-shaping an existing process to improve it. While that is fun, that is novel, and that is entertaining, some of the largest gains come from the simple act of doing the same thing over and over and over and over until we really start to see the core of the thing… and that’s just the start! Then we have to keep doing it over and over and over, maintaining the relentless trial of miles and miles of trials. Eventually, the magic happens and we didn’t even notice that it had been building while we were continuing to grind.

There’s a true magic in maintaining, in gritting something out, in being relentless. There’s a joy to be found in the process of putting in the reps, and more joy as we grow into what the reps build us into.

Presence:

I had a crazy idea for Becky and I this morning, I’m so glad she was game for it! We woke up early, drove out to the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge and proceeded to have a five mile jogging nature / bird watching / outdoor moving meditation. So much beauty and wonder to be found there this morning! We saw a good size buck burst out of the woods and run away from us. There were giant groups of pelicans preening and fishing. A flock of cormorants joined another flock and another flock and all flew in the direction of warmer horizons. Becky noticed something flying in the woods and pointed it out. Next thing we knew we were staring at a Barred Owl who seemed to be having just as much fun watching us! So many birds and birdsong throughout. We’d jog for a while, stop to take in the view, and then get moving again with no goal of a distance or a time, only to be present in nature together. These are the moments in which I am so grateful for Becky in my life!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Fall in the Driftless and Prepping the Campervan

Day 4,045

Fall in the Driftless, doesn’t get much better than this! Had a wonderful morning hike with Becky in Perrot State Park, enjoying the perfect hiking weather, sunny skies, and relatively quiet trails (until we hit rush hour as we were heading out). The autumn colors, the fresh air, the scent of leaves. Getting out and moving on one of our local favorites was perfect start to the day!

This afternoon I did some work on the campervan, removing the TV (outside of the Brewers in October we really don’t watch much TV, especially while on vacation) and replaced it with a wooden National Park picture that tracks which of the parks we’ve been too (while simultaneously providing future travel ideas). Next up was cleaning the bathroom, the floors, and the fridge, getting it ready to be packed away for a handful of months.

I’m grateful for this practice as it provided an opportunity to pause and consider all the adventures it took us on this year, all the memories it played a part in creating. We put on many miles, traveled across many states, went to Canada a couple of times, and sooooo many wonderful moments shared with loved ones. The season may be done, but the memories kept flowing back as I cleaned. Such a gift, the enjoyment of the memory dividends!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Accumulation of Experiences, the Weekbeginning (Not a misspelling), & the Brewers

Day 4,044

Growth:

So easy to forget how much we learn over the course of our lives. I was having coffee with a WSU student today and he had some great questions to bounce off of me. As I walked through the answers I was almost shaking my head thinking of all the stories and experiences I’ve had the opportunity to work through over the past quarter century plus in the staffing industry. There’ve been so many sales experiences, troubleshooting moments, roadblocks and obstacles, and so many excellent mentors and friends.

There is so much knowledge and wisdom slowly built through experience, we often don’t see it happening. Similar to what I wrote about yesterday it’s almost as if we need a way to capture a moment in amber, lock it away for years, and then pull it out to see how much we’ve grown since. Tonight I’m grateful for that slow accumulation of learning through experience.

Appreciation:

Whew – this was a week!!! Between work, life, and everything in between this was quite possibly one of the most unhinged weeks ever! While I can’t get int the work specifics, let’s just say that I haven’t had so many “you’re never going to believe this, but…” conversations. Life through some unexpected curveballs as well, a combination of fun and scary. The giant task list I’ve been building up in both segments of life somehow shrunk and grew at the same time. I took a crazy next step that I’d never done before, got plans made for an upcoming adventure with Becky, and had about a year of my life knocked off by the insane intensity of the Brewers’ World Series game. It’s been bonkers!!!

All that said, I’m glad that this week came just as I’m about to enjoy my first full weekend at home without anything going on in a about two months or so. The timing could not have been better. Also, everything got wrapped up for the week, no loose ends hanging around, I’ll be able to walk in on Monday with no stress.

Here’s to tomorrow being the weekbeginning, I’ll consider the weekend as complete when I lay down shortly. The new week starts when I wake up.

