Yessir, that is a mouthful tonight! This is one of those days when leaving a portion out seems a little wrong as each has had an impact.

First off, and out of order, I’m thankful for life. Yes, this should be a pretty basic one but sometimes there are moments in life when I am more in tune with that gratitude. I should pause more often and start the day with that thought. There was a quote by Mahatma Gandhi that struck me today.

“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Another basic human need I am very aware of and grateful for today is a great night of sleep. Last night I slept like a champ and got well over eight hours. Funny how much more clear my brain is after a great night of sleep. I feel more sharp, on my game, and energetic. There is much I want to do in my waking hours, it would be so easy to sacrifice sleep like I used to back in the day. Funny thing is that when my sleep total goes down my stress goes up, my health has issues, and I’m much less productive. An excellent night of sleep is what really set me up for today.

My day was a ball of fire from start to finish. I’m not quite sure what I was thinking but I scheduled way more into my morning and early afternoon than I probably should have. That said, I was dialed in, prepared, on point, and ready. The high intensity continued through until later in the afternoon and it was awesome! There were more than a few times in which I could feel myself going into a state of flow. The activities I’d chosen were essential, in my wheel house, and were a bit of a challenge. That balance and the tightness of the schedule led to a crazy high level of intensity. Throw in the time later in the day to breathe and take stock of what had transpired and it was almost perfect. I’m thankful for the drive time I have tomorrow morning to provide space to process everything just a bit deeper.

Something else I’m thankful for today was watching the boys bust their butts pulling weeds. Our Winona office building needed a little extra love and then boys wanted to make a few bucks. They loaded up and worked a half day outside while I worked inside. Throughout the afternoon I’d occasionally pop out and see how they were doing. I was impressed, not a whole lot of goofing off, they were working hard and it was great to see. By the time I was ready to head home they were already talking about coming back later in the week to finish up the job and do some additional yard work. Nothing like knowing your kids are busting their butts to make a parent proud.

Thanks!!!