Let’s start from the last half and then work our way forward. This is one of those times when the details aren’t necessary. What matters is that I am blessed to have excellent mentors who’ve taught me profoundly valuable lessons. Today I listened to their past teachings and took the appropriate action. Their legacy continues and will sustain. I’m honored to be a link in the chain they’ve created.

On a much lighter note, I’m having a blast carrying on a little tradition I started with Dominic a few years ago. Gavin and I are chilling out and watching the epically amazing 300. Gotta love a combination of action, living values and purpose, and a kinda history lesson all at the same time!

Thanks!!!

I’ve made this drive at least a thousand times and there are still moments when it seems to be the first time all over again. This morning I pulled over like a tourist to take photos of something I don’t remember ever seeing on this ride. Patches of snow covered branches amongst the bluffs in the state park we regularly hike in.

The intense focus on a single project is incredible. Closing down email, putting the phone on Do Not Disturb, closing the door, and rolling up the sleeves for a single task frees the mind in so many ways. The intensity of the sense of purpose if off the charts once I can tunnel vision on the one project. Time stops moving and everything moves so fluidly, what an awesome experience!

Plans don’t always go as intended. Something shifts, there’s an unexpected twist, or the curveball slices through the air more than expected. All we can do is roll with it. Over the past week I’ve had this happen a handful of times and I’ve had to adjust. No worries, find the new right path, make the shift, and keep on rolling. The knowledge of how flexible one can be can lead to the confidence necessary to adjust in even the most difficult situations.

The power of listening. It is so easy to just hear the sounds of the words themselves rather than deeply listening to to what they are truly saying. When focusing on deep listening my brain sees different connections and help me better determine how best to proceed. I must remember to keep working on this and improving upon this skill.

Thanks!!!

Isn’t it wild how many more blue cars there are on the road right after you’ve bought a blue car? As soon as we start to focus on one thing we can start to see it everywhere. Once you start seeing it you really can’t unsee it.

After giving my blog post from yesterday time to ferment it seemed as if everything I did today was re-framed through the less of Essentialism. In each activity I caught myself wondering if each task truly brought value to the purpose I am working towards. With the freshness of that lens I was able to quickly start cutting away some of the unnecessary to focus on the essential.

Same type of day at work as I’ve had over the past couple of months, nothing truly different other than the reframed perspective, the essentialism version of blue car syndrome. And it made all the difference today!

I am also very thankful for our after supper walk tonight. Walking after supper means we have enough day light late enough to do it. It meant that Becky and I were both home and able to spend a little extra time together. Getting bonus outdoor time is always a win, especially on days when the running was done on a treadmill. The post supper walk is something I look forward to getting back into as the daylight lingers longer each day.

Thanks!!!

Nice and easy blog post tonight 🙂

I had an excellent reminder of the importance of Essentialism today. Even though I attempt to focus on clarity and purpose it is so easy for me to add more and more and more to the pile of tasks without seeming to notice. In some ways it feels as if the gravitational pull of my current lifestyle draws towards adding more and more rather than focusing on the essential few things to be focused on.

While each individual added task, responsibility, or focus may be relatively minor the effect compounds exponentially. The added task may be as light as a feather but the additional feel from all the other obligations causes it to be as heavy as a cannonball. The additional actions all increase by a multiplying effect.

Tomorrow I will work on culling the herd and knocking out some of the additional clutter which has impeded the path. Today I’m grateful for the timely reminder of essentialism.

Thanks!!!

Another relatively short one, bed time for this guy. I will take all the extra sleep I can tonight, I’ve got a long week ahead!

Most mornings Becky and I have a very choreographed routine as we go from morning run to heading out for work. We know each other’s routine and have found ways to gracefully glide from one task to the next while leaving plenty of space and room for the other. This morning? One of the few times when we’re as uncoordinated as me in middle school sports. Bumping into each other, near misses with cabinet doors, all the timing was off for both of us. Nothing serious or crazy, we still RL it to work on time, but just enough to remind me to be grateful for all the other times when we’re in lockstep with each other.

