Day 3,277

Growth:

Am I choosing to go after a goal for myself or for someone else? Is this goal getting me closer to my dream or is it feeding my ego?

Appreciation:

My work week is the story of three very different roles. Rather than mishmashing them all together I focused on one role specifically today. Tomorrow I’ll be almost singlemindedly focused on another. Depending on how the week shakes out the third role will be the headliner of Wednesday or Thursday.

While my brain likes variety and enjoys going in a few directions at once it seems my productivity increases as I put the hammer down on one area at a time. Here’s to doing that which doesn’t come natural in order to do be more more successful and better use my strengths!

Presence:

Running in the 50ish degree weather was AWESOME!!! This morning it felt like autumn, my favorite season for getting in my morning miles. The stars were out, Orion is slowly making his way up the sky, and the air had the fresh fall smell to it. Perfect!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,276

Growth:

Sometimes I feel as if I should like and enjoy all the content my favorite thought leaders produce, I owe it to them for the past works they’ve created which meant much to me. Sometimes, their offerings just don’t resonate with me. Usually I push through out of a silly sense of responsibility. Today I chose to turn it off, and it felt great!

Appreciation:

Waking up, packing up, and on the trail in less than an hour. Outstanding! So fulfilling to get our morning hike in thanks to the new set up. This was an enormously positive first taste of what we can expect in the near future.

Presence:

Oh my goodness, the sound bath yoga session this evening was intense! The sounds felt like they echoed up my spine and down my soul. I don’t know how better to describe it, a transcendental experience through which all felt still and calm.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,275

Growth:

Everything takes practice, even the fun stuff. As we unpack ourselves and get set for the evening in the van I’m reminded that we will need many more nights to get everything figured out and settled. Kinda nice when it is practice that is so enjoyable!

Appreciation:

Our first night of family camping in the campervan this evening! So enjoyable getting to try this bad boy out in real life with Becky and Gavin, especially after watching Dominic’s rugby match and hanging out with Mom. Nothing too exciting in the agenda, just getting outside and sleeping with the smell of campfires, hearing crickets, and feeling the cool fresh breeze. What a great first night!

Presence:

Riding through the country with Mom shooting the bull and enjoying each other’s company. Priceless!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,274

Growth:

Pay attention to the moments in which you’re most engaged and in a state of flow. That’s where the magic is. Find ways to do that type of activity again and again.

Appreciation:

Working remotely from the campervan early this morning atop the bluffs with a wisp of fog was one of the most productive mornings of work I’ve had in a long time.

Presence:

So, I was going to go in a very different direction until Gavin’s high school football game happened this evening. After being down 0-21 they somehow managed to get it all back on track and WON on a thrilling play in overtime!!! The intensity was through the roof, so much presence I may have shaved a few years of my life off 😜😂

Thanks!!!

Day 3,273

Growth:

Drive and motivation are two very different concepts. We are all motivated by slightly different things for slightly different reasons and we all have varying degrees of drive. Just because one is high does not mean the other is as well and vice versa.

Appreciation:

The satisfaction of creating and then completing a substantial task list in one day is intoxicating! What’d better is that it just opened up my tomorrow to focus on specific larger thought projects I want to knock out. Now I have the space and clarity of mind to do just that. Focus today created more opportunity for focus tomorrow!

Presence:

The storytelling of Cormac McCarthy features an increasingly magnified level of gravity. As the story goes on one can’t help but drawn deeper and deeper into the relentless vortex of the characters and action. Today I found myself swimming into the center of the whirlpool which is Blood Meridian.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,272

Growth:

In the heat of the moment the right decisions can be difficult to see. By pausing to zoom out we can sometimes see that we were trying to solve the wrong problem.

Appreciation:

Over the past day and a half I’ve had the opportunity to pause, recalibrate, and strategize with my business partners. This opportunity is one which never feels urgent, but is so important for our mutual success. In taking time to open up and share our situations, challenges, and opportunities we help each other grow. Today I’m grateful for them and for our time together.

Presence:

While running alone in the dark in a moonlit field with bluffs and forests surrounding the trail I found peace. When running in the dark of the woods my headlamp became an alarm clock for the whitetail deer bedded down the edge of the trail.

To think I almost missed those moments by considering whether or not to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,271

Growth:

Am I intentionally making the trade offs I want to make or am I taking the path of least resistance and forfeiting my opportunity to choose (thus making a different decision)?

Appreciation:

Having the opportunity to work remotely for a little while today…

Presence:

Sharing something I am passionate about with a friend, always a wonderful moment!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,270

Growth:

In reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy I’m learning that one doesn’t need long, indulgent, and obscure words to write a classic. The use of exactly the correct word and combination of words truly paints the tapestry.

Appreciation:

It finally happened today!!! A huge one on our bucket lists came true as we picked up our campervan! We went through a two and a half hour orientation and the drove it back two and a half hours home. We had a moment to enjoy it with our pup this evening and now I’m crashing in it for the night. An all campervan kind of day 😄👍

Presence:

Our first moment of chill in our campervan this evening, perfection!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,269

Growth:

When I’m in an uncomfortable or awkward situation I always have a choice to make, which mindset will I choose. Today I had that opportunity and made the most of it once I paused to be cognizant of the opportunity to choose.

The Mindfulness Triathlon was today and I was flying solo as Becky was out of town for work. The first leg was a short hike in the woods and I was expecting a quiet walk and was instead in the middle of a very talkative group of walkers. For a moment I was frustrated and wanting a quiet trail with no one around, but then I remembered to choose to be grateful and harness the opportunity for growth.

I paused and enjoyed the sounds of everyone having a great time talking, they were having a blast! I enjoyed their joy for a bit. I then remembered that I’m good at “escaping” to a quiet place alone, but I need work finding the “escape” amongst others. This became an opportunity for me to find my inner stillness while surrounded by others. With that mindset I focused more on the sights all around me and was gifted with spectacular views, like of a huge spiderweb lit up by the low angle of the sun. So much beauty when I remember to quiet my own inner voice.

There’s always a choice to make, I will keep working to choose growth more often.

Appreciation & Presence:

Thanks to Dominic being in town from his rugby match I had almost exactly five hours to spend with my sons together today. I took advantage of that time and we had a blast together! Board games, watching football, so many laughs and jokes, and all focused time with each other. We maneuvered the living room furniture around so we were able to play games, eat, and keep an eye on football all at the same time, only taking a few short bio breaks throughout. Nothing crazy or out of the ordinary, but time for us to coexist and enjoy each others company. Such a blessing today!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,268

This morning I woke up a little earlier than usual specifically to get a nice hike in with both Leia and my 50# backpack before loading into the car for a day for five hours of driving for Dominic’s rugby match in Madison. Just as I started to walk out to the garage the rain started to fall. In that moment I made the decision to enjoy the hike with whatever weather was offered up.

Leia and I virtually had the trails to ourselves! So chill smelling the fresh rain mixing with different types of soil and all the different plants. The sound of the raining was calming on a visceral level, a symphony of the forest. Such an experience!

Thanks!!!