I’ve written many blog posts inspired by Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. My paperback copy goes on all vacations with me and has been read many times. So many of the concepts run through my brain on a very regular basis – though my actions don’t always live into them. Regardless, it has become one of the guiding lights of my joy, gratitude, and mindset.

Throughout Meditations and scattered across many of the Stoic books, newsletters, and articles I read have been a few names. One in particular seems to appear more often than others. When I see this specific name, Epictetus, I smile and prepare my mind for exercise.

When I’ve been tempted to read his Discourses I’ve felt a knot in my stomach as I’ve been told it is difficult to read. As such I’d picked up a copy a couple of months ago, read the first pages, and then decided for some lighter fare. After wrapping up Into the Wild and intermittently reading The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival I was ready for another book to add to the rotation. Discourses by Epictetus popped into my brain, I took a deep breath, and started to read.

To be sure, I am taking my time as it is dense. I’m only a small handful of chapters in and have a long ways to go.

That said, my mind is already blown with his ideas and writings. It is readily apparent that Epictetus is at the core of Stoicism. So much to take in, so much that has quickly taken hold, and actions and thoughts have already been adapted thanks to the initial chapters of this book.

I’m so grateful for finally taking the plunge and diving in!

Thanks!!!

There was some time spent in the kitchen today. Between cooking for today, cooking for tomorrow, and cooking my lunches for the week there was a lot of activity going on in the kitchen. More than a couple of times I paused and realized there were some valuable lessons to be learned from my time creating in there. Some include:

• Taking on too many tasks at once adds extra stress and typically takes longer than a well thought out plan of one activity at a time.
• Recipes and guidance from others are incredible places to start, but the best creations come from adding some of our own ideas to the mix.
• Taking time to complete a project in advance when there is extra time is preferred to waiting until it must be completed with a deadline looming.
• Just because you think you have enough of something doesn’t guarantee that you actually do.
• Life is full of surprises and curveballs – it is up to me to decide to face them, or even welcome them with open arms, with a smile or a scowl.

What a delicious way to learn and remember great life lessons!

The boys had a pretty sweet Scout meeting today and had the opportunity to enjoy some broomball. I took the opportunity to run to the grocery store quickly before they needed to be picked up. With a couple of minutes to spare I pulled in to pick them up. They were having so much fun that they all just kept right on playing. No worries, enjoy boys! I remembered to pack a book 😁. I was grateful for the opportunity to sit back and read thanks to remembering to grab a book on my way out.

Thanks!!!

Great joy can be found in the most mundane of tasks when I choose the right mindset. For whatever reason I was actually fairly excited to clean the floors of some of the rooms in our house. I took great pleasure in knowing the goal of the activity. I knew what needed to happen to get it done. I was able to see progress towards my goal. There were several times when I could have taken a short cut but instead chose to do it right. I was active and moving. For much of the time I had a great audiobook playing on my headphones while I was cleaning. For whatever reason I just really got into cleaning and thoroughly enjoyed it!

What I grateful for from this experience is a story to remind myself of the choice I have to make when I have a task in front of me. Whether unique or mundane there is great joy to be found in doing it if I choose the right attitude and live into my best values.

Thanks!!!

The winds may be bitter but there is something about a walk in a winter sunset that warms the soul. Becky, Gavin, and I went out for a walk in the early evening as the sun descended below the horizon and walked through the pink to purple to darkness. Fresh air feels amazing in my lungs, even if it is well below zero due to the wind. This is the first winter I can remember in which I’ve found great warmth and joy in the depth of the cold.

Earlier in the work day I had a pleasant surprise. I’ve gotten myself into the habit of cleaning up my mailbox on Friday. When I have about 5-15 minutes in between calls at some point in the day I pick out the next folder of saved emails that were saved but have never been re-read. I utilize the opportunity to cull the herd and empty out my mailbox. One of the notes I came across today had me smiling and gave me a 10 minute bout of “shiny syndrome.”

Scattered throughout all fo my note taking apps are various notes titled “Music” or something along those lines. What follows are listings of songs I heard that hit home that I wanted to remember. Sometimes I go back and wonder what I was thinking and other times I hit Play and then Rewind a couple of times. They’re the jewels I stumbled into that will become future staples.

One of the ones I happened across today was AWESOME!!! It’s a song by Bob Schneider, a dude I’d never heard of until Pandora or YouTube put in front of me. From the opening chord today I was mesmerized listening to the tune play again. It’s a song about two things that fit together perfectly, that were meant to be, and that are right together. As soon as I heard the lyrics I was thinking about Becky and I. If there was a song I’d write for her that fit my personality and use of metaphors that sometimes only seems to make sense to me this would possibly be that song. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/0tTYpe25i6c

In some ways it is like the song Long December by Counting Crows. The hit of one lyric reminds me of looking across a church to see Becky smile at me twenty plus years ago.

