Month: November 2021

Day 1,871 – Thankful for the Abundance of Opportunity Which Surrounds Us All, Waiting for Us to Know to Seek It

I often pause in amazement of the universe’s ability to provide seemingly exactly what is needed at exactly the right time. What I realized today is that it was less of the universe creating a specific opportunity as it is my eyes being opened to the possibility.

This morning I spent time with some teammates walking through the goal setting framework I created for myself for 2021. As I shared with them, I wanted to impose my will upon 2021 rather than vice versa. 2020 was a wonderful year for testing and growing resilience and adaptability, but it was largely reactive. My goal in 2021 was to live the year proactively while still exercising adaptability and resilience as the year threw challenges and blessings at me which were out of my control.

My goal was to live more intentionally, to focus on specific goals and dreams, to remember past lessons, to stop behaviors and habits which got in the way, and to create new thought processes and responses. I took time to focus on what I wanted to get out of 2021 to make progress towards or to reach some of my dreams. If I took time to focus my energy and mindset in the right directions I would have a better opportunity to accomplish what I wanted. If I did the same as usual I would have the best of intentions but would drift with the tides of life rather than propel myself towards specific dreams.

When putting the presentation together for my teammates over the past couple of weeks I had time to reflect on the first three quarters of the year. What an incredible nine months it has been! It has been far from perfect, yet it was lived so much closer to the year I’d imagined than I ever would have thought possible. Much progress was made towards each of my three key goals. Behavior was shifted towards the better. So many lessons learned through both failure and success. More living of values, more opportunities to understand why each value is important. Working towards dreams while also seeing both where I need to continue growing and where I need to move on to the next dreams.

As I started tonight’s blog with, my initial thought was intense gratitude for all of the amazing opportunities and chance meetings the universe offered up. A perfectly timed email from an author friend which led to the progress my book. The podcast I listened to at exactly the right time to help me start the year with intention. The reading of a short quote which opened my eyes to different thought processes on mortality, impermanence, and presence. A passing thought coupled with a short term business goal transforming into a speaking opportunity. Treasure troves of serendipity surrounding me throughout the past year… right?

And then I started to realize how shallow my view was. The universe didn’t just suddenly manifest these opportunities. They have always been there! What changed was me. I started to watch for opportunities and I saw them. They’ve all been all around me, surrounding me, screaming at me for attention, and I was too aloof to pay attention. Once my eyes were opened I could finally see what has been surrounding me this entire time.

The universe, The Big Dude Upstairs, God, or whatever name you want to call it, doesn’t just create opportunities for us at the moment we feel is the right time. They’ve created those opportunities in extreme abundance and have seeded our lives with them. The trick is that we must open our eyes, our minds, and our souls enough to see them.

Of all of the lessons I have learned this year, this one will remain as one to remember for life. Opportunity is there. The exact thing I need is already waiting for me. It is up to me to keep my soul open to finding it, and my eyes will not be opened until I understand and focus on what I am truly looking for.

Today I am thankful for the abundance of opportunity surrounding us each and every single day – all of it just waiting for us to realize we are looking for it.

A frozen waterfall in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in January of 2021

Thanks!!!

Day 1,870 – Thankful for Taking a Moment to Focus and Another Proud Dad Moment

Today was a day full of action and activity. Progress was made on many projects, there was a lot of forward motion, and even the things that didn’t work out actually kind of worked out. Everything seemed to go in the right direction, even if it was initially off a little.

There was one specific moment in the morning when I realized my head was spinning. It was difficult to keep a single thought in mind for a second, let alone through completion. I realized the spinning and stopped.

I put on my headphones. I moved away from my computer. I turned on a specific song and then set my phone down on the other side of my office. I sat in my chair and got into a comfortable position. I put my hands behind my head. I closed my eyes. I focused on my breath. I focused on each lyric of the song. I paused my brain and put myself 100% into the moment.