Presence:

Okay, going to stay on the lighter side, but still very much a presence focus… Watching the start of the World Series, seeing that it is happening in Milwaukee, that the Brewers made it to the Fall Classic… Wow!!!

My brother and I first started caring about baseball way back in 1986. The Mets vs Red Sox World Series was the first I’d ever watched, and we couldn’t help but think of how incredible it would be to watch the Brewers play in one. As the years have gone by I’ve been a very fair weather fan, watching a little of the playoffs, not paying close attention, and seeing them go to the World Series gave me chills!!!

My brother has been a die hard, a Brewers lifer, and has gone so far as to have named four dogs after the organization. Hearing the excitement in his voice today in the lead up to the game was truly priceless. I’m hoping he had someone with 911 loaded on their phone and ready to go by the end of this first game!

Sports, amazing how much emotion it can pull out of us at times!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Trial of Miles and Three Photos

Thankful for the Trial of Miles and Three Photos

Day 4,043

Growth:

I know, I just wrote about my reading list last night, but it really stuck with me again today! As I started to re-re-read Once a Runner by John L. Parker the reasons I added this book to the list came roaring back almost immediately. The entire story is built on the main character, Quenton Cassidy, and his nonstop grit that powers him towards his dream. Throughout the book one can’t help but get motivated and want to get out on a run, letting the legs fly, and enjoying every moment of it.

More importantly, there is the nonstop drive, the resilience, the grit that keeps showing over and over and over again. The quote below is one instance of that lesson driven home.


The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many days, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.

Once a Runner, John L. Parker

The story itself is fantastic, a little out there, a bit obvious, but pulls me in tight through each reading. Definitely a sweatshirt book if I’ve ever read one! Three times this year will be enough for this one, but it will be back again in 2027 for sure.

Appreciation & Presence:

Last night as I was prepping for bed I stumbled across these two photos:

Two photos of our boys on our 2018 family trip to Isle Royale National Park with a pit stop at Split rock Lighthouse north of Duluth. Both pics show them taking in the moment: stillness and absorption in wonder in one, active and enjoying the world around them in the other. In both they are looking ahead, seeing the world, exploring the life that lay ahead of them.

In front of them the landscape looks timeless and vast, never-ending even as it disappears into the horizon, but these photos remind us of how fleeting those moments were. At the time we were out exploring, hiking, laughing, and creating memories together. None of us realized just how quickly those moments would fly by.

Becky and I wanted to take them to places out in nature and outdoors so they would grow up knowing that there is so much wonder to be found in the world, so much life to explore, and that those moments are made all the better when shared with loved ones.

Here we are eight years later and they’ve both moved out and are off to college. They’ve each started making their own paths in the world, and we couldn’t be more proud of the young men they have grown into.

As I look back so fondly on these photos I realize the moments they hold are like insects suspended in amber, memories preserved forever. The nature and views are majestic and full of wonder, but what I love the most are the reminders of all of those moments we shared together as a family, the experiences side by side.

There are times I wish I could go back in time and sit on the bench beside them, looking out over the seeming infinity of Lake Superior together. I wish I could pick up rocks on the shoreline and skip them across the lake together. Those moments have passed, but I’m grateful for being present in each of them them while it was happening.

All of this was going through my head as I lay in bed looking at those two photos last night, happy tears streaming down my face. I was so moved by the memories, so appreciative of the chance to have created them.

Then I had another thought. I paused, swallowed hard, and pulled up one more photo, and then the tears flowed more…

I just stared at Dad’s face, the smile on it as he created a love-filled memory with his son, while his son created a love-filled memory with his sons.

As I stared at that picture of us in the treehouse we had just built together, I wept. That treehouse, those trips, raising those boys: none of it happened in a single day. It was our own Trial of Miles, built moment by moment over years that went by far too fast. And Dad walked those miles with me long before I walked them with my boys. What he gave me in that treehouse, I tried to give them on the shores of Lake Superior.

Now I can’t wait for all the adventures Becky and I still have ahead with our boys, all the moments we have yet to share.

