Sometimes the