Throughout my life there have been a handful of books which have sent tremors through the core of my being. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. The Book of Joy by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. The New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton.

Today I add Awareness by Anthony de Mello to that list.

There are so many thoughts and concepts within, I struggle to find the words to explain why. The best I can come up with is that it helps to tie together several seemingly related ideas from past experience and learning while adding a whole new depth and dimension to my soul. I’m already seeing positive change within in only the past few days. I look forward to rereading this book many times in the future.

Thanks!!!

Certain books sound a specific note in my soul which reverberates the remainder of my life. The wisdom they contain creates change in me or in the way my consciousness views the world. I can often review my more positive action lawsuit and draw a direct correlation to a lesson learned from a book on this shelf.

I’ve recently added Awareness by Anthony de Mello to this list. The concepts have blown my mind page after page and add such depth to some of the other books on the shelf… and I still have a quarter of it to go! More details to follow in another post 😉

Today I’m grateful for adding a new addition to this shelf. As my boys get older I envision buying them a set of these books to take with them to read when they are ready. They helped to shape me and mold me into who I continue to work into being. Each addition to this shelf adds to the depth of knowledge and helps me grow in ways I never knew possible. Each book a gift, a lesson, an opportunity for growth.

Thanks!!!

Chase something with intensity and it refused to be grasped. Relax and let go you will find it already resting in your hand.

Earlier in the day there was a point in which I wanted clarity. I wanted a specific answer so I knew if I would succeed or fail. Every core of my being was focused on having something laid out in detail. Then the right answer was put in front of me. It was the perfect answer – there would be no structure.

But how would I know if it were done? How would I measure the success? How would I judge the result?

By asking the questions and wanting clarity I was already forcing my will upon the answer rather than letting the answer appear as it should. In removing boundaries the result will have a better likelihood of being significantly more successful than I could have imagined. My imagination, or lack thereof, was the biggest constraint in the solution.

This presented itself in a couple of different ways in my life today. I like goals, I crave attainment. The feeling of accomplishing is a huge motivator for me. My ego is fed by checking a box and looking at the score. Some things were not meant to be scored or judged. They just “are.” When the need to fulfill my ego is removed there is a deeper level of success in which the results are greater than “my” focused effort of keeping score would have provided.

I must remember both sides of the coin. Some things must be pursued diligently and grasped tightly. Some things must be released and let go without chase. Wisdom is knowing the difference.

Thanks!!!

PS: This thought definitely needs to ferment more. There’s a baseline message and I feel it will bubble up over the next few days or weeks. I’m also thankful for planting this seed, knowing it is not perfect, knowing it needs to grow and develop, and being okay with that.

Many directions to choose from today, which will I choose?

• A profoundly purposeful business meeting?
• The seemingly unending luck in adding new talent?
• More deep thought thanks to an inspiring book?
• Gavin’s fantastic performance in his first band concert in two years?
• Seeing the firsthand development of a business relationship?
• Focusing on the use of logic rather than emotion?
• Pausing to recognize strong progress throughout the past year?

All of those could be blog posts in of themselves, no question. What really hit home today was how grateful I am for the first beautiful snow of the year. The gentle fall of puffy snowflakes with incredibly detailed patterns and geometry. Such a dichotomy in each flake – so simple and yet so complex. The beauty in both the simplicity and complexity reminded me of the different depths of all aspects of life. Nothing is just one thing, what it is on the surface, there is so much more to everything, and yet the beauty in both simplicity and complexity remain.

Note to Future Mike… there is always more than seen, more levels to consider, so much understanding lost in realizing how little is actually known. The more I learn and know the less I truly do. The simple and complex snowflake is a wonderful representation of that duplicity.

Thanks!!!

Our run this morning was quite ridiculous. The wind was blowing crazy hard, 21 mph with gusts up to 30-ish. Talk about a wild resistance workout!

