While driving up north with Becky today I was listening to one of my favorite books, The New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton. Even though I’ve read it a few times I was still picking up some deep insights on this read through. From time to time I had to pause the book, turn on some fitting music, and then let my mind mull over the points made in the book.
There was a beautiful balance of quiet, reading, music, and stillness on the drive this morning. Very peaceful and wonderful way to kick off the day!
Appreciation:
One of the key insights from reading this morning may seem rather simple, but there’s definitely a complexity to it in practice. It seems as if the moments of greatest joy are those in which we are living into the person we are called to be and the moments of frustration are when we are going against the grain. Live into our true selves and joy is plentiful, live into a non-authentic self and feel unfulfilled.
This insight has been in my head all day and I’m grateful for this seed of wisdom which continue to blossom.
Presence:
Today I took some time to knock out a handful of projects. One of which was writing up a shout out for someone who has had an awesomely positive impact on others. Taking the time to write that was very engaging and was a moment of extreme presence.
I’m breaking from the usual format tonight. It has been a very full day, and definitely a +2 day (at the end of each day I rate my overall joy from the day on s scale of -2 to +2). Here are a handful of reasons it was a +2 day (& the notes I’ll add in my daily journal):
Woke up at 5am on a Saturday specifically to get a solid workout in
Knocked out almost 400 floors on the stair machine in just under two hours
Love, love, love reading Speaker for the Dead while exercising. So many insightful ideas
Broke up Gavin’s powerlifting meet by hiking in the bluffs with Becky in between events
Saw Gavin achieve all of his powerlifting goals from this season
Enjoyed conversation with great parent friends
Chilling out and eating pizza while laughing with family as we wrapped up the night.
It’s okay to create a short & concise blog post. Success isn’t measured in number of words. There is no one to impress. There is only the process, living into purpose. Don’t create something unnecessary due to external expectations you are actually putting onto yourself. Be authentic.
Appreciation:
Today I took action towards closing the gap between who I am and who I am called to be. It felt so wonderfully right! An idea which has been growing like a bamboo seed for quite some time appears to be just about ready to explode from the ground. Is there a better feeling than living into one’s purpose?
Presence:
Wow, the moment of typing up my Growth section tonight! That was not at all where I expected to go. I was aware of my mindset / inner monologue…
“ugh, I want to keep this short because I’m tired, but then I need to write a disclaimer about why this post is going to be short.”
My awareness of my thought process helped me quickly see just how stupid and ego driven I was acting. First off, who am I writing this for – others or myself? Second, who cares how long the post is? Third, why would I care about someone’s opinion of what I type? Last, why am I not focused on the single most important reason I utilize this practice daily – its intent, its purpose?
In that moment my true self started typing, I allowed “me” to come out and be truly present. That might be one of my favorite paragraphs yet!
Last night as I lay in bed my head started to drown in negative thoughts. Worries, fears, stress, and all of their friends started to flood my brain. Funny how when one negative thought finds its way in just before sleep it is so easy for so many others to follow, one after another. My heart rate spiked, I laid on my back with my eyes wide open, and I felt crushing stress.
…and then I had a thought. Then I paused and soaked in the thought, shaped it a little, and then pulled up my Notes app on my phone and typed a little note to myself.
“How quickly all the fears and worries snowball in the mind when one little seed of fear is allowed to find purchase. Why is there seemingly a gravitational pull of negativity and fear once it is first allowed in?”
Mike Kreiling – Random Bedtime Thoughts
As I considered what I wrote something interesting happened. It was as if I turned on the light and all ghosts scattered with the darkness. In choosing to OBSERVE what was happening rather than BEING what was happening my stress all dissipated. I was AWARE of what was actually happening, my mind was stressing over completely foolish things which I either have no control over, are incredibly unlikely to happen, or were being blown way out of proportion. As soon as I was aware of my response/emotion/reaction the illusion was broken and I was able to laugh off the stress! I went back to my Notes app and added another snippet:
“Changing from ‘BEING’ to ‘OBSERVING’ allows a change of perspective to break the illusion of fear. By becoming aware of my thoughts and emotions I can see through them for what they really are.”
Mike Kreiling – More Random Bedtime Thoughts
The moments of crushing anxiety were pretty awful, no question. I am amazed at how one subtle shift in perspective dispelled the demons and helped me to relax and sleep like a champ.