When the song finished I took in one last deep and focused breath. I held it for a moment, and then exhaled. I opened my eyes and smiled.

My world was at peace and I was able to focus on one task after another. Three minutes and forty five seconds which made all the difference today.

At Dominic’s soccer banquet tonight he received an All Conference award for Sportsmanship:

I am so proud of him! His coach recognized and nominated him for this award for the way he plays, owns his mistakes, celebrates others, shows kindness to opponents, and for his attitude. All comments that make me one heck of a proud parent. Congrats dude!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 1,869 – Thankful for Whipping a U Turn to Enjoy Dessert on My Ride Home

During a break in our monthly “Think Day” my phone showed a notification of my WeCroak app. It was time for one of my daily quotes. I opened it up to find the following quote:

Life is short and unpredictable. Eat dessert first.

Helen Keller

I smiled, thought about the quote more deeply, smiled wider, and then took a screenshot to save it for later. The quote was in the back of my mind for the rest of the meeting.

On my drive home from Winona I was mesmerized by the way the the last rays of sunlight were hitting the bluffs. The contrast of the cloud shaded bottom of the bluff and the orange lit top of the bluff was striking. It reminded me of a place in Death Valley named The Beacon due to the way the very top lit up in the sunrise.

The quote from earlier in the day rang through my soul. I grinned, turned on my blinker, and whipped a U turn into a scenic pullout area. This was my dessert. I was going to take a few minutes to enjoy it more deeply.

Life is short and tomorrow is promised to no one. Enjoy the moment. Eat dessert first.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,868 – Thankful for Taking Advantage of the Unseasonably Warm November Weather

Wow!!! How awesome is this weather??? Comfortably hiking in a t-shirt and shorts at the end of the first week of November? This is amazing!

Throughout the day we’ve been working on maximizing our time outside. As I blog I’m sitting on our deck and enjoying the smells of fall leaves. Earlier we took the dogs for a walk in the sun. Lunch was grilled and eaten outside. We hit Perrot State Park to enjoy the perfect hiking weather. This has been AMAZING!!!

One of my biggest goals this year was to maximize my time spent outdoors. Unseasonably warm weather like this makes it all the easier to follow through on that goal.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,867 – Thankful for Being Productively Chill and More Deeply Embedding Lessons and Memories

After the busyness of this past week today was a welcome detour. The day started early and contained a list of tasks I wanted to accomplish, but there was a definite state of chill riding shotgun to my productivity. Even changes to the preset plan were met with a smile and a shoulder shrug as I simply flowed from one action to the next.

Intensity is the right answer in some scenarios. Other times a state of relax can make a more profound impact. One state isn’t always right, and doing only one for extended periods of time is also the wrong answer. Today the chill was the exact counterbalance I needed.

I’m getting ever closer to the finish of writing. Today I read back through the last section and the conclusion while making notes and changes. What really caught me was the ability to pause and reflect on where I was mentally as I began writing this shortly after Dad passed away over four years ago. The lessons I learned during that wildly difficult time still permeate my thought processes. So much of the person I am today was honed and shaped and tempered during what has been the greatest challenge of my life to date.

In taking time to write down what happened, how I reacted, and what I learned I’ve been able to deeply embed so much more. Between writing, reading, editing, re-writing, reading, clarifying, expanding upon, and reading again I’ve re-lived that test many times over.

To be sure, it still hurts. Each read feels like I’m pulling the stitches out hours after the wound was sown shut. That said, I learned so much about myself during that trial. To have been tested and not deeply imprint all of the lessons into my soul would be a waste of the experience. Taking time to write has helped me find purpose in the pain, to find a way to potentially help others.

As I wrap up writing I’m so grateful for taking the time to write about the experience on paper and on my soul.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,866 – Thankful for an Awesome Reminder of Speaking Up and Spiderwebbing Positive Actions

What a rewarding morning it was! Our team helped out with Habitat for Humanity to work on a wheelchair ramp in our community. While I’m thankful for that experience on so many levels today there was something that really struck me.

