Day 2,951

Growth:

Sometimes when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror after a shower I come face to face with parts of me that I’m not a fan of, parts that I’m not proud of, areas for improvement, and parts I feel good about. In preparation for a business panel conversation tomorrow I’ve felt very much the same way. I’ve had to look at how I’ve responded and reacted for both successes and failures, but instead of it being just between the mirror and I there will now be a crowd. Glad I’m okay with being uncomfortable!

Appreciation:

This evening I had the opportunity to reconnect with many of my franchisee friends from WI and MN. So happy to have time to catch up on personal lives while also talking business with cohorts who truly understand what we all go through. The sense of friendship and community is amazing and greatly appreciated!

Presence:

While typing this block I’ve been attacked with passionate puppy kisses to the face no less than four separate times. One time involved Leia pulling my face towards hers with a paw while another had her standing above me on the top couch cushion pushing down on my face to keep me in prime licking position! Each time has left me smiling and laughing 😝

Thanks!!!

Day 2,950

Growth:

Better to pull in a direction together rather than push against opposition. There’s always a way to find the common ground if I pause to look for it. Help find the plus side for all parties involved and then go that way while preserving my values and purpose – there’s a way to help everyone get what they want if I remember to pause and look for it.

Appreciation:

My run this morning was a bastion of quiet and calm in a sea of nonstop action throughout the day. I am exhausted now, the quiet start was the most chill I’ve had all day and without it I’d be asleep or in the fetal position by now. Largely a great day, just a tiring one. So glad to have started it with movement, outdoor time, and in quiet contemplation… accompanied by The Strumbellas 😉

Presence:

Spending time with my Winona team in the Woodlawn Cemetery was wonderful! Excellent conversation, beautiful autumn views, and time outdoors – perfection!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,949

Growth:

I prefer working in an office to working at home, but there are definitely benefits to keep in mind when determining which location is best to work from. Cutting my commute down from 30-35 minutes each way is nothing short of epic and provides a ton of bonus time. Even though I have a preference for the office I need to remember the plus sides of working remote and do it more often.

Appreciation:

I was hoping to spend a little time with Gavin after work today, and I was wrong. Instead we spent a few hours together – making supper, walking the dog, playing outside, doing housework, and shooting the bull and joking the entire time. Such a blast to get some much needed bonus Gavin time like this 🙂 Getting time with the two of us like this always leaves me smiling and grateful for the friendship we have build on top of being a parent. Each evening with bonus Gavin time is a gift, one that I will always be thankful for!

Presence:

After taking Leia for a walk Gavin totally surprised me and asked if we could go toss around a football in the park across the street. Hell yeah! We played catch, kicked, ran routes for each other, practiced handoffs, and messed around with blocking and rough housing. It was AWESOME!!! So much faun spending time with him playing like that outside on one of our last beautiful fall days! Definitely a memory I’ll cherish for years and years.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,948

Growth:

Would I rather be right or happy?

This was a question brought up in the book I’m currently reading and posed an interesting opposite perspective of the franchisee advice I talked about yesterday. In actuality I’m thinking that one somehow relates back to the other, but at a surface level they seem very opposed. One of my old priests used to talk about joy being very different from comfort, I think it is a relationship similar to that comment.

Regardless, the initial insight is a reminder to pause and consider if a specific situation is really something important enough to push for right over happy. This is a question I should ask on a more regular basis to dive more deeply into choosing intent rather than reacting with emotion.

Appreciation:

This evening I had a special treat – Gavin made supper for us! I could get used to this, he cooked up chicken fajitas and they were deelish! Having him voluntarily tag in on supper (and clean up) was an awesome surprise. The two of us chilled as we ate, getting some bonus time with just the two of us. What a great way to start the week!

Presence:

While my ride back to Minneapolis with Dominic was last night I was still laughing and chuckling about it all day today. We had a couple of hours of road time with phones put completely away except to shuffle through music. Our conversation covered everything from school to dreams to relationships to joking to sports and everything in between. For the last forty five minutes or so we were shuffling through music in a way that reminded me of a road trip he and I had several years ago, one that is forever burned into my heart. This one will be the same. The time together was truly epic.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,947

Growth:

Why do I not act as brave or courageous as I should within my business? In listening to a wildly successful franchisee from our organization I was overcome with how strongly he acted in service to his purpose and values, it was inspiring! It got me thinking about my own actions and courage. Do I not believe in the purpose and values as much as I think? Am I scared of facing the what ifs if I make difficult decisions? What gets in my way? I’m thankful for a peer speaking openly about his experience to help me grow.