“All at once you look across a crowded room to see the way that light attaches to a girl”

I hear both of those songs and I pause to be grateful for the awesomeness Becky has brought to my life. To happen to stumble into 40 Dogs was something that brought a huge smile to my face today and I’m incredibly thankful for this musical re-discovery!

Thanks!

Today’s been an awesome mix of many wonderful moments. There were more than a couple of times when I was in a full on state of flow. More than a handful of times I felt as if I were living into my purpose. Throughout the day I made progress on a few long term goals and dreams and even set up a trip to visit this beautifully scenic place in the picture below. I lived into my values, grew in ways I wasn’t expecting, saw the progress of many reps, and enjoyed pretty much every moment of it. There may not have been one big thing, but my entire mood is very well described as fulfilled. If I don’t wake up tomorrow I would be going out on a high note, with a smile, and no regrets.

I’m wore out, tired, and ready to head off to bed before starting it all back up tomorrow. Today I’m grateful for all of the moments that made today such a fulfilling day.

Thanks!!!

There have been a few times I’ve written about my “Fortress of Solitude.” That was the way I looked at our trip to Isle Royale a couple of years ago. Completely cut off from the world it was one of the most peaceful times of my life. Since then I’ve used the term for other places including the UP of Michigan.

Tonight I found a little slice of my Fortress of Solitude in a very unexpected place – on a ski hill amongst a large group of people. I was well beyond six feet from everyone but it was a crowd nonetheless. Dominic’s snowboard race was unexpectedly pushed back to after the skiers so I suddenly found myself with a lot of extra time on my hands as the sun was going down.

I already had my headphones on so I turned on The Hollow Coves album Moments and focused on the scenery around me. Instead of seeing the people I saw the snow, I saw the birds, I saw the bluffs, and I saw the trees. I focused on the smell of winter. The music hid the sound of people and my mind kept the crowd out of sight so I could be in solitude… even with so many people around. It was awesome!

If you’d like a taste of what I was listening to you can catch the song that helped me reach that peaceful state at https://youtu.be/Qxqi12Nj1ig

Thanks!!!

Yes, I’ve already written about my morning practice of reviewing my personal 2021 framework more than a couple of times. On a seemingly daily basis there are one or two moments in which my jaw drops a bit and I realize that I’ve done something different (& right) simply by living that practice.

Wake up, read my Stoic thought for that day, one up my 2021 framework, read my theme, read my values (both those loved and those I’m living into), review my Top 3 goals, review my Top 3 supporting goals, read my Top 3 stop doing list, review my Top 3 remember to’s, go through my Top 3 start doing list, read (& add to) my dream list, and then live my day. Over, and over, and over again.

What really caught me today was the power of the repetition of this practice. There have been difficult concepts I’ve been wrestling with for a long period of time that are all making more and more sense. I’m seeing the stitches on each curveball and am able to react more and more quickly.

Throughout the day there were several periods of being in a state of flow. Living into my purpose felt almost effortless as I tackled several things I would have struggled with or had to consciously think through just a month and a half ago. It was readily apparent that all the repetitions I’ve been putting in to live intentionally into who I should are paying off and helping me make progress. In many ways it reminded me of weightlifting- all the reps of light weights building atop each other for incremental gains and then suddenly seeing the growth when realizing my max lift has increased by 30+%. Each rep is work. Each rep is tedious. Each rep takes me one small step closer to my goal. The power of repetition.

The success of today wasn’t a magic moment, a miracle, or a coincidence. It was the result of intentional repetition. Each individual rep building upon itself. I’m grateful for the power of repetition.

Thanks!!!

One of the incredible benefits of living in the Mississippi River Valley is the seemingly never ending view of bald eagles. During the Spring and Fall the mass migration has provided opportunities to see over 100 of the majestic raptors at a time. During non-peak seasons it is very common to see a handful in the numerous colossal nests, hunting from the trees, or soaring through the sky.

Thanks to the warm weather there were a few open spots on the river today. It must’ve also been fantastic fishing as there were bald eagles all over! On my short 30-ish mile drive I saw at least 27 of them. And to think I didn’t start counting for the first few miles!

The sight of these beautiful birds left me in a state of awe and gratitude. How amazing to see them, so many of them? How fortunate am I to live in such an awesome part of the world?

Then, as if The Big Dude Upstairs wanted to one up themself there was perfect lighting from the setting sun on the bluffs. The rock walls were lit up perfectly in a sight that would’ve been fitting on a postcard. It was truly awesome.

How much better and full of joy would all of our lives be if we paused to enjoy the beauty of the natural world for a few minutes each day instead of staring at our screens?

Thanks!!!