Author: Michael Kreiling

Thankful for Intentionality Versus Drifting, Opening Up for Help, & Mowing the Lawn

Day 3,160

Growth:

There’s a huge gap between intentionally living towards a goal and drifting towards wherever life decides to take us. While there’s nothing wrong with drifting we can’t be certain that we will head in the right direction. When living towards a goal we need to maintain flexibility to be grateful for something close to the goal we wanted as life doesn’t always allow exactly what we want… but it will more often be closer to the original goal than just following the drift.

Live intentionally, move in the direction of big dreams on purpose. Adjust the sails as needed, be flexible.

Appreciation:

When we get outside of ourselves and remember that we can accomplish more with others it is amazing how the world seems to open itself up to us! Over the past two days there have been several times in which I normally would have taken something on myself rather than “bother” someone else with the task. Instead I’ve been intentional in keeping myself open and listening for opportunities to let others help towards a common goal. The more I listen the more people want to jump in and the more joy we all have as we accomplish more than we would have individually. What fun!

I wrote about this concept of allowing others the opportunity to help, funny that I am still slowly but surely starting to work on living into that better almost seven years later!

Presence:

When I was a kid, mowing the lawn was the WORST!!! Not only was it tedious, but I was so allergic to the grass, dust, & mold that I would be stuffed up for days afterwards.

As an adult, what a relaxing and chill recreational activity! Put in my earbuds, listen to a little music, savor some outdoor time, feel productive with minimal effort, AND my allergies have pretty much disappeared. This evening was a reminder of how much I enjoy the time outside!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Wide and Deep, Verification, & Ever-Changing Skies

Day 3,159

Growth:

Read wide and then read deep. Get as many different flavors and ideas going in my brain as possible, let them continue to bounce off each, allow them to marinate, and when the timing is right dive deep into the books which are most connected.

I’m continually amazed by the ability of a book I skimmed through over a decade ago to quickly come roaring back to top of mind when it finds the right combination of new ideas and challenges.

Appreciation:

When the right idea or opportunity presents itself it is interesting to see how many signs point in that direction. Today there were three conversations which all led back to another crazy idea I’m hatching!

Presence:

Driving through three distinct downpours, seeing a steady stream of blue skies followed by clouds followed by blue skies followed by clouds, and observing a rainbow painted on a tapestry of rain of the past downpour was amazing!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Compelled to Take Action, a Long Weekend, & Laughter

Day 3,158

Growth:

When the spirit moves you take action and enjoy it.

This afternoon I caught myself feeling motivated to put time into a project for work. It was a day off, but I really felt compelled to hit it, the creative juices were flowing. Next thing I knew a couple of hours had passed while I was in a total state of flow. What an awesomely rewarding way to spend some time!

Appreciation:

Somehow I’m feeling completely exhausted and totally recharged all at the same time.

We got our run in this morning. The last details of our upcoming vacation are wrapped up. My work week is lined up and looks to be an awesomely solid and productive one. Most the stuff around the house is covered. I’ve had time with family, had dinner with friends, had time alone. It’s been a hell of a long weekend in all the right ways!

Presence:

So many pockets of presence today! The biggest theme was in the ongoing moments of laughter throughout the day. With family, with friends, the laughter seemed to be a constant!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Creating Space, Listening to Birds in the Woods, & Graduation Party Season

Day 3,157

Growth:

Remember to intentionally create pockets of space to pause and think. In a moment of silence today a couple of ideas I’ve been working on really came together as a result of pausing all the “noise” of life.

Life is busy, there are so many ideas, let my brain relax so it can play.

Appreciation:

Something that jumps out at me today was the fun of listening to the birds on the woods on our walk today. Birding isn’t really a hobby of mine, but I really enjoyed listening to the sounds of birds – especially when using the Merlin Bird ID application on my phone. It is fun to try to guess what I’m hearing and work on my bird call ID skills as well as seeing how many different species of birds we have around us.

When I’m in a place where I can focus on listening to them I’m usually in a place of stillness and am very present. Sweet combo!

Presence:

Graduation parties have been an ongoing theme this weekend! While I’m not a huge fan of big social gatherings these are some awesomely unique opportunities to get together to celebrate with friends! I had a blast having some excellent conversations 😄

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Surreal Moment in Parfrey’s Glen

Full disclosure, my mental diet has been loaded with possibly too much Neil Gaiman reflections, stories, and ideas as of late – if there is such a thing.

Have you ever met a person who at some deep visceral level you could tell that they were more than a person?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do a little bit of trail running in between Gavin’s races and I found this beautiful rocky valley just a short drive away.

As I ran into the valley, I just had to pause and take it all in. Surrounded by beautiful rock walls that had been carved out by thousands and thousands of years of water slowly cutting through the rock from the glacial activity, I was completely alone.

There were roots holding trees up at impossible angles right on edges of the cliffs where no tree should be able to exist. And yet there they all were.

When I hit the end of the trail I just paused and soaked it all in, and savored a moment by the little waterfall. I stood on a couple of the big rocks right in the middle of the canyon and just took it all in with each of my senses.

As I was walking back, I encountered someone who just seemed to be more than just a someone. In so many ways, they seemed to be the incarnation of that area that I was in. They seemed to have been carved out of the surrounding environment, their eyes the same dark brown as the surrounding rock walls, their hair blowing in the valley breeze as if one with the shadows created by the swaying leaves.

They had said they’d been here many times before, it’s one of their favorite places on earth. Their face lights up as they say this as the sun shines on the rocks over their shoulder.

There was this sly smile on their face, a smile that was so knowing, almost as if to say, “I’m going to tell you about these other places to go, these other trails here, but I’m not going to tell you about all of them because you have to find and experience them yourself, you have to come back.”

