Day 2,881

Growth:

Sprints are often needed, remember to breathe in between and keep the pace temporary. Finish, recover, put in the training, and then be ready to sprint again.

This sprint has been a wild one, very fast paced, and I’m excited to cross the finish line tomorrow night!

Appreciation:

Rather than dive into another business related book right away I stayed true to my preferred reading habit of switching to a fiction. I just finished up Speaker for the Dead (the sequel to Ender’s Game) and was reminded of how much I appreciate re-reading certain books. Walking through the book a second time and now knowing where it was going was one level, having read the books that follow afterwards added even more. Seeing the development of characters from the perspectives of past, present, and future really adds so much depth and insight. Orson Scott Card did a wonderful job of building upon the character arcs throughout his novels, this second reading really helped me see what a masterful storyteller he really is.

Presence:

Sitting in the stands, under the sun, watching the first soccer game of the season for Gavin… Perfect weather to enjoy watching him start his season!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,880

Growth:

It is so easy to say no, but do much smarter think of “how it could be done” before choosing no. Sometimes a little thought can bring us to better solutions when a simple no would’ve eliminated the opportunity to find them.

Appreciation:

We always have a choice to make. We can control how we choose to experience life and all there is around us. We can choose to see stress and challenge or calm and opportunity – it is entirely up to us to decide how we will react and respond. The more I remember that I have a choice to make the more I remember to make the right choice rather than be guided by emotion. Today I remembered that I had a choice and it made all the difference.

Presence:

What do wolverine tracks, a moray eel, a whale, a blazing fire, cracked ice, a spiral, and random whisps have in common? They were all shapes in gif clouds above me during standup paddle board yoga tonight. Taking time to breathe and stare up at the clouds was so incredibly gratifying today!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,879

Growth:

Taking time to think, assess, strategize, plan, and then execute. What an incredible difference in effectiveness versus reacting and responding. Remember to take the first breath to assess how quickly a decision must be made or an action must be taken and then respond in timely fashion.

Appreciation:

This one may sound a bit odd, but I’m grateful for a long work day today. I left my house before 6am and didn’t get back to La Crosse until after 6pm. The reason I am thankful for it today is because days like this don’t happen nearly as often as they used to back in the day. Days like this are reminders of so many lessons I’ve learned the hard way including:

• Working harder does not equal working more effectively
• Undisciplined pursuit of more leads to less
• Let purpose lead the way over ego

Having one day like this, one spent in a strong zone of working on purpose, working at a high pace, and working with positive teammates is a gift for so many reasons… but only when needed once in a while.

Presence:

After walking up super early Becky and I were able to get our run in before I left for work which left me feeling more awake than I had any right to be. When I hit the halfway point in Arcadia I was greeted with a spectacular gift of timing. There were thick clouds hanging in the valleys and I was looking down upon them from atop the bluff. As if that wasn’t awesome enough the sunrise was lighting up the whisps of the tops of the clouds in a brilliant golden light. It was beautiful!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,878

Growth:

Questions, lead with questions. Questions lead to greater successes than statements. Start with questions, listen, learn, and then ask more questions until it is fully understood. Only then will statements lead to success.

Appreciation:

Throughout my Express career I’ve been challenged to read many books for various training reasons. Whether it was a part of a future leadership program, a monthly training, or an ongoing ownership meeting there have been many books I’ve read. Quite often, in full honesty, I wasn’t thrilled to read them. I read them out of obligation and quite often ended up learning so much from them. After a while I started to develop a pattern of reading on a very regular basis.

Today was a wonderful reminder of how much that habit has continued to help me through my career. Thanks to have read one a while back it triggered in my mind today as one that I needed to pull off the shelf and dive back into. I did just that and am already thanking myself for the lessons and ideas I’ve gleaned from it.

Reading is such a valuable gift we can give ourselves. The lesson can never be taken away and it can come back to help us in so many different ways and situations. Today I’m grateful for developing this habit and for giving myself that gift.

Presence:

Yoga tonight was hot, muggy, and intense! The moment which stuck out most to me today as a moment of extreme presence was when Nick, our yoga instructor, challenged us to push through one last wheel pose for five of our own breaths. My arms were already torched and I was exhausted, but I gritted it out through shaking muscles to stay up for the entire five breaths.

The funny thing is that in retrospect I’m pretty sure if he would have pushed us for four breaths that’s all I would have been able to do. If he’d ask ed for us to go for six I’m guessing I could have done the six instead of five.

Regardless, in that moment the only thing on my mind and in my focus was on the individual breaths and the straining muscles. Nothing else existed, only breathing and straining. And it felt amazing!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,877

Growth:

Not too long ago a mistake like yesterday would have caused me to get all types of bent out of shape. I took the time to write a full blog post, hit the Publish button, and then it all disappeared (likely due to very poor internet coverage). No back up was saved, everything I typed was gone.

The me from not too long ago would have thought that the 20+ minutes of writing a blog which disappeared would have been in vain. That old me would also have gotten frustrated at the fact that his blogging streak was now kind of done unless he typed up a new one right away.

The me of yesterday saw it all a bit differently and was able to go back to sleep peacefully. My ego wasn’t bothered by the post not appearing, I write this blog daily to help myself become a better version of me each rather than for pats on the back for a job well done from others. I did not see the time writing as a waste as the success was in taking time to write and think in the first place. The resulting blog / journal is purely a benefit of this practice rather than the measurement of success of the practice.

Days like yesterday are wonderful opportunities to pause and see that I have closed the gap at least a little over the past several years, that’s a win in my opinion!

