Day 2,897

Growth:

Awesome deep thought from Nick at yoga today that’s been in my brain all day.

“If your breath feels panicked make your next breath stronger.”

Nick @ Root Down Yoga

My gut feel is to make a subtle change and exchange “thought” for “breath.”

What a wonderful combination of presence and intentionality.

Appreciation:

This afternoon Becky, Gavin, and I all split up some of the weekly chores and quietly went about our work. We each had a podcast or audiobook on and each went to town on our task. Something about all three of us splitting up and working on a specific task seemed oddly peaceful and rewarding.

Presence:

One of the moments of presence that stuck out that was outside of the norm was enjoying the delicious supper we had after church. The hummus, the pork belly, and the pork chop were each to tasty, I enjoyed every single bite!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,896

Growth:

From The Creative Act by Rick Rubin came a few ideas which were timely, but one in particular sticks out. If stuck choosing between two options and you’re not sure which one is right flip a coin. While the coin is in the air notice which option you’re rooting for. Don’t look at the coin, put it back in your pocket, you now know the right choice without leaving it to reason.

Appreciation:

This book, right here:

I am a little over halfway and have been totally in awe. If you have a passion for Springsteen music or the creative process this is a mind blowing read. More details in a future blog post for sure, so many excellent lessons and thoughts!

Presence:

Spending time on the phone with Dominic and Becky while driving back from Gavin’s soccer game was a treat and greatly appreciated! So much fun hearing about the fun he is having and having a conversation with him put a huge smile on my face.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,895

Growth:

One step at a time, slow but steady is better than everything everywhere all at once. As I’ve been reflecting on past successes and failures the patterns are there to remind me of how much better piece by piece is in most, but not all, cases. I’ve been working on keeping it small and bite sized and it seems to be working well.

Appreciation:

A handful of years ago I switched from keeping notes on legal pads which I would then throw away one sheet at a time to keeping a journal and then storing it on the shelf when it was full and I needed to start a new one. Now I’ve got a pretty sizable pile of them and they’re quite the treasure trove!

There are notes about ideas I’ve had in the past. There are quotes and lessons I wanted to remember. There are next steps and strategies that I tried that I can now apply to different situations. So many memories of the teammates I’ve worked with, the challenges and successes I’ve had, and little tidbits I would have normally forgotten. Each page offers up a little gift even if I am not extracting anything truly meaningful from that page.

Long story short, those journals are the business version of my daily blog. Each is a memory cue, a way to recall things I’d likely forget. So much history to go back and draw from, so much I can learn from the thought processes I had, and all in my own writing… if I can read it 😉

Presence:

This weather!!! What a perfect weather day it was! There are two moments that really stick out to me today. The first was sitting in the shade on the bleachers at Gavin’s soccer game and enjoying the wonderful breeze and perfect temperature. The second was siting outside on the deck with Becky having supper. Very similar to the game except I was in the sun this time and soaked it all in. While I can usually find a reason to be grateful for almost any weather this was simply perfect.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,894

Growth:

Taking time to zoom out and think is almost always time well spent, though it often doesn’t feel urgent. The only exceptions are when time is absolutely of the essence and the call must be made immediately. Today my managers and I took time to step away from the whirlwind to start our planning process for 2024. All of us have many other pressing responsibilities, but taking this time to pause and think was possibly the most important activity we could be focused on today. The insights we gleaned from a combination of analysis, thought exercises, and open conversation will help guide our path in 2024. I need to remember to block time like this more often (and put as much preparation into it as I did to set up for today).

Appreciation:

Today I received a very unexpected FaceTime that warmed my heart. No need to get into the details, it was so awesome to be able to connect face to face and meet someone from many states away. An excellent conversation, meaningful dialogue, and a deep sense of purpose.

