Day 2,230

Growth:

After practicing my presentation for tomorrow a couple of times on the flight I picked up my trusty travel companion, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. My copy has been across the world and back, on backpacking trips, and pretty much everywhere I’ve flown in the past five years. Thinking I should have gotten it a passport as I’m pretty sure it has been to over half a dozen countries outside the US.

The passage that really caught my attention and got me thinking was this:

If you seek tranquility, do less… …most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquility, Ask yourself at every moment, “Is this necessary?”

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 4:24

What a thought to keep in mind as I tend to add more and more and more. It fits so well into the concept from the sermon last Sunday reminding us that “if the devil can’t tempt us he’ll keep us busy.”

Appreciation:

The Express Leadership Academy Alumni event was spectacular. So many mind blowing learning sessions, so much fellowship with fellow franchisees, and a surplus of opportunities to reconnect with friends. I’ve struggled to put into words all the things I am thankful for from the event, but I really can’t quite nail it down as succinctly as I’d like. Maybe the best way to put it is this…

When I consider the investment made in time, travel, lodging, and so on I cannot concieve of a possible way in which the scales would ever be balanced. There is no question the investment was paid for multiple times over by the positive impact the event has already had and will have in the future.

Presence:

In a slight twist to presence I’m going to be apprecative not for a specific moment of presence, rather for something which gets in the way of presence. The past couple of nights I’ve been in a hotel room in Dallas for training. I’m reminded of how thankful I am to have a career which doesn’t involve a ton of traveling away from my family. Not being there for a family dinner, to talk in passing as we’re all getting reeady in the morning, and to not give a good night hug avoids a presence I appreciate greatly. I’m glad I’m normally home and usually present with my family.

Thanks!!!