Author: Michael Kreiling

Thankful for a Surplus of Dreams and a Deficit of Time, Productivity Lessons, & a Brutal Lifting Workout

Day 3,187

Growth:

Life is so much easier when I pause and remember that I do not have the time or capacity needed to tackle all of the crazy ideas and dreams and projects I would like to take on. I will forever have a surplus of goals and plans and a deficit of the time I wish I had to accomplish everything, and that is okay. This makes it all the more important for me to focus on intentionally spending my precious time on those dreams which are of the utmost importance rather than on matters which are not of consequence.

When I am feeling overwhelmed and as if I don’t have enough time I need to remember to pause, review what is truly most important, focus on that in that moment, and be grateful for the opportunity to have that moment of life to use.

Appreciation:

When I wrapped up my day yesterday I had a very clear list of what needed to get done today. I didn’t get it all done, but I didn’t waste any time or energy. My focus was exactly where it needed to be. There were several moments in which my brain started to wander to other things and just as I was about go in a wrong direction I had awareness and went right back to focus mode. The results was an awesomely productive day that I am very pleased with.

As I analyze why it was successful I pinpointed a few notes to save for Future Mike:

  • Review what is truly important, slice it into what is most important today, and then focus there
  • Have a very clear list of what needs to get done and in order of how it needs to happen
  • Maintain awareness of where my mind should be focused and catch myself when it wanders
  • Give myself grace to take a pause or a break – not unintentionally and time wasting, rather, focused on re-charging my brain
  • Close the door and turn on the right music when needed
  • The overwhelming majority of phone calls, emails, and messages can wait until a future time
  • If the day flew by I am doing it right

Over 25 years of working in the professional world and I’m still reminded of how much there is to learn and how much more discipline there is to build.

Presence:

Lifting today was pretty brutal. I wasn’t even close to lifting the weights I should be lifting. It was all aboard the struggle bus time. By the last reps of the last set of each exercise my muscles were shaking. I didn’t even get to the number of reps I was shooting for in each set. t hurt. It was mentally taxing. My ego got the shit kicked out of it. In so many ways I could look at today’s lifting as a complete failure and disappointment…

…but I experienced and view it as an overwhelming SUCCESS.

This was my first time lifting in about four weeks due to travel and crazy pre-travel schedule. I was going in completely rusty and rather than not showing up or quitting early I chose to finish the workout. I struggled but I pushed. I gave myself the grace to drop the weight in-between sets so I could keep the right form. I didn’t stop until my muscles did. I took the step of re-starting, I took action.

The next round will be similar, but each subsequent session will feel better and better. Today I took the first step. It hurt, but I felt great.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Focus and Re-Focus, My Rapidly Growing Notes App, & a Heartbreaking Story

Day 3,186

Growth:

Yesterday I wrote about the power of writing everything down in order to get a sense of sanity. Today I’m grateful for the advice I received from a friend suggesting I re-write the list and be sure to point out what needs to happen today, tomorrow, & next week. That advice helped save me from taking on too much. Instead I put all the focus exactly where it needed to be.

Appreciation:

My Notes app is quickly becoming filled with so many inspiring and useful quotes and ideas! Over the past six months I’ve made an intentional effort to pause when I hear or read an excellent nugget of information and enter it into my Notes app for future reference.

Here are a few examples:

It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.

Yvon Chouinard

There was loneliness, too, as the sun set, but only rarely now did doubts return. Then I felt sinkingly as if my whole life lay behind me. Once on the mountain I knew (or trusted) that this would give way to total absorption with the task at hand. But at times I wondered if I had not come a long way only to find that what I really sought was something I had left behind.

Thomas F. Hornbein
Everest: The West Ridge

Presence:

On my drive home I spent some time listening to the audiobook Life Lived Wild by Rick Ridgeway. The story has been an emotional roller coaster, the drive today contained a story that brought me to tears. The author’s voice cracked and I could hear the tears as he shared the story of taking the daughter of an old climbing friend up to see her father’s body. His friend had died while with him in an avalanche and the emotion he felt returning was palpable. So much respect to Rick for having the courage to share that specific story.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Space to Process, Greeting at Church, & Making a List

Day 3,185

Growth:

When stressed remember to pause and make a list of everything you have to get done. By the time it is done your brain has the space to process and prioritize. I needed that today!

Appreciation:

As much as I know I’m more of an introvert there’s still a huge opportunity for joy by being in the presence of others. As a greeter at church today my role was to smile and welcome everyone with peace and joy. The act of greeting so many smiling faces was awesome and brought a huge smile to my heart!

Presence:

On my ride back from dropping off Gavin I took advantage of the alone time and did a full brain dump. I busted out my audio recording app and made a list of all the projects I have going on or that I would like you to do. Spending time in thought like this putting it all together for future review was very therapeutic!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Answering Yes to Yoga, a Crazy Busy Saturday (at Home), & a Walk with Becky

Day 3,184

Growth:

When the question is asked, “Do you want to go to yoga?” the answer should always be yes. I have yet to regret a single instance of going though I often wonder if I would be better off sleeping in or relaxing at home instead. When in doubt, go stretch out!