What really caught my attention was the symphony of the wind. There were so many different sounds, tones, and howls. The wooshing as the wind blew high through the tree tops. The low pitched roar as it tore through open space above. The sound of moving grass whispered and hushed. Through the chain link fence it whistled. Each sound changing slightly based on speed and direction. So many unique sounds playing a symphony in the pre sunrise dark.

I definitely prefer a run with no wind, but I have to admit the wind and its howls were quite mesmerizing this morning!

Thanks!!!

Somehow, after half a dozen years, I missed typing up my blog yesterday. The funny thing is that at one point I started, but then I moved on to take care of something else and then I never went back to it.

The entire say was amazing, so many reasons to be grateful… getting our family Christmas tree, cleaning up, a bonus run, a nice walk with the family, watching the new Ghostbusters movie together, and so on. There were also many moments of insight thanks to a new book I’ve been reading. Opportunity after opportunity to write about being thankful.

Somehow I missed the actual writing until as I was typing the blog for today.

I faced a decision. Get angry at myself for missing out on doing something I’ve done daily for over six years, or realize I’m human, I made a mistake, and I had a wildly joyful and fulfilling day.

I decided to give myself some grace, blog a bonus blog today, and will move on.

Thanks!!!

Sure, I love the sun as much as pretty much anyone. There’s an extra dose of energy that I seem to have when I’m able to get some Vitamin D throughout the day. It’s easy to be pumped up and motivated on a sunny day.

Today was quite the opposite. It’s been totally dark and dreary all day long, no sunshine, not even a glimpse. Throughout most of the day it’s felt like an hour before dusk.

Rather than be fixated on that we went out for a hike. You know what? Hiking on the trails on the dreariest of days is still sooooo much better than sitting inside on a sunny day.

The fresh air got me moving and feeling good. The dark gray skies added a pretty wild contrast in colors on the bluffs compared to what I’m used to. The trails all looked and felt different in an awesome kind of way. We enjoyed the outdoors together as a family (w/o Dominic as he’s up north snowboarding 🏂) and that’s always time well spent regardless of the level of sunshine.

Thanks!!!

Becky happened to see an upcoming holiday play that sounded pretty wild. I am so grateful she picked up tickets for the show. The entire play was focused on showing what had happened to Cindy Lou Who after her fateful night with the grinch so many years ago.

Tonight we spent 90 minutes laughing out loud more times than I could begin to count. The one person act was incredible! More fun than I ever could have imagined.

What a great way to kick off the weekend. If you’ve got time and are in the La Crosse area I would highly recommend heading out to laugh until it hurts. Just remember that it is adults only for a reason 😉

Thanks!!!

Funny how much more grateful I am for things after they’ve been taken away for a while.

This afternoon I shared an hour long presentation with a large group of professionals in Eau Claire for the Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Summit. Being in front of a crowded room brought on chills of excitement. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy sharing ideas with others to help them grow their businesses and to provide better opportunities for their teammates.

This was where I was meant to be today and I soaked in each and every precious second of it. Ahh…. Another opportunity to few “normal” again with the caveat of greater appreciation.

Thanks!!!

Each step has led me to today. Practice completed hundreds of times preparing me for the next practice. Subtle changes, seemingly small improvements compounded over time. Much like running, each step of each practice run brings me closer to the marathon’s finish line, yet only the final steps stay in memory. Each before it leading to the final, the final becoming but another step for another race. Such is my practice today.

Confidence grown through practice. Bumps and bruises, praise and accolades. All responses leading to growth through additional practice, confidence grown through each lesson. Most importantly, confidence in remembering I will weather all storms in life save one, the one that kills me.

What are the odds I would end up in the same hotel room in which an important decision was made 18 months ago? The direction remains, but I have changed. Much practice in resilience, stoicism, thought, discipline, & control. Practice has led to confidence and trust in the path I’ve chosen. The opportunity to pause and think back to when I was last in this room, to see a snapshot of who I was, to be grateful for all that has led me to now. The storms make me stronger. Why avoid that which provides opportunity for growth?

Thanks!!!