First off, how could I not be thankful for moms today?  Let’s face it, they are the super heroes living amongst us.  From personal experience they are the people who are always busting their butts to keep live running soothly for all of us.  They take care of us out of love, care for us in ways that no one else could, and will always accept us in spite of any of our faults.  Their the first ones to support us, give us a hug when we need it, and are always there for us when we need them.  How they find a way to get everything done and still make a little room for themselves is nothing short of magic.

Whether you’re a mom, a dog mom, a work mom, a foster mom, a safety mom, a second mom, a step mom, or some other form of mom I may be forgetting – let me offer my sincerest gratitude for all that you do; all the happiness and joy you bring to our lives, all times you help save us from mistakes, all the times you hug us and put bandaids on after we didn’t take your advice, and, most importantly, for all of the love you provide us.  Happy Mother’s Day!

There is something else I’m thankful for today and it’s been rolling around in the back of my head since I heard it this morning.  Someone explained that the current COVID-19 crisis was leaving him feeling a lot like a Jenga tower.  So many blocks of his life have been pulled out and additional pressure and stress has been added to the top.  If you’ve played Jenga in the past you know how wobbly everything gets as you pull the lower pieces out and add all of that removed weight to the top.

His metaphor really caught my attention and helped me see the world a little differently. How many things have been pulled out already?  Social distancing, working in person, shopping infrequently, travel bans, etc…  And this is just the list that comes to the top of my mind right now.  There are already so many ways this has impacted life in very significant ways that I’m not even thinking of right now.  Throw in all of the additional pressure, stress, and concerns, and the tower that is my life could very easily start to wobble.  The funny thing is that when you play Jenga enough times you start to learn a couple of things.

First off, just when you think that no more pieces can be pulled out you can usually find several more to remove and re-place before the tower comes down.  The reason I mention this is that there could still be more blocks removed.  I hope that’s not the case, but there’s a very high likelihood that there will be more adversity and challenge in our future.  If we look carefully we might find that some pieces we felt were essential actually could slide out and we would still be okay.

The other thing you notice is that the strength and stability of the tower starts with the base and foundation.  The stronger the base at the beginning the more stable the tower will be.  Some of the blocks that form the base are essential to the structure and without them the tower will fall.  If the tower starts off with a loose and off kilter base it will most likely fall before its time.

Thinking of this metaphor I’m reminded to pause and remember that almost nothing is for ever.  Almost everything could be stripped away.  What I should be doing in a time like this is focusing on the foundation of who I am.  I should be focused on those blocks, protect those blocks, and do what ever is necessary to keep them in place.  One wrong movement and I could knock the tower out of balance.  If I am to take on more weight, more stress, and more responsibility I must keep the base strong.

What are those important blocks for me?  What’s the foundation that I need to keep working on to protect?  What are the pieces of me that I think are essential but in reality could be stripped away without disaster?  Throughout the day those questions have kept popping back into my head.  The interesting thing is that the answer to the question of the core has been tied very closely to a combination of my faith and my values.  Even in both of those I’ve been thinking about what within each of those could be stripped away. this is helping me think more deeply about the “why” behind the importance of each portion.

I know, pretty deep, especially on Mother’s Day!  It’s been a wonderful thought exercise and I’m very thankful for it.  It’s definitely led to some great thinking today.

Thanks!!!

This afternoon we hit the bike trails for the first time this season on bikes.  After several weeks of hiking it was awesome to hop on the bikes and head out.  It’s been quite a few years since we’d last take the Sparta Elroy Trail through the old train tunnel.  The weather just got better and better as we pedaled our way out and back while enjoying the beautiful vistas from the trail.  I’m pumped to get back out with the family again soon!

When Gavin crashed his bike a few weeks ago we decided to upgrade bikes a little.  I’ve been looking at getting a new bike for a while and the boys have been growing right through bikes at a rapid clip.  We decided I’d pick up a new bike and pass mine to Dominic and pass Dominic’s to Gavin.  Odds are we’ll be buying them both new ones soon with as quickly as they’re growing.

Back in the day the boys enjoyed taking part in the YMCA Kids Triathlon.  Each year the team from River Trail Cycles was there volunteering.  Emily and the team were always smiling and helping kids tune up their bikes before the race.  Becky and I always thought it was so awesome that they gave back like that.  I’m not sure who’s smiles were bigger, the kids who were getting their bikes fixed or Emily and the team.  It was awesome to watch and we were greatly appreciative of their help in getting the boys’ bikes ready.

