Day 2,911

Growth:

While the final result is what is seen, the unobserved process is often more powerful. The words in my blog are the finished product, but the ongoing thoughts and reflections focused on gratitude throughout the day are truly the most appreciated part of this process. My joy isn’t derived from each post, rather from process and shift of mindset needed to compose it.

Appreciation:

What a day! From La Crosse to Prairie du Chien to La Crosse to Sparta (through torrential rain and hail) to La Crosse to Winona to La Crosse. Joyful reasons for each. Smiles had at each. Memories created at each. They were the bricks which built the day.

I’m also grateful for the mortar that filled in the cracks. Driving through the Driftless. Stopping at the apple orchard. Being smothered by puppy snuggles. Road trip conversations with Becky. Time of quiet contemplation and reflection. Laughs with Gavin. Snuggling with Becky.

The bricks shaped the day in a positive way, the mortar held the joy together.

Presence:

Three moments that stick out today.

• The split second in which both the back hatch if the car close and automatically lock AND I realize my keys are still inside the car. What a centering moment that is!
• The wedding party taking pic with a picturesque sunset behind them AFTER having to push the wedding ceremony back by an hour and a half due to rain.
• Experiencing the joy of a friend living one of their passions. Their smile will not be forgotten.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,910

Growth:

There’s been an idea on my mind for well over a decade and I’ve finally set aside time to take it in this year. If I didn’t take time to prioritize it and block it off in advance it never would have happened. Now that I’ve got it in the calendar I know it will. Funny how one small action (writing it on a certain day on the calendar) was the leverage point to make it happen. Watch for the small steps that will make the biggest impact and use them.

Appreciation:

Today was our Habitat for Humanity day in Winona, one of my favorite days of the work year. The task this year was helping out some landscaping and laying sod. Putting in hard work for a fulfilling purpose really brightened my soul. So grateful for the opportunity to help give back to our community in a meaningful way.

Presence:

Working outside and tamping down the loose fresh soil on a perfect fall day with an awesome breeze was so calming and peaceful. Yes, it was work and I was sweating, but it was so serene at the same time.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,909

Growth:

I’ve started reading Walter Isaac son’s book Elon Musk and have already had to many reminders that we never know the full story of what other people have faced in their lives. Before the first chapter was complete I was in a state of stunned shock at what Elon had witnessed before he’d finished high school. So easy to sit back and judge, so much more difficult to remain open minded and listen.

Appreciation:

Interesting decision to make on this section this evening! I’ve been noodling on it for the past several hours and I’ve finally gotten it narrowed down…

Flexibility really makes all the difference. Being open and willing to adjust means knowing the overall purpose, being able to grow into new solutions, and working with a deeper level of presence. Today involved a high level of flexibility, and in the initial discomfort was Joy around each corner.

Presence:

Super proud papa moment this evening as Gavin’s name was announced as one of the starters of the Varsity soccer game this evening! He’s been busting his butt for years to earn this opportunity and it was so surreal seeing him on the field for the entire 80 minutes of the game.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,908

Growth:

While urgent tasks spring forth from the aether with uncanny speed and consistency the important tasks seem to stealthily slip into shadow. When reminded to focus on the important it can be easy to wonder if I spent too much time preparing, but it is always worth investing the extra energy. The difference this made today will echo for years.

Appreciation:

Balancing grit and grace can be very awkward. Grit means pushing forward, persevering with passion for a long term dream, grace means sometimes being okay with having to pause and rest. Quite often giving myself grace seems to fly in the face of grit and can be difficult to do. What’s interesting is that often the act of giving ourselves grace is helping us grit out the goal and a necessary step rather than an obstacle. Today that was the case and I’m grateful for the grace helping the grit.

Presence:

For real. I’m really not a dog guy, but pausing everything to lay on the couch to let a puppy snuggle right in on my chest and face was a superb way to wrap up my day!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,907

Growth:

One of the best parts of presenting to a group is the opportunity to learn from others. Even though I’m the one presenting the participants always have awesome ideas and best practices to share. Today was no different, there were a handful of really positive ideas I took away from the presentation.

Appreciation:

My knee…. Most of me is in great shape, and my right knee usually is too, but over the past couple days it has reminded me of its weakness. That said, it feels like it’s a little tender and has swollen up, nothing a couple of days of rest and ice can’t fix. I probably pushed it a little too much in yoga last night, but that’s life.

So why am I writing about my bum knee during a gratitude blog?

Simple – there is so much positive to pull from this experience. Yes, my knee doesn’t feel good and I have to change my plans BUT it also is a test for me to pass. I can get frustrated about it and complain, or I can choose a mindset of appreciation and growth. I can ask myself that enlightening question – “What can I learn from this?”

This is a reminder of why it’s important for me to focus on losing weight so I can have less pain like this. This reminds me to appreciate the other 99.999% of the time when I’m completely healthy. This is a test to see how I can learn to sit still rather than going one hundred miles a minute. This is a reminder that I am more than the ways I identify myself – how can I be a runner when I can’t run for a while? This is a reminder to give more grace to those who suffer chronic pain. This reminds me how important physical health is.

