Day 2,942

Growth:

A line from The Killers kept ringing through my head all day…

What kind of words would cut through the clutter of the whirlwinds of these days?

The Killers

Appreciation:

Several moments that stick out today, not sure there’s a theme…. Hmm….

I think what seems to be coming to mind is the focus on knowing what’s really important and putting the intensity of presence needed in that direction. While I didn’t necessarily stay exactly where I needed to be I was able to improve my clarity on where I need to be in the future and am now working on ways to improve gif tomorrow.

Yup, definitely time to pause and re-read Awareness, Meditations, & The New Seeds of Contemplation again!

Presence:

The drive up and over the bluff south of Arcadia showed islands of woods amongst a sea of fog filled valleys.

The scent of freshly cut grass in mid October was such a gift later in the afternoon, one more opportunity to savor the smell of spring and summer before the winter.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,940

Growth:

Take a deep breath and let life work itself out. There is so much out of my control, I need to remember that rather than trying g assert my will when it is not within my control. Breath, pause, and choose my mindset and response – the only true control I have.

Appreciation:

This evening we grabbed dinner with an old friend and had a blast! We hadn’t seen him since right before COVID and it was so much fun getting caught back up. There are some people who are larger than life, this friend is one of those folks, and I’m grateful for the laughs, the stories, and the insights!

Presence:

After working on scheduling a future trip I saw how calm and relaxed Leia was just chilling on the floor. Rather than push through I opted to close my laptop, lay down on the floor, and I snuggled with the dog. It was awesome!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,939

Growth:

I really struggle with balancing productivity and relaxation. My mind is wired to go nonstop, but I know I need better balance. Today was a wonderful practice for me!

Appreciation:

What really helped out the above was knocking out many of the things I wanted to get done right away in the morning. Having the checklist completed earlier made it much easier to finally lay back on the couch and enjoy a movie.

Presence:

Becky jokingly referred to a nearby hiking trail as the “LuLu Memorial Trail” as it was one of her favorite spots. A little over a year ago we stumbled upon it with LuLu and it quickly became one of our favorite places to hike, especially when it was just the two of us. Today that tradition continued as I walked it alone with Leia twice today.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,938

Growth:

Make time for relationships. There may be a never ending task list, but sometimes it needs to get set aside for building a relationship.

Appreciation:

On Tuesday night after Gavin’s soccer game I ran into one of my favorite yoga instructors. She made a joke about me not attending her 4:45pm class on Friday for a while and we both had a laugh. From that joke a little seed was planted. With Becky out of town tonight I knew I’d be flying solo if I went to yoga, something I don’t usually do. For whatever reason I knew yoga was going to be exactly what I needed to start the weekend so I got signed up for class.

While in class the sticker marking my spot had a wonderful phrase – “Make a ripple.” I’m grateful for the ripple my instructor made when she mentioned me going to class on Tuesday. That ripple led to a wonderful practice and exactly what I needed today.

Presence:

There’s nothing quite like the quiet calm of an intense yoga practice. The focus on breath and movement, the twisting, the stretching, the sweat, and then the final rest. A beautiful cycle of calm to intense and back to calm. Yoga after work tonight didn’t disappoint and I’m so glad I went!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,937

Growth:

It is easy to settle, resist the urge and search out greatness. In hiring remember that the right candidate should leave you jumping with excitement and dreaming huge possibilities.

Appreciation:

Three days in a row of running to start the morning – it’s been a while since I’ve done that! Waking up at 4:40am each morning feels like it’s taken a bit of a toll, but the outside time while the stars are out and the world is asleep has felt amazingly refreshing. Early-ish bedtime tonight, catch a few extra zzz’s, and I’ll be feeling ready to take on the world again in the morning.

Presence:

In the office today there were several moments of joy, laughter, thought, and extreme satisfaction. Each of those moments left a mark and led to a wonderfully productive and positive day.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,936

Growth:

So easy to get drawn into the busyness and complexity of life, so difficult to pause and ascertain priorities rather than react to stimuli. The discipline of staying the course can be difficult, but can become easier if I remember to embed routine priority check ins with myself. Make the most of the effort, be efficient with energy, clearly identify what is most important.