Appreciation:

Two weeks off of work are now wrapping up and tomorrow I head back to the office. I am so appreciative for remembering to take time away from work to live life. For sure, I am very passionate about my work and am fortunate to have the career path and teams that I have, I am getting giddy to head to back tomorrow! That said, sometimes the best thing we can do to make progress on something is to take a step back, take a much wider view, and then come back to the project with clarity found outside. Zooming out leads to so many additional insights which are too easily missed by staring too closely at the challenge. I am feeling well rested, excited, energized, and like I’ve got my head in a much better place to help my teams thanks to this time away. I’m grateful for the excitement I feel for getting back at it tomorrow!

Presence:

Moments of quiet relaxation at home today, what a perfect way to wrap up the time off. I feel like I should have been possibly a little more productive, but the moments of sitting back, putting my feet up, and relaxing at home felt truly glorious!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,876

Growth:

With the power of hindsight it is so easy to see how past mistakes, failures, challenges, and pain can become sources of our greatest strength, growth, wisdom, and joy. While easy to see looking back, why do I not as readily trust that moving forward when I’m in those difficult moments?

Today more than a handful of past growth moments led to positive outcomes and reminded me to stay positive in the midst of any challenge.

Appreciation:

Without getting into too much detail I’d still like to share my gratitude for today. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help someone through a difficult time. When Dad passed I realized the importance of allowing others to make a gift of themselves when they want to. Their help may help heal them, may help them feel a sense of control, may help the feel a sense of purpose, and may help them express love for their fellow person. I’ve recently been on the other side of the equation and cannot begin to explain how much of a positive impact it has had on me. I feel that I have been given the better gift, the opportunity to help.

Presence:

There is not much more energizing in my career than having a team member get super pumped up and excited about an idea or vision they have. Their passion and enthusiasm lift my soul and bring so much joy! Today I was able to share one of those moments and it was awesome!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,876

So much for that one! Somehow yesterday’s post didn’t save or go through. No biggie, I know I wrote it, that’s all that matters 😉🤷‍♂️

Thanks!!!

Day 2,875

Growth:

We all have our own paths to follow in life. As my buddy Steve once explained, “every man climbs their own mountain.” There is no one right life, their is only our own life. What we choose to do with it is entirely up to us.

Over the past year or so I’m finding increasingly interesting patterns in the reading choices I make. As we browsed through the bookstore in Lake Louise I became very aware of the pattern as I’d read many of the books within the adventure and exploration section, the ones focused on real life stories of people who lived into an entirely different reality than what I have experienced. While I’m realizing the passion I have for living into some of my own dreams their stories add dream fuel to my bucket list – while also helping me see the trade offs I’m not willing to make. So thankful for seeing the pattern so I can lean into it more.

Appreciation:

One of the camping traditions Becky and I have had for many years is heading out for either a run or a bike ride while the boys chill with their cousins. Our ride today through the wildlife preserve was full of wildlife sightings. There were multiple deer, cranes, birds, and other small mammals. Throw in the bison they farm there as well and it was a spectacular way to experience exercise No a camping trip. So thankful for taking the time to hop on the bikes today!

Presence:

This evening we had a warning about a potentially dangerous storm rolling through so we opted to wait it out in our car rather than our tent. Listening to the storm front roll in was amazing! The change in pressure, the drop in lighting, the increase in winds, and the flashes of lightning were all reminders of the power of nature. It may not have been as extreme as the thunderstorm in the Porkies a few years back but it was still a moment I was happy to be present in. And having a bonus couple hours of reading time was pretty sweet and greatly appreciated too.

Thanks!!!

Day 2,874

Growth:

Gotta love the lessons that transcend! As we loaded up the car for camping today Gavin and I had the reminder to start with the biggest items first and then fill in the gaps. What a wonderful reminder of how we should plan our lives!

Appreciation:

Huge amounts of gratitude and appreciation for my “sister from another mister” – Kathy – for coming to my rescue today! Somehow I managed to rip the nail of my right big toe in an all bad way. She cleared out some time for me and got my nail cemented and coated with acrylic to help keep it from tearing worse. So thankful for her willingness to help me out on short notice and during a busy day!!!

Presence:

Blogging from inside my camping hammock… always one of my favorite places. Sleeping outdoors, hearing the sounds of frogs and crickets, and breathing fresh air. Perfection!

Thanks!!!

Day 2,873

Growth:

When returning from vacation I’ve learned to quickly cull the herd on the big pile of digital pics within 24 hours of getting home. If I do it within 24 hours I’m much more likely to look back on the photos with more joy as there are only the best of the best remaining. If I wait longer than that I’m less likely to go back to clean them up and I’ll get frustrated looking at 15 pictures of the same thing as I worked to get the best one. (Yes, I’m that person, the one who takes a handful in order to get maybe one good one.) It’s kind of a form of grit and discipline, take time to clean it up the first time and life is better the rest of the time.

Appreciation:

I’m not quite there yet, but I am SOOOOOOO thankful for my bed!!! The beds of the past week and a half were all good, but there’s nothing quite like the feel of getting home after vacation, unpacking, and knowing that my bed is sitting there waiting for me to get back into it for an incredibly restful night of sleep!

Presence:

Wowza – so many moments of presence on this vacation! In looking back through the pictures with Becky this evening my mind is blown by just how many moments are burned into my brain. So thankful for taking so many pics to help bring back those moments but not so many that the moments were missed due to viewing the world from behind a lens.

Thanks!!!