Day 2,782

Growth:

It is so easy to judge a situation based on my gut feel based on my personal experiences. It can be difficult to pause and listen to many perspectives to better and more completely understand a situation.

Over the past few days I’ve seen a few instances of a similar situation. The first time I was very judgmental. After creating space to consider other perspectives I became more open minded. Todays interactions gave me so much more to think about that I realized I’ll never really know the right answer so why bother judging?

I do not need to judge, I do not need to be right. I should focus on trying to understand, to learn. So simple to type, so much practice needed to live into it better.

Appreciation:

Over the last six months or so we’ve been sharing a presentation we completed on our 2022 Retention and Engagement journey. At this point I’ve been involved in over thirty iterations of the presentation between practice, live events, and webinars. All this practice continues to lead me to deeper insights into why this was so successful and how I can continue to grow and improve as a leader.

Today the biggest aha moment was realizing how powerful the combination of a strong and clear purpose & values framework and trust in allowing teammates to adjust as they see fit within that framework can be. Set the direction, allow the team to grow and play in that sandbox, and everyone wins!

So much like reading a book several times, giving this presentation several times starts to unlock the secrets buried within!

Presence:

Driving up the Mississippi River on Highway 61 while the red sun slowly rose over the horizon this morning was breathtaking. Between stealing glances at the sunrise while driving, enjoying a delicious coffee, and taking in some wonderful music with the moon roof open it was an epic drive to Winona today!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,781

Growth:

This past week’s episode of Ted Lasso was an inspiring one. This morning as I drove and enjoyed a wonderful cup of coffee in silence (more on that in a bit) one of the interactions really hit me between the eyes and honestly helped me be a better human.

No spoilers here so here’s the important details. The dad of one of the players shares a comment with his son who has just faced some serious difficulty and adversity.

“If you really want to piss off the people who did this, forgive them. Don’t fight back. Fight forward.”

Ola, Sam’s Dad, Ted Lasso

While driving and focused on how frustrated I was with a specific situation I realized I needed to pause and breathe – and pick up coffee. When I did I hopped back in the car, sipped my coffee, and let my brain settle down. When I was in a state of calm and peace the quote above hit me like a bolt of divine lighting. I laughed, my eyes misted up a bit, and I was immediately aware of what was the right action. The rest of the right was driven with a smile, my heart was lighter, and the result was more positive than had I stayed the path of frustration.

For sure, I’m still frustrated, but I am living a better way forward.

Appreciation:

On Sunday I spoke about the conversation between our priest and the church secretary that inspired me deeply from a leadership perspective. Interestingly enough, when talking with a friend last night she mentioned the lesson about allowing others to help as one of the most insightful parts of my book. I guess The Big Dude Upstairs knew I needed to hear it a few times to sink in.

Today I was presented a moment in which I could either try to do it on my own or learn from the interactions from the past two days. I allowed someone to help and the result was amazing! In fact, it really set the path for one of the best work and leadership based conversations I’ve had recently. So thankful for the opportunity to grow!

Presence:

Sometimes I need a moment of pause and focused breathing to get myself back into the right brain space. Today I was able to do so when I needed it and it made all of the difference throughout the day… along with coffee. Coffee also helped me be very present in the moment. The moments spent driving from Arcadia to Independence with a fresh Kwik Trip coffee in hand (with a back up loaded and ready) was pure presence bliss. That was the crack in the clouds I needed to remember to soak in the sun.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,780

Growth:

We are who we choose to be. In any moment, stressful or frustrating or joyful or delightful, we choose how we respond. Here’s to realizing where we naturally go first and accepting it and giving ourselves grace until we’re ready to choose the right response. It is easy to react, it is difficult to pause and do what’s right. It’s wise to wait to react until we’ve chosen the right headspace.

Appreciation:

Moments of shared appreciation are truly moving. In the moment I’m which two people express their mutual appreciation for each other there is true joy. One of those moments happened today and it filled my heart.

Presence:

Moments of presence don’t happen only during delightful experience. Moments of stress and frustration have the potentially positive opportunity to create presence. We shared one of those moments tonight and we were each 100% in the moment, even though it was frustrating. Difficult for sure, but a moment of presence together and knowing we were there for each other.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,779

Growth:

I normally try to fix things myself. Something breaks, I fix it. As one cohort once told me, “you have an addiction to fixing things.” It’s not a good thing all or most of the time. It is an ego issue I continue to work on.

While greeting at church today I had the opportunity to witness something awesome. Our priest was running late, something I’d never seen from him before, and when he was appeared he had a look of stress. The church secretary asked what was wrong and he shared that there was a leak and flooding in the bathroom. Within seconds they shared a plan, she was off. He took a deep breath, put on his game face, and proceeded with mass.

As he led mass she got the problem fixed. Done. Just that easy. He trusted her. They communicated a brief plan. He was present where he needed to be while she did the same. It was incredible to witness.

What a wonderful reminder for me… allow others to help. Ask for help. Trust and be present where I need to be.

Appreciation:

Dominic’s last band concert was this evening. For the past eight years or so we’ve regularly watched him play with his band mates at school concerts and now they are done. He’s got a song or two for graduation and then the Memorial Day parade and then his high school band career is over.

I know I’ve been prepping for this and being extra appreciative for all these moments, but I’m still struggling to accept that his high school career is almost over. Each of these lasts are helping me to stay present and appreciate each of them tremendously.