Presence:

Life has been pretty wild lately with vacation, soccer, college move in, and work. Today I headed home a little early and Becky and I were able to enjoy a little time together while we cooked and ate dinner together for her birthday. Between that time tonight (before she took Gavin to a confirmation orientation) and during our run early this morning we had a couple of pockets of time to talk and connect. I appreciated both of them tremendously, a couple of the highlights of my day!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,893

Growth:

Something I started doing this past winter was calculating what percent of the time we had Dominic was home was already done. It quickly helped me see how quickly time was flying by and find ways to create more meaningful time together. Today I ran the same calculation for Gavin and was surprised to see he’s already lived over 83% of his life in our house (birth through moving out after high school graduation). Talk about quickly focusing my brain!

Time seems endless until I pause to consider how much time is left. Rather than let it slip away I must intentionally remember to keep focused on appreciating each moment.

Appreciation:

I recently finished Die with Zero by Bill Perkins and it has really gotten my mind racing. An interesting take on creating “memory dividends” through experiences rather than stuff. Also gets into being more intentional with saving AND spending while planning for retirement. So many next steps for me from this one, will be rereading again soon!

Presence:

This is kind of embarrassing, but I had s moment of clarity when I realized I had to give myself a pep talk today to get my mindset right for doing a task I really didn’t want to do. There I was, sitting in my car talking to myself, coaching myself, and giving myself direction. By the time I realized what I was doing I kind of sat back and listened to myself (in the fourth person? 😉🤷‍♂️😂) and couldn’t help but find the humor in the scenario. I laughed out loud, took a deep breath and proceeded to hit the task hard. Still chuckling to myself on this one!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,892 (written yesterday, but didn’t post, glad I found the draft!

Growth:

With the power of hindsight it is so easy to see how past mistakes, failures, challenges, and pain can become sources of our greatest strength, growth, wisdom, and joy. While easy to see looking back, why do I not as readily trust that moving forward when I’m in those difficult moments?

Today more than a handful of past growth moments led to positive outcomes and reminded me to stay positive in the midst of any challenge.

Appreciation:

Without getting into too much detail I’d still like to share my gratitude for today. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help someone through a difficult time. When Dad passed I realized the importance of allowing others to make a gift of themselves when they want to. Their help may help heal them, may help them feel a sense of control, may help the feel a sense of purpose, and may help them express love for their fellow person. I’ve recently been on the other side of the equation and cannot begin to explain how much of a positive impact it has had on me. I feel that I have been given the better gift, the opportunity to help.

Presence:

There is not much more energizing in my career than having a team member get super pumped up and excited about an idea or vision they have. Their passion and enthusiasm lift my soul and bring so much joy! Today I was able to share one of those moments and it was awesome!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,891

Growth:

The sermon at church today started with a disclaimer that left me thinking all day for two reasons. The first was a question posed as the centerpiece of the sermon. The second almost made me chuckle out loud as the priest reminded me of two quotes from Yoda in The Last Jedi – definitely NOT the intended message, but one that’s been sticking with me today.

“The greatest teacher failure is.”

Yoda

We are what they grow beyond. That is the burden of all masters.

Yoda

Both of these quotes have been sticking my head as they roll together. Growth happens through failure, we are able to help others grow as a result of our growth, and at a certain point we have to remember that those we grow will outgrow us. This has had me thinking about Dominic, about work, about my relationships with those who’ve taught me and so much more today. What an interesting circle we live!

Appreciation:

This morning Becky and I were torn between what we wanted to do today, head out for a hike or go out on the boat. In a stroke of insight we chose a third option that combined parts of both – we rented kayaks and went out paddling. What a blast! I like the active aspect of hiking, but I also really enjoy getting out on the water while the weather’s nice so kayaking seemed to blend the two. The three of us enjoyed paddling around while watching birds, fish, and turtles while also soaking up some sun and shooting the bull. It turned out to be a fantastic way to get outside, get some exercise in, and enjoy family time all rolled into one. Definitely something we’ll do again!

