Author: Michael Kreiling

Thankful for Choosing Mindset, Minding the Seeds, & Adding Another Memory

Day 3,948

Growth:

Interesting how chores and housework can sometimes be the calming center of a busy time. The task is relatively simple, provides a sense of satisfaction, and provides an opportunity to have quiet thinking time while being completed. Tasks like mowing the lawn also have the added bonus of extra time outside and some physical motion.

Yet again our perspective powers how we actually feel about specific things. If I wanted more time I could see those tasks as a burden and a frustration. If I wanted to have a quiet moment of productive activity I could see those tasks as calming and relaxing. Same task, different mindset, all the difference!

Appreciation:

Most of the time I’m a pretty open book, willing to share about anything. Today was full of reminders of things that I am grateful for that I’d rather keep to myself. While I’m typing the list of them is still growing a little, each deserving of its own little space, its time to breathe in my mind, and the opportunity to be recognized. I’ll keep them all inside today, maybe a couple might grow roots and pop above surface at some point, but for today I’ll keep the seeds in the ground and let them grow.

Presence:

Spending a couple of hours with the boys while watching the World Cup Final (while also having a group text between all of us and my brother) was another moment we’re not likely to forget. The game itself wasn’t that big of a deal, but having the opportunity to act like chuckleheads while watching the game and and joking around was fantastic! Throw in a bonus addition of Becky and it was even better by the end. Nothing like utilizing a relatively abstract or unique event like that game to help create some great memories!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Day Outdoors with Family

Day 3,947

Super short one tonight, going to bed late, exhausted from a full day of breathing in fresh outdoor air.

Had an excellent day with family sharing the outdoors. From an earl morning walk to camp breakfast as everyone got rolling to some stand up paddle boarding to boating to chilling around the campfire it was a day full of family being outside almost the entire time.

Time to crash and enjoy a little more tomorrow!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Day Full of Family Time Outside

Day 3,946

Wonderful day of outside time with family! The day started with a wonderful walk with my pack on with Becky and Leia early. It was followed with a very productive and insightful half day of work, and then extended into an afternoon and evening of camping.

Time outside with family, regardless of temperature, always a great way to spend the day!

More to follow tomorrow, off to bed to get a solid night of sleep with all the fresh air in the lungs. Good stuff!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Dreams Taking Shape

Day 3,945

Whew – reality testing dreams, pretty wild when they truly start to form from the aether, slowly taking shape, starting to become something tangible. The moment in which they slip from concept to a working prototype, something that can actually be experienced rather than only imagined.

Today I had a couple of those moments, two very different, yet oddly symmetrical, dreams starting to transition from a mental concept to a tangible something to share. In both cases the sharing of the concept went better than expected, great feedback, a quick understanding of what it was and why it fills a gap that is present. One conversation specifically went down a very interesting path prior to sharing the idea, once that had concluded it folded perfectly and accidentally right into proving the effectiveness and “why” behind the dream itself!

So much more work ahead on both. One will take center stage shortly as I build up a critical mass towards it over the next few months, the other as a side project which appear when it’s ready – yet will continue to grow through the first project’s progress as well as through more experience of my professional life through that lens. These two fit so well together and have helped each other grow throughout their progression.

Very exciting day today, one that makes me want to put more focus into both, but I am also well aware of the season of life I am in, the work I need to do to pay for life as I grow towards these other two dreams. As the tedium and stress of the day job ebbs and flows I’ve got these two dreams continuing to build, allowing me to see ways to turn my current experiences into more than an income or a career, but an additional fuel that helps me narrow the considerable gap between who I am today and who I am called to be.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Lost in the Flow, SUP Yoga, & The Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack

Day 3,944

Growth:

You know you’re working on something personally meaningful when literal hours melt away as you work on it. You go to bed late, you’re exhausted, but at the same time your mind is so energized it can’t help but keep working through the next several steps. You wake up in the morning and the thoughts and ideas are still resonating in your mind. It’s almost like rather than creating it you’re unleashing it, setting it free. Wildly fulfilling for sure!

Appreciation:

Talk about the perfect activity for a crazy hot and humid day like this – Becky and I hit our first Stand Up Paddle Board class of the summer! After a couple of stormed out evenings we were out on the water soaking up the sun while getting wet, enjoying the breeze, and relaxing on the lake. So wonderfully calming and still, the right activity to get outside, be active, and enjoy the heat!

