Just as Gavin and I have had a lot of time with just the two of us Dominic and I had a ton of time together after work tonight. Becky was watching the son of a friend and Gavin is at a sleepover so it was just Dominic and I. We’d talked about what might be fun to do. We had a few ideas, but everything we wanted to do seemed to require at last three or more people. Some of these ideas included an escape room, axe throwing, and a handful of others. We figured we’d call one of Dominic’s friends and his dad, a friend of mine. Unfortunately they were out on the escape room so we were back to only two. Seeing as they all involved having three or more and we were only a group of we finally got frustrated and decided to grab a bite to eat instead.

I hadn’t been to a Jersey Mike’s before, Dominic said I’d like it, and we were off. Shortly after ordering our subs (which were delicious) we were just thinking about other options and Dominic mentioned the name of his friend. I kid you not, at that exact moment his friend and my friend walked in the restaurant! What are the odds of that??? We ended up shooting the bull and Dominic and I decided to go bowling. Bowling worked out well for them as well so we were off to bowl! Our skills were not great, but we were all pretty evenly matched. More importantly, we had a ton of fun! Isn’t it nice when things just happen to luck out like that?

After bowling Dominic and I were shooting the bull and enjoying some time together. For some dumb reason my brain started thinking about work. After a short moment I realized that I was drifting away from the present and into something that did not matter one bit in the moment. I shook my head to get the thoughts out, mentally pictured myself flipping the switch, and I was 100% back to the present. The more I pay attention to moments like that the more I realize that I have a lot of work to do in being more present. I am so thankful I caught it quickly, re-focused, and was able to lose less than minute of precious time with Dominic. The present is where I should be, I am thankful for making progress.

The time I have had with Dominic has been perfect. Nothing too crazy, nothing too deep, or anything like that. It was just chill time. Lighthearted conversation, joking around, and enjoying each others company. That is pretty much perfect!

Thanks!!!

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!!!