From left: Mike, Katie, Mike, Grant, & Trissa

Not too long ago one of our teammates spoke up. “Why don’t we do more to help in our community?” That one question led to today, pure and simple. She spoke up to push us to live more into our values of Gratitude and Do Right. Speaking up like that takes courage and I’m glad she spoke up.

In addition to leading to our volunteering today that one question has propelled me into a few different directions including direct action and strategic direction. From that I’ve been pleased with the early results and am looking forward to seeing how her one question spider webs into more and more action in our communities. By asking one question she’s set many positive actions in motion. How awesome is that?

Trissa – thank you for helping us live more into our values! You touched many lives in such a positive way through you action. Thank you for inspiring us to be better!

Thanks!!!

Day 1,865 – Thankful for Being Rewarded for Rolling With It and Taking My Advice

Yesterday was a day focused on nonstop Zoom calls. I’m still amazed that I didn’t have teleconferencing nightmares last night!

Today was lined up very differently with a focus on a couple of face to face meetings in different markets. Out the door and on my way to Eau Claire before 5:30am, it was an early start. At the office my email pinged and I received a notification that the meeting I had left early for would be much more heavily attended via Zoom. I smiled to myself, rolled with it, and jumped on via Zoom instead. A little after 9:30 I received a text from my afternoon appointment. Due to the COVID news from OSHA he asked to re-schedule. I completely understood and we are meeting next week instead. No worries, that’s life sometimes.

In the span of a few hours my day had been completely changed. Rather than getting hung up on how it was supposed to have gone I went with the tide. I think of it kind of like my minimalist running shoes. When my foot strike lands directly on a rock I don’t tense up, that would hurt big time. Instead I let my foot continue its course but I relax and let me foot wrap itself around the rock. This simple move removes any pain and discomfort and allows me to keep my stride. Today I followed that lead and wrapped myself around the day rather than try to force my will upon the day.

I also caught myself getting frustrated with a very different challenge while I was driving up this morning. Fortunately my brain knew what I needed and out of nowhere a thought appeared… “how can I be grateful for this?” This is one of the two questions I focus on often in my book. I chuckled to myself and then flipped my mindset. Within minutes I was scripting out ideas for my next book! I got so pumped up that I had to pull over to jot down notes to myself to make sure they were saved. It was awesome and one of the most rewarding productive bursts I’ve had in a long time.

So what were the results of rolling with it and taking my own advice? One of the most wildly productive days I’ve had! The results spoke for themselves as I made significant progress towards a handful of goals. The day left me with a strong sense of accomplishment on a few different levels towards my purpose.

Life doesn’t always follow the trajectory I want it to. If I remember to roll with what happens, go with it rather than against it, and listen to my own advice from past experience I can easily adapt and thrive. Days like this are neither good nor bad, they are an opportunity for me to live into my best self. Today I was successful.

Thanks!

Day 1,864 – Thankful for a Gratitude Inversion on an Eight Zooms Day

Today was an inversion day for me. Often the gratitude I share is direct and straightforward. _________ happened and I’m am thankful for it. Fairly easy formula, right? Today I paused and thought about it from a different perspective and took some of my own advice from my upcoming book (making serious headway – only a little bit to go before I share more on that one 😉) and following that lesson made all the difference.

Pretty sure this was how I looked by the end 😉

My workday included a total of EIGHT Zoom meetings. Yup, eight of them. Almost six hours of video conferencing. By the end my brain was wore out and I couldn’t bear to look at a screen. By the end I was asking myself why on Earth I would schedule a day like that.

That’s when it hit me. I paused and asked myself, “How can I be thankful for this?”

The answer was obvious. Today, through the power of Zoom and videoconferencing, I was able to be in four different cities in one day with no drive time. Rather than scheduling a handful of days utilizing more time due to driving I was able to get everything done in one day. That’s truly amazing! Thanks to this technology I was able to find a way to create more usable time.