Presence:

Wild how music can magically transport us back to certain times, rekindle old memories, summon old emotions. For some reason the soundtrack of The Last of the Mohicans came to my attention and totally blew my mind. I still remember way back when that movie came out in the early 90’s. I owned the VHS and watched it so many times the tape had to have been about ready to snap! The CD of the soundtrack was one of my most heavily played discs as I fell asleep at night.

The movie itself was outstanding in so many ways. While I can’t remember if the plot completely held up, the music, the scenery, the cinematography, the way they all blended together for the emotion and the feel of an expansive wilderness pushed it over the edge. So many iconic scenes in that movie, but the gut feel of the movie is what really resonates is the overall emotion.

One song, so many memories, so much emotion.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Trifecta of Goals

Day 3,943

Throughout the day I’ve adjusted and gone in several unexpected directions. Some curveballs, largely the good kind, but the types of adjustments that send us off in slightly different directions than what were initially intended for the day.

As I’m wrapping up a nice long chunk of creative time on my “side quest,” I’m reminded of the importance of setting goals for myself.

Thanks to the dream list I update at least annually I have a larger scale focus on what I would like to do, see, accomplish, give, and experience in the life I have remaining. These long term goals (many of which are completely unrealistic) help show me a path towards something larger than I would normally drift towards.

Thanks to the annual goal setting I do I have a short list of three specific goals I would like to accomplish. While I’d like to focus on all of them all the time, I’m reminded that there is usually one large focus and maybe one minor focus. They have to take turns depending on the different seasons of life. Regardless, these three annual goals give me a very pointed and direct focus towards a goal I am certain I am capable of accomplishing – should I put the appropriate energy and focus to it. These goals, reviewed daily, help me fight against the momentum of what life typically throws at me. They help me fight upstream.

Thanks to the daily intentions I set for myself I start my morning with a focus on one to three very specific minor yet impactful tasks I can accomplish that day to put me one small step closer to the larger annual goal. One small step at a time is so much easier than shutting down all of life for a month to get one specific things done. The compounding impact of a few small yet strategically important tasks is truly powerful!

That’s what helped me keep the focus today. All three of these worked together to allow me room to adjust and maneuver while still offering enough space to complete what needed to get done. While I adjusted my action I knew there was a map to get me back on the right trail afterwards.

Quick side note: If you’d like a little sneak peek into my “side quest,” just shoot me a note or drop a comment and I’ll be happy to get you more info.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Family Roots

Day 3,942

As time keeps flying by and Gavin’s college dorm move in date seems to sprint towards us more quickly than expected I am more and more grateful for the bonus moments we are able to sneak in. Today’s version was him riding to and from work with me as he did a bunch of yard work for our office building. Over lunch we hung out and shot the bull too, nice pockets of bonus time.

When the end of a season approaches it becomes so much easier to recognize the impermanence of all things. We can see the end of the season coming, each day as it gets closer those moments become more and more precious.

How much more fulfilling would our lives be if we realized earlier on that each day before it has the same opportunity, the same amount of time? When the end seems so distant it is so easy to lose sight of how precious each moment is. Shouldn’t we have that same mindset for each moment of our lives? Why must it take an impending (or abrupt) end to get us to pause and appreciate the time we have? Seems like we would all live much more fulfilling lives!

On the flip side, our relationship with Dominic also reminds me that while the season may change, it really is only a change, a shift. In some ways our relationship with Dominic has improved with the space between us while he’s in college. We talk regularly, our conversations often go deeper in some ways than they used to, and the time we all have together is made all the more precious moving forward as we understand that we only have a limited amount of time together. After the shift of him going off to college we’ve experienced the change itself as well as have had the understanding that we need to appreciate each moment all the more!

My heart is already starting to feel a bit of the loss of Gavin when he moves out soon, but I’m also very excited for the change in our relationship and the ways our friendship will shift. It won’t be what we’ve grown used to, but thanks to the roots of love and friendship we’ve cultivated in him and he in us I know we’ll somehow become closer than ever as a result. Thank you again to Dominic for helping me see that firsthand.

Here’s to the roots, the grounding of love in a family which will continue to grow throughout the generations and time.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Daily Blogging – Speed Run!

Day 3,941

Tonight’s going to be a speed run, it’s been an action packed day and I’m exhausted! All good stuff, definitely a +2 day, and because of all the good stuff I’m ready to sleep.

