What can I learn from this?  How can I listen more intently and better absorb the wisdom I am hearing?  If I were in the other person’s shoes, how would I feel?  When I’m in the shoes of those who frustrate them how am I like the person who is causing the frustration?  If I was to take away one nugget of insight from this interaction what would it be?  As I observe these two people engaged in conversation what could I learn from viewing the conversation through each of their eyes?

These are the questions that have been going through my noggin often over the past week and change.  Ever since starting to re-read The Book of Joy that concept has been stuck in my head like a very positive sliver.  Once in a while throughout the day that sliver is bumped into something else and I am reminded of it.  Once I’m reminded of it the thought of it is the only thing I can focus on.

Over the past couple of days this has led to some very interesting and much appreciated insights.  I’ve started noticing things about myself, behavior, and thoughts.  Some are negatives for me to work on and others are positives that I need to focus on more.  Regardless, it’s been an eye opener for me and has already started to have some positive impact.

There have been a couple of moments today in which I’ve caught myself and proceeded with different actions and words based on the insights from asking those questions of myself.  I’m thankful for learning vicariously through others, it’s led me to a better today.

Thanks!!!

Didn’t I just write about one of these types of days a little while back?  One of those days were there are so many things that stick out that it’s just too tough to pick out one thing.  So many events and happenings to be thankful for that I can’t help but write about them all…

Today started off with an early morning run on legs that were stiff, tired, and sore from yoga yesterday.  While on the surface it felt rough there was something about it that just felt great!  It meant my legs had been worked hard yesterday and they are getting stronger.  Sure, the run was a little more difficult and slower than normal, but I couldn’t help but think about how that pain meant that I was getting better and really pushing myself.  I stayed present in the soreness and didn’t shy from it, I soaked it in and enjoyed the feeling of improvement.

As I got onto I90 on my way home I fired up a song that just seemed right in the moment. The volume button on my radio slowly crept up until it was pretty much ear splitting loud and I was loving every minute of it.  Before I knew it the song was over and I was almost home.  In that moment I realized that I’d totally lost myself in the song for that moment.  I was bouncing my head around like a crazy person, hammering away on the air piano, singing along and just soaking it all in.  Nothing else existed, just me and the song (and of course the road).  It was awesome!

After our last night of yoga we headed out for a beverage with friends.  When we walked out we saw a glorious sunset that seemed about to turn into something I still have burned into my brain from when I was a kid…  a Grandpa Lamping sunset.  One time we were at my grandparents for a week or so in the Sumer there was this spectacular sunset in which the sun just got bigger and bigger as it slowly fell out of the sky.  I remember Grandpa going in to get his camera to get a picture of it and he was just soaking it in, totally in a state of childlike bliss like it was the first sunset he’d ever seen.  Even though I was only a young kid that moment sunk and I’ll never forget that sunset or the look of pure joy on his face.  While I wasn’t able to get in the right place before the sun had set this time, just seeing a Grandpa Lamping sunset rekindled that old memory and had me smiling from ear to ear.

While all three are very different there is a common theme now as I think about it.  In each of those moments I was completely present.  There was no little voice in my head, no brain chatter, just me in the moment and it was outstanding!  How much more joyful would I be if I could focus that tightly in the present more often?  That’s something I’ll have to keep working towards.

Thanks!!!

The first part of today’s blog is pretty much straight forward…  How awesome is a hot shower???  Seriously, it’s definitely in my Top 100 favorite things in world.  Being able to clean off, enjoy the feeling of hot water, and the relaxing sensation it brings is seriously amazing.  I have the opportunity to take at least one a day and I’m grateful for each of them.

At yoga tonight we had Joshua as our teacher and he did a fantastic job of kicking my butt in a very positive way.  My favorite part about the practice tonight was that is was completely different form anything we’ve done in the past.  A new pose, a different order, and a very different focus than in other sessions.  That’s what got me thinking…

I’m very thankful to have such a wonderful mix of yoga instructors at Root Down.  Very rarely do we have the same one twice in a row.  Each one is very positive and upbeat, combinations of awesome motivators and coaches.  They each have a slightly different style that bring a different feel to each practice.  Some are more cardio focused, others incorporate more stretching, and there are some balances between the two.  There are a few that give a motivational thought for the day, there are some that dive right in, and some that crack me with the very well timed joke.  The mix of so many different personalities is an amazing positive that I’m very thankful for.  Each time Becky gets us both signed up I’m checking to see who the teacher is and I have yet to be disappointed when I see a specific name, they are all outstanding!!!  I’m so grateful for the variety they bring, it makes the practice so much more enjoyable.

Thanks!!!

With Tab, Tanner, and their boys in town for the weekend we headed out on the water relatively early. Once we were on our normal sandbar the boys all were having fun splashing away and jumping off the pontoon into the river. While they were playing us adults shot the bull and relaxed.

