Thankful for Short Blogs, Nephews’ Basketball Games, & Flow

Day 3,769

Growth:

Some of my best days have the shortest blogs as I have gotten so much out of the day that I’ve got little left in the tank to write.

Appreciation:

Had a blast watching a few of my nephews play basketball this evening! I really enjoyed watching them to something they have a passion for and for the joking around afterwards. Well worth the drive time, a great way to spend an evening!

Presence:

Spending hours working on a project that challenges me, outstanding! Having windows to occasionally look out to observe the awesome combo of sunshine and polar winds dashing the glittering snow, even more outstandinger! 😉

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Humbled by Nature, Pristine Snow, & Spectacular Snowfall

Day 3,768

Growth:

The ability of a sense of awe to humble us in the best possible way. A quote from The Alchemist really brought this point to the top of my mind:

“I’ve crossed these sands many times,” said one of the camel drivers one night. “But the desert is so huge, and the horizons so distant, that they make a person feel small, and as if he should remain silent.” ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Appreciation:

This morning’s run started off on a snow covered street sparkling like diamonds under our headlamps. Not a single track on the road from cars or other pedestrians, perfectly pristine snow flakes. As we ran the sound of our footfalls crunched into the quiet morning. An awesome start to the morning!

Presence:

Pausing to soak in the beauty outside my office window today, enjoying the spectacular glittering snowfall, what a perfect reason to pause for a moment to breathe.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Impermanence and Flow, Encouraging Moments, & a Drive

Day 3,767

Growth:

This quote from Heraclitus was introduced me from the book Spin:

“No single thing abides, but all things flow”

A wonderful reminder of the impermanence of all things and the one constant of life: change.

Appreciation:

Keeping my focus on my goals has been very helpful over the past several months. So much incremental progress slowly building towards positive results. Each day has not been perfect, far from it, but there are so many moments in which I’ve been able to glimpse the progress from afar. Today held one of those moments, very encouraging!

Presence:

My ride to Eau Claire was filled with some delightful views due to the extreme weather system. The drive up saw steam rising from the small streams running through the thickets. On the way home there were no less than one hundred deer in a 45 minute stretch. Two nearby fields each had literally dozens of deer out eating. A long drive, enhanced with stunning views, a wonderful string of moments!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Simplicity, Intense Days, & Morning Calm

Day 3,766

Growth:

Remember the importance of clarity and simplicity. For some reason it almost feels like gravity pulls us towards increasing complexity. When in doubt remember to pause to remember the goal, the purpose. Find the simplest way to make progress.


“It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.”

Paulo Coelho

Appreciation:

After a bonkers but purpose filled long day of work I’m feeling exhausted yet energized. Going crazy fast all day long from way early until later than normal, but very engaging all the way through. I’m grateful for days like this, full of intensity and focus, but I’m also thankful days like this are not every day 👍

Presence:

The quiet stillness of the morning before anyone else is awake. Getting a start to the day in a moment of calm.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Learning Through Incremental Growth, Time with Dominic, & Difficult Money Conversations

Day 3,765

Growth:

Only two and a half weeks into the year and I’m already seeing huge benefits to my 2026 plan. My actions have shifted, my thoughts have shifted, my intentions have shifted. Nothing crazy, no wild 180 degree change or anything, just incremental growth, a focus on one percent better each day.

While digging a little deeper into The Alchemist this morning I came across this gem:

“It’s a book that says the same thing almost all the other books in the world say,” continued the old man. “It describes people’s inability to choose their own Personal Legends. And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world’s greatest lie.”

“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.

“It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

Here’s to remembering that we always have a choice to make, action we can take of our own volition – even if, or especially if – it is only within our own mind and heart.

Appreciation:

Dominic headed back up to college today, my initial emotion was sadness at his leaving. I had to pause, catch, and redirect myself – how grateful I was for the time we had together this past few weeks! It was wonderful having him home throughout these past weeks, we got so much bonus time with him. I’m very thankful for all of the experiences he has been having at school and for the future he is building for himself, I’m also more and more grateful for the relationship we built while he lived at home – it keeps us close even when the distance is far. So appreciative for the time we’ve had with Dominic, for the relationship we’ve built with him, and for the fact that I love him so much I always feel a bit of sadness when he leaves.

Presence:

Working through difficult topics as a family today, figuring out college tuition budgeting now that Gavin’s selected where he’s going to school. We all had to pause, get all the details on a spreadsheet, figure things out, and then spend time showing how and why each potential level to pull is important. For sure, showing Gavin the benefits of paying more sooner on his after school monthly loan payments, working through the reasons behind interest rates, and showing how pulling money from one location versus another leads to a larger deficit in the future was not my idea of Sunday family fun, BUT it was exactly what we all needed to do in order to see a more clear path of what we need to work through. Not the most exciting family time, but family time that was very well spent and led to growth for Gavin.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Meditations, Family Hiking, & the Sound of Hiking on Snow

Thankful for Meditations, Family Hiking, & the Sound of Hiking on Snow

Day 3,764

Growth:

So grateful for this most recent reading of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, so many words of timeless wisdom to consider. Here are a couple that caught my attention today:


Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. 

Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. 