Presence:

On Friday night I started listening to an album by The Killers that I’d never heard of, Pressure Machine. Over the past couple days I’ve had that album essentially on replay and I just can’t get over how incredible it is. The emotion it brings out is truly epic. The best way I can describe it is this… it is hauntingly beautiful but so intensely tragic. It is a rough but very thoughtful collection of music that resonates so well while also making me feel completely uncomfortable. Each moment spent listening to it has been an opportunity to feel and to grow. If you want a taste of what I mean you can check out their video for Quiet Town here.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,890

Growth:

Tonight will be a long night and that’s 100% cool by me. What I’m thankful for from a learning standpoint is remembering how important it is to plan ahead and get stuff done early when possible. Rather than waiting until the end of the day as usual I’m typing my blog now so I can go right to sleep when I get home late this evening. A little gift I’m giving myself called planning ahead. 😉

Appreciation:

Mom still laughs when she talks about how I regularly called her during my freshman year of college… well after 10 and 11pm! I’m still not sure how I was too thick headed to realize how late I was calling, but she always took my call and we’d have awesome conversations. Over the past few years she’s been reminding me of that fact to help prep me for what to expect with Dominic, especially since I’m usually in bed by 9pm or so.

Guess what happened last night for the first time? LOL – yup, I was on FaceTime with Dominic well after 10pm last night getting to hear all about what he’s been up to. Funny, I was exhausted immediately before and immediately after that conversation, but during the call I was 100% wide awake. It was so awesome spending time with him virtually like that, hearing some of his experiences, and joking around together. I had a blast and will be 100% open to taking his call any time.

Presence:

I’m going to break from the norm on this section today and focus on something I know I’m going to be 100% present for – spending time with Dominic on his birthday! We’re heading up to pick up Mom and Brad and then see Dominic at the University of Minnesota tonight to take him out to dinner. It hasn’t even been a week since he moved out, but I’m already so excited to spend time with him again. This scene from The Shawshank Redemption has been running through my head all morning:

Thanks!!!

Day 2,889

Growth:

Communication can really cause issues when it is not clear and/or not clearly understood. This afternoon I spend more time than needed helping to fix a situation which never should have been an issue in the first place.

What’s interesting is that no one was truly at fault, and yet we were all at fault. What I learned was the importance of asking for confirmation that the message was truly received as intended. Similar to posts from the past week, I should have paused, asked, listened, and responded differently in order to prevent the future challenge.

Appreciation:

This evening Becky and I had supper with an old friend we hadn’t sent time with in many years. As we caught up we got into conversations that had Becky and I both laughing as we realized just how much our friend and I have in common. It was a blast! So thankful for taking the opportunity to re-connect and catch back up with someone who’s had a positive impact on my life in many ways. There’s much more for me to write about here but I think I’ll let the rest of my thoughts simmer for a bit and then they’ll show up in a future post, just a hunch.

What really sunk in for me today was a realization about not being alone in the way my brain processes spending time with people. Sometimes I wonder if I am a little different (spoiler alert – I am) in the way I am energized with other people and spending time alone. The conversation shifted my view on this a bit and gave me a few ideas on how to best live into who I am and to work on closing the gap. It also led to seeing Dad in a slightly different way and helped me see a bit of similarity there. I felt like I was spending time with a kindred spirit who had accumulated more wisdom and helped me see how to be a slightly better me. Not a bad dinner!

Presence:

I couldn’t help but laugh at this scene of my running buddies this morning 😂 As one of my teammates pointed out long ago, there’s not much more cute and funny than watching a calf run. These little guys were obviously not used to seeing people run past and were all skittering and running when I got close.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,888

Growth:

I heard a quote today which may or may not be authentic due to the intense amount of debate to be found by Googling it, but I found it quite meaningful nonetheless.

Preach the Word of God wherever you go, even use words if necessary.

Possibly Saint Francis of Assisi

What struck me was the reminder of the importance of actions over words. Live the way you would speak and there’s no reason to talk about how to live.

Appreciation:

Living into and towards a sense of purpose really adds a deep level of fulfillment to the act of living daily life. Over the past few weeks I’ve been getting much feedback on one aspect in particular which in turn inspires me to do more to live into that purpose which seems to increase the feedback and the circle continues. So much work ahead to fully live into my purpose, but days like today remind me that it is very much a worthwhile endeavor.

Presence:

The crimson sun rising above the fog covered fields and rolling hills was wildly vibrant and beautiful this morning! Almost better than coffee this morning!

Thanks!!!