Month: April 2022

Thankful for Gavin’s First Track Meet

Day 2,031

After the rained out meet last week Gavin had his first track meet today in Westby. Dominic has had track for the past handful of years (& did an awesome job of exceeding his 400m goal at his meet tonight!), but this was a first for Gavin as we let him do both soccer and track this Spring.

Gavin totally crushed it and ran his butt off! He took 2nd place in the 1,600m (one mile) by hammering down in his last 200m to blow past one of the two people ahead of him. It was awesome!!!

He also did very well in the shot put and gave his relay team the after finishing the first leg of their 4×400 relay. O

Overall he did very well, and, more importantly, he was smiling the entire night! So much fun watching him try something new and see how his hard work can pay off 😁👍

Thanks!!!

Thankful for an Interesting Realization – the Negativity of the Word “Should”

Day 2,030

In a conversation earlier today a teammate reminded me of a story we’d both recently heard from a cohort. The cohort had shared how the use of the word “should” was a personal battle cry for them, hearing it made them immediately stand up AGAINST whatever action the other person said “should” be done. My teammate and I both bristled thinking about both the times when we’ve heard that used on us as well as the times when we’ve used it when talking with others. It felt really uncomfortable, but we both kind of laughed it off and then moved on with our day.

In a different conversation with another person the word came up again. This time the other person immediately shared that “should” is a judgement word and has some very negative connotations. When we dove back into the use of the word my brain really had to pause and digest. What was being said was 100% spot on and truly enlightening on so many levels.

Quite often, when I use the word should it really does the exact opposite of what I’d like while also showing judgement on the person and/or their action. What even got me more was the realization that there are so many better ways to help each other than using “should.” Specifically, starting with the age old “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Rather than immediately passing judgement and sharing my supposed “right” way, what if I paused to ask more questions to understand the “why” of the situation? How much more enlightening would the conversations be to listen, learn, and grow rather than immediately move into “fixing” mode?

As we dug in the person also shared how they have heard of using an actual clicker to track all the times they say judgement words like “should” throughout the day. Without having one in hand my mind was already pretty rocked by catching MANY times those six letters came out of my mouth through the remainder of the day.

Wowza… The gap between who I am and who I’m called to be spread a little wider today, didn’t it? Hmm… that’s not quite right. Maybe a better analogy would be – the fog lifted to help me more clearly see how much of the gap I didn’t know existed? Yup, I’m leaving this whole long thought process in here, this blogging thing really helps me work things out and it feels right to leave it as a clue for my future self to go back to one day.

Sometimes all you can do is smile as you realize just how big the gap is, and realize that it just means there’s more opportunity to grow into who we are called to be. 🙂

If you want more info all you have to do is Google “should judgement word” and your mind will be blown as mine was.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Calls to Catch Up, Even When I’m Exhausted and Banking Up Sleep

Day 2,029

Quick heads up, this is going to be a bit of a short one, I’m exhausted. Long weekend away from home, got off track with my normal sleep schedule, short-ish week ahead packed as if it were a week and a half. Throw it all together and I’m ready for bed!

That said, I just wrapped up a 30+ minute long phone call with my brother. Our schedules have been out of sync recently and this was out first time to catch up in a while. Yes, I was ready for sleep, but I had so much fun catching up with him that there was no way I was going to cut it off early. Spending time shooting the bull with him was an excellent way to end the weekend on a high note.

What also helps is that I’ve been working on banking up sleep as much as I can. Had I been running on almost empty as I did a decade ago staying up may not have been an option. Sure, I won’t have the eight I’d like, but I’ll still be over seven.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Beautiful Winter Run in the Spring and Making Maple Syrup

Day 2,028

This morning Becky and I went for our long training run for the week. When Becky picked our half marathon it was in the hopes of being able to get some nice trail runs in with some nice Spring weather. As we all know now, that hasn’t really been the case. Due to Mother Nature’s insistence on extending Winter we’ve had neither trail runs (too wet & muddy) nor nice weather (unless you really enjoy 20+ mph winds and temperatures below 20).