Appreciation:

Today Dominic earned his Eagle Scout badge surrounded by friends and family. Beyond proud of him and all he did to earn this award!

Presence:

At Dominic’s Eagle Scout ceremony this evening there was a point when he was overcome with emotion as he truly started to see the positive impact of his journey. Priceless in so many ways! It reminded me of a quote from Vince Lombardi about the greatest moment being when we lie exhausted on the field of battle – successful.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,946

Growth:

Control what we can control, that is all we really can do. No matter how much we want something to change we only have the ability to adjust how we respond to it.

Appreciation:

Family game night was a lot of fun today, the first time we’ve done this in a couple of months. Having all four of us together in one spot interacting felt like old times and like nothing had changed. So grateful for our time together tonight!

Presence:

The drive to Gavin’s game in Madison was an opportunity to shoot the bull with Dominic and catch up on so many things he has going on in college. With no distractions the three of us (Becky, Dominic, & I) had an interruption free couple of hours talking and it was awesome!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,945

Growth:

On a whim I took a left turn on my way to the office this morning. The sunrise was hitting the top of the bluff just right and lit up the autumn leaves. I followed my intuition and drove into the Woodlawn Cemetery to take in the sight of the leaves and to re-ground myself. The moments spent taking in all around me were intensely impactful and helped remind me of what’s important in life. Pause, think, remember life is temporary, enjoy the beauty all around us. This will likely become a new routine to start my mornings in Winona.

Appreciation:

Dominic is back home for the first time since he left for college in mid-August and it was soul warming to have him back home. Jumping right back into old routines and conversations over dinner filled me with such joy, so glad for the time we get to share together!

Presence:

On my ride home I played a song that caught me a bit off guard. For some reason it hit me right in the feels and got me thinking about Dad. Without really thinking about it I just started talking with Dad like I used to after he passed away. Speaking out loud to him really helped me through tough times even though he wasn’t there. Something about it helped me feel like he was closer, was there to help, and I could hear his old advice coming back to help. Today was a similar result, similar sensation, and a wonderful reminder that while Dad may be gone he’s still there to talk with. What a pleasant handful of moments today!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,944

Growth:

Jim Collins really had the right idea when he decided to start tracking each day on a scale of -2 to +2 based on how he felt as he went to bed. When trends appear he reflects on the why behind them and adjusts his behavior. Definitely time to get back to doing that daily!

Appreciation:

There are times when I am leading the direction of my life and other times when I feel as if I am adrift, succumbing to the powerful tides and storms around me. Each can be the right response in the appropriate moments, but when mismatched unhappiness draws near.

I’m currently feeling very mismatched and it is uncomfortable, there’s almost a gravity pulling the wrong way.

The reason I’m appreciative of this today is that I know why I’m feeling off, I know how to fix it, I know I can fix it, and I know it’s okay to give myself a little grace when it takes me a little bit to get out of it. Not ideal, ready to be out of the funk, but glad that I’ve been here before and know I can get out of it 😁👍

Presence:

The changing colors of the autumn leaves were brilliant today! There was a wonderful balance of clouds and sun to make the colors pop!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,943

Growth:

What a difference a break of a few hours can make in a busy schedule! I had an open few hours to get caught up on everything that had been piling up over the past couple of days at work and it was such a relief / release to get it all done! Slack in a schedule is a wonderful gift we can give ourselves.

Appreciation:

So often all of the reps and practices we put in towards a craft go unnoticed. Sometimes progress doesn’t seem to happen, but when we look back and then at where we currently are we can see the huge improvement that was actually made. Being so close to it each day blinds us to the incremental growth. Today I had an opportunity to pause and see the growth from the past twenty plus years and it was incredibly rewarding.

Presence:

Watching Orion make his slow march higher in the sky each time we run has been pretty cool. I usually don’t notice him until he’s way up in the sky in the middle of winter, kind of fun noticing him now while it is still nice outside!

Day 2,941

Growth:

Me describing this week: “I’ll breathe on Friday when the craziness is done.”

The advice I received: “Maybe you should breathe the entire week?”

Appreciation:

Gavin’s parent / teacher conferences went very well tonight! So cool hearing how he’s interacting with his teachers and classmates, very proud of him. Afterwards we ran a quick errand for him and had some additional bonding time which was awesomely appreciated. There haven’t been too many moments like that over the past couple weeks, it made the moments tonight all the more special.

Presence:

That moment when I realized that the 8,000 texts I’d sent out all contained a broken link. That moment when I realized I screwed up and didn’t actually send the texts and was able to re-send them for the first time with the correct link! 😂

Thanks!!!