Month: December 2023

Thankful for Body Awareness, Scarcity Creating Abundance, & Gavin’s Trumpet Solo

Day 2,996

Growth:

Awareness of my body and how it responds to different stimuli can be a very powerful tool when I pause to be attentive to it.

  • Which foods cause me to not feel well and in which ways?
  • What happens when I have a very sedentary day like yesterday versus a very active day like Friday?
  • How is my sleep impacted by eating after 6pm as opposed to eating later?
  • What happens to my resting heart rate when I get less than 7 hours of sleep?

So many little nuggets of info my body attempts to share with me. Easy to ignore, profoundly impactful when heeded.

Pause and listen to your body, it is trying to tell you everything you need to know.

Appreciation:

Nothing quite like a restriction to help us appreciate what we have but not quite as abundantly as we would like. When there is a limit or a clear definition of the finite-ness of something our minds seem to focus on it with more clarity. In many ways the shortage or scarcity causes us to pause and be more attentive. What a gift! It often seems as if we want infinite this and unlimited that, but when we have that – or, more accurately, we PERCEIVE we have that – it becomes so easy to take it all for granted!

That mindset was on full display today as I did my best to soak in and appreciate each of the limited moments we had with Dominic while he was home from school. Between lunch, our hike, and our dinner I did my best to be focused in each moment shared together. While I would of course like to have more time with him it was the restriction of how much time we had together that helped me make the most of the time we had together.

Not only did this mean I was more present with him, but I was also more present with my entire family and even with myself when I was alone with my thoughts. The clarity of scarcity kept me more focused in the moment for longer today than I would have been without it.

Scarcity created abundance. Such a beautifully simple yet complex paradigm. How can I create a sense of scarcity more often to help me better stay in the moment? Finding a way to harness the benefits of scarcity in a positive way like this would significantly improve my ability to be more fully in the moment more often.

Presence:

I was going to go in a different direction in this post as I was writing most of it while waiting for Gavin’s band concert this evening. In an effort to get a clear spot to shoot video of his duet and solo I arrived quite early and utilized the bonus quiet time I’d created for myself. When I heard his solo it changed the topic of this section.

Listening to him perform his solo was awesome on so many levels. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as he knocked out the notes on his trumpet. It was amazing! To have the courage to play all by himself for a brief moment in front of a crowd, to have worked hard to earn the opportunity to do so, and then to execute in the moment were all reasons I was so proud of him in that moment. While Gavin played I was enraptured. Such an awesome moment!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for an Incredibly Full Day

Day 2,995

Totally breaking from my normal routine today. I am exhausted. Today saw 7-ish hours of car time, a funeral, some vacation planning, a Christmas party, and some knife throwing. It has been full of good stuff, difficult stuff, fun stuff, and lots of reflection. Throw in a lot of conversation with Becky throughout the car rides, conversations with family and friends during the funeral, and time with teammates at our Christmas party and it been awesomely interactive day.

Now I lay in bed and my thoughts swirl thinking back to all of the conversations from the day…. and my heart is full.

What an amazing and full day!

Thankful for Working Out While Warmed Up, Workshop Time, & Lunchtime Walks

Day 2,994 – short one tonight, had a family movie night – Dumb Money

Growth:

Rather than trying to squeeze in a workout later in the day I decided to go right after our run while I was warmed and feeling loose. Perfect timing! Why put off what can be find right away?

Appreciation:

Gavin has a project that he needed some tools to complete. Up in my workshop we proceeded to joke around and have some laughs. That space is like magic – so many amazing memories we’ve made and continue to make in that workspace!

Presence:

Over lunch Becky and I were able to take Leia for a walk, a particularly rewarding treat on a beautiful day like this! Bonus time together while enjoying the outdoors – I’m always in for that!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Young vs Old, Escalating Positivity, & Body Awareness

Day 2,993

Growth:

I think people get old when they stop thinking about the future. If you want to find someone’s true age, listen to them. If they talk about the past and they talk about all the things that happened that they did, they’ve gotten old. If they think about their dreams, their aspirations, what they’re still looking forward to – they’re young.”

