Day 3,367

Growth:

Throughout the past year I’ve made a much more concerted effort to collect all the nuggets of wisdom and insightful quotes I happen to come across. As I worked my way through my photos from 2024 today (more on that in a bit) I was reminded of so many quotes I screenshotted or took pictures of. Each brought back a memory as well as got my gears turning again. No one steps in the same river twice, these quotes all had a new perspective thanks to the life experiences I’ve had since capturing them.

Appreciation:

Once again I am reminded of the return on investment of taking photos while experiencing life. As Bill Perkins writes about in Die with Zero we should focus most of our energy on creating experiences we will remember forever. Those experiences pay off in the form of “memory dividends,” the ongoing joy created through remembering those experiences. The more pictures we take during those experiences the easier it is for us to go back to those moments and reap the returns of those memory dividends.

In going through all of the photos I took in 2024 my mind was blown by all of the memories we created this year! Over and over again it was a nonstop sound track of “oh my goodness, we did that THIS year too???”

Today I’m grateful for all the photos I took this past year. Even though I deleted many and have many more to clean out, the total mass of joy created from my memory dividends was priceless!

Presence:

Our afternoon hike on a trail we don’t do often was enhanced by the thick fog floating throughout the valley. The hike felt surreal in so many ways – warmer than usual for mid December, the scent of fall, restricted views due to the thick fog, and throw in some slippery and icy trails. All in all each element played so well with the others, it was an almost constant state of presence as we enjoyed another hike in the Driftless.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,366

Growth:

You never quite know where unexpected nuggets of wisdom will come from – even so bad they’re good Christmas movies. Keep an open ear and you’ll find the universe is often whispering what we need, if only we remember to listen.

Appreciation:

Knocking out the task list early in the weekend AND getting a hike in, a great start to the weekend! More to get done tomorrow, but much of it is stuff I want to get done rather than have to do. Nice to get the jump start!

Presence:

Walking in the woods, especially after having been inside for the better part of the week due to the extreme cold temperatures and life scheduling, is always the answer. Fresh air, no cellphone notifications, outdoors, wildlife, landscape, and motion. So simple, so full of joy.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,365

Growth:

Everything is figureoutable. Everything. What makes me smile is hearing that from my teammates reminding me of that very fact when we face a difficult situation.

Appreciation:

This morning we lived into our purpose. As we have for the past handful of years we’ve had an awesome opportunity to give back to our community. There is nothing more fulfilling than living into our purpose, what a gift!

Presence:

Sometimes you need to have a moment of chaotic fun with teammates to break the tension of the entire office. Sometimes that needs to happen more than once in the same day. Here’s to today being a day in which the shenanigans were much much needed and appreciated, as were the moments of bonding before, during, and after stress.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,364

Growth:

Be honest with ourselves when life is difficult. It’s okay to admit when we’re not okay. Once we acknowledge that we can start to work on it. Funny how quickly we can then shift into growth and actionable steps. Not accepting the struggles stunts our growth and delays our healing.

Appreciation:

I love that there are the “Supporting” roles Oscars. In our lives we have many starring actors, but there are exponentially more supporting bits.

This afternoon I had the opportunity – twice – to revisit individuals who made outsized positive impacts in my life as compared to their roles. They may have each only been in the film of my life for a short time, but they both taught me much about business, being a dad, being a leader, giving, hard work, and even F1 racing. Both of them – both named Tim – helped me grow into the person I am and have left a mark on me through stories I still share.

They may both be gone, but their legacies live on. I am so grateful for their positive influences!

Presence:

Sometimes the craziest moments and situations turn out to be the most memorable. Gavin and I got home at almost the exact same time tonight and were welcomed with an awful surprise, a dog who’d had a bad accident in her kennel.

After a little retching on both our parts we opted for positivity and humor to help us through a “crappy” situation.

Not an ideal scenario, but one we’ll remember for the hilarity that followed as we took care of business.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,363

Growth;

Moments of awareness and clarity are opportunities to change, sometimes drastically, as they help us see the world as it truly is. Savor those, but more importantly, heed them before they fade from memory.

Appreciation:

Having a profoundly strong support network provides significantly more opportunities for well being. The more people who surround you and are willing to help allow us to grow so much more freely and completely, they will help pick us up when we stumble.

Presence:

The calm quiet of pausing to soak in the world around us. Moments of joy, moments of stress, then all deserve the full focus of our being. Here’s to remembering that they all help us grow into the people we are meant to be, especially when we pause to fully drink them in.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,362

Growth:

If is okay to feel tired and exhausted, it is not okay to not do something about it… especially resting. If I am going to run hard I also need to remember to rest hard.

Appreciation:

Throughout the years I’ve collected some of the best advice and quotes I’ve heard into a handful of different resources. When life becomes challenging I have s tendency to pull them out and find one or two which really call out to me in any given moment. They provide a ledge to stand on, the oxygen needed to breathe through the challenge.

This phrase comes up far more often than I care to admit. It is a reminder to pause and consider whether I’m taking the time needed to think or if I’m seeking out distraction so as not to have to work on something larger. When this line catches my eye it typically means I am avoiding alone time rather than seeking it out.

Tonight I’m grateful for my collection of quotes and wisdom, they continue to pay off!

Presence:

The moments in which we witness the compassion of other humans, true beauty!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,359

Growth:

You can always say something you haven’t said, but you can’t unsay something you’ve already said. Pause, breathe, and think before communicating.

Appreciation:

Normalcy! A weekend day at home doing the normal adulting mixed with outside time, family dinner, and board games. Exactly what I ordered up after our travels! Travel is always one of my favorites, but time at home with family is even better.

Presence:

Walking in the woods with Becky, watching our dog run around with another dog smiling from ear to ear, so much fun to see! She was having such a blast that I couldn’t help but just stand and smile as they ran back and forth over and over again.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,358

Growth:

Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

Randy Pausch

Appreciation:

Taking small actions towards large goals add up to significant progress without feeling like it. As I’m becoming more intentional about utilizing spare moments to type ideas for 2025 into my Notes app I am surprised by how much progress I’ve made in a short period of time. Small actions really make the huge task easier!

Presence:

The moment of extreme beauty completely unintended as someone expresses a heartfelt emotion which ties directly to the core of the culture being built…. So touching on so many levels, a reminder that change is necessary and wonderful part of life.

Thanks!!!