Presence:

Hiking at Perrot State Park is always a great idea. Today was no exception! In addition to the normal natural beauty we were treated to seeing the hickory buds blooming, pretty awesome!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,778

Growth:

Why do I not spend more time quiet, still, and alone? The peace and rejuvenation to be found in quiet contemplation is life altering and spiritual bliss.

Appreciation:

Dominic had State Solo & Ensemble with his brass band today and followed it up with prom. We spent more time driving to each event than we did at each. Crazy to think he’s hitting so many different milestone moments, and that it will continue to fly by more and more quickly. So thankful for the opportunity to be present with him in the moments we have.

Meanwhile we got a bit of a sneak peek into the next few years much of today. Gavin, Becky, and I got a lot of time with the three of us. Walking, taking pics of Dominic and his date for prom, shopping, eating supper, and playing games together was how most of the day was spent. Many laughs and smiles. Our new normal will be different and yet positive in its own way.

Presence:

We tried something different this morning – yoga in a salt room. Very different type of experience, very chill, super relaxing. The guided meditation afterwards was amazing. Funny how presence can be found in doing the usual / normal with a slight change.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,777

Growth:

For over 20 years I’ve been doing business to business sales for staffing and recruiting. As I prep to start a new sales rep in the next month I’ve found I need to force myself to become a beginner again. In order to teach I really need to pause, recalibrate, and be sure to know what I must teach. Feels odd, I’ve got experience built up, but I need to remember the basics, the starting ground, and help coach from there.

Start from the beginning, re-hone the basics.

Appreciation:

Spending time attending track meets means a lot of drive time, a lot of waiting, and more drive time. Fortunately I’ve got an awesome Track Travel Buddy – Becky! Sure, there’s a lot of waiting but I’m glad I get to spend it with her. An awesome opportunity for bonus Becky time!

Presence:

So this just happened…

Lane 5: 0:52.76

Lane 4: 0:52.75

Lane 6: 0:52.72 (Dominic)

Talk about being present in a moment! 😅🫣

Thanks!!!

Day 2,776

Growth:

Not too long ago I shared the quote from someone along the lines of “you can always say something later, but you can never unsay something you’ve already said.” Between that line and the recent re-reading of Awareness I lived more closely into the person I should be today though I was tempted to act otherwise. Remember to pause, think, relax, ask, listen, think, and then respond if and as necessary.

Honestly, I’m a little frustrated that I still had to choose this behavior rather than live into it as habit and natural response, but I’ll take it as a positive step forward.

Appreciation:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from so many other Express franchisees. One of the ways our business is unique is in the number of different owners with different stories who’ve all found their ways to similar places through very different paths. In hearing their story I am able to learn from their successes and challenges, see the world through a slightly different perspective, and change my direction and actions in positive ways.

Today we had Matt from Green Bay in our NextGen Leadership retreat and he shared his story. So many interesting takeaways and positive motivation from him. One of the biggest lessons I drew from his story was the importance of goals and staying focused on what’s most important, especially when it can be difficult to do so.

Presence:

Spending some quality time with Dominic while picking up his prom tux was outstanding! I’m a huge fan of finding those pockets of quality time which could so easily be missed if I didn’t intentionally look for them. He didn’t need me to go with and I almost told him that, but I saw the opportunity for some bonus time and it was totally worth it. Always fun catching up, joking around, and just spending time together.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,775

Growth:

Practice really makes a huge difference in performance and stress. Mike D and I are presenting our retention training for a few different organizations over the next couple of weeks. In preparation we walked through the slideshow, made a few adjustments, and found a few improvements to add. The number of times we’ve presented this already has greatly reduced the pre-presentation jitters!

Appreciation:

Dinner with our NextGen Leadership group this evening was a blast! So much fun getting outside of the office to get to know each other better. The change in environment crafts a different level of conversation and leads to a deeper level of bonding. Glad we had the opportunity to spent bonus time as a group!

Presence:

The run this morning felt amazing! Fresh air, very little wind, birds chirping, and excellent conversation with Becky. What a perfect way to start the day!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,774

Growth:

“True happiness is uncaused.”

Anthony de Mello

Appreciation:

Spending time talking with the boys and hearing about the successes they’ve generated from their hard work and focus brings me great joy. I’m very appreciative for their work ethics, their dedication, and their goal focused mindsets. They continue to inspire me to be better each day!

Presence:

There were several moments of deep presence today – deep laughs with teammates (again), dinner conversation with my family, a client meeting, a conversation with teammates, and so on. For whatever reason what really struck me was the deep green color of the grass on a hill covered by sunshine and blue sky just north of Galesville on the eastern side of Highway 93. It was so vividly emerald green – the epitome of spring colors.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,773

Growth:

When I catch myself getting frustrated over something I really shouldn’t be frustrated about I know it is time to go back to Awareness. Within the first several chapters I received the slaps upside the head I needed to get back to the right headspace. Love that book specifically because of uncomfortable I feel when I read it.

Appreciation:

Becky and I were just going through some pictures from last year at this time on our drive back from the track meet. At one point Becky started laughing and said “no wonder we’re exhausted all the time!” The amount of life we have packed in as a family has been perfectly and ridiculously us! And I wouldn’t have traded any of it for anything else.

Presence:

There were several moments with my work teams today in which I was laughing hard and 100% present with them in the moment. In between all the hard work that gets put in the time together bonding and laughing becomes the mortar of our team. Great times!

Thanks!!!