This time around the River Trail Cycles team took excellent care of me.  Dan helped me pick out the right bike based on getting to know how I’d be using it.  He went the extra mile to make sure I got one that was the right size even though it meant extra work for them and the same price for me.  Emily kept in touch as they got the bike ready for me and was super helpful and friendly when I acme to pick it up.  Long story short, they’re a wonderful locally owned business with incredible customer service.  Throw in the volunteer work they do and how could I not be thankful for them?  Thank you Emily, Dan, and the rest of the River Trail Cycles team for the awesome support and service!!!

Thanks!!!

When I got home from shooting the Get Ahead video yesterday Becky was chuckling and explained how one of her friends and co-worker had just sent her a message saying she’d just seen my video on another friend’s Facebook page. It turns out Becky’s co-worker went to school with the franchisee of another Express office! How crazy is that? I always find it interesting to see those moments like that when I get an opportunity to see just how interconnected we all are. Seems like these types of moments happen only once in a dozen blue moons.

Imagine my surprise when I had the same thing happen, only even more crazy, within 24-ish hours! I posted a gratitude video for two of the folks from Express HQ who worked in the background to put the video together. One of my good friends from here in La Crosse, WI said how much she loved my Express HQ friend from OKC. Yup, my mind was pretty much blown at that one! Turns out they’d met years ago in Madison and had build a friendship prior to one of them moving. How crazy is that??? These moments had me smiling throughout the day.

Isn’t it wild to know that the world is actually a pretty small place. If we try hard enough we’re bound to find a friend or at least a friend of a friend nearby in almost any situation.

The day itself has been a very solid one. Throughout it I’ve had several moments in which I had a “blog worthy” gratitude. There was wonderful in depth conversation that helped me see when my actions, intentions, and best self don’t always line up. My teams all head great days and made huge progress. Following up on comments and questions from yesterday was a great way for me to help others. Great time with others via Zoom tonight. Dominic made a delicious supper for us. Becky, Dominic, and I had a great walk before dinner.

Thanks!!!

Isn’t it funny how certain moments in life seem to slow down in a very positive way? The term I always think of, but have never literally experienced, is “seeing the stitches on the baseball” as the pitcher releases the pitch. In that moment everything you’ve worked so hard to do just clicks and you’re left in a wonderful state of flow. If you’ve experienced working in a flow state before on anything you know that it’s an awesome sensation. Everything clicks, even when it actually doesn’t. There’s no active voice in your head, there’s no past, there’s no future. There’s only the task you are doing in that moment and it is amazing!

Today I was fortunate to be on the Get Ahead: Ask a Recruiter live chat. You can check it out here if you’d like to watch or share it. This is something I’ve never really done before, going live in front of nothing but my iPhone was a wild experience. Once we got rolling everything just seemed to flow and I thoroughly enjoyed being in a state of flow. It was wild, once the chat was over it was like I abruptly came back to reality. Interesting side note: I even experienced a sensation of loss immediately at the conclusion as I knew the task I’d been working on was no complete and I had an emptiness in me. I’ve been here before, the greatest experience like this was after the marathon Becky and I completed together. Just as in dealing with grief I knew the way to fix this feeling, I took a moment to be grateful for the opportunity. Crazy how the feeling of loss or a sensation like it follows that flow state often for me…

Of course there is so much to be thankful for today, especially from this event. From the folks who set it up to my cohost to everyone who tuned in and asked fantastic questions. I’m thankful for the opportunity to help others. I’m grateful for so many things related to the event, but what I want to blog about today is very much outside of the experience itself. I’m thankful for three things that created the flow state.

First, there was a tremendous amount of preparation put into this. Trial runs, dress rehearsals, recordings, research, practice, and training. The hard work, repetition, and practice really prepared me for this. When I was first asked to do this I thought it would be a breeze and I would just cruise through it, maybe a practice run or two and we’d be ready. Little did I know how much preparation went into this. I’m grateful for the preparation.

Next, I am grateful for flexibility. In the moment there’s a choice to be made when something doesn’t go as planned. Thanks to the preparation I’d gone through so many scenarios in my brain in advance should something not work out. Even when I think I’ve planned for everything there’s still bound to be a curveball or two. The big one that got me today was during an answer I was giving and my iPhone said the battery was almost dead! My heart kept out of my chest but I took a deep breath and rolled with it. The phone was plugged into my laptop and I’d turned my laptop off so I would t be distracted. I had to take a deep breath while answering the question, quickly problem solve, and then fix the situation. Even with all the preparation I had to remain flexible and ready to respond to anything. The funny thing is that it all happened so smoothly I kept cruising in that state of flow. I am thankful for flexibility.