Possibly most importantly at the base of all of this? This thought exercise I’ve just completed reminds me to focus on the upside, to control what I can control – my mindset. This sucks sitting around with an ice pack on my knee, but it can also be a wonderful teacher if I choose to be s good student. I am grateful for this test!

Presence:

Snuggling with Leia is awesome, for sure. What I’m really appreciating frequently is observing Leia experiencing the world as a puppy. She sniffs, chews, bounces, jumps, inspects, and plays with so many things fit the first time. She’s somehow cautious and fearless at the same time and is always learning and growing. What a gift to pause and try to see the world through her eyes gif a moment!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,906

Growth:

Take time to work on what’s most important. It almost never feels the most urgent, but it is the tiny percent of stuff that makes the largest percent of impact. Today was one of those days and it felt great to make progress!

Appreciation:

Not gonna lie, my brain is still processing the Presence portion I have already written below. It was pretty intense and my melon is having a difficult time setting that memory down for a moment so I can work on other things.

So thankful for yoga! Yes, I know, I sound like a broken record, but it is one of the go to’s to help me take a deep breath and chill while also getting an awesome sweat on. During busy times like soccer season I am always tempted to skip it and just have a quiet night at home. Fortunately for me – and what I am most thankful for this evening – Becky is always asking if I want to go. There’s never any pressure from her, but the one simple act of asking helps remind me that I will always feel better for going. As usual, Becky’s right 😉 So thankful for her ongoing willingness to ask and her grit to always go when she has the option.

Presence:

On my drive home there was a moment when I had some music on (My Own Soul’s Warning by The Killers), I had the moon roof open, and the sun was shining down as I drove over the bridge connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin. For whatever reason, in that moment, I felt an intensely deep connection to something larger than just me. I was immediately overcome with shivers of awe and had to really focus on driving lest I go of the road. I know, it probably sounds all types of strange, but it was like I’d gotten just a tiny glimpse of something impossibly immense, almost like the feeling of connected humbleness when viewing the mountains, but it was something bigger and more complete than just something physical. Honestly, I have no idea what the sensation was but my mind is continuing to go back to inspect that memory and see what I can pull from that moment of clarity.

Regardless of what it was, I was in a complete state of awe and felt like it was a wonderful gift. In that moment I felt whole in a way much larger than myself, as odd as that may sound. All I know is that in that one moment all felt connected, at peace, and loved.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,905

Growth:

Over the past week I’ve worked on revising my diet. Nothing crazy, but much more healthy than I had been eating. Last night I gave myself some grace and indulged a bit. Nothing outside my old normal, quite tame actually, but very different from where I had been this week. The difference in how I felt this morning compared to every other morning for the past week was wild!!! What an excellent reminder of how diet really impacts how we feel each day.

Appreciation:

This weekend has been ridiculously busy, but intensely relaxing at the same time. Not much for downtime usually leaves me a bit stressed, but not this time. Somehow I feel more relaxed and calm in spite of – maybe because of – how full our weekend was. Not sure his we pulled it off, but I’m grateful for feeling recharged after a busy weekend.

Presence:

This afternoon a couple of friends came over to meet our puppy and brought their kindergartener. While we were talking he was super active and wanted to pile up the leaves to jump into them. After helping to create the pile it only seemed appropriate for me to take a turn jumping in and getting buried in the leaves. So much fun acting like a five year old with a five year old!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,904 – Short and sweet tonight, been a long day with plenty of social time and a movie running late with Gavin, this is the short version before bed because I’m exhausted 😉

Growth:

Pouring gasoline on a fire is never the solution for putting the fire out. Pause, breathe, let level heads win out over emotion.

Appreciation:

This morning I had an awesome conversation with Mom and it was a blast catching up and spending time laughing with each other. Having that time to connect was a wonderful start to my day!

Presence:

Spending time watching Gavin play his butt off after putting in a ton of time in the off-season was priceless. Super proud of you bud!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,903

I mean, c’mon, what else is there to say after these pics? What a welcome addition to our family!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,902

Growth:

No one steps in the same river twice. It’s no secret that there are a handful of books I’ve read and reread several times. The one I’ve been reading recently is Great by Choice by Jim Collins. This has to be at least the sixth time I’ve read it and I am still learning so much from it! The benefit of additional life experiences have helped more of it sink in at different levels than in the past. Read, reread, and repeat.

Appreciation:

Today I was gifted additional time in the form of a project a teammate had already completed without my knowledge. Funny how quickly the newly discovered time dissipated. I made a lot of progress on another couple of fronts but realized I still have much more to get done. This has helped me see I have been scheduling myself too tightly and need to give myself more slack time and stay more focused on the most critical. What a gift to learn that this way rather than falling disastrously behind! Uncomfortable learning, but in a very positive way.

Presence:

There were a couple of moments today in which I paused, took a deep breath, and reminded myself to focus on what I can control and not what I cannot. Nothing bad or anything, but just moments when I needed a deep breath to bring awareness to my mind so I would focus. Those moments of calm and stillness helped tremendously!

Thanks!!!