The run this morning started off ridiculously frigid as we ran directly into the stiff wind as the snow pelted us in the face. I, as the big dumb animal I sometimes am known to be, opted for shorts in this 20 degree weather which felt like 9 including wind chill. Not my brightest move. The first couple of miles were pretty rough.

Becky had the idea to take a gravel side road through the woods to cut down on the wind. We were immediately significantly warmer due to the woods breaking up the gusts of wind. The road we were on went alongside the Jump River intermittently and gave us some spectacular scenery. There were several turkeys, ducks, pheasants, and a pair of turkey vultures joining us occasionally. At one point Becky and I had a couple of horses in a field joining us from their side of the fence. Everything was so peaceful and chill, it was exactly why I enjoy getting into the woods. I was realizing how the “marathon monks” are really onto the right idea with the running meditations. My favorite part of the scenery was a specific bend in the Jump River. The woods opened up and the river was on full display with a high embankment on the other side making it feel a lot like being up in the UP of Michigan (which we’re really not that far from). It was awesome!

Yes, the weather and conditions were less than ideal. That said, as is the case with anything in life, it is up to each of us to choose where we put our focus and the lens through which we view the world around us. I chose to focus on the beauty of the outdoors, the time in the woods, and the appreciation of doing something out in the wild with Becky. Totally one of my favorite activities in the world.

After we got back and showered up I had an opportunity to help my in laws make maple syrup. They were kind enough to save about 50 gallons of sap to boil down specifically with us. The timing hasn’t worked out in the past for us to help and participate in this activity in the past, I was so pumped to help out this time around!

The entire process was incredible to experience. The time and energy it took to boil out all the water out of the sap to go from 50 gallons of sap to just over a gallon of syrup was wild! Throughout we took out samples, tested the sugar content, and kept the sap boiling. In addition to the fun of observing the process I got a ton of bonus time with my father in law, always something I appreciate. Having the opportunity to shoot the bull with him was awesome, he had me smiling and laughing the entire time. I can’t begin to put into words how much I appreciate my father in law, he’s amazing in so many ways!

Being able to say I helped to make syrup still has me smiling. Each time I gobble up some maple syrup I’ll be sure to remember all the work that goes into making it and will be even more grateful for everyone who made it for us.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Taking a Page Out of the Old Man’s Playbook & Legacy

Day 2,027

Funny how some of the little actions we take somehow grow legs and echo through eternity. In the moment we feel like a small action could be seen as almost insignificant, so minor that we question whether or not to make it a reality. When we do we find that it was far from significant, so much so that the action takes legs of its own and continues through others. That’s when it becomes our legacy, after others continue to take the same action. The funny thing is that often we won’t even know the legacy we’ve created until after we’ve passed. Future generations will live it and we may not even know it.

The reason for that thought today was something that Dad passed on to me. The action itself isn’t relevant, maybe another day I’ll open up more. Long story short there were times when he was smiling bigger than normal. When I asked him why he’d share what he’d done and we’d both be smiling. His actions would brighten lives in a couple of different ways, ways we heard more about after he’d passed away.

Today I was compelled to do what he’d shown me. In the last two months I’ve often talked with my teams about what he did as a way to help us grow and shape our culture. This morning was an opportunity for me to do the right thing, to take a page out of Dad’s playbook, and it was awesome!

When Dad took action I’m sure the last thing on his mind was creating his legacy, he just did it because he felt it was the right thing to do. When I did it I did it because it was the right thing to do AND I was inspired by Dad’s actions. After it was done I realized that in that moment, in that action, Dad’s legacy was alive and well. To be a steward of it has left me smiling all day.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Process of Daily Blogging

Day 2,026

So many directions to potentially go for the blog tonight, which one is the right path? My mind is racing back and forth across all of the happenings of the day and I’m smiling as I think through it all.

