Last week my friend Tammie shared a compliment that will stick with me until the end of my days. “You can find a way or a reason to be thankful for literally everything.” I chuckled as I typed my title for tonight… Maybe she’s right. 😉

Today I am thankful for my shackles. I’m thankful for all of the things, ideas, habits, beliefs, people, stuff, misguided dreams, and desires that I allow to hold me back from becoming the me I should really be. For clarity, yes, there are shackles, but it is up to me to free myself from them. More often than not I’ve created them myself.

Why am I thankful for my fetters today?

They help to shape me into who I should be. They build my strength as I struggle against them. Their rubbing and chafing on my skin reminds me that I have work to do. Seeing the life around me I am free to live if I release myself helps me realize what I truly want and what is most important to me.

Sometimes (& maybe more often than I care to admit) I find comfort in having their familiar bonds wrapping around me. In a twisted way I could find an easier life by succumbing to them and living with a victim mindset. There is no fear of failure when I can blame the shackles instead of my own lack of courage, my own lack of strength, and my own lack of grit. Each link in the chain is one more excuse I can utilize later when I don’t have the strength or desire to do the tough things I must to be the best version of me.

When I set myself to breaking the shackles each stretched and eventually broken link is a sign of progress. As I break free from one binding I’m sure to catch on the next, a sense of growth and movement. Though the sweat may flow, the blood may spurt out, and the tears will come as I struggle against them I feel more alive and in control than I have before. The pressing of my flesh against the metal brings the most beautiful of pain, I am taking action of my own free will and giving all of myself in the purpose of something better.

So today I’m thankful for my shackles. They can be beyond frustrating at times if I don’t choose the right mindset, but they can be an incredible gift for which I am most grateful when I choose to view them through the right lens. They strengthen me, test me, and help me become a better version of me.

Thanks!!!

While I often enjoy a change of pace and trying different things I’m largely a creature of habit.  When it comes to driving to and from work I typically go the same way each day.  I’ve tried many other routes, but the ones I take have been proven to be the fastest depending on travel conditions (including weather, time, events, and farming season).  It took a lot of experimentation to get them hammered out, but once they were determined I’ve stuck with them.  They get me from Point A to Point B the most efficiently.

Yesterday I was leaving work from a slightly different location and was heading to the Winona office before heading home.  This left me scratching my head on which way to take so I grabbed my phone, punched in the address in my Maps app, and looked at the two routes.  One was the fastest and took ways I largely knew.  The other was about three minutes slower and was mainly country roads.  I went with my gut and took the road less traveled.

The drive through the country was beautiful!!!  The road twisted and turned as it went through valleys, followed the river, and went up and down the hills.  There was almost zero traffic and it was amongst the most peaceful drives I’ve had in a long time.  I’ll definitely go out of my way to go that route again.

Today the police and fire departments had 93 closed heading south out of Eleva.  With the luck I’d had yesterday fresh in my head I didn’t stress being later than expected, I took time to appreciate the new adventure I was about to have (and say a quick prayer for whoever was involved in the highway being closed).  Instead of taking the standard route as prescribed by the fireman at the intersection I went well out of the way and took only country roads again.

While on the county roads I left the other traffic behind.  Again I was traveling on the road less traveled and enjoying the serenity of being alone.  I wasn’t at all in a hurry, I took my time and enjoyed the ride.

Two straight days of taking other routes and both paid off in spades.  Getting outside of my normal routine showed me a couple of very beautiful areas I would’ve missed otherwise.  While I enjoy being able to get to and from work as efficiently as possible I will remember to occasionally throw myself a curveball and give myself the gift of a different experience.  Who knows what I may find traveling previously unexplored paths.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,253 – Thankful for an Accidental Shuffle

When I’m commuting to work I love reading audiobooks.  It’s a great way to exercise my brain and expand my thinking while passing the time.  During the day when I’m going on shorter jaunts it’s a lot more difficult to jump in and out of the audiobook.  When I’m doing local driving I often jump to some tunes instead.

