Today was a focused effort from start to finish. I started with a handful of tasks from the past couple of days and added many more to cover the next week or so. Some of those tasks also included mapping out the next four plus months which was pretty wild.
There’s a joy to be found in being able to go from one task to the next, crossing them off one after another. While I often find the most joy in strategy, the beauty in knocking out tactic after tactic felt amazing. Really knocking the crap out of that list on Wednesday felt pretty amazing!
Another thing I’m thankful for is the bearing of the next finish line. I’m a fan of looking at much of life as a series of sprints with a little recovery in between each race. I’ve been going strong for quite some time and I’m really looking forward to hitting the next finish line in the near future. My body and mind can tell that I’m getting to the point when I need to take that deep breath, pause, and recharge. See you soon finish line!
In a conversation earlier today a teammate reminded me of a story we’d both recently heard from a cohort. The cohort had shared how the use of the word “should” was a personal battle cry for them, hearing it made them immediately stand up AGAINST whatever action the other person said “should” be done. My teammate and I both bristled thinking about both the times when we’ve heard that used on us as well as the times when we’ve used it when talking with others. It felt really uncomfortable, but we both kind of laughed it off and then moved on with our day.
In a different conversation with another person the word came up again. This time the other person immediately shared that “should” is a judgement word and has some very negative connotations. When we dove back into the use of the word my brain really had to pause and digest. What was being said was 100% spot on and truly enlightening on so many levels.
Quite often, when I use the word should it really does the exact opposite of what I’d like while also showing judgement on the person and/or their action. What even got me more was the realization that there are so many better ways to help each other than using “should.” Specifically, starting with the age old “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Rather than immediately passing judgement and sharing my supposed “right” way, what if I paused to ask more questions to understand the “why” of the situation? How much more enlightening would the conversations be to listen, learn, and grow rather than immediately move into “fixing” mode?
As we dug in the person also shared how they have heard of using an actual clicker to track all the times they say judgement words like “should” throughout the day. Without having one in hand my mind was already pretty rocked by catching MANY times those six letters came out of my mouth through the remainder of the day.
Wowza… The gap between who I am and who I’m called to be spread a little wider today, didn’t it? Hmm… that’s not quite right. Maybe a better analogy would be – the fog lifted to help me more clearly see how much of the gap I didn’t know existed? Yup, I’m leaving this whole long thought process in here, this blogging thing really helps me work things out and it feels right to leave it as a clue for my future self to go back to one day.
Sometimes all you can do is smile as you realize just how big the gap is, and realize that it just means there’s more opportunity to grow into who we are called to be. 🙂
If you want more info all you have to do is Google “should judgement word” and your mind will be blown as mine was.
Quick heads up, this is going to be a bit of a short one, I’m exhausted. Long weekend away from home, got off track with my normal sleep schedule, short-ish week ahead packed as if it were a week and a half. Throw it all together and I’m ready for bed!
That said, I just wrapped up a 30+ minute long phone call with my brother. Our schedules have been out of sync recently and this was out first time to catch up in a while. Yes, I was ready for sleep, but I had so much fun catching up with him that there was no way I was going to cut it off early. Spending time shooting the bull with him was an excellent way to end the weekend on a high note.
What also helps is that I’ve been working on banking up sleep as much as I can. Had I been running on almost empty as I did a decade ago staying up may not have been an option. Sure, I won’t have the eight I’d like, but I’ll still be over seven.
This morning Becky and I went for our long training run for the week. When Becky picked our half marathon it was in the hopes of being able to get some nice trail runs in with some nice Spring weather. As we all know now, that hasn’t really been the case. Due to Mother Nature’s insistence on extending Winter we’ve had neither trail runs (too wet & muddy) nor nice weather (unless you really enjoy 20+ mph winds and temperatures below 20).
The run this morning started off ridiculously frigid as we ran directly into the stiff wind as the snow pelted us in the face. I, as the big dumb animal I sometimes am known to be, opted for shorts in this 20 degree weather which felt like 9 including wind chill. Not my brightest move. The first couple of miles were pretty rough.
Becky had the idea to take a gravel side road through the woods to cut down on the wind. We were immediately significantly warmer due to the woods breaking up the gusts of wind. The road we were on went alongside the Jump River intermittently and gave us some spectacular scenery. There were several turkeys, ducks, pheasants, and a pair of turkey vultures joining us occasionally. At one point Becky and I had a couple of horses in a field joining us from their side of the fence. Everything was so peaceful and chill, it was exactly why I enjoy getting into the woods. I was realizing how the “marathon monks” are really onto the right idea with the running meditations. My favorite part of the scenery was a specific bend in the Jump River. The woods opened up and the river was on full display with a high embankment on the other side making it feel a lot like being up in the UP of Michigan (which we’re really not that far from). It was awesome!