The results of all of the conversations were profoundly inspiring and motivating on many different levels. I was able to live closer into my purpose as a result of each conversation. Had I met only in person I would not have had the same sense of completion nor the opportunity to see how many different conversations molded together. My day was better as a result of having all those conversations in one day.

What’s interesting is that my day tomorrow will be a polar opposite. I have two important meetings, both in person, and I will travel a total of three and a half hours for the two hours of conversation. For both the opportunity to meet in person will make all the difference.

Days like today remind me to pause in the middle of frustration to actively seek out a reason to be thankful. The eight Zooms today led to remarkable progress – much more positive than a minor case of Zoom exhaustion.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,863 – Thankful for Satisfying Groans, Great Health, Growth, & Planning

Hmm… a few different directions to go today with my gratitude. I always like days like this, they usually include several nuggets from the day rather than just one main theme. I think I’ll go rapid fire bullet point style tonight 😁👍:

  • If anyone heard the groans of an undead ghoul this morning I can assure you it wasn’t a Halloween holdover… it was me doing my best to roll out of bed. Yoga last night was INTENSE!!! By far one of the hardest yoga workouts I’ve had in a very long time. Each muscle group was sore and stiff this morning and it felt amazing!!! While it hurts it also feels like accomplishment.
  • The annual check up for both boys went very well today. It is so easy for me to quickly overlook good health and take it for granted. Days like this remind me to appreciate the excellent health and fitness of both of them.
  • Often the boys help me rise to the occasion to be better for them. Today was an opportunity to both help them and coach them on why it is important to communicate and ask questions.
  • Making difficult decisions isn’t easy – that’s why they are difficult 😉. Remembering to listen to my values is, on the other hand, quite simple and won’t lead me astray. I was reminded of that today.
  • In looking ahead to next year it would be easy to feel overwhelmed. There are so many opportunities for growth and so many paths to potentially take. Today we took first steps in setting that path and are remembering to stay focused on one step at a time. I am reminded that there will always be more excellent ideas than there is time to execute all of them well. Brainstorm, focus , execute. Fantastic progress.

So many great things, and that’s not even all of them. Thank you to everyone who played a role in making this a great day!

Thanks!!

Day 1,862 – Thankful for More Reasons to Travel – Impromptu Vacation Memories Over Dinner

There are so many reasons our family loves to travel so much. I’m intrigued as to how many times the words “vacation” or “travel” have appeared throughout the past 2,227 blog posts. What I am grateful for today is another reminder of why I am thankful for traveling with my family.

Over our family dinner tonight Dominic was sharing how he had temporarily misplaced his earbuds in the side pocket of his driver’s side door. We talked about the weird rip in the time space continuum that must exist there as it seems objects put into the pocket gravitate to hat one little place in the pocket in which you can’t quite feel the object you’re searching for the first several times you reach your hand into it. You know which part of the side door pocket I’m talking about, right? I swear, there’s a weird shifting of gravitational pull in that door…

Anyways, as we laughed about that I remembered someone losing their phone in that pocket on a vacation a while ago. Very quickly we remembered that it was in Maui. Dominic “lost” his phone and he and I had to drive back 15 minutes to go look for where we thought it must’ve been left while Becky and Gavin hiked (and saw whales). By the time we got back I happened to reach into the pocket for the 375th time and was rewarded with his phone.

Next thing we knew, our dinner conversation shifted to memories of that trip to Hawaii and the sights we saw. We talked about Gavin sleepwalking out of the condo in search of “a better…” Not only that, but we even got a little into other vacations as well. Every one of us were smiling as we re-lived some of those excellent memories.

I am still in disbelief of this photo being from three years ago!

I’m so grateful for our family putting a high premium on family travel – distant or local. In those moments we have the opportunity to create incredible memories, learn new things, experience different cultures, and walk away with fodder for future dinner conversations. Stuff comes and goes, memories are forever inscribed in our hearts.

Thanks!!!