Last, I’m thankful for triggers. Ever since a specific presentation I gave I always remind myself to “flip the switch” before performing. I know, it sounds homey, but I honest to God say “flip the switch” aloud and picture a big red light switch that I’m flipping into the On position. This reminds me that it is time to be on and ready. As many of you know, I can’t just be stone cold serious. With that in mind I rely on one other trigger under stress right before starting. I crack one quick joke to lighten the situation for my team and I. Today it was telling them right before we went live “I feel bad about not telling you all this sooner, but under extreme stress I’m a crier and I’m feeling really stressed right now.” The facial reactions in that split second shortly before going live was all I need to stay locked in from flipping the switch while staying loose from a quick laugh. I’m thankful for those triggers that helped me be ready to go.

The presentation went well. There’s already things I’ve gone back to and critiqued – that’s just me. All in all it seemed to be a success based on the comments, questions and responses. Being in a state of flow during it was amazing, but I’m most grateful for those three aspects of the presentation itself that helped me reach that state.

Thanks!!!

On our run this morning the weather was pretty much perfect.  There was almost zero wind.  The water was almost perfectly still.  At one point I watched a fish jump and the ensuing ripple slowly spread seemingly forever across the water.  The temperature was mid forties, just cool enough to not get too hot and not so cold to not be chilled.  It was quiet except for the birds and a train.  Weird as it might sound, I found the rhythymic rattle of the train to be quite soothing.  After we’d turned and were heading back along the beach the sunrise turned the sky a spectacularly purplish pink.  You could tell where the sun was about to pop up as there was a magnificent beam of light going straight up into the sky like a beacon.  The stillness of the water reflecting the glorious pre-sunrise sky only increased the beauty.  What a wonderful sight it was, especially early in the morning.  I couldn’t help but smile wide as I gazed at it (we’d stopped to slowly walk and enjoy the view).

Sometimes people ask how I can be happy all the time.  Truth be told, I’m not.  That’s actually one of the reasons I type my blog each day.  It’s a learned behavior to remind me to be thankful.  When my mind strays from gratitude my joy decreases significantly.  In no time I can become pessimistic, frustrated, judgmental, and generally unhappy.  That’s where I found myself this afternoon.  I wasn’t in a very good mood.  Nothing bad had happened or anything, I was just getting frustrated.  Being thankful for anything was the last thing from my brain.  I caught myself wishing things were different.  Instead of thinking from the standpoint of acceptance and action I moved to wishing and pausing.  Realizing where my head went only made it worse and I could feel myself starting to spiral.  So what do to about it?

Well, I asked myself – in a condescending and cynical way – what am I thankful for today?  Before I completed the question I was reminded of the pre-sunrise sky.  When I’d watched it I’d already started writing a blog about it in my brain.  In that moment I was making the choice to be happy and choose an attitude of gratitude.  All of the negative things were still going on around me but I chose to focus on being in the present and being grateful for what I had; perfect weather, my favorite running partner, exercise in the morning, and a spectacular view.  As I thought back to the sunrise I realized that everything was pretty much the same as it was then, I was just choosing my attitude… and I could do that again now.

Suddenly I started being thankful for the ability to go for a family bike ride, to enjoy the fresh air, to appreciate the successes my teams are having, to push forward and grow, and so many of the blessings all around me.  Sure, there were some setbacks and frustrations today, but why focus on them and let them bring me down?  they are opportunities for me to grow.  I’ve survived them all and will continue to improve.  What else could a guy ask for, right?

Long story short, my day has become infinitely better by choosing my attitude.  Even choosing to write this blog earlier than normal has had an impact.  I can feel my attitude and joy increasing as I realize there is so much to be thankful for.  Just think, being able to flip the switch from being frustrated and ornery to happy and joyful just by remembering a beautiful pre-sunrise?  I’m so thankful it reminded me to choose the right attitude today!

Thanks!!!

 

There were more than a few times today when I had to pause and recognize the progress I’ve made in certain areas.  At times I caught myself doing the right thing by not taking action and pausing to allow room for others.  At other times I caught myself taking action when I previously would not have.  In either case I paused and took a second to see how I’ve made progress over the past weeks, months, and days.