Yes, the weather and conditions were less than ideal. That said, as is the case with anything in life, it is up to each of us to choose where we put our focus and the lens through which we view the world around us. I chose to focus on the beauty of the outdoors, the time in the woods, and the appreciation of doing something out in the wild with Becky. Totally one of my favorite activities in the world.
After we got back and showered up I had an opportunity to help my in laws make maple syrup. They were kind enough to save about 50 gallons of sap to boil down specifically with us. The timing hasn’t worked out in the past for us to help and participate in this activity in the past, I was so pumped to help out this time around!
The entire process was incredible to experience. The time and energy it took to boil out all the water out of the sap to go from 50 gallons of sap to just over a gallon of syrup was wild! Throughout we took out samples, tested the sugar content, and kept the sap boiling. In addition to the fun of observing the process I got a ton of bonus time with my father in law, always something I appreciate. Having the opportunity to shoot the bull with him was awesome, he had me smiling and laughing the entire time. I can’t begin to put into words how much I appreciate my father in law, he’s amazing in so many ways!
Being able to say I helped to make syrup still has me smiling. Each time I gobble up some maple syrup I’ll be sure to remember all the work that goes into making it and will be even more grateful for everyone who made it for us.
Funny how some of the little actions we take somehow grow legs and echo through eternity. In the moment we feel like a small action could be seen as almost insignificant, so minor that we question whether or not to make it a reality. When we do we find that it was far from significant, so much so that the action takes legs of its own and continues through others. That’s when it becomes our legacy, after others continue to take the same action. The funny thing is that often we won’t even know the legacy we’ve created until after we’ve passed. Future generations will live it and we may not even know it.
The reason for that thought today was something that Dad passed on to me. The action itself isn’t relevant, maybe another day I’ll open up more. Long story short there were times when he was smiling bigger than normal. When I asked him why he’d share what he’d done and we’d both be smiling. His actions would brighten lives in a couple of different ways, ways we heard more about after he’d passed away.
Today I was compelled to do what he’d shown me. In the last two months I’ve often talked with my teams about what he did as a way to help us grow and shape our culture. This morning was an opportunity for me to do the right thing, to take a page out of Dad’s playbook, and it was awesome!
When Dad took action I’m sure the last thing on his mind was creating his legacy, he just did it because he felt it was the right thing to do. When I did it I did it because it was the right thing to do AND I was inspired by Dad’s actions. After it was done I realized that in that moment, in that action, Dad’s legacy was alive and well. To be a steward of it has left me smiling all day.
So many directions to potentially go for the blog tonight, which one is the right path? My mind is racing back and forth across all of the happenings of the day and I’m smiling as I think through it all.
From waking from a happy dream to getting a on early bike ride in. A delicious hot homemade breakfast. Focused time in the morning to finish a task. Reading a book with a well timed insight. The excitement of potentially adding a new teammate. Helping someone through a difficult time when they’ve done the same for me. Seeing Dominic shadow a teammate for the afternoon at work. Gavin working solo outside. Getting closer to wrapping up a difficult situation. Moving a step closer to my long term goals. A text string with a new friend. Knocking out a long task list. Putting more thought into an important project which never seems urgent. Sharing a heart felt compliment in the moment. Almost talking Becky into moving to Hilo, HI… almost 😉. Seeing a teammate grow and find their stride. Remembering the challenges others face in other roles. Talking with a friend. Grilling delicious steak. A nice conversation with Mom. Sitting in the living room as a family exhausted from the day. Catching up with Becky. Blogging in bed. And that’s just what comes to mind, there’s sure to be more as I wrap up this blog.
What I’m grateful for today is the process of daily blogging. In the past 10-15 minutes I’ve had the unique opportunity to review much of my day, remember the highlights as well as the difficult times, find meaning in the all, and then file away in the form of memories and lessons. This process embeds more of those moments into my brain more deeply and help me find purpose.
Here’s your interesting fun fact of the day… Did you know that being blown around the road due to high wind, hydroplaning, being washed aside due to fast moving water, and sliding on marble sized hail all feel a little different from each other and when in different combinations? While my drive back from Michigan during an ice storm is still the scariest drive I’ve ever had this one was certainly a contender!
In an effort to get home in time for Gavin and Dominic’s track meets (which were then cancelled) I made the drive home from Eau Claire. By the time I hit Arcadia the skies opened up and hit me with one of the craziest weather events I’ve ever driven through. There were extreme winds, torrential rain, and marble sized hail. The best part was that it all hit as I was cresting the bluffs. This meant that all the water and hail were rushing down the path of least resistance… the road.