And there was just something about them that was just so similar to the enchanting landscape surrounding me. Even the surreally intricate tattoo of a feather on their right forearm seemed to have been plucked off the floor of the valley after having recently dropped by an eagle soaring by. It was incredibly intense and yet the edges of memory are already starting to slightly fray as a dream does throughout the morning.

I don’t know a better way to explain it other than I met someone, someone who was more than someone. They were of the valley.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Minding My Mental Diet, Track Success, & Escaping to the Woods

Day 3,154

Growth:

Our mental diet is as important to our joy and well being as our physical diet. What I choose to put into my mind has a profound impact on the rest of my life and colors my views of the world. When I choose to read insightful and useful books and articles my choices and thoughts are much improved. When I choose to rely on mental junk food my life suffers.

Be smart, intentionally choose the right mental diet!

Appreciation:

LOL – I started writing during the meet and never finished this section up. Maybe the best thing to say before heading to bed exhausted is that I’m grateful for all the track peeps giving their all this evening! Everyone busted their butts and saw all types of success!

Presence:

One of the benefits of having the first and last race of the night is the bonus time in between the races. Today I utilized it the right way.

After the 4×800 I grabbed a quick bite to eat and checked my AllTrails app for a nice trail. I bypassed nice and went straight to epic!

I had no idea just how beautiful Parfrey’s Glen was and my mind was blown as I went deep into the rocky canyon! It was amazing!!!

What an awesome way to get some bonus outside time, a trail run, and escape into the woods.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Lessons in Stress, Opportunity in Obstacles , & Baby Geese

Day 3,153

Growth:

It is okay to be stressed. It is okay to acknowledge that I am stressed. It is okay to ask for help. It is okay to pause to breathe. It is okay to take a step back to zoom out.

It is not okay to let stress cause panic. It is not okay to freeze and do nothing under stress. It is not okay to take a victim mentality due to stress.

Acknowledge the stress, zoom out, breathe, adjust, then react. Ask myself, “what can I learn from this?”

Whenever I am tempted to “just work harder” remember how well that worked out for Boxer the horse.

Appreciation:

So often that which we deeply want lies available to us on the other side of challenge. While the stresses may be frustrating they often lead to incredible opportunities if we choose to grow through them. My mind was pretty much blown when I realized the direction I want to go was revealed as a solution to some of the other challenges I am facing. What an awesome twist of fate when we keep our mind open for opportunity!

Presence:

I had a neat handful of surprises during my run this morning including this scene:

I’m not usually a Canadian Goose fan, but seeing dozens of the little ones was pretty cool!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Getting What You Need, Neil Gaiman, & Experiencing the Storm Front

Day 3,152

Growth:

To quote the great philosopher, Mick Jagger:

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.” 😉

Yet again I’m impressed by the ability of the universe to provide exactly what is needed at the right time. A lunchtime webinar on teamwork really helped me fill in some gaps while a podcast helped flesh out the ideas.

Maybe all we ever need is always there waiting for us, it is only up to us to pause and look for it?

Appreciation:

Neil Gaiman has long been one of my favorite fiction authors, but he’s now quickly becoming one of my favorite nonfiction writers as well!

Presence:

Standing outside and looking to the heavens just as the storm front and its 60mph are about to roll in… epic!

Closing the door as I get inside just as the gusts really take off…. Perfect!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Intentionally Chosen Trade Offs, Quiet, & Track Regionals

Day 3,151

Growth:

Very interesting idea during a “spontaneous group therapy” from a business call this morning. While the conversation went in a few different random directions there was a central thought I kept coming back to. I wrote it up on my whiteboard to help it sink a bit more deeply.

What are the trade offs I am willing to accept? Am I intentionally choosing them or am I just allowing them to happen? What are the trade offs I have unintentionally accepted?

Me

Rather than allowing something to happen through “gravity” or “drifting” I should only intentionally make trade offs. Intentionality helps me choose the right obstacles to face and which to avoid in order to live into my purpose and dreams. By not choosing I am allowing pull of gravity or the drifting of life to dictate where I go – which may or may not lead towards where I want to end up.

Zoom out, choose the right trade offs, be okay with them, and keep the focus on what is most important.

Appreciation:

This morning on my drive to work I did something I don’t usually do and it made all the difference in the productivity of my day. I started the drive with my audiobook but then quickly turned it off and enjoyed the ride in silence. My brain needed space to think. It was almost as if the sound bath from last night broke some ideas loose and they needed to full flush themselves out of my brain before I could fully focus. While it set me backwards in my book it really moved my day forward in all the right ways. I had a much more concise plan of attack for the day. I had more time to put together right solutions. Most importantly, I gave my brain time to breathe and relax. It was exactly what I needed to get mentally prepped for the day.

Presence:

What a difference a year makes in the level of stress in watching the boy’s sporting events!

Last year for Regionals (and Sectionals and State) I was so amped up, worked up, and all nervous I could hardly sit still. Knowing that each race was potentially Dominic’s last high school sporting event ever had me all twisted and torqued up! In the previous years there was always a little nervousness, but it wasn’t anything like Dominic’s senior season last year.

Fast forward to this year’s Regionals and watching Gavin compete in pole vaulting and the 4×800 while also being an alternate on the 4×400. I was relaxed and laid back, I thoroughly enjoyed each second of each event and all without the feeling like I could throw up at any minute. Of course I want him and his teammates to compete well and give their all, but there’s not the same sense of finality as there was last year. It was extra peaceful for sure!

Here’s to remembering that it is all a game, all for fun, and all a way to measure the hard work put in throughout preseason and season. Watching with less stress was so much more chill!

Thanks!!!