Today Dominic and I created a memory I doubt either of us will forget for quite some time. Dominic drove while we took Gavin to soccer practice tonight. During the drive there were a couple of times when Dominic was a little too cautious going around a corner – he dropped his speed way down before turning. When we dropped Gavin off we swapped seats so I could give him a demonstration on how to take corners in a small little manual car like this. While it was fresh in his head I thought it’d be a good learning opportunity. As luck would have it we were in for quite the fun!

On a quiet street I showed him how quickly the Honda Fit can corner without being too fast. He was a little scared at first and then was smiling when the g force pushed him up against the side of the door. After a couple more corners like that he was getting what I was saying about going faster around corners. The intent wasn’t to go that fast, but to know that you can have more speed and turn safely.

On our way home the light changed to red just as I pulled up. I braked and immediately grimaced. Driving the stick shift I knew what I’d just done… I had stopped at a busy intersection in which I have to take off uphill. My worst fears were realized when the car behind us pulled up nice and close, like really close.

“Hey dude, not gonna lie here. I’m kind of shitting myself thinking that I’m either going to kill it going up the hill and back right into the car behind us or I’m totally going to peel out as we go around the corner.” Dominic’s eyes grew wide and he started laughing out loud.

“You’re scared? That’s awesome! I thought it was only me!”

“Nope,” I said as the light turned green.

As I tore around the corner way faster than I meant to the squealing of the tires was LOUD!!! I’d totally just lit them up pulling out. My fear of killing it turned into way too much gas and we were rocketing around the corner.

Dominic and I were both full on belly laughing.

Out of nowhere a white Rav4 flies up on us and is in the lane next to us. Looking over we realize that is one of Gavin’s best friends and the friend’s dad, who is also the father of one of Dominic’s best friends. Both Steve and Lance were laughing while Steve waved his finger at me.

“Hold on Bud,” I said as I downshifted and hit the jets.

We were suddenly in a safe and contained race with each other. I used every ounce of extra power from the Fit and shifting to get us up to over highway speed just before we got on the interstate. Dominic and I were laughing the entire way home!

It was bad enough to accidentally peel out, but doing it in front of someone we knew made it all the more embarrassing and hysterical. We’ve been joking about it throughout the night and I’m sure we will be for years to come.

Memories like this are some of life’s greatest treasures.

Thanks!!!

Hmm… mental block and I’m laying in bed. The only thing between me and sleep is my blog. Write it and I go to sleep. Suffer writer’s block and become more tired and slightly frustrated. I think I’ll just type and see what happens 😉

Several different ways I could go today. Maybe the best idea is to call this one a hodge piece, a potpourri, or a mixed bag today.

I received an awesomely inspirational video from a wonderful friend first thing this morning. They are someone I look up to and see as a role model in how to live a joyful and meaningful life as a husband, father, friend, and business person. Their video had me smiling and taking note of the lessons shared. What a blessing to start the day with!

We normally get together in person for our annual Express Leadership Academy retreat but had to go with a second year of Zoom meetings instead. No worries though! The sessions today were outstanding, effective, and were aligned with much of what I am working on currently. Who says you need to get away for a retreat? Sometimes you just need a couple of hours of quiet time and space.

Doing the right thing isn’t always easy. Sometimes it is rough. In those moments it would be so easy to take the easy way out instead. I’m thankful for taking right path today.

This evening I tried something new. I’ve always wanted to grill corn on the cob but never have so I figured tonight would be the night. It wasn’t perfect and I learned much but it turned out pretty well! Definitely going to add that into the grilling rotation.

Progress came in the form of the latest version of the manuscript of my book tonight. I am overjoyed to see this next step and slightly terrified of the amount of work get to take on. I will finish this and have it created by the end of the year. Period. Hiking in the mountains has taught me to appreciate the false summits. Rather than being intimidated it is an opportunity to enjoy how far I’ve come and lick my chops as I see how much more I am gifted to enjoy.

Whew!!! That went so well once I just started typing…. As a matter of fact I think I just hit my title and core gratitude for the day!

Thanks!!!

Morning runs are crazy things sometimes. Not too long ago I wrote about be thankful for a rough one. They’re most often more enjoyable with a partner who also adds motivation for the early wake up time. Sometimes they just suck and other times they are so daunting I decide to stay in bed instead.

This morning’s run was amongst the best I’ve had. From the start I was loosened up and ready to go. My legs felt great and had a little extra spring in them. I turned on some great music and just let my brain go. There was almost no inner monologue, just my body in motion doing the same thing it has done thousands of times. The views were amazing as I went out on a country road that was really to me. No specific finish line in mind, I went past my normal distance and didn’t turn around until I was atop the hill. Cows watched my curiously as I bounced through fields of layered fog. By the time I got back I was heading in only to get ready for work in time rather than due to fatigue. I was completely refreshed and felt wonderful!

