Thankful for Beauty in the Ordinary, the Vacation Before the Vacation, & Savoring a Treat

Day 3,774

Growth:

The everyday moments of life hold so many gifts for us should we only pause to take the time to enjoy them. This morning it was in seeing a sunrise that looked like flames licking up into the sky. This evening it was in watching the deer run along the road. Earlier it was pausing to appreciate the four hundred foot bluffs just outside my office. So many moments of ordinary with extraordinary beauty waiting for us to notice.

Appreciation:

Prepping for travel – is there a better feeling in the world (except for the travel itself, of course)??? Getting all the details wrapped up and in one place. Making sure we’ve got the plan all set and the trail maps downloaded. Putting together a list of the gear we will need for our hiking. Talking about all the awesomeness we will experience. A vacation before the vacation!

Presence:

This might sound a little odd, but the moment of taking time to appreciate the taste of the lemon ginger chew I had for dessert after lunch today was sublime! In my silent office I closed my eyes and took a moment to savor the delicious treat. Between that ginger chew and my breath nothing else in the world existed or mattered for that moment.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Interwoven Themes, Friends, & Yoga (Again)

Day 3,773

Growth:

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the amount of reading I’ve been doing this month. The condensed reading list I’ve prepared for myself this year is chock full of some of my favs and I’ve been drooling nonstop as I rip through the list. In reading my favorites all in a row I’m finding so many of them have themes interwoven between them. One line from Spin really kept hitting home as I read both Montaigne and American Gods:


…as always, the question is how to look at the sun without being blinded.” Robert Charles Wilson, Spin

Appreciation:

Having friends who…

  • …remind us to zoom out, take a deep breath, and re-assess our situation.
  • …allow us to work through our thoughts in a safe and nonjudgemental space.
  • …help us take the right actions when we’re too frustrated to see them ourselves.
  • …inspire us to love everyone, especially those we disagree with.

What a gift!

Presence:

Yoga, wonderful yoga. The moment in which all the weight of the world, all the stress of life, everything melts away. There is only the present moment, only my breath, and only that small studio. In many ways the walls and everything outside of my mat fade into the distance, and all is right in the world.

It doesn’t solve everything, but it is a tranquil respite from reality into reality, an opportunity to re-charge and gird myself to get back into the work that needs to be done. Yoga grounds me, focuses me, and strengthens me.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Wisdom from Montaigne, the Weekend I Needed, & Very Quiet Hiking Trails

Day 3,772

Growth:

This morning I realized my soul could use the help and guidance of a very specific book, Montaigne by Stefan Zweig. In his biography of Michel de Montaigne, Stefan Zwieg finds a role model to help him grow through the chaos and evil brewing in Germany in the years before WWII. Montaigne retreated from the roar of the hatred of his own time (mid 1500’s in France) specifically to preserve his inner freedom. So many nuggets of timeless wisdom in the pages of that book.

“In such epochs where the highest values of life—our peace, our independence, our basic rights, all that makes our existence more pure, more beautiful, all that justifies it—are sacrificed to the demon inhabiting a dozen fanatics and ideologues, all the problems of the man who fears for his humanity come down to the same question: how to remain free? How to preserve the incorruptible lucidity of my spirit faced with all the threats and dangers of sectarian turmoil?”

Appreciation:

This was definitely the weekend I needed, an opportunity to recharge, relax, and reset. The holiday season was a lot of fun, but between work and life this was the first weekend that truly felt like a relaxing weekend with zero plans. From meal prepping for the week to a ton of reading to hiking (more on that in a sec) to some game time with the family to movie and shooting the bull time with Gavin to vacation planning time for Becky and I to catching up with Dominic to relaxing on the couch drinking coffee while soaking up a book… Exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and ready for the next stretch of excitement!

Presence:

Nothing like a bunch of bonus outside time while there are almost no other people on the trails! Sure, it might be crazy cold, but we had the woods almost completely to ourselves and the views were outstanding. Between yesterday and today we hiked well over eight miles and saw only one couple on the trail the entire eight miles. Fantastic!

The outside time was exactly what I needed for sure!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Two Quotes Inspired by the Needless Act of Violence in Minneapolis

Day 3,771

The senseless murder in Minneapolis this morning by ICE agents was the inspiration for sharing these two quotes today:

“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while.” – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

“When fanaticism is in the saddle, all the finer thoughts are trampled.” – Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here

Anything else I want to blog about seems to pale in comparison to the despicable action taken.

Thanks

Thankful for Adding More Quotes to the Collection, Brothers, & Couch Combo Night

Day 3,770

Growth:

In taking time to dive more deeply into the books I read this year I’ve been very excited to take more and more notice of the quotes that hit a little deeper than most. Case in point, I’ve now got the following line of Spin stuck in my mind and now saved in my ongoing collection of quotes:

Ars moriendi ars vivendi est

(The art of dying is the art of living)

Appreciation:

Over the past couple of years I’ve observed the friendship between Dominic and Gavin continue to grow stronger and stronger, even though they now live hours apart. As I spoke with my brother over the phone and we joked, laughed, and enjoyed our conversation I couldn’t help but be grateful for the same.