My heart is so full of joy, gratitude, and love that it feels about to burst. I’ve been so blessed to have shared so many moments with those I love, and I am grateful for each of them.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for My 2026 Reading Goal, Choosing My Mindset, & Engaging Conversations

Day 4,042

Growth:

One of my Start Doing’s for 2026 was to read, re-read, and then re-re-read 25 specific books. Each was selected for a specific reason, largely focused on values I wanted to live into more this year, concepts I wanted fresh in my brain, and stories that have always struck me as interesting on a deeper than surface level. With a little over two months to go I’m on track and only have 10 reads to go, 65 already under my belt.

I’ve learned so many things through this process. There are books I’d like to read more than three times due to how engaging they are. There are also books that I’m going to set aside and not pick back up for at least a year or two. Throughout each I’ve caught myself seeing deeper insights, hearing slightly different themes, and changing my behavior and thoughts as a result. It’s been a positive result for sure!

I miss reading so many different titles, I’ve only read 14 outside of the 25 core curriculum of 2026, but I’ll get back to that next year. This year this level of focus was exactly what my mind needed to help hardwire some of these concepts into my brain. Here’s to the home stretch of 2026 AND to the new books of 2027.

Appreciation:

This was a day! Many reasons for that statement, some positive, some scary, some exciting, some frustrating. As Jim Valvano once said, “if you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day!” In one single sixty minute stretch each of those was knocked off the list! During the entirety of the day there were definitely some repeats of all of them.

What’s interesting is that I could find myself looking only at the positive and trying to forget about the frustrating, keeping an overly optimistic view of all of it, but I’d be getting it wrong.

I could find myself looking only at the negative and getting so frustrated and agitated as I forgot about the positive, keeping an overly negative view of all of it, but I’d be getting it wrong.

As luck would have it, my current book is The Book of Joy in which the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu share so much wisdom about framing moments and putting the focus on where it should be. They had a positive impact on me today and helped me choose what feels to be the more correct path.

All of the things today happened. They were each individually good or bad, they were. Each of those moments offered an opportunity to learn, to feel, and to experience life. Each moment gave me an opportunity to be grateful – I was alive for each of those moments, I was able to experience each of those moments. So many of them were out of my control. In most I was grateful for the opportunity to see that I can live my core values and into my purpose in good times and in difficulty. In some I was able to more clearly see the gap between who I am and who I be living into, I was shown an opportunity to grow. Each of those moments was a gift.

Each moment, not good, not bad, always a gift. An opportunity for growth. My mind and soul, both at peace.

Presence:

Today had several conversations that involved some hard core presence. In each there was no room for anything but being right in the moment – to follow along, to dig deeper into a difficult topic, to be sure I was hearing what the person was saying. There were some with high emotions, some more cerebral and logical, and others focused on new ideas and growth.

The consistent detail was keeping the focus on the conversation I was having the with the individual – hearing them, considering their message, and responding accordingly.

Very grateful for each of those conversations today, they were so engaging that they inspired me to work harder on being that engaged in other conversations.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for My Morning Drive

Day 4,041

My morning drive today was a beauty! The cool temperatures created some incredible fog in the bluffs. As the sun slowly inched closer to the horizon the purples and oranges in the sky were magnificent. The dawn light caused the leaves to really pop, their colors really shining bright.

Traffic was super light as I meandered through the countryside towards Arcadia, leaving me to be able to soak up all the sights around me. This turned out to be a huge benefit…

As I rounded a corner starting to head up the ridge there was just enough light to make out a shape standing in the gravel inches off the blacktop. A truly remarkable buck stood sentry on the edge of the road, his breath blowing out a steam in the cold air. His rack was outstanding, he had to be at least a ten pointer, crazy thick beams and a wide spread. As I drove past this majestic beast he didn’t even move, totally standing his ground. Such a surreal moment for sure!

The rest of the drive involved creating the ridge and driving atop a sea of fog with islands of hills bursting forth. I was reminded of one of my dreams, seeing the tepuis of South America.

The remaining miles were full of shifting colors and changes in sunlight, the fog slowly dissipating. So similar to a dreamlike state while drinking my coffee and relaxing on the drive.

This morning I chose to enjoy the long commute, I was greatly rewarded.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Day Bookended with Exercise with Becky

Day 4,040

Today was bookended by physical activity with Becky, pretty great way to start and end a day!