Depending on the day there’s a wide variety of music you might find me listening to.  I have a song in mind for some random reason, fire it up, turn it up, and then let it lead me into the next song.  Today I 

So scratch all that stuff above.  That was my initial blog post.  We were all chilling and doing our own things at home so I figured I’d write my post for the day.  Part way through LuLu made it very clear she needed some snuggling from me.  Shortly thereafter we opted for a game of cribbage as a family.  Next thing I knew my laptop was folded up and we were moving furniture to have some fun as a family with everyone home tonight.

While the blog post I’d started was going to go in a slightly crazy direction showing how the Shuffle function is a metaphor to life it just didn’t feel right after enjoying family time on the couch playing cribbage.  The time with my family was exactly what I needed and the additional snuggle time with LuLu was a pretty sweet bonus.  I kind of felt like either of those should’ve been what I was blogging about today….

I’m often grateful for many things throughout the day and I start a mental blog post during the day.  Sometimes it comes out as planned and other times they get completely scrapped for something else.  I could either stick with the original post but then know there was something else I should have written about or throw the half (or more) finished original and go in a different, but possibly more right direction.

Today I’m thankful for those kind of days.  How awesome to have a day when there are multiple things to be grateful for?  Sure, sometimes it can feel weird to not finish a specific writing, but that’s so secondary to the fact that I’ve already spent a chunk of time being thankful for multiple things.

Thanks!!!

My evening was much more fulfilling with Becky back home last night.  I had fun catching up with her and jumping back into our normal life.  Snuggling up with her helped me get one of my best nights of sleep in a long while.  Heck, even the Coffee Fairy showed up again and had my travel mug filled up before I got out of the shower.  How awesome is that?

For reals, I’m grateful for Becky being home.  I’m thankful for the adventure she had with her family in Hawaii and I’m thankful for the time I had with my boys while she was gone, but it’s really great having her back home with us.  Everything just feels right and complete.

There was also another odd feeling thanks to Becky tonight.  I got home and there was absolutely no agenda for me.  No rides to give (Becky drove Gavin to practice), no school events (she also took Dominic to his Spring sports meeting), and no dinner to make (she already had it cooking in the crock pot).  What that means is that I have approximately an hour of quiet time at home alone with no agenda…  Ahhh… It feels crazy having this much peace and quiet!  The couple of weeks have been so much fun.  Between work travel, time with the boys, time with friends, work, and adulting I’ve been going pretty much nonstop.  To be able to sit on the couch and just chill for a little bit before bed (and blog) is so peaceful and greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

What a week it’s been! It’s not quite over yet, but we’re in the home stretch and I can see the finish line. Becky’s been on vacation since Saturday morning so it’s been the Kreiling boys alone at home this week. With Becky being out I’ve had to do adulting all week long. Whoever would’ve thought I’d be responsible enough to do that, right?

I’ve been been very thankful for all the adulting I’ve done over the last week for a variety of reasons.

It’s a reminder of just how much Becky does to keep our family moving each week. There are many things she does that I always notice and appreciate but sometimes I don’t quite grasp just how much time it all takes. For reals, how many loads of laundry actually get done in this house each week? 😉

Times like this also make me more grateful for the teamwork in raising the boys. It’s difficult to find the energy to take care of everything over the course of a week. With a strong team of the two of us I have so much more energy and focus. I’m thankful for the way Becky and I work together so well to keep our lives headed in the right direction.

I’m also grateful for the opportunity to spend so much time with the boys. When it’s just the three of us we end up doing almost everything together. It’s only a few years until Dominic heads off to college so I’ll soak up every moment I can. Weeks like this don’t leave much of an option but to spend a lot of time together and I love it.

When Becky gets home tomorrow I’ll welcome her home with open arms and will hope she’s not leaving us for a long time. I’m excited to spend time with her and our complete family. Until she walks back in the house I’m going to enjoy every last moment of a week of adulting.

Thanks!!!

After school and work today the boys and I headed off to the ski hill. You know the phrase, “don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out”? That was totally us today; we were on a mission!