Sometimes run is freaking brutal and I bear it. Runs like today are reminders of why I so enjoy the exercise humans were made to do.

Just a quick side note for Mike of the future when he stumbles upon this again. I’m finding more and more often that my flow state is in direct relation to the simplicity of life in that moment. Does simplicity strip away all else so the focus leads to flow or does the focus of flow strip away all but the simple and essential?

Thanks!!!

Last week one of my favorite thought leaders, Daniel Pink, turned me on to a free app that has had me smiling five times each day since I added it to my phone…. WeCroak. Five times each day it pings me me with an alert followed by a fantastic quote focused on remembering the temporary nature of life.

Here’s an example of a couple of the quotes which caught my attention:

He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life. –

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.”

Thich Nhat Hahn

In the midst of a wildly busy day this app has brought an instant stillness, presence, and serenity to my soul. What a gift!

While getting ready for bed just before 8pm I realized I’d forgotten to bring my contact case. I sighed and was thankful to be so close to a shopping center which would no doubt have the style of case I was looking for. It was frustrating but I shrugged it off.

As luck would have it I happened to catch an extraordinary sunset as a result of my gaffe! Talk about mind blowing – my eyes struggle to look at this picture of it.

Sometimes life sends us on unexpected errands. Sometimes it’ll throw in the sunset it didn’t want you to miss. 😉

Thanks!!!

Shortly after getting out of bed this morning I read the following news article from APNews:

https://apnews.com/article/new-zealand-da13cc184aced872d1f36277a8293b7a

There are several reasons I found this story so profoundly moving. There was an acknowledgment of an unjustified mistreatment of a group people by another group and a desire to start the conversation of how to right the wrong that was done. It was direct, poignant, and heartfelt. In short, it was beautiful.

Of course this doesn’t magically fix things or erase what has happened. What this does do is provide an opportunity for healing, growing, kindness, love, and joy.

What an example for us to follow.

Thanks!!!

This morning started out pretty sweet – a walk followed by a bike ride – all before noon. Nothing like starting the day in motion like that! It seems like any day started with physical activity almost can’t help but be a great one.

Right in between the two activities I had just enough time to start working on our second attempt of a trip to Iceland. The trip we’d originally planned for 2020 was mothballed for a couple of years due to COVID and it is now time to get it back on the calendar. Sure, it could end up getting pushed back again, but it was pretty awesome taking time to get that dream lined up again!

For the past few years we’ve talked about hitting Pizza on the Farm and we finally did it tonight. The valley just outside of Cochrane was nothing short of majestic. The pizza was outstanding and we had a great time hanging out as a family. Just a hunch, but I’d bet we’ll do that again before too long.

The past hour and a half was spent full of belly laughs with Dominic as we watched a great comedy. Nothing like getting some great laughs in together and creating more one liners for us to use in future conversations. An excellent end to the night.

Thanks!!!

Another day in which I’m going very simple in my gratitude. Many great moments of learning, leading, perseverance, life, conversations with friends, scheduling travel, and enjoying time with Becky, Dominic, and Gavin. Several concepts I could go very deep on, but what really feels just about spot on are two crazily little moments. One lasted for maybe fifteen minutes and the other for less than fifteen seconds.

When we picked up Gavin from Scout Camp we got there early for the end of camp fire bowl. As it turned out we got there way earlier than needed and had a good hour or so to hang out and wait. One of the leaders also showed up early. After some polite conversation he smiled and disappeared. When he came back he was smiling and carrying a frisbee. For the next fifteen-ish minutes we and threw frisbee with several scouts. It was pure play and it was awesome! What an awesome way to spend some bonus time 😀

The other moment was at the grocery store on our way home after Scouts. I ran in, grabbed the few items I was looking for, and walked out… just in time to see a car pulling out with the moon roof open and a giant grinning Dalmatian face staring at me. That had to be about the happiest dog I’ve seen in a long time! Not a care in the world, just his big old head sticking out through the moonroof and taking in all the new sights and smells. Something about that look of pure joy on its face had me feeling about the same. Dog smiles, there’s something contagious about them!

Thanks!!!

Today has been a very solid day. I’ve found a handful of potential topics to write on, a couple of which would have been going a little, possibly very, deep. While there are certainly future blogs to be written about observing teammates rise to a challenge, trying newly re-purposed solutions in unique ways, scrutinizing where my time is spent and finding many opportunities for improvement, forcing time for an overdue project, listening to the podcast of a thought provoking behavioral economist, and the like – my mind and soul keep coming back to something that really felt good for some reason… making supper.