From waking from a happy dream to getting a on early bike ride in. A delicious hot homemade breakfast. Focused time in the morning to finish a task. Reading a book with a well timed insight. The excitement of potentially adding a new teammate. Helping someone through a difficult time when they’ve done the same for me. Seeing Dominic shadow a teammate for the afternoon at work. Gavin working solo outside. Getting closer to wrapping up a difficult situation. Moving a step closer to my long term goals. A text string with a new friend. Knocking out a long task list. Putting more thought into an important project which never seems urgent. Sharing a heart felt compliment in the moment. Almost talking Becky into moving to Hilo, HI… almost 😉. Seeing a teammate grow and find their stride. Remembering the challenges others face in other roles. Talking with a friend. Grilling delicious steak. A nice conversation with Mom. Sitting in the living room as a family exhausted from the day. Catching up with Becky. Blogging in bed. And that’s just what comes to mind, there’s sure to be more as I wrap up this blog.

What I’m grateful for today is the process of daily blogging. In the past 10-15 minutes I’ve had the unique opportunity to review much of my day, remember the highlights as well as the difficult times, find meaning in the all, and then file away in the form of memories and lessons. This process embeds more of those moments into my brain more deeply and help me find purpose.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Remembering Lightbulb Moments Aren’t Created In an Instant or Alone

Day 2,025

Been an excellent day for a wide variety of reasons stretching from getting to know teammates better, learning new tricks, seeing the boys excel in school, having unexpected downtime, making progress in the areas that matter most, seeing incredible potential, and a profound sense of calm. As per the norm, throw in a handful of moments which remind me of the value of purpose. Wild. Even as I type all this my brain can’t quite realize this was all in only one day. Wowza!

Earlier in the day we had our monthly Think Day in Winona – that time when we pause reality for four hours to focus on working “on” the business rather than merely “in” it. Many insights, new ideas, and potential solutions throughout that thinking time together.

At one point I had one of those “Eureka” moments and had an excellent idea. For the briefest of seconds there was a tremendous sense of pride as my ego gave itself a quick pat on the back for the genius is so obviously thought it was in that moment… and then reality kicked in. This wasn’t a struck by insight moments in which I caught lightning in a bottle, nothing could be further from the truth.

This stroke of insight and genius was the result of MANY hours of life lessons, training, learning, thinking, and the like. When I really dissect the genesis of the idea I could see the different influences of books and articles I’ve read as recently as earlier in the day and as far back as a couple of decades. Conversations with clients, teammates, mentors, friends, family, and strangers all planted the seeds of the idea. Stories shared by others each left their own individual impacts. The focus on our values, the intensity of my preoccupation with purpose, and even some huge takeaways from a training in London, Ontario about 20 years ago all played into this idea. This wasn’t a spur of the moment, flip the switch, A-Ha moment… it was the culmination of a tremendously large number of hours spent honing a craft and knowledge.

As I was then complimenting my work ethic, drive, and wisdom, I realized something. This wasn’t even my idea! Honestly, it was an idea from a teammate which was generated by another teammate which was the result of a different idea from a conversation about an entirely different topic. This wasn’t “Mike’s Incredible Genius,” rather, this was the work of so many teammates, mentors, coaches, associates, clients, and the like. This was their idea, their genius all put together and on display.

By the time I’d realized this I was chuckling to myself, I swear I could even hear Dad loving call me one of my favorite nicknames in moments like this… “dumbass,” a la Red Foreman from That 70’s Show. 100% in a loving way, and 100% well deserved.

A stroke of genius which seems so obvious the moment it is uttered that we kind of stop and wonder how we all missed it. Not a lightning strike of insight – rather, the result of many, many, many hours of hard work, learning, and sharing of ideas between an incredibly large network of wonderful people, without any single one of which the idea may have never came to fruition. I just happened to have the opportunity to help connect the dots, I was the one who found the last puzzle piece laying on the floor after all but that piece was put together.

Those magical “Lightbulb Moments” are usually the result of so many hours of learning by so many people. I am thankful for that reminder today.

Not gonna lie, it felt good to put the last piece of the puzzle in place, but it feels even better to stand back and look at what we all created together. That’s success.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a New Driving Experience and Learning From Past Experience

Day 2,024

Here’s your interesting fun fact of the day… Did you know that being blown around the road due to high wind, hydroplaning, being washed aside due to fast moving water, and sliding on marble sized hail all feel a little different from each other and when in different combinations? While my drive back from Michigan during an ice storm is still the scariest drive I’ve ever had this one was certainly a contender!