Willing acceptance—now, at this very moment-of all external events.

That’s all you need.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“Don’t let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole. Don’t try to picture everything bad that could possibly happen. Stick with the situation at hand, and ask, “Why is this so unbearable? Why can’t I endure it?” You’ll be embarrassed to answer.

Then remind yourself that past and future have no power over you. Only the present-and even that can be minimized. Just mark off its limits. And if your mind tries to claim that it can’t hold out against that… well, then, heap shame upon it.”

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Appreciation:

Some family hiking in the solitude of Perrot State Park during snowfall, time for the four of us and Leia to talk and enjoy the outdoors together. Probably some of my favorite moments in my life, outside with family, surrounded by wildlife, savoring the beauty around us, being together. What else could the soul possibly ask for?

Presence:

The sound of crunching snow underfoot while hiking on a quiet winter day. The additional amplification and bonus acoustics of crossing a snow covered bridge over a small rocky ravine were spectacular and so gratifying!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for 1% Improvement, the Beauty of Used, & a Family Friday

Day 3,763

Growth:

Find subtle ways to improve by one percent over a week can really make a profound difference over time. The change itself seems minor, but compounds more quickly than expected.

Appreciation:

Rather than having new, having used adds so much more character and memory. Playing Scrabble on my grandparents’ old board brings a deep sense of nostalgia, so many memories rekindled. The opportunity to connect generations while creating memories for future generations. Priceless!

Presence:

Playing games on the couch after dinner, talking about books we’ve all read, watching a movie on the couch as we talk about the book it is based on. What a perfectly fitting Friday night at home.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Reading the Classics, a Quote on Appropriate Focus, & My Copy of Meditations

Thankful for Reading the Classics, a Quote on Appropriate Focus, & My Copy of Meditations

Day 3,762

Growth:

The books that are classics are likely classics for a reason. Trust the judgement of generations, dive into the books which are still as alive as ever fifty, one hundred, or two thousand years later. There is wisdom to be found there for sure!

Appreciation:

Such a wonderful quote from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (the Gregory Hays edition). Exactly what I needed today!


Don’t waste the rest of your time here worrying about other people-unless it affects the common good. It will keep you from doing anything useful. You’ll be too preoccupied with what so-and-so is doing, and why, and what they’re saying, and what they’re thinking, and what they’re up to, and all the other things that throw you off and keep you from focusing on your own mind.

Marcus Aurelius

Presence:

How wild that I still remember the exact moment I bought my first copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius? The boys and I were in the San Francisco airport awaiting our next flight to New Zealand to meet up with Becky on 11/19/2017.

This copy reminds me of our flights, some serious father son time as we jumped the Pacific Ocean to head to what seemed a mythical land. in my head I remember our conversations, our arrival at the Auckland Airport. I remember so may of our adventures from that trip.

This copy has traveled to several different countries and a handful of continents, has been in tents with me often, and is usually accompanying me when I head out of town for work trips. It has been a comfy sweatshirt for my soul, an everlasting light to lead me back to calm.

So grateful for this book and all of the moments it has both created and been present for!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Putting It Out There, Leveraging Simple Actions, & Quick Appreciations

Day 3,761

Growth:

When we put something out into the universe it often comes back to us in spades. After all these years I’m still not sure how much is the so called law of attraction and how much is the simple fact tat our brains are now wired to look for something specific, but does that really make a difference? The end result is that when we focus on something we often find it.

When in doubt, put the dream / wish / goal / idea out there, you’ll often find what you are looking for (or the thing you weren’t looking for but actually needed).

Appreciation:

Each day that goes by I’m more impressed by how so many simple actions, relatively minor really, occur as a result of taking small steps in life to re-focus my being. In the morning I start my day with a quick reading of my 2026 plan, jot a couple of notes in my daily tracker to set my intentions for the day, and then get out of bed. In those two to three minutes my brain re-aligns with where I want it to go and continues to provide a huge return on those few minutes each morning. Such a simple little habit, such an outsized and highly leveraged result!

Presence:

The simple moment in which we pause our self focused life to put a spotlight on someone else, giving them a quick shout out, a hug, or even just a little acknowledgment – a moment of clear and purpose filled presence. So simple!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Progress Towards the Purpose

Day 3,760

Throughout the day my mind keeps going back to tracking the growth and progress I’ve made in the past year(s). Across 2025 I paused to complete a daily scorecard measuring a variety of components of my life. In doing so I adjusted my actions more often in real time to align with my goals, purpose, and values. This action also provided me opportunities to learn from my experiences more clearly, to reflect more deeply on my day and my actions.

Taking time to review that dataset has really helped me see the progression of my thoughts and actions from the year. From that distanced perspective it becomes so clear to see the way difficult tasks and changes became easier and easier throughout the year, building on the momentum of the previous day. Without realizing it, I’ve been building my flywheel focused on my purpose and values.

Seeing these subtle changes and developments from the framing of a year really caused me to pause and smile. There’s still a very large gap between who I am and who I am called to be, but I feel 2025 has helped me map a better course across that gap, a way to see how to build the bridge needed.

Cheers to progress, to making headway towards the purpose.

Thanks!!!