Growth:

Inspiring homily today focused on the parable of the sower planting seeds all over including on the fertile ground, in the thorns, the rocky ground, and on the path. Our priest pointed out a side of the story I’d never considered before, something outside of the direction I’ve heard the wisdom of the story lead.

He pointed out that what we should keep in mind is how Jesus would prefer we sow the seeds EVERYWHERE – not just on the fertile soil. He would prefer we don’t pick and choose who is worthy of the love we share, we should share it openly and with everyone, regardless of if we think they deserve it or not. Who knows, that little bit of love might be exactly what they need to blossom, even in the more difficult place.

The more and more we hear from the two Franciscan priests the more I can’t help but feel more connected to what should be the true reason for all faiths – to love others as God (or Jesus, the Universe, or whatever your flavor of a higher power is) does. Love each other unconditionally and help show that love through helping them.

Appreciation:

This blog is a bit shorter than normal because the day has been full of great things. An early morning walk before it got too hot. Seeing a family of four sandhill cranes. Preparing my lunches for the week early so I make better eating choices all week long. Hearing an insightful and inspiring homily at church. Spending time with Becky as we both unwind. Reading a great audiobook as I clean the floors of the house, oddly calming. Making supper with Becky. Remembering that I forgot to wash my work clothes before it was too late to wash my work clothes. Laying on the deck in the sun for a little bit to enjoy the heat. Texting a friend. Getting camping plans set for the week. Taking in a meditation and sound bath session at the yoga studio. Spending time in thought on my next creative venture. Talking with Dominic on FaceTime for quite a while – including Gavin on the call when he got home from work. Relaxing and blogging. Knowing I’ll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

For all those reason, I’m exhausted. For all those reasons I’m grateful.

Presence:

We had a meditation and sound bath combo at yoga today that was INCREDIBLE!!! So peaceful and chill, taking 90 minutes to relax that deeply was priceless!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Daily Reminder, Time with a Friend, & a New View

Day 3,940

Growth:

One of the notes I read every morning as a reminder to myself is: I thrive when combining purpose, outdoors, & people. It is a message I remind myself to consider how to combine those three things. Seemingly every time I do I live my best life. Keeping it in front of me helps me orient the direction of my day in a way to best maximize this when possible.

Appreciation:

Spending time with one of my lifelong best friends today was such a great time! He’s had a lot of life going on recently, it felt wonderful pausing the rest of life to talk, shoot the bull, and even knock out a hot summer afternoon hike. Creating space for the two of us to connect was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Getting the bonus time on the trail was fantastic – he’d never gotten the scenic bluff top view of the Mississippi River Valley. Being there to experience his sense of awe for the expansive view filled my bucket for sure.

Presence:

So many moments of shared outside time today! What really jumps out to me is the moment when I was taking the scenic route and found a view of the area I had somehow never seen before – what a cool surprise!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Another Question, Floating It Out There, & Our Running Ritual

Day 3,939

Growth:

Another question has been in my brain since a few nights ago when I was working on my project. It has been pushing me to look at the year from a different perspective, a view inspired by Ed Tom, the sheriff from the book No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.

It is a question that forces humility, that offers opportunity to see what we’ve misjudged, underestimated, or didn’t expect to face. In viewing it we are able to see a better route forward in the year ahead, to better prepare ourselves for what we may face.

Where did I encounter something this year that I was not fully equal to?

Appreciation:

The Universe is so ready to help us out to grow and expand. The more we float ideas and dreams out, the more often there are opportunities provided for us to take action. For sure, just wanting something doesn’t make it so, but I’m amazed at how often there is magic to be found after opening ourselves up, being humble and asking others for help or sharing our dream with them. In so many ways it’s almost as if we speak the magic into existence, it is only up to us to listen and take the appropriate action.

Today I took another step on my project (not quite ready to share it this openly yet) and it provided several new insights and ideas that really helped me see where this could continue to grow! So much more work to be done, but opening up helped me see a more clear path forward.

Presence:

Our morning run was amazing! I know, I use something form our morning run often, but I’m realizing more and more how sacred that ritual is to me. The time alone with Becky (and Leia). Physical activity to get my blood pumping. Quiet in the woods in the pre-dawn hour. Knowing that I started the day on my terms. Keeping my health the top of mind.

All those reasons and so many other little ones, the reason that time running is worth every ounce of energy and time many times over.

Thanks!!!