Making supper. Yup, how menial of a task is that? Something that happens often enough that it shouldn’t even register on the gratitude radar… or should it?

When I got home from work Becky was still at yoga. Gavin is at Scout camp and Dominic had already spent a lot of time cleaning the house and volunteered to do dishes. I changed out of pants, threw on shorts, and proceeded to start the grill.

Supper was nothing fancy. Chicken on the grill and pearled basil couscous on the side. A meal I’ve made many times over and one that really involved zero creativity. No recipe, just a basic meal I could construct basically from muscle memory. Easy, not complex, no exact timing and pretty much no measurement. Simple.

The process of making supper for Becky and Dominic felt rewarding. I was making a gift of my time for others. The process had a set finish line I could get to in a short period of time. I was able to see it through to completion on my own with no additional help. It was peaceful, relaxing, and rewarding. I know, it sounds wild, but I really enjoyed and appreciated making supper tonight.

I’ve done it many times over, especially with Becky being in the field often over the past month or so. Today I was struck by how much I appreciated doing something for others without being asked, working on a project from start to finish, and being able to create. Crazy, but amazing.

All the deep stuff can wait for another time. While my thoughts often drift in that direction I am always caught happily surprised by the rewards of the simple. Simplicity… such an exquisite beauty capable of creating such joy.

Thanks!!!

Three very different things all called out to be blogged about today. Each of them were full of purpose and reward and brought joy to my life, for very different and yet oddly related reasons.

After work I ran to the grocery store quickly so I could grill for Becky, Dominic, and I tonight. As soon as I was home I was outside working on a project. Forget the brain work of the majority of the day, this was time for a much more physical function. Spending time on a project like this is such a wonderful contrast to the work I’d been doing all day and provided a very different sense of purpose. I was hot, sweaty, dirty, and loving every minute of it.

The project itself is re-purposing the treehouse the boys and I built with Dad several years ago. At the time it was something on the boys’ dream lists and Dad was happy to come down to help us build it. Emerald Ash Borers took over the ash tree it was attached to so we put it on stilts. When we re-landscaped the backyard we moved it out of the way. Now that the boys have grown well beyond treehouse age we knew it was time to take it down. Rather than just get rid of it and all the memories we created when we built it with Dad we went down a different path. We are re-purposing it into a shed for our lawn mower and snow blower. There was the perfect space behind the garage so Dominic and I have spent the past few nights taking it apart and re-building it in its new home. I am grateful for finding a way to keep using it in a new function rather than just tearing it down and throwing it away.

I’m in the process of backing up our saved photos. It is kind of a pain in the butt and I forgot how long it takes to save all the files even with an automated process. What’s been an unexpectedly awesome benefit is the occasional glance at pictures I’m seeing as the app runs from the most recent to the oldest photos. Many times I’ve glanced over to catch a quick view of a picture… almost always from a vacation! I’ve been smiling and remembering excellent adventures each time I look over and see the next photo being saved.

Three very different things, but all tied to one common purpose… they are all parts, in one way or another, of dreams I’ve had and lived. Spending time in thought on each has me smiling and holding two thoughts in my head at the same time. Gratitude for all that I’ve accomplished and also gratitude for all that I have yet to accomplish.

Thanks!!!

Awareness is a truly remarkable thing. Without it I stumble in the dark while grasping for an unknown thing I’m in search of. With it I’ve got a light, a map, and a detailed description of exactly what I’m looking for. Once aware I can begin to solve and grow.

The past few days have been full of awareness of a specific set of behaviors. This unending quest to fix everything leaves me spent and unable to focus on the most critical aspects of certain parts of my business. Once my awareness was keyed in to what this looked like I have been able to watch for it with vigilance and sometimes even stop it before it happens.

This morning I felt compelled to fire up an old favorite in my audiobook library, Atomic Habits by James Clear. Within the first few chapters I figured out one of the reasons my mind called for this book. One of the techniques in generating better habits is a technique called “Make it obvious.” It hit the nail on the head and I giggled as I listened to it. The concept was so spot on that it hurt in a good way.

Jim Collins is renowned for keeping a daily journal of his days. Each day he scores his joy on the scale of -2 to +2 and jots a note to himself about why he scored that way. This journal then becomes the measurement and research tool for him to continually grow.

Today was a +2 day for me. Full of purpose, growth, good choices, development, purpose, laughs, and love. I’ll go to bed with a smile on my face for sure this evening!

Thanks!!!