Ric Elias quoted by Peter Attia in Outlive

Truth.

Appreciation:

Stress is going to happen in our lives. Something outside of our control happens, causes an unexpected issue, and we have to figure out how to adapt to it or how to correct it. What we can control is the way we respond, the way we choose our attitudes in those moments. What really stuck out to me today is how inspiring it is to spend time with people who smile and choose joy even in moments of stress. Their positive energy is contagious and help create more smiles for all around them. It is like an upward spiral of joy in the face of stress as one person’s positive response to a challenge inspires another to smile through their stress which in they inspire someone else to choose the same path. So awesome seeing the escalation of positivity like that!!! Seeing teammates in action like this today remind me how important it is to choose the right attitude – to help ourselves AND to help others.

Presence:

When I got out of bed this morning my legs were sore! It took a hot minute to get up the courage to step out of bed and see what I had underneath me… but then everything went very well. My legs loosened up rather quickly! Once I was on my bike and got moving it seemed as if everything was back to normal. My cadence was solid and held right at 90-95 while my resistance stayed put with where it normally is. All in all, it felt pretty good.

The moment of presence I am grateful for was the hyper awareness of the sensations in my leg muscles and elsewhere throughout my body today. In an action as simple as turning my torso I can feel the muscles that were worked yesterday and I paid extra attention to how they were feeling. It is not often that I put that much focus into the sensations within my body, it was pretty enlightening today!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Soreness Creating Joy, Inspired by My Sons, & the Focus of a Workout

Day 2,992

Growth:

Wowza – my body is sore tonight!!! After knocking out the workout I’ll talk about in the Presence section I’m definitely feeling the aftershocks in my muscles. This isn’t the first time I’ve felt discomfort today, there’ve been a handful of moments that were a bit uncomfortable. A difficult conversation. Stiff legs on our morning run. A blast of cold water to wrap up a shower. Throw in a few different types of discomfort during the workout – swallowing my pride & pushing myself to lift with more intensity – and it’s been a day full of discomfort…

…and it has been a day full of joy. I have grown through the discomfort and am better because of it.

Funny how it is easier to be okay with not being okay when I self select the discomfort I am going to accept. When the discomfort is outside of my control I’m much more likely to get frustrated. The funny thing is that it is all the same in the end. There is a challenge, soreness, an obstacle, or discomfort – whether self chosen or not – and I have the opportunity to grow as a result. That’s where some profound joy lives, just on the other side of discomfort.

Don’t mind me while I write a note for Future Mike to help remind him of this…

Dear Future Mike,

Embrace discomfort immediately, whether self chosen or not. Discomfort leads to growth and growth leads to joy. Pause and be grateful for the challenge and immediately move into working through it. Choose the right attitude off the bat. Don’t be a dumbass and wallow in something that is out of your control.

Present Mike

Appreciation:

This morning Becky and I were talking about some of my fitness goals and plans. As we’re talked I realized just how much I’ve been inspired and motivated by the boys to get into better shape. They both have their specific fitness routines and roll through them everyday without being told. Both work on multiple sports, movements, and muscle groups. Neither of them are afraid to try something totally new like wrestling for Gavin last year and rugby for Dominic this year. Because they are keeping themselves in excellent shape they’re able to jumps right into almost any physical activity without any concerns or restrictions.

As I looked forward to hiking and traveling with my sons there are so many memories I want to make with them while we experience all kinds of crazy stuff. In order to do that I need to make sure my fitness doesn’t become the limiting factor in what types of adventures we can go on. I plan on experiencing a lot of life with them for many years, they’ve inspired me to get in better shape to be ready to have more fun.

Pretty wild, I always thought of parents being motivators and inspiring their kids, yet here we are with the boys getting me all jacked and excited!