Appreciation:

Wowza, it has been a ridiculously busy day, but all in very good ways! From waking up to hit an early morning yoga date with Becky at Root Down to knocking out about a dozen and a half tasks and errands AND spending quite a bit of quality time with each of my family members the day has been a nonstop thrill ride of fun and excitement. What’s even better is that by getting almost everything done today my day tomorrow will be almost on easy mode.

Another aspect of this that I can’t understate is how great it feels to be back in the normal home weekend routine. I love my vacations and travels, but being at home is wonderful sensation after being gone for a little over two straight weeks.

Throw in the bonus time with Becky at yoga and walking Leia (more on that in a minute or two), a nice long phone conversation with Mom, fixing a canopy with Gavin using some inventive solutions, a Menards run with the boys, dinner as a family, and watching the movie Prometheus with boys on the couch and I was busy but in heaven all day long!

Presence:

Getting a walk in with Becky and Leia on a wooded road that is currently closed to cars and had more turtles (a little over half a dozen) than people (zero) led to quality time together in the perfect environment. This coming not too long after yoga added even more chill. I always appreciate time walking in the woods with Becky, one of my favorite activities of all time.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Reminder to Bring Others In, a Belated Father’s Day Gift, & Beyond the Pines

Thankful for a Reminder to Bring Others In, a Belated Father’s Day Gift, & Beyond the Pines

Day 3,183

Growth:

This afternoon I had an awesomely in depth conversation with my friend, Brian, on the topics of leadership and life. Initially he had reached out with a question, but I quickly found he was helping me find answers to questions and feelings I’ve had over the past year. What was especially insightful to me was his willingness to open up and share so much, he just shared where he was at. His openness was truly inspiring. As I reflect on the conversation I can’t help but realize he summed up my awe in a follow up text.

Life feels different when you bring others in!

Brian B

How often do I carry the burden myself rather than sharing it? When am I too nervous about how others may view me to share how I am really doing and thinking? Why do I sometimes struggle to ask for help when I am in need of it? One would think I would know better by age 47, heck, I even wrote about this very topic in my book about losing Dad!

Today I’m very grateful for the reminder to open up, to share my heart openly, and to bring others in. We all have so much in common and we can all help lighten each other’s loads. Thank you for a conversation I needed more than I imagined today Brian!

Appreciation:

Due to our vacation my sons held back on giving me a Father’s Day gift until this evening. There is no question it was well worth the wait! Not gonna lie, there may have been a little bit of awesome leaking out of my eyes as I took it in and read the quote they added.

It was a map of the world, complete with pins of all the places I’ve been – and color coded based on who was with on the trip. In the bottom left corner was one of my all time favorite quotes by Jim Valvano, one I used in my blog the Father’s Day less than a week after Dad passed away.

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

Jim Valvano

Throw in some very heartfelt and handcrafted Father’s Day cards from the boys and I was definitely feeling the love. Between the boys and Becky it was quite the way to lead into the weekend!

In addition to the initial fun of the gift we all got an epic bonus present… time to dream as a family as we looked at all the spaces without pins and started dreaming up some additional crazy ideas and plans for the future. Just a hunch, but I’d bet on a trip to a little place called Mount Kilimanjaro at some point in the not too distant future 😉

Thank you Becky and the boys for making me extra loved for a belated Father’s Day, I’m beyond blessed to ahve you each in my life!!!

Presence:

There’s a moment, maybe better put as a series of moments, from our time in Sequoia National Park which has been with me often in the past week. As we walked the trail amongst the massive sequoias I wandered in awe of the enormity of the titans towering over me. My mind and soul struggled to comprehend all they had experienced in the two to three THOUSAND years of life on earth.

While walking among them one of my favorite songs came to mind and played on repeat. Beyond the Pines by Thrice is a song I’ve blogged about a little over a year ago (you can check out the post here or the lyric video of the song here).

The lyrics which have resonated the most are these:

Somewhere down the road is a place that we can go where everyone
And everything is divine
And when we’re all awake, we can finally make and end of these
Divisions in our minds

Far beyond those walls, gleaming black and white
Further than our false schemes of wrong and right
Is a field where we can walk
Leaving all our names behind

I will meet you there, beyond the pines

Thrice, Beyond the Pines

The feeling of hiking in the giant sequoias felt like I was walking in heaven, in paradise. There was zero stress or need or frustration, only awe and peace and gratitude and joy and love. How much more joyful and full of love would our world be if we all took time to go “beyond the pines” once in a while? To pause, breathe in the fresh pine scented air, feel the cool breeze on our face, and look in awe at the wondrous gifts the world has been given?

This is the specific tree I would like to have some of my ashes scattered at when my time is complete, it is marked in my Garmin Earthmate GPS as “Perfect Seq-MK ash” It was the most perfect and beautiful sequoia I saw on our trip to Sequoia National Park, and it was just far enough off the busiest paths to have the eternal quiet I would liek to enjoy.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Small Steps, Nudges and Shifts, & Clarity through Exhaustion

Day 3,182

Growth:

The first step can be amongst the most difficult. Take it, trust your gut, create. Don’t overthink it, don’t overanalyze, just get to work. Start with the minimum viable product and slowly build up from there. One small step, adjust, learn, and then take the next.