Dominic was completely exhausted when he got home from practice. He was in bed before we were! I’m smiling thinking about it because he’s worn out from his New Orleans trip. His tiredness is a testament to how much fun he had and I’m grateful for that.

Out of the blue my teammate Grant hooked me up with a bottle of Chik-fil-A sauce at work today! How awesome is that? We put it to good use already tonight on some venison brats. Delicious!!! Thanks Grant!!

Thanks!!!

Gavin had a double whammy at Scouts this afternoon. As the SPL, Senior Patrol Leader, he’s the emcee for the Court of Honor, the meeting in which Scouts receive their new ranks and merit badges. This meant that he was the scout in charge and up in front of the group the entire time.

Seeing him present to a large group and do a little public speaking makes me very happy. Experiences like this really help us get past the nervousness and fear of presenting to a group, I’m glad he has the opportunity to grow like this.

It was also a lot of fun seeing him move just a little to our right to collect his Star badge. He’s put in a ton of hard work and only has a couple of ranks to go, Life and Eagle. Super proud of his progress.

There was one point in which he called Dominic up for an award, talk about an awesome moment! So proud of both of their experiences!

Thanks!!!

Gavin had a double whammy at Scouts this afternoon. As the SPL, Senior Patrol Leader, he’s the emcee for the Court of Honor, the meeting in which Scouts receive their new ranks and merit badges. This meant that he was the scout in charge and up in front of the group the entire time.

Seeing him present to a large group and do a little public speaking makes me very happy. Experiences like this really help us get past the nervousness and fear of presenting to a group, I’m glad he has the opportunity to grow like this.

It was also a lot of fun seeing him move just a little to our right to collect his Star badge. He’s put in a ton of hard work and only has a couple of ranks to go, Life and Eagle. Super proud of his progress.

There was one point in which he called Dominic up for an award, talk about an awesome moment! So proud of both of their experiences!

Thanks!!!

LOL – I remember the first time I hit a “big” number blog post I wanted to make it even more special than normal. After 2,365 times I’ve gotten over that. Each day I’m alive should be seen as it’s own milestone.

Definitely going to be short on details, I’m exhausted and ready for bed. Here’s the short version, concise, if you will.

LuLu made the trip with me up to Mom’s today and was an awesome travel companion. She let me listen to my audiobook as long as I occasionally rubbed her belly.

What a great day at Mom’s! Two walks, outside time, great food, excellent conversation, and total chill. Was so nice catching up, relaxing, and hanging out. So glad we were able to reschedule our planned time together from last weekend so quickly. I had an awesome time 😁

Over the last handful of days I’ve received updates from Dominic on his New Orleans trip for band. Hearing about his adventure has me smiling often, so glad he had the opportunity to go on this adventure!

Thanks!!!

No wonder I’m feeling exhausted as I am now laying in bed! One of my normal blogging routines is to walk through the day step by step to consider all I’m grateful for. I’m a little shocked at just how much happened since I woke up this morning. Here’s a taste of the list:

• Morning run with the smell of rain in the air
• Driving Gavin to school for a change
• Getting text updates throughout the day from Dominic on his NOLA adventure
• Presenting my upcoming talk to someone for the very first time
• Receiving thoughtful feedback and wonderful ideas from a trusted friend and advisor
• Seeing teammates continue to grow
• Taking an opportunity to tag in and help some teammates
• Seeing the stitches on the curveball as it left the pitcher’s hand
• Experiencing firsthand the benefits of making friend me before you need them
• Helping to connect friends for their mutual benefit
• Living some of the difficult moments my teammates regularly work through
• Seeing a great idea one to fruition
• Decompressing with Becky after we’ve both had ridiculously busy days
• Spending time with friends at a bar and enjoying excellent conversation
• Having the guts to order my first official mocktail
• Watching a little Seinfeld with Becky & Gavin while snuggling with LuLu
• Knocking out a few games with Gavin before bed
• Laying in bed exhausted, satisfied, and feeling a strong sense of purpose and joy

What a day it’s been!

Thanks!!!