Presence:

Fun couch combo night this evening! After dinner we played a couple of games in the living room (very grateful for the love seat having felt pads that allow for easy moving on the hardwood floors!) before Gavin and I settled in for a deeply unsettling movie (Bugonia). Perfect way to wrap up a chilly Friday night!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Short Blogs, Nephews’ Basketball Games, & Flow

Day 3,769

Growth:

Some of my best days have the shortest blogs as I have gotten so much out of the day that I’ve got little left in the tank to write.

Appreciation:

Had a blast watching a few of my nephews play basketball this evening! I really enjoyed watching them to something they have a passion for and for the joking around afterwards. Well worth the drive time, a great way to spend an evening!

Presence:

Spending hours working on a project that challenges me, outstanding! Having windows to occasionally look out to observe the awesome combo of sunshine and polar winds dashing the glittering snow, even more outstandinger! 😉

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Humbled by Nature, Pristine Snow, & Spectacular Snowfall

Day 3,768

Growth:

The ability of a sense of awe to humble us in the best possible way. A quote from The Alchemist really brought this point to the top of my mind:

“I’ve crossed these sands many times,” said one of the camel drivers one night. “But the desert is so huge, and the horizons so distant, that they make a person feel small, and as if he should remain silent.” ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Appreciation:

This morning’s run started off on a snow covered street sparkling like diamonds under our headlamps. Not a single track on the road from cars or other pedestrians, perfectly pristine snow flakes. As we ran the sound of our footfalls crunched into the quiet morning. An awesome start to the morning!

Presence:

Pausing to soak in the beauty outside my office window today, enjoying the spectacular glittering snowfall, what a perfect reason to pause for a moment to breathe.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Impermanence and Flow, Encouraging Moments, & a Drive

Day 3,767

Growth:

This quote from Heraclitus was introduced me from the book Spin:

“No single thing abides, but all things flow”

A wonderful reminder of the impermanence of all things and the one constant of life: change.

Appreciation:

Keeping my focus on my goals has been very helpful over the past several months. So much incremental progress slowly building towards positive results. Each day has not been perfect, far from it, but there are so many moments in which I’ve been able to glimpse the progress from afar. Today held one of those moments, very encouraging!

Presence:

My ride to Eau Claire was filled with some delightful views due to the extreme weather system. The drive up saw steam rising from the small streams running through the thickets. On the way home there were no less than one hundred deer in a 45 minute stretch. Two nearby fields each had literally dozens of deer out eating. A long drive, enhanced with stunning views, a wonderful string of moments!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Simplicity, Intense Days, & Morning Calm

Day 3,766

Growth:

Remember the importance of clarity and simplicity. For some reason it almost feels like gravity pulls us towards increasing complexity. When in doubt remember to pause to remember the goal, the purpose. Find the simplest way to make progress.


“It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.”

Paulo Coelho

Appreciation:

After a bonkers but purpose filled long day of work I’m feeling exhausted yet energized. Going crazy fast all day long from way early until later than normal, but very engaging all the way through. I’m grateful for days like this, full of intensity and focus, but I’m also thankful days like this are not every day 👍

Presence:

The quiet stillness of the morning before anyone else is awake. Getting a start to the day in a moment of calm.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Learning Through Incremental Growth, Time with Dominic, & Difficult Money Conversations

Day 3,765

Growth:

Only two and a half weeks into the year and I’m already seeing huge benefits to my 2026 plan. My actions have shifted, my thoughts have shifted, my intentions have shifted. Nothing crazy, no wild 180 degree change or anything, just incremental growth, a focus on one percent better each day.

While digging a little deeper into The Alchemist this morning I came across this gem:

“It’s a book that says the same thing almost all the other books in the world say,” continued the old man. “It describes people’s inability to choose their own Personal Legends. And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world’s greatest lie.”

“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.

“It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

Here’s to remembering that we always have a choice to make, action we can take of our own volition – even if, or especially if – it is only within our own mind and heart.

Appreciation:

Dominic headed back up to college today, my initial emotion was sadness at his leaving. I had to pause, catch, and redirect myself – how grateful I was for the time we had together this past few weeks! It was wonderful having him home throughout these past weeks, we got so much bonus time with him. I’m very thankful for all of the experiences he has been having at school and for the future he is building for himself, I’m also more and more grateful for the relationship we built while he lived at home – it keeps us close even when the distance is far. So appreciative for the time we’ve had with Dominic, for the relationship we’ve built with him, and for the fact that I love him so much I always feel a bit of sadness when he leaves.

Presence:

Working through difficult topics as a family today, figuring out college tuition budgeting now that Gavin’s selected where he’s going to school. We all had to pause, get all the details on a spreadsheet, figure things out, and then spend time showing how and why each potential level to pull is important. For sure, showing Gavin the benefits of paying more sooner on his after school monthly loan payments, working through the reasons behind interest rates, and showing how pulling money from one location versus another leads to a larger deficit in the future was not my idea of Sunday family fun, BUT it was exactly what we all needed to do in order to see a more clear path of what we need to work through. Not the most exciting family time, but family time that was very well spent and led to growth for Gavin.

Thanks!!!