What really stuck out to me was just how great it felt to get some sun. The feeling of the rays warming my skin was fantastic today! Whether I was all sprawled out on a chair or floating on a tube, there were times when I totally spaced out and really didn’t feel anything but the sun’s radiance and it was wonderful.

It’s funny how many times I take ordinary sensations for granted. Today I took time to appreciate the simple pleasure of the sun on my skin and it felt better than ever!

Thanks!!!

Talk about two opposite ends of the spectrum today!

This has been a tiring week, but in a very good way. Between a couple nights of fireworks and a lot of fun it’s also been very exhausting. When I got home from work tonight I had a couple of hours before everyone else got home so I decided to make the most of it… I took an hour and a half nap and it was GLORIOUS!!! I awoke totally refreshed and started cleaning my workshop.

Shortly after Becky and the. It’s got home Tab, Tanner, and their boys arrived. After some time outside we all ended up in the house and the. It’s coaxed us into a nerf gun battle in the basement. We all had a lot of fun even though there were many shots to the head and nether regions. Much laughing from all of us, it was an awesome time!

Thanks!!!

After a long day of work there’s nothing quite like heading to yoga and then catching a movie with the family.

We ate dinner as a family and then Becky and I jumped on our bikes and headed out to enjoy one of our favorite “dates…”  hot yoga at Root Down on the Northside of La Crosse.  Getting a great workout in while getting a chance to shut down the talking part of my brain was exactly what the doctor ordered.  Throw in a couple of times when we’d bump into each other or just happen to look at each other and smile and it was pretty fantastic. The bike ride there and back was some nice bonus time.  As Becky put it on the way home, “some people like to go out for drinks after work, I’d much rather go out to yoga.”

Once we got back home we fired up a movie based on a book series Gavin is reading, “City of Ember.”  All of us chilling on the couch and enjoying the move was a pretty chill way to start our little break in the middle of the work week.

Yoga date and family movie night, chill moments like this are pretty awesome once in a while!

Thanks!!!

There are some days when it’s not even really fair.  It’s like I don’t even have to try to find something to be thankful for, the ideas just jump right into my lap.  At some point I need to pause for a moment and sift through all of the moments that appear and figure out how to either turn it into one concise thought or theme or find a way to mash many things together.  Regardless, it seems like there is always something that is missed.  Today is definitely one of those days!

Before diving into the topic of the blog let me first throw a few other things I’m thankful for out there…  A box of Lemonheads as a gift from Sammi to help ease me out of a “sour” mood this morning.  Sitting outside on the steps with a cold beverage writing my blog.  Watching the boys ride bikes and enjoy the wonderful weather.  Logrolling with friends.  Becky.  Phone conversations with my mom.  Joking around with my little brother.  So many wonderful moments and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Last year on this day we had one of the most fun days of vacation that I can remember.  It was the day we crossed into Canada.  We were in Whistler wandering the Olympic Village.  Earlier in the day we saw the Olympic Biathlon track and range, the ski jump, and the ice track for bobsled, luge, and skeleton.  While we wandered in the village we saw a forest fire get put out.  It was an incredible day in which I don’t remember a single negative thing about the day (though I am sure there must have been), but I remember so much of the day it is borderline ridiculous!  As I spent time looking back on those old pictures tonight I’ve been smiling from ear to ear.

As luck would have it Becky and I have been spending time today looking excursions for a couple of our upcoming trips.  We’ve got some doozies planned!  As much fun as it is to actually go on a vacation there’s something pretty awesome about planning what we’ll do on them.  Jumping from website to website we’re looking at all the fun adventures we can take the boys on while we enjoy some amazing new experiences.

Mix the combination of memories of past vacations with the visions of vacations yet to come and I’m about the happiest man on Earth!

Thanks!!!

From the point that I woke up it’s been a pretty solid Sunday.

For pretty much the first time ever I cooked breakfast on the grill (much more difficult than I thought).  Becky and I took the girls out for a walk afterwards.  We met up with friends and were out on the water for about five hours.  The clouds parted and passed right by us without rain (other than a three minute light sprinkle).  After shooting the bull and just hanging out for a while we headed back home.

Once we got home we knocked out a handful of things we needed to get done.  Some actual work around the house (dishes and cooking lunches for the week) and others were way more fun (changing over the rocks in the tumbler).  After a while we ended up chilling on the couch watching Malcolm in the Middle as a family.  Before I knew it I was ready to write my blog and head off to bed.

As I think over the day pretty much all the bases have been covered.  I had alone time with Becky while we went for a walk.  Dominic and I had time together watching the World Cup shoot outs.  When changing the rocks in the tumbler Gavin and I had time doing it together.  There was time with friends, and there was time alone.  Sounds like a pretty solid day to me!

Thanks!!!