Appreciation:
Due to a last minute cancelation I ended up with an extra 75 minutes this morning in the office before the start of the business day. This “Bonus Time” turned out to be one of the biggest reasons my day was as productive as it was! As soon as the cancelation happened I jumped right into a project I’d been working on for the past week. With no one else in the office and no phones ringing I was able to hit the jets and knock out not only that project, but I also got a hell of a start on another one!
When the “Time Fairy” brings us a little surprise like that the best we can do is completely take advantage of it and make the most of it. I did just that and it made all the difference today!
Presence:
My office is in the corner of our building and there are two windows I can easily look out while I am working. While hammering through my bonus time productivity boost I couldn’t help but occasionally peek out and see an extraordinary sky with a handful of clouds slowly changing color as the sun rose. I so love the mornings when there are just enough clouds to catch the slowly rising sun to reflect a bevy of oranges and purples and pinks and reds, while there’s also enough blue sky to add an additional accent to the beautiful scene.
Sometimes it takes guts to point out an error someone is making. It takes even more guts to say it when that person is your boss. When someone says it as a matter of fact, a matter of caring – regardless of whether or not that person is your supervisor – they are a person of outstanding integrity. I’m grateful to have those people around me, they inspire me to be a better me.
Appreciation:
After finishing Ender’s Game I decided to follow the path into the next book in the series, Speaker for the Dead. It is one of my favorite fictions of all time thanks to the depth and complexity of the characters and their interactions. Throw in several insightful concepts of spirituality, mortality, and philosophy and it really has everything within its pages.
What leapt off the pages for me today was a quote from one of the protagonists, Valentine. She’s spent the past years moving from planet to planet taking time to write the history of each. In a flash of insight she realizes how much she has changed as a result of her experiences.
“And it’s true, thought Valentine. I’m not the same person, really, from book to book, because each world changes who I am, even as I write down the story of the world. And this world most of all.”
Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead
It really struck a chord with me. I’ve recently and often written about “never stepping in the same river twice” or never being the same person who’s read the same book in the past. Life changes us and as a result we are not the same person as the day before. Even the process of writing each blog changes the me. Her statement was such a beautifully eloquent way of making that point.
Presence:
While my walk outside in early February over lunch was fantastic, the moment which stuck out to me today was during our monthly Star of the Month meeting. I had the privilege of sharing who the two recipients of this month’s Star of the Month were to our teams. The smiles on their faces when they realized they were the ones being bragged up were priceless! They both did an outstanding job of living into our core values this month and seeing the recognition on their faces was epic!
There’s a beauty to getting so lost in work when it is all towards a clear purpose. My task list today was very straight forward and I tackled the majority of what I wanted to get done and I still have much of tomorrow to finish. What I’m most thankful for is remembering just how important it is to have a clear focus and goals to help get myself into a flow state like I was in much of the day. In those moments time seems to disappear and all that exists is the work ahead of me. Tomorrow I will do my best to follow a similar pattern and keep the same rhythm.
Appreciation:
Over the past couple of months I’ve started carving out time over lunch to go to the gym and get a bonus workout in. Today I did the same as I was in between tasks. I paused to wrap up my current task, prepped a few things for the next so I could jump right in when I returned, and then headed out. After 45 minutes of a sweet chest and back endurance workout my heart was pumping, my head was clear, and I was ready to get back to work. Had I just chilled my energy level wouldn’t have been nearly as high and I would not have been as productive as I was. Here’s to quick middle of the day workouts to help increase productivity!
Presence:
This afternoon at work I was obviously deep in thought when one of my teammates made a comment and asked it I was doing okay. I couldn’t help but laugh as I realized just how I must’ve looked in that moment. I was in the midst of some deep thinking and work when I realized I needed to grab something. While walking I was still mentally going through the concept I was working on and I was completely oblivious to the world around me until my teammate made a comment. For sure, I wasn’t present in where I was walking in that moment, but the focus and depth of my thought process was wildly in the moment. Definitely an engaging project to work on for sure!
Preparing for a meeting, when done correctly, seriously increases the productivity of the meeting and leads to significantly more success. Thanks to the prep with today the meeting escalated right into deeper topics providing more productive insights.
