Day 3,795

Growth:

Biographies and autobiographies provide wonderful learning opportunities, as do many nonfiction. Fictions can be just as enlightening from a learning standpoint, their ability to work within a sandbox and craft directly from the aether lead to eye opening ideas. Their focus on stepping outside of reality to help us see something very similar but in a different light and from a different perspective can shock our systems into a different understanding. As I wrapped up Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman this evening I just paused for a moment to appreciate the ability of fiction to shift our brains in the right direction.

Appreciation:

There were a handful of moments today in which I needed to speak up to re-direct. This isn’t my default, I prefer to go with the flow and allow some flexibility. Over the past few years I’ve been finding more and more how important it is to stay flexible in some ways while at the same time becoming much more rigid in others. By the end of the work day I realized just how much I had to vacillate between those two extremes, often in the same conversation, and see how much I’ve been able to grow that muscle over the past two years. I remember this time last year it felt like I needed to put in so much more effort to stay firm, now it is almost as if I’ve developed the reflex and can hear my brain click into that mode.

Today I’m grateful for that growth, the confidence that keeps building, and all of the experiences – good and frustrating – that led me to here.

Presence:

Playing a game of chess with Gavin after dinner was very engaging and a lot of fun! He’s a fan of the game and I’m very much a beginner, but regardless it was a great time learning from what he was doing, asking questions, and taking time to appreciate the experience of figuring it out. Throw in that it was time for the two of us to chillax together and it was a great way to spend an hour of a Tuesday night.

Thanks!!!