With zero spots to pull over immediately I white knuckled it the mile or so down the hill at a snail’s pace, smiling the entire way. How wild to have the opportunity to try out driving in conditions I’ve never before experienced??? Each sensation was slightly different and they all seemed to hit at different times. There was even the experience of driving through piles of hail slush kicked up from the semi ahead of me. It was wild!!! Definitely an experience I’ll never forget.
When I got to the bottom of the bluff I pulled into the first quiet country road and got off the county road. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I took this picture…
Over an inch of hail had accumulated in less than a couple of minutes! I chilled and waited a bit for the rain to stop and the flooding waters to wash off the road before taking off again. In the past I would’ve kept driving, this time I used my head and pulled over when I could to wait it out a bit.
This was a wild experience, I’m glad I got to experience it, AND that I stayed safe while experiencing it.
Yessir, the title is quite the mouthful tonight! No real connecting threads or anything, just a handful of awesome moments throughout the day for which I am appreciative.
Becky and I had our Yoga Date Night as we have often on Monday nights over the past few months. Our normal instructor, Nick, is out so we had a special guest instructor. She’s long been one of our favorites going back to when I first started going to Root Down. With COVID and different schedules our paths haven’t crossed in a couple of years. It was like a reunion when we got to yoga tonight, so thankful for all of the wonderful teachers like Steph, we’re so blessed to have at Root Down. They really make it feel like a great big yoga family.
Early in the morning Becky shared the story of a grandma and grandson duo who are on a quest to take Grandma to all of the National Parks. The little TV clip she shared had me smiling, she reminded me of my Grandma Joyce in so many great ways. Throughout the day I’ve had memories of Grandma coming back. So many fond memories! Looking back I wish I would have spent more time with Grandma and gotten to know her better, there are many fun things we could have done. Sometime in the future she’ll be one of the first people I’ll hang out with when my time here is done and we’re re-united. Each time I am reminded of her I smile and realize how fortunate I was to have her in my life.
Living into my purpose seems to get easier and easier each day. What really stuck out for me today was the return on living into purpose. The rewards have been rather mind blowing and joy inducing. There were several of those moments today and I almost had to pinch myself. So simple, so clear, and so impactful. The reminders of the return on purpose today were nothing short of overwhelming.
Soccer weekend for the Kreiling’s in Des Moines, Iowa for the next 24+ hours. Gavin’s first games have gone very well, a nice 2-0 win followed by a 1-1 battle. At least one more game tomorrow, pretty sure if they win they’re in the finals and get a bonus game. Fingers crossed!
The weather has been PERFECT soccer weather. The sun is out, very few clouds in the sky. There’s just enough breeze to make it feel fresh and the temperature is hovering around the mid-50’s. Not too hot, not too cold, just right! With all the ways the weather has been brutal in the past I’m ecstatic that there’s no rain, no snow, no frost, and the temperature is above freezing. Weather like this? I’ll take it anytime!
Before Gavin’s games we’ve been incredibly fortunate. There’s a beautiful trail system right across the street from the parking lot. We’ve had plenty of time to head out for a nice long walk before each of Gavin’s games. What an excellent way to spend a little extra time outdoors. Why sit and wait when we can be out and moving in a sweet little swamp / forest area? So thankful for the trails nearby!
Last, I’m typing this up early while I am waiting for Dominic to finish up his track practice. He was supposed to have track practice today, but with heading to Iowa that was an obvious no go. Instead he talked with his coach, got his practice plan for the day, and is now getting his run in on a track we found near our hotel. It’s awesome seeing his commitment to track and his willingness to work hard for something he’s excited for.
Back in the day I’d run until I collapsed. After a long while I learned a bit; I remember writing about putting my hand out to feel for the wall before I ran into it. Today someone asked how I was doing and I gave a very honest response which would have hurt my ego too much to accept even just a few years ago. How am I? “I’m tired.”
The past couple of months have been very busy for mainly positive reasons. Even the difficult moments have been opportunities to grow, but their weight still has worn me out. I need to recharge. I need to pause for a moment, rest, and jump back in.
Having a stronger sense of purpose really helps me see that I must be rested and ready to live into it completely. What an unexpected lesson from focusing on purpose – I must take better care of myself… not specifically for myself, but to better be able to do what must be done. Another reason purpose truly powers everything!
In living into that purpose I’m elated for the opportunities to share what has been shared with me in the past. Whether by mentors, friends, or my own mistakes – having the opportunity to help others with those lessons is very fulfilling. Taking a note from de Mello, I’m doing my best to simply ask questions rather than the lessons themselves so others may grow into their own. They don’t need my tainted thoughts, just the opportunity to consider a question they may have otherwise not asked themselves. No leading, only asking.
Thankful for Forty 