I had such a great time on the hill with the boys today. We had time together while skiing, chilling, and riding the chairlift. Being with them while they were having fun is always something I’m grateful for. Tonight we went skiing. Last night we played cards. The night before we hung out and watched our favorite show. Before then we hung and talked while we ate. I’m so thankful for all of this time with my boys.

When we first got going the boys and I were all going our own pace. Dominic moved on to a different hill for a while, Gavin was going down three times to each of my two. For a little while I was on my own. At one point I was chilling on the chair lift and there was no one within about 5 chairs in either direction. It was so peaceful to have the feeling of floating above everything , enjoying the silence, and soaking in the view. My mind was completely empty and relaxed. There was only peace and appreciation of that peace in the present.

The other thing I’m thankful for is the beautiful views of the driftless area. The bluffs, the river valley, the rock formations, and the slowly setting sun were breathtaking. Like I told the boys, I would totally go there at sunset any day. This area is so incredibly serene and I can’t imagine living anywhere else (besides a handful of other places for 90 days at a crack 😉)

Thanks!!!

Today had a moment that caused me to pause and smile. Without getting into too much personal detail it was a moment in which I saw tangible progress. I often write about closing the gap between who i currently am and who I should be. Many times I find myself aware the opportunity to utilize something I’ve been working on and push myself to act correctly. In those moments it takes a conscious effort on my part to take the action. In this instance it wasn’t until AFTER I’d already taken the appropriate action that I realized I had done what I had been working on. I am so thankful for that moment of awareness to help me see that I’ve been making progress!

When I’ve got a lot on my plate I often think I have it all under control. After about a week of the pressure mounting there’s a tool I often go to for relief. About 15-30 minutes of quiet focused time with this tool and I can feel the stress melt away.

The Eisenhower Box (or Matrix) is an excellent tool to consolidate everything that’s on my plate at any given time. I cruise through my inbox, my stack of papers, my task list, and my note pad and jot down everything that’s been slowly adding up. For each item I pause and consider its urgency and importance. It’s then put in its appropriate box and then eventually prioritized.

After everything is out of my head I can feel the pressure already start to drop. When I then see my action items in Box 1 I’m almost excited to be off to the races! I’m so grateful for such a wonderful tool. Please check out this website for more info from one of my favorite authors: https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box

Thanks!!!

There was a point in my day when I thought I was about to go bonkers.  My brain had approximately three thousand thoughts and tasks going through it all at once.  It almost felt like the world was spinning out of control and out of my grasp in every direction.  There was a numbness starting to flow out of my brain and then I realized that in about five minutes I had to be 100% focused and locked in on the task at hand.  In that instant my heart sunk even more.

Out of nowhere a giggle bubbled up.  By the time it lifted from my gut and came out my mouth it was a full blown laugh.  I couldn’t help myself but laugh and say out loud to myself, “you dumbass!”  It was like I was Red Forman and Eric Forman all rolled into one.  In that instant the fog of the chaos of stuff in my brain started to lift.  I was suddenly aware of what was happening; of where I’d made mistake.  I wasn’t present.

Once I realized my mistake of getting so caught up in everything I paused and smiled wide.  I’ve prepped for this.  I’ve done much to help myself out in these exact situations.  There’s so much I’ve read, so much I’ve done, and so much practice I’ve had in taking a breath and focusing on being present.  All of that preparation helped me take the next step in confidence.

I paused and went to a simple way to focus.  Three long deep breaths.  Saying out loud to myself, “I am right here.  I am right now.  I am in the present.  Focus”.  Before I even started the second sentence I could feel the shift.  All the “stuff” in my brain quieted… except for what I needed to be focused on in that moment.  All the other garbage, worries, ideas, thoughts, and other “stuff” could wait for another time.  I was focused.

With that focus I felt 100% present in the moment.  There was no stress or worry.  I knew what I needed to do and was confident in my ability to do it.  It felt amazing to be in the zone and the flow in the moment.