Appreciation:

So many nuggets from the Universe today! A little nudge over here, a little push this direction, a slight shift towards something else. Maybe it is the calm and peace in my mind and soul as a result of vacation hearing things more clearly. Maybe it is the tiredness I’ll talk about next that is putting down my guard to allow me to see clearly.

Whatever the reason I am grateful for the little comments, texts, emails, and conversations today which all helped me look at the world in a slightly different way today! Thank you for all the positivity!

Presence:

Sometimes we really benefit from leaning into exhaustion. I don’t want to live in a perpetual state of fatigue, but once in a while a heavy dose of exhaustion strips away all the window dressing and helps us see reality more clearly. Today was one of those days, totally exhausted, but ready to see the world through a different perspective. The reality of life is brought more clearly into focus when deeply tired in a positive way. The ego struggles to put up its defenses, life is more clearly seen.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Fitting Quote, Travel Days, & Not Driving

Day 3,181

Growth:

You haven’t really been anywhere until you’ve been back home.

Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic

Appreciation:

Travel days are a very different mindset of day, aren’t they? It’s not a normal vacation. Day, but it is also not reality. Travel days are this weird vacation purgatory of sorts, a kind of reality buffer if you will.

Sometimes these types of days are best used relaxing and enjoying the last bit of vacation. Other times they seem to be at their best when focused on productivity, using the time to catalog all the memories and experiences.

Today was a wonderful balance of both!

Presence:

Rising in the backseat of the car while Gavin drives us home, the first time I haven’t been driving in 12 days – woo hoo!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Take Photos Often, Travel, & So Many Shared Moments

Day 3,180

Growth:

Take photos almost constantly. Don’t let the lens get in the way of the experience itself, rather, allow it to become an extension of oneself. This way we are both 100% present in the moment AND we have the embers of memory to rekindle the fires when we view the photos. One well timed picture can light up an entire inferno of wonderful memories. As I’ve been reviewing the photos from our vacation my heart has been warmed many times by the flames of memory.

Appreciation:

Many years ago in a hotel room in San Francisco on a work trip I came across a quote which has stuck with me. The Marriott brand hotel had a beautiful travel magazine sharing experiences they had available and amongst the incredible adventures was this nugget which has stuck with me ever since:

Travel lets us see ourselves in a new way. With our minds free to dream, goals become clearer, moments grow richer, and we return home fuller than when we left.

Marriott Bonvoy

Another travel adventure has been had by my family and I. The time away has allowed me to dream bigger, to start putting together some bigger goals. The moments I’ve share with my family are so much more vivid and rich. I’m definitely returning home much fuller than when I left.

Travel is an opportunity to create space in our lives to intentionally focus on awe and wonder. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity to take this time traveling with my family.

Interesting little side note… I found the initial blog I wrote on February 25, 2017 when I wrote about this quote. You can check it out here: https://thankful4forty.com/2017/02/25/day-151-thankful-for-added-motivation/. I then wrote about it again two years later https://thankful4forty.com/2019/02/27/day-882-thankful-for-talking-vacations-with-strangers-a-comment-from-a-teammate-last-week-and-a-quote-from-two-years-ago/. Enjoy!!!

Presence:

So many moments strung together over a week and a half, each a gift to each other, a new inside joke, a shared experience, a moment of awe together, love shared amongst family. Nothing quite like travel to create the space for an increased level of awareness with family!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Vacation Movie Night, an Awesomely Exhausting Vacation, & More Nature Moments

Day 3,179

Growth:

Vacation isn’t always about the travel, enjoy the time together chilling, even if it just relaxing and watching a movie. Had a blast doing just that with Gavin tonight!

Appreciation:

Tonight I’m going to bed exhausted, vacation has taken it out of me in an awesomely rewarding way!

Presence:

The hikes today were gorgeous! So many moments of experiencing the beauty of nature, my soul is full.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Insignificance, Trail Time Thoughts, & My First Rattlesnake

Day 3,178

Growth:

After all the majesty I’ve witnessed outdoors in the past week this quote really hit the nail on the head.

“We were two tiny humans on top of the world’s most awesome mountain, and the mountain was indifferent.”

Rick Ridgeway, Life Lived Wild – upon reaching the summit of K2

Appreciation:

Walking in the woods really is medicine for the soul. My mind has been free to wander during our hikes over the past week and it has gone in so many different directions. Of course my biggest focuses have been on the beauty all around and the time with my family, but in between has been so much time for my mind to go wherever it feels like going. This has led to thoughts about work, life, vacations, writing, and so many other things. I’m so grateful for the time to set my brain free, I needed it more than I thought!

Presence:

For the first time in my life I finally saw a rattlesnake in real life in the wild! It was basking in the sunshine on the road and I swerved to avoid it. As soon as I realized what it was I put the car in reverse and got a view from a safe distance. So cool to see!

Thanks!!!