Appreciation:

Okay, I know, I’ve said that Becky is the dog person and if it were only me I wouldn’t have a dog, but…

…maybe I’m more of a dog person than I thought. 😉

Presence:

On a four lane stretch of highway on my way home I passed a semi truck. As I did so a red Jeep flew up from behind and was tailgating me. When it was safe to do so I slid into the right lane and let him pass and he sped by, increasing his speed as he went.

In less than a mile the road went down to two lanes and the red Jeep slowed way down even though the speed limit had remained. Next thing I knew I had a choice to make – tailgate him as payback for what he’d done to me, sit back and be frustrated, or slide back and be grateful for the opportunity to practice gratitude and stillness.

The decision took more time than I care to admit, but I finally made the right call and enjoyed the moment.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,935

Growth:

Never feel above certain work, be willing and open to that which one would ask others to do, and do so without recognition.

Appreciation:

Quick scary moment at the soccer game when Gavin went down with a knee injury – he should be fine, nothing traumatic. The not knowing for a moment as he sat in the grass was brutal. When he got up and walked off on his own power, with a limp, I felt elated. It was a reminder to me to be grateful for the health both boys have been blessed with thus far. Funny, I realized how surface that was – having health through sports – when really they’ve been healthy throughout their lives. Very grateful for that!!!

Presence:

I’m typing this from the comfort of my warm bed and I’m enjoying the contrast of cold skin in the warm covers. Last week I appreciated the cold, today I’m grateful for the literal pocket of warmth!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,934

Growth:

Someone once shared a piece of wisdom that really stuck out today:

” ‘Joy’ isn’t the same as happiness, and it is often the opposite of comfort.”

Much of our most important growth comes as a result of discomfort.

Appreciation:

I’ve written about this in the past, but there are times when it seems like the world slows down just a bit. It’s kind of like when a hitter in baseball and see the stitches on the pitch hurtling their way. You can see it in slow motion, understand the movement, and prepare to be in the right place at the right time. Today held several of those moments, and it helped me do just that. Similar to what I just wrote in the Growth section above, discomfort can lead to future growth.

Presence:

While we weren’t all together as a family we were still all together as a family tonight. Dominic FaceTimed us from his dorm and we had a nice 30 minute conversation as a family. Not the same as what we were used to but fun catching up nonetheless!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,933

Growth:

Sometimes motivation can strike at the most unexpected of times, when it does, roll with it. This afternoon I caught myself trimming the bushes coming over our fence into our yard. The weather was right, I had some bonus time, and it felt like a good idea. I could have easily stuck to the script of knocking off more stuff, but it just felt right and I had a sense of accomplishment afterwards. I leveraged that right into making my lunches for the next couple of days and cooking supper. Not too shabby!

Appreciation:

We were supposed to have plans for the evening but that ended up getting pushed back a week. That gave us some bonus time on a weekend – woo hoo! It’s been a great opportunity to get a few more things knocked off the list than expected while also mixing in some bonus chill time. That’s all good by me!

Presence:

The weather this afternoon was perfect for walking Leia! The sun was out, the air was right in between cold and warm, and it was just gorgeous outside. Couldn’t ask for anything more. Nice to have that last positive taste of great weather before fall starts to turn on us to winter.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,932

Growth:

Pause and recharge and be okay with relaxing. Sometimes I beat myself up for not being productive or for “doing” something. This evening I took some time to chill out and do some Sudoku and it felt wonderful! Let my brain chill while working on something I’m doing just for fun rather than for work.

Appreciation:

Mom came down to hang out and watch Gavin’s soccer game today and we had a blast! During the game we shot the bull about nothing important, had some time together watching our spaz of a pup go nuts in the living room, got more time together over dinner, and then enjoyed some of her homemade apple crisp back at home. I really grateful for having the time chilling with her today, it was great to catch up and talk about nothing in particular. Just spending time together was awesome and appreciated!

Presence:

Ahh… yoga! This morning what really stuck out to me was the moment right before final rest when our instructor opened the windows to allow a cool breeze to blow in after we’d all gotten crazy hot and sweaty during the practice. The sensation of the cool breeze blowing across my sweat damp skin reminded me of the hike Gavin, Steve, & I had in Iceland when we hiked up to the overlook of the waterfall. As I lay on my back in the hot yoga room I was back in those precious moments atop the hill overlooking the multiple layers of the waterfall; So peaceful!

Thanks!!!