Presence:

The extreme focus and presence in a difficult workout, especially one that I haven’t done before, is a special thing. There was nothing else in the world while I went from set to set, only focus on breath, lifting, form, and intensity. The world went silent (kind of – I did have some very loud music in my ear buds to keep me pumped) and I had no concerns in the world other than the next rep. One lift after another, after another. The time flew by in a heartbeat and before I knew it my sweat soaked body had completed the round. That felt AWESOME!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Goals, an Awesome Bad Movie, & Cards with Gavin

Day 2,991

Growth:

Goals are wildly helpful tools to help us grown and improve – most of the time. I sometimes struggle with balancing a goal for the sake of being a goal with the essence of what the goal was intended to create. For instance, one of my goals in 2022 was to read over 100 books. I crushed it, that’s a success, right? This year that wasn’t a goal and I have had more days like today in which I have a balance of reading, some quiet time to process, some focused thinking time, conversations, and some musical relaxation. Having the mix today seemed more rewarding than the hard core focus on reading last year, but without the extreme focus on the goal of reading 100 books in 2022 would I have had built the habit of reading so much that in an “off” year I would read well over 50 books?

Maybe it is something to consider on a moment by moment basis. Which is more important in this moment – achieving the goal for the sake of achieving the goal or missing the goal but living into the intention of the goal?

Appreciation:

Guilty pleasure time! One of my favorite movies is totally a bad movie in so many ways, but the redeeming factors of it make it one of my most frequently watched movies. Yes, like books, when I find one I like I go back to that well over and over and over again. This morning I fired up the TV while getting my bike ride in on my trainer in the living room.

The movie? Point Break. Nope, not the original 1991 version starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze (although I really enjoy watching that one too). I am talking about the Point Break of 2015 with an IMDB rating of 5.3 on a 10 point scale (btw – Ernest Goes to Camp earned a 5.5 rating). So I am for sure not talking about one of the greatest cinema masterpieces of all time here.

Here’s the deal and why I am such a huge fan. There is a strong focus on the importance of being outdoors. There are so many beautiful locations used in filming and each viewing reminds me of why I have a passion for travel, especially outdoor vacations. One of the themes is very stoic in nature – we control our choices and how we respond to life. The action sequences involve actual stunts like the squirrel suit scene which had never been done prior to this movie. Throw in a struggle between who is actually the protagonist and antagonist and it has a bit of everything.

Sometimes we can pause to appreciate something that is less than perfect. For me each watching of Point Break leaves me smiling, thinking, and dreaming of future outdoor escapes. Honestly, it motivates me to get off my ass and do something. Whether the move is rated 5.3 stars or 9.3 stars (The Shawshank Redemption – THE BEST of all time) it can be enjoyed.

Presence:

I’m now typing this section almost an hour after the rest. Just as I wrapped up the previous section Gavin asked if I wanted to play some cards. Yessir, you bet I would! We then spent almost an hour talking, playing, joking, & listening to music. Pretty epic end to the day!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Shutting Down Ego, Awareness of Direction, & Ghosts of Vacations Past

Day 2,990

Growth:

I met with a personal trainer today and he was asking a bunch of questions to help me build the right exercise plan. As we were talking I caught myself talking about how much I already know about weightlifting. In a stroke of divine awareness I realized what I was doing and apologized. I shared that the reason I was there was because my past workouts never quite did exactly what I’d wanted, and that was why I was talking to an expert – for THEIR advice. As soon as I flipped the switch from thinking I needed to not sound like I didn’t know what I was doing to thinking that I am a beginner and need all the help I can get everything changed for the better so quickly. I was picking up on things I’d never realized and was seeing a more clear and accurate picture of how everything works together.

Ego is such a bastard sometimes. In trying to not “look bad” I get in my own way of learning, the exact opposite of the growth mindset I work to cultivate. Here’s to realizing when the ego need to be shut down (almost all the time!).

Appreciation:

When I pause to take time to listen to the vibes the Universe is sending I’m surrounded by so many positive reaffirmations of heading in the right direction. Recently a couple of common themes have been slowly percolating to the surface and are helping me see how I really should shift in a couple of very positive ways – focusing more letting go (ego), remembering to take care of my physical health as I have nothing without it, and remembering to keep my purpose in mind as I choose actions. As I pause and listen (maybe observe is a better word for it… ?) the awareness really kicks in and helps me see the right line. Without diving too deeply into the details, I’m grateful for the awareness of the right direction.