So today I am truly thankful for awareness, preparation, focus, and presence.  It would have been so easy for me to work myself into a mess and screw up a wonderful opportunity.  Instead I not only took full advantage (and then some!) of the opportunity, but I also remembered that I am 100% responsible for my ability to be present.  Regardless of what is going on around or within me at any given moment I have the ability and power within myself to calm my mind, focus, and be present in the moment.  What a wonderful reminder that was today.

Thanks!!!

When’s the last time someone was tailgating you as you drove? How close were they? Did they do the constant swerving to see if they could get around you only to angrily swerve back behind you and inch closer to your back bumper? How annoying, right? Who are these awful and horrible people who obviously didn’t have parents who loved them? How do these people even have a license?

Sadly, I know who those people are. I’ve been one. There’ve been more times than I care to mention when I’ve been “that guy.” Fortunately I’ve focused on not driving like that and am continuing to keep my Australian driver mindset of relaxing and getting there when I get there.

This morning as I headed up to Eau Claire I had a unique experience. I slowly caught up to an SUV that was obviously in a hurry but was stuck behind a semi truck. At first I paid no attention and hung a ways back. I quickly realized that there was something a little off. The car was about 15 feet behind the semi truck.

Over the next ten minutes or so I watched the tailgating dance continue. The driver of the car would slide into the other lane sharply, see the oncoming traffic and jerk the wheel to get back in behind the truck. They (I almost wrote the gender of the driver, but it doesn’t matter in the least – we’re all equally horrible drivers 😉) would then shrink the distance between their bumper and the back of the trailer to less than 10 feet.

As this continued I noticed something else. The truck driver went from going 55 to 45. I’ll never be certain, but I’m pretty sure that the trucker was getting frustrated at the person behind them and decided to teach them a little lesson.

As one could imagine this just further escalated the tension. The SUV driver was now bouncing in and out of their lane even more. It was ridiculous! At one point they finally found just enough room to get by and they were off.

I chilled and drove and thought. So many lessons in that brief quarter of an hour. Over the next 20 minutes or so I continued to unpack those thoughts and lessons. Here’s what I realized:

• When I drive like the SUV driver I’m a complete jerk. It was easy to see emotion get the best of the driver and create several unsafe moments. Staying relaxed helped me stay aware of keeping a safe distance (even a little more than the two seconds in case the SUV had an issue).
• Because the SUV driver was so close to the trailer they couldn’t see what lie ahead. There were a couple of times they had to jerk the wheel back so they didn’t get hit. From my safe distance behind them I was able to see clearly.
• The truck driver was most likely letting their emotion get the best of them as they slowed down. By “teaching them a lesson” they lowered themselves to the already low standards of the driver. By letting emotion take over they both fell to the lowest common denominator and continued to spiral downward.
• When I got to the first stoplight in Eau Claire guess who I ran into? Yup, the SUV. They must’ve hit the light just wrong. Even though they thought they were saving time by risking life and limb they took just as much time as I did by going slow.
• How powerful are the stories I make up in my own mind? The story I created involved an insanely aggressive driver who’s angry at the world and feels they are entitled to going faster than others. The trucker was a petty and bitter person who’s always felt slighted and relishes the opportunity to put others in their place. Who foolish is that? It could have just as easily been a parent speeding to the hospital to kiss their dying child one last time. Maybe the trucker was someone who’d had bad luck the previous year and needed to avoid a ticket or accident to save their job? Maybe they were actually slowing down to let the person pass but it didn’t quite work out with oncoming traffic? In any of those situations my brain goes to a completely different place. I should remember to not write the story of those I don’t know. I should also initially assume the best in others.

Isn’t it interesting how one can learn so many lessons from one interaction? I can guarantee that many of these thoughts will be going through my head when I catch up to a slow driver or have a vehicle tight on my tail. Take a deep breath. Remember to be safe. Assume the best of others. Don’t write a negative story. Stay calm. Slow down and enjoy the ride. Drive like an Australian.

Thanks!!!