Similarly, there more than a few times today when I had to pause and realize that I had opportunities for improvement.  Sometimes it was when I caught myself not taking action when I should have.  Other times I was jumping in when I should have paused.  In either type of situation I realized that I have a long ways to grow and much progress to make.

How interesting to have both thought patterns co-existing equally on the same day?  Today I’m thankful for both sensations as it helps me appreciate something else; I’m taking time to pause and examine the gap.

Father Mark always did such an amazing job of talking about recognizing the gap between who we are and who we are called to be.  He reminded us to be cognizant of it and to find ways to close it.  A day filled with mixed emotions like this helps me see that I am indeed paying attention to it.  It also is a day that helps me see that while I’ve made progress I still have a long ways to go.

For clarity, that’s not a cry for help or anything like that, rather it is a very healthy understanding and acceptance of my current shortcomings.  Today there were several things that I look back upon and realize I should’ve done or handled differently.  In recognizing them I’m able to start thinking ahead to how to handle them differently in the future.  By recognizing the gap I can work to close the gap.

On the flip side, it is nice to see progress made as well.  If there’s only ever the gap I’m looking at it would be so difficult to stay upbeat and willing to keep pushing forward.  If there were no signs of success it would be tough to motivate myself to push ahead and grow.  Growth is difficult and involves change, status quo is always the easiest option.  In seeing progress I’m reminded that I have the ability to close the gap.  Even no matter how incremental it is within my own power and control to act the way I should at all times.  I’ve made progress, I can see the progress, and I can make more progress.

So today I’m thankful for seeing both the signs of progress and opportunities for improvement.  I’ve moved the dial in the right direction and I can see how to move the dial a little more tomorrow.  It won’t be perfect and I doubt I’ll ever get the gap completely closed, but days like today will help me continue moving forward.

Thanks!!!

A while back Gavin was looking for a book to read.  I decided to pass him one of my favorite books from when I was a kid.  It wasn’t long before he got hooked on it and was talking with me about the characters and the plot.  Once that started it wasn’t too long before I started to get the itch to go back and re-read the book for the umpteenth time.

One year for Christmas Mom went out on a limb and picked up a boxed set of three books.  I started reading them pretty much the moment I opened them and remember consuming them at a breakneck pace.  They were AWESOME!!!  Imagine how excited I was to hear that it was the second three novel set and there was another three novel set! I still remember getting the other series in one big compilation.  Over 1,000 pages of awesomeness in one giant book!

I read that book and the other series so many times in my younger years that the book started falling apart.  If you notice the cover of the book in the picture you’ll see that it’s been completely covered with duct tape.  That was my solution to help keep the entire book together and it’s still working a few decades later!

After Gavin kept talking about the books and moved on to the second series (the original set I got from Mom way back in the day) I finally decided to jump back in re-read the series I read well over half a dozen times.  It’s been AWESOME!!!  While it’s been at least a decade since I’ve read them I swear I still remember reading so many specific chapters.  So many great memories while re-reading the books and being able to share it with Gavin has been all the more awesome.  I’m so thankful I kept the copies through all the moves and all these years.

Thanks!!!

This afternoon I made more progress on my workshop.  At this point I’m thinking it’ll probably be a lot like the house.  Just when I think I’m done there’s more I could do with it.  Today I cut and painted the “trim” for the wall / ceiling transition.  Nothing fancy, just some 2×4’s to add a little extra color, close the gap, and provide additional storage capacity.  Once that was done I added some shelves behind the drawbridge style door to provide some additional storage space to free up more usable workshop space.  Throw in some cleaning and I spent more time up there until I realized as I started writing this.

The time working alone at times was very peaceful.  It’s funny how my mind wanders when I’m doing different tasks.  In some ways it’s that time for me to get all “namaste and shit” like I wrote in a blog post a while back.

What was very wonderful and greatly appreciated were the times when I had some help.  Both Dominic and Gavin came out to help me out at various points throughout the day.  Gavin helped me paint.  Dominic helped me hold up the trim as I added it in.  Gavin came up and was keeping me company while I made the shelves which were built with the wood Dominic salvaged for me from the pallet the table saw arrived on.  There were many moments of conversation, moments of silence together, and moments of teaching the why and how to’s of what I was doing.  Spending time with them while being productive reminded me of some of my favorite memories of Dad.  Looking back I am thankful for the opportunity I had to work with him on projects and learn skills that I’ve been able to utilize the rest of my life.  Being able to share that knowledge while spending time with the boys is priceless.