Presence:

Over the past 24 hours there have been many ghosts of vacations past coming to visit! Gavin shared his treasure trove of vacation knickknacks last night. I dreamt of trips to Iceland and New Zealand. Gavin mentioned our trip to Iceland in a different conversation. During two different conversations I talked about two different vacation experiences. All around me were moments of presence in a conversation as a direct result of a past vacation experience.

If anyone reading this is questioning whether or not they should take a vacation – the answer is YES!!! Schedule a trip, it will blow your mind on so many levels, open your mind to so many new things, AND provide so many moments of presence in the future.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Travel Souvenirs, Shared Interests, & Getting Some Work Done on a Sunday

Day 2,989

Growth:

When we’re on vacation we’ll often pick up a couple of little souvenirs for the boys. Nothing too crazy, a coin with the name of the place is my usual go to. A metal coin is such a great example – it is small and easy to save, usually won’t break, and will always remind someone of the location. Sometimes I wonder if it is really worthwhile to get things like that, is it really necessary?

Tonight Gavin helped me see that this is a tradition I’ll continue for years to come. He’s been doing a deep clean of his room and invited me into his lair to see what he’s been up to. Spread out across his dresser was his collection of vacation souvenirs! We spent quite a bit of time walking through so many memories we’ve created together.

The return on investment in those souvenirs was paid in full and then some this evening. What an awesome moment it created for the two of us!

Appreciation:

I’m very thankful for being in a relationship with someone else who loves being outside and moving rather than sitting around. Becky and I took Leia for her normal walk in the woods this morning and had some nice quiet time to catch up and talk. Later this afternoon we took Leia on another walk and had some nice quiet time to catch up and talk. Tomorrow morning we will start our days with a run and… have some nice quiet to catch up and talk.

When we both enjoying the same activity, especially one so perfectly suited for conversation together rather than doing our own thing, we get to experience two things we thoroughly enjoy simultaneously. While I’ve often joked that this blog could be about one thing I’m thankful for about Becky every single day, today I was especially grateful for our shared interests in the outdoors and movement (and yoga tomorrow night).

Presence:

This might sound like kind of a weird one, but it was really nice knocking out some of my work for tomorrow early this evening. Having some quiet time without distraction to get a few things taken care of that would have made life a little more complex tomorrow should have a very positive impact on future Mike AND it felt nice to accomplish a little bonus stuff.

Thanks!!

Thankful for Outside Time, Laughing Until It Hurts with Friends, & Two Hiking Moments

Day 2,988 – Late night so I’ll keep it more focused this evening.

Growth:

I’m happier when I get time outside. My general mood and well being are much more positive when I get time in nature. This morning started with a walk in the woods. The later morning found me outside getting tasks done in and around the garage with all of its doors and windows wide open. The afternoon was capped off with a peaceful hike up the bluffs. The more I am outside like today the more joyful and at peace I am.

Appreciation:

OMG – soooo many laughs with friends this evening at a birthday get together! My stomach and chest are sore from laughing so hard. My throat feels dry from all the laughing – what an absolute blast we had tonight! Any day that ends in muscle exhaustion from laughing is a day I am very grateful for!

Presence:

Two awesome hiking moments from this afternoon.

The first was the intoxicatingly refreshing feel of hiking in temps below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in a tshirt. Glorious!

The second was at the end of the hike when Gavin and I spontaneously busted out singing (& whistling) Always Look On the Bright Side of Life by Monty Python. We had such a blast!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Awareness, Starting the Weekend with Family, & Laughs and Seriousness

Day 2,987

Growth:

When true awareness hits there is an instantaneous change. We’re different moving forward and decisions are so much more clear. Here’s tips s moment of awareness leading to a large and lasting positive change!

Appreciation:

What a wonderful way to start the weekend – family game night followed up with a movie with Gavin. We all enjoyed connecting during dinner and board games (even if it felt a little different without Dominic) and Gavin and I laughed our butts off throughout the movie. Time with family, a perfect Friday night!

Presence:

While there was certainly seriousness today there were so many more laughs. Each of the many moments of laughter and of seriousness brought life sharply into focus.

Thanks!!!