Day 3,839
Way back in the day one of my mentors shared wisdom which has stuck with me for literally decades…
Be present where you need to be. In each moment be intentional of where you really need to be and be there. If you aren’t where you need to be you will also not be where you are.
This advice was taken to heart in several different ways today. In each case it was correct. In each of those moments I was grateful.
Thanks!!!
Day 3,838
This may seem like a wild one, but I am very grateful for some of the crazy data tracking I’ve been doing which wasn’t technically intentional but has turned into a wildly insightful set of datapoints!
I’ve been blogging daily since September 29, 2015 about at least one thing I am grateful for. The intent was to strengthen my my appreciation muscles to live more joyfully. Throughout the years it’s transformed int a time capsule of my thoughts, emotions, observations, and memories. Thanks to the power of data aggregation I’ve got a plethora of data to analyze, over 3,800 posts encompassing 1.2 MILLION words I’ve typed over that time period.
Additionally, I’ve been tracking each book I’ve read in order going back to January of 2022. By following this trail of bread crumbs I’m able to see when certain ideas started to take hold as well as the impact that they made via my blog posts from that time. Awareness by Anthony de Mello was by far and away the front runner for me in that time period – both in total reads and in mentions in blog posts.
Last, in early 2024 I started a daily scorecard for myself on what I have found to be the most important measurements and daily questions to ask myself. While it didn’t maintain as a habit in 2024 it was something I did on over 85% of the days of 2025 and have been over 95% of the days so far in 2026. These points add a different level of depth, diving into everything from minutes of exercise to daily joy (-2 to +2), and so many more nuggets.
As I start to put all of these pieces together I’m getting a more and more clear view into who I am, what makes me tick, and how I’ve grown over the past decade. Just short moments of time to pause and blog, to keep score, to read a little – but so much wisdom to glean from those nuggets!
More to follow for sure, but today I’m grateful for realizing just how much data I’ve compiled for myself to review in order to live a more fulfilling live. Pretty wild!
Thanks!!!
Day 3,837
Growth:
A quote from Digital Minimalism really hit home for me today. As someone who was once scolded on a vacation with friends for “pacing too much and making everyone nervous,” relaxing has sometimes been difficult for me. Reading this quote helped me see that I may still be an odd ball, but there’s at least a few others out there with similar thoughts…
“I never understood the joy of watching other people play sports, can’t stand tourist attractions, don’t sit on the beach unless there’s a really big sand castle that needs to be made, don’t care about what the celebrities and politicians are doing. … Instead of all this, I seem to get satisfaction only from making stuff. Or maybe a better description would be solving problems and making improvements.” – Pete Adeney
Appreciation:
My drive to work this morning was dominated by the storm that was rolling in from the west. After I dropped off Leia in Holmen the lightning seemed to explode nonstop! In each direction was a bright and clear bolt followed by another and another and another. What added to the spectacular show was the fact that the rain had not yet begun to fall, the clarity across the miles of flat river valley between the bluffs was superb! As the miles ticked away the rain then began to hammer my car in buckets, and then the metallic clinking of hail filled my ears.
While I drove through the pounding of the storm I just kept smiling and enjoying the absolute show Mother Nature was putting on! So much fun catching an early morning storm just as the sun is about to rise. As I turned off towards Arcadia the storm shifted to my rearview mirror and clear skies and the pink hues of the upcoming sunrise shown through my windshield. Such a dazzling dichotomy, a wonderful view!
Presence:
Being fully engaged in conversation with a dear friend, listening with full attentiveness and without judgement. Sharing in the difficult moments of life. The moments when friendships grow stronger, reminding us that difficulty and challenge can lead to growth should we choose to look for it. Reminding us that the most important thing we can do in our lives is to be present for each other.
Thanks!!!
Thankful for Forty 