Day 3,428

Growth:

Today has been a powerful reminder of why I write each day. It’s a practice of reflection—an opportunity to process my experiences, thoughts, and emotions, helping me bridge the gap between who I am and who I strive to be.

When someone lets us down or disappoints us, we have a choice in how we respond. I often find myself oscillating between anger, frustration, apathy, and sadness. But the interesting thing is this: my reaction is entirely up to me.

If we strip away our initial emotions, most disappointments come down to a simple fact—someone took an action they believed was right. Few people intentionally choose to do the wrong thing. The action itself is neutral; it’s neither good nor bad until we assign meaning to it.

Let that sink in for a moment. The action itself is neutral. We are the ones who apply context, emotion, and judgment. And in doing so, we determine our response. Yes, their action may be the opposite of what we wanted or expected, but our reaction? That’s entirely ours to own.

Anthony de Mello captures this truth beautifully in Awareness:

“I have no right to make any demands of you.

I have no right to make any demands of you. Oh, I’ll protect myself from the consequences of your actions or moods or whatever, but you can go right ahead be what you choose to be.

I have no right to make any demands of you.”

Anthony de Mello

At the end of the day, the only thing we truly control is our response. People will act in ways we disagree with. They will frustrate us. They will disappoint us. But they are free to do so. Their actions only gain meaning when we apply it.

Marcus Aurelius offers another timeless insight:

“Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed—and you haven’t been.”

The choice is mine. Someone else may take an action I dislike, but it’s up to me whether I let it disrupt my peace. I can let it roll off. I can take steps to prevent it from happening again. I can move forward. Or, I can choose frustration and dwell in emotions that serve no purpose.

I choose to move forward.

Why waste time and energy longing for a different outcome when I never had control over it in the first place? Instead, I’ll choose focus. I’ll choose resilience. I’ll choose to protect my energy and not let frustration steal moments I can never get back.

Time is finite. Breath is precious. I won’t waste them in frustration.

Appreciation:

One of the reasons I enjoy blogging is the ability to reflect upon the entirety of the day rather than dwelling on just one or two specific incidents. As I started typing this section I paused and ran through the day from start to end and I couldn’t help but smile at so many positives and moments I am grateful for today!

• Waking up to the aroma of coffee, a delicious coffee Becky picked up in her recent yoga retreat.
• Seeing a text come across my phone early in the morning saying, “Pulled a Kreiling and went hiking before the sun was up this morning, just me and the dog!”
• Stepping on the scale and seeing more progress than expected.
• Shoveling snow with Becky while listening to great music, getting lost in the fresh air, movement, and tunes.
• Growing through a challenging situation.
• Getting to the grocery store on a Saturday only to find it relatively empty.
• Sticking to my guns with my weekly goals and preventing temptation.
• Seeing a video of Gavin setting his new bench press PR and hearing about how much fun he had with his teammates.
• Hearing about Dominic’s rugby scrimmage and hearing the excitement in his texts.
• So much outside time snowshoeing with Becky! More on that below.
• Making progress on my checklist for the weekend and prepping my meals for next week.
• Trading awesome texts with good friends.
• Playing cards with Becky and Gavin after dinner, laughing, and joking, enjoying our time together.
• Taking way more time than expected writing this blog, reflecting on the day, learning and growing.

All in all, it’s been a pretty awesome day, one made better as a result of taking time to type my blog.

Presence:

There was enough snow for snowshoeing today and we took full advantage of it! We headed out to Great River Bluffs State Park and spent time snowshoeing through fresh and untrodden snow. The fresh air, the untouched snow, and the un-hiked trails all led to an incredibly invigorating experience. Such a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Thanks!!!