There’ve been several times throughout the weekend when Becky’s pointed out where we would be and what we would be doing if the Safer at Home wasn’t a thing.  We both chuckle and talk about how nice it is to have time at home with the family.  Over the past month I’ve become more and more thankful for the “bonus time” at home.

This evening something popped up on my Facebook memories from four years ago.  On this day only four years ago Becky and I arrived in Australia for our first trip there.  Seeing pics for that first day brought back so many happy travel memories!  That trip was flat out ridiculous and amongst the most surreal vacations of my life.  I learned so much about other cultures, other countries, and about myself during our two weeks there.  As has been the case many times over the past month I’ve become more ad more appreciative of the “bonus time” away from home we’ve created.

How interesting is that balance?  The funny thing is that when I’m at home for an extended period of time I start jonesing for a vacation.  By the time we get to the end of the vacation I’m starting to miss my home.  I love my time at home.  I love my time away on vacation.  How beautiful to be able to create both?  I’m so thankful of my time home AND my time away.  The balance of the two seems to help me learn new things, apply them to my life, and then repeat.  Today I’m thankful for that balance.  In the moment it seems like there’s never quite enough of either, but when I look back it seems like it always balanced out just the way it was supposed to.

Thanks!!!

Today I’m going to sleep with an incredibly full heart. Seemingly around each corner of the day was another reason to smile. To be sure, there were some frustrating moments as well; like when realizing we have a couple of windows that have some issues and a light fixture that just doesn’t want to get installed. When I look at the day as a whole those moments are so minor in comparison that it’d be easy to pass them by.

So why the heart full of joy today? Dang, so many reasons I am nervous that I’m going to forget a couple of the moments. Fingers crossed for a full memory!

* I had a great time running with Becky to start the day. Sunrise, exercise, chill time, and starting the day together.

* Even with taking the day off I still recorded an #EXPRESSingGratitude video – I love making those videos!

* There were a couple of emails I took care of even though I was out and they both made me smile

* There’s another woodworking project I’ve wanted to take on for a while and this morning I just drew it up and started working on it. Gavin came out and helped me out a ton! It was so much fun making it with him and spending time in the workshop.

* When we were at a good place to pause Gavin and I headed to Brownsville to pick up our boat for the summer. I always enjoy spending time with Al, he reminds me of some of my favorite people from growing up in Phillips. This time around we even got into leadership and Scouts. As always, I enjoyed my time with him.

* Gavin and I had a wonderful time on our drive back. We shot the bull, joked around, and just hung out.

* At one point after lunch I realized that I had just read what might be the fourth generation #EXPRESSingGratitude challenge. How awesome that it’s getting legs and running??? Just thinking of all the smiles we’ve all shared with each other just blows my mind.

* Gavin had some work to get done so I went back upstairs and finished the project – it turned out pretty sweet!

* The boys helped me load up the boat and then we all headed out onto the water for the first pontoon ride of the year. Getting out on the water always feels like the official start to the summer for me. Getting out with the entire family made it all the better.

* Dominic asked if he could take over driving a short ways into the boat ride. I’m not going to lie, it was awesome having him take the wheel. The huge smile on his face as he took over was one of the highlights of my day.

* After the boat ride I went up to the workshop and started installing my new light fixtures in the workshop. The work went fairly well and I was able to quickly problem solve most of the challenges I ran into. Gavin joined me for much of the time up there and was a huge help.

* We had a great supper as a family and then went out for a family walk. Three of the four of us had plans with others so it was cool to spend a little extra time together. There were a handful of times when Becky and I commented that it felt like we’d packed way more than a day into the day already. What a great feeling of progress!

* On our walk I got a text from a friend that reminded me of why I am recording the daily gratitude videos. It hit me with the feels so much my eyes watered a bit. In a short text I realized that this is something I will continue for quite some time. Quite honestly, this will most likely turn into its own blog post at some point. Let’s just say it helped fan the flames of purpose.

* Once home I was able to hop online with some of my best friends and enjoy time playing games and shooting the bull. It was awesome!

Throughout the day it was exactly what I had hoped for on a day off and then some. Time with family, time alone, time with friends, time in thought, time creating, and time being grateful. It really feels like I’ve had a week of joy just today. If this was my last day I would be leaving on a high note. I am so thankful for a heart full of joy today.

Thanks!!!