In an effort to get home in time for Gavin and Dominic’s track meets (which were then cancelled) I made the drive home from Eau Claire. By the time I hit Arcadia the skies opened up and hit me with one of the craziest weather events I’ve ever driven through. There were extreme winds, torrential rain, and marble sized hail. The best part was that it all hit as I was cresting the bluffs. This meant that all the water and hail were rushing down the path of least resistance… the road.

With zero spots to pull over immediately I white knuckled it the mile or so down the hill at a snail’s pace, smiling the entire way. How wild to have the opportunity to try out driving in conditions I’ve never before experienced??? Each sensation was slightly different and they all seemed to hit at different times. There was even the experience of driving through piles of hail slush kicked up from the semi ahead of me. It was wild!!! Definitely an experience I’ll never forget.

When I got to the bottom of the bluff I pulled into the first quiet country road and got off the county road. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I took this picture…

Over an inch of hail had accumulated in less than a couple of minutes! I chilled and waited a bit for the rain to stop and the flooding waters to wash off the road before taking off again. In the past I would’ve kept driving, this time I used my head and pulled over when I could to wait it out a bit.

This was a wild experience, I’m glad I got to experience it, AND that I stayed safe while experiencing it.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Yoga Date Night Reunions, Stories Reminding Me of Grandma, and the Joy of Living Into Purpose

Day 2,023

Yessir, the title is quite the mouthful tonight! No real connecting threads or anything, just a handful of awesome moments throughout the day for which I am appreciative.

Becky and I had our Yoga Date Night as we have often on Monday nights over the past few months. Our normal instructor, Nick, is out so we had a special guest instructor. She’s long been one of our favorites going back to when I first started going to Root Down. With COVID and different schedules our paths haven’t crossed in a couple of years. It was like a reunion when we got to yoga tonight, so thankful for all of the wonderful teachers like Steph, we’re so blessed to have at Root Down. They really make it feel like a great big yoga family.

Early in the morning Becky shared the story of a grandma and grandson duo who are on a quest to take Grandma to all of the National Parks. The little TV clip she shared had me smiling, she reminded me of my Grandma Joyce in so many great ways. Throughout the day I’ve had memories of Grandma coming back. So many fond memories! Looking back I wish I would have spent more time with Grandma and gotten to know her better, there are many fun things we could have done. Sometime in the future she’ll be one of the first people I’ll hang out with when my time here is done and we’re re-united. Each time I am reminded of her I smile and realize how fortunate I was to have her in my life.

Living into my purpose seems to get easier and easier each day. What really stuck out for me today was the return on living into purpose. The rewards have been rather mind blowing and joy inducing. There were several of those moments today and I almost had to pinch myself. So simple, so clear, and so impactful. The reminders of the return on purpose today were nothing short of overwhelming.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Feeling the Positive Results of Training and ANOTHER Bison Sighting

Day 2,022

Last week’s 9 mile training run was brutal. Nothing felt right, it was all off, and it was one of the less pleasant runs I’ve had in a very long time. Regardless, I did it. Today I was able to reap the benefits of it.

Our training run today was on a paved trail in Ankeny, Iowa. After a couple of miles the trail was completely out of town and we were running in between farm fields with only the occasional little bit of brush and some barbed wire fences. The way out we had the winds at our back, on the way in we were running into a 20+ mph headwind. The sun was out and the temperature was in the mid forties, pretty much ideal.

In continuing a weird streak this was the second time when I happened to run past the very much unexpected bison! How wild is that???

One of the best parts of this run was how great I felt before, during, and after the run. Everything clicked throughout the ten miles. Even now I’ve only got a little bit of stiffness in one ankle, the rest of me feels fantastic. If I was pressed to I know I could take off on a 5k right now, very different than last weekend’s ordeal.

I am so grateful for seeing the positive impact of training today. All runs, even especially the difficult ones, strengthen me up for the next. Each longer and longer run beats my body up just enough to break it a little so that it heals itself stronger for the next one. I could 100% feel that positive impact today.

Quick note to my future self who may be reading this sometime later… What a wonderful reminder of how we all grow through difficulty and adversity. True growth occurs during periods of challenge.

Thanks!!!