Appreciation:
Today has been ridiculously busy! Nonstop from 4:35am until about 8:30 when Gavin and I busted out Yahtzee to wind down. While it’s been crazy full I can’t help but smile at how much of the busyness was lived towards a bigger purpose. I don’t want it this busy all the time, but when it is I’m always happy when it is a purposeful busy.
Presence:
The sunrise and gunners today were incredible!!! So many variations of pinks and purples, the sky’s color painted the Mississippi River in similar hues – such beauty!
Re-reading Ender’s Game continues to pay off huge leadership dividends! As I read more today I was struck by how many insightful leadership lessons can be pulled away from this book. For sure, it is a fiction, but there are some concepts which are easier to grasp specifically when they are in the vacuum of fiction. Today’s points focused on helping someone to struggle in the purpose of growth and help them become stronger, sharing everything openly – even with competition, remembering and acting towards the true purpose rather than a petty goal, and the importance of building trust as a leader. So many nuggets from this awesomely entertaining book!
Appreciation:
When we went to Mom’s church this morning they shared a prayer I’d never heard. It was written by one of my favorite spiritual leaders, Thomas Merton, but somehow I’d never heard this specific prayer before. Rather than analyze and add my voice to it, I’ll share it in its entirety and allow you to enjoy.
The Merton Prayer
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
Presence:
This evening I knocked out a bunch of tasks on my seemingly never ending list and the sense of accomplishment felt wonderful. What made it all the more enjoyable was happening to stumble upon some new music to set the mood and and provide the right ambiance. ILLENIUM & Skylar Grey’s song – From the Ashes started things off and then I went down the rabbit hole from there. What I was thankful for was the perfect music to keep my brain focused on the tasks at hand while also brightening my efforts.
Been an awesome day full of smiles, laughter, and time with family. Heading to bed much later than normal, so this is a short one.
I’m thankful for so much time with family today! We watched Dominic’s rugby match (our first time at a rugby match) and were joined by Mom and Brad. Time as a family on the drive up, time as a family at the game, time as a family at dinner, and time as a family relaxing at Mom’s. Such a great day!
Last night I read an epic quote from a book Dominic introduced me to and it’s been resonating in my soul all day.
“Death is tragic but, no matter how brief one’s years are, living without a purpose is the greatest tragedy of all.”
When two people are actively working together in a growth mindset the results are very productive. There is no judgement, no frustration, no ego, or any other types of obstacles. Only possibility, open dialogue, open and constructive conflict, and productive dialogue exist. So much positive progress when the growth mindsets are aligned.
Appreciation:
There’s a balance to be found between play and planning. Over the past 6 weeks or so I’ve been working out in the gym quite often and it’s been a wonderful mix of all types of new exercises. I’ve had the opportunity to focus on lifting for strength, for muscle, and for endurance in an extraordinarily wide array of all kinds of exercises focusing on pretty much all major muscle groups. This was exactly the play I needed to help me see weightlifting as fun again. There’s not really a clear goal other than just getting back into the habit and stoking my passion for fitness again. I’ve already seen some awesome results and have been feeling great!
Now it is time to focus on my long term goals. I want to be in the type of physical condition so I can be a 94 year old dude hiking and backpacking eight plus miles per day in the mountains. To get there I’ve got to get myself in fantastic backpacking shape now complete with a very solid base of skeletal muscle mass to keep me moving. Now is the time to take what I’ve learned from play, set a clear objective for the short term (3 months) and then set the clear path to get there.
Without play I wouldn’t have been motivated to work on the long term plan and would not have had so many more exercises to choose from. Without the plan all the play is great, but I would likely keep gaining muscle mass in places I don’t need for backpacking and hiking and would have a lot more weight to carry – all of which actively hurts progress towards my goal.
Today is all about balance – play and plan – a dichotomy that leads to success.
Presence:
Lots of road time for Becky and I today! Not only our long car ride, but we also had road time on our morning run. Throw in some trail time we had while we took Leia for a walk and it was a day of many moments shared together. I’m grateful for the extreme moments of presence shared together today – especially when we had exactly two seconds of sunlight peek through as we neared the exit for Lewiston. Even when we are doing some not so exciting adulting we can still be present and enjoy time together – and plan future vacations 😉
This was from a trip to San Francisco – we happened to catch a sunset in a low tide on the ocean!
Thankful for Forty 