Our morning run was under very clear and starry skies, Becky saw a couple of shooting stars (I must have been sucking wind too much). The weather was pretty much perfect, a cool upper 40’s morning with little wind, and a sky full of stars. We were able to again have great conversation while the world slept, I just can’t get enough of those early morning runs! I know, sounds crazy, but it is about as chill as it gets to kick off a Monday morning!

This evening we had our usual yoga date night and sweated our butts off with Lace! She had one of her most epic classes yet, I was literally dripping with sweat by the midway point, stretched out more than usual, and in a complete state of chill and calm by the time class wrapped up. That time together, while we aren’t talking, is still fantastic, just taking in activity like that with one you love is a great feeling. Sharing that sensation of calm as we walk out in to the fresh air afterwards was perfect.

The work day was chaotic for so many reasons, largely good, just a nonstop thrill ride of staffing life. Having the time together with Becky to start the day and wrap up the day both engaged in activities we enjoy made the day all the better!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Another List Due to the Last List Item

Day 4,039

There are a few distinct gratitudes from today, going list style so I can get to bed early 🙂

  • A quick cup of coffee and conversation with friends to start off a morning
  • Wrapping up a great book, enjoying the story throughout
  • Quiet time to reflect on the advice from a friend
  • Getting lost in the productive practice of cleaning floors while listening to an audiobook
  • Pausing the cleaning often to take notes and quotes from the book
  • Getting another hike in with Becky and Leia to round out the weekend
  • Enjoying so much time outdoors, seeing birds, snakes, and all the plant life
  • Eating supper at 5:10 on a Sunday night out on the deck with Becky
  • Sharing good belly laughs with Becky
  • Talking with the boys on FaceTime, enjoy our time together
  • Reminders of lessons learned in the past, helping others learn them along the way
  • Going to bed by 7:45pm!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Wonderful Morning Walk in the Woods and asking for Help

Day 4,038

Taking time to enjoy a morning hike on a frosty morning in the forest, enjoying the feeling of walking in sunshine while the melting frost falls from the trees.  Relaxing time with Becky and Leia on the trails in the chill morning air, feeling the sunlight raise the temperature significantly as we pass through the shadows.  Watching the steam rise from Leia’s muzzle as she exhales in the cool air.  Spending time in the woods, a walking meditation, taking a moment to savor the sight of a woodpecker slowly making its way around a dead tree.  Paradise!

So many times in life I’ve found it so easy to help others, yet so difficult to set ego aside to receive it.  Thankful for the help and advice of an old friend, taking extra time to help me down a path I’ve never traveled before.  A wonderful reminder of how important it is to ask for help rather than attempting to push forward on my own.  Remember to ask for help more often, it is a gift with multiple recipients.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Choosing My Path, Miles of Trials, & Wrapping a Bow on It

Day 4,037

Growth:

Always block the calendar with the most important things, knock them out, and life will go much more smoothly.

After a frenetic first three quarters of my week I was able to get back into a rhythm today. Prior to leaving last night I too the time to line up my calendar with the most important things I needed to work on. I was able to lock in and focus where I needed to and it felt great.

Great lesson to remember for myself as I start to set up my plan for 2027… Step back. See the terrain. Choose my path.

Appreciation:

This morning I really didn’t want to get out of bed. I was hoping it was going to be raining so I’d have an excuse to go back to sleep. Too many nights staying up to watch the Brewers, allergies kicking my butt, lots of activity over the past few weeks. I just felt exhausted.

After the alarm went off I paused and listened… no rain. No excuses. No reason not to do the right thing.

I got up and went for my run with Becky.

It wasn’t a great one, no speed records for sure, but the miles got done. We had a great time talking as we ran, both of us feeling a little rough, but both of us moving.

Today I’m glad I showed up and survived the miles of trials!

Presence:

This evening as I left work I couldn’t help but smile. Everything was wrapped up from the week. Everything for next week is prepped and ready. Nothing to worry about or think about over the weekend.When I roll in on Monday everything is in place and ready to rumble. That’s a great feeling of presence, one that will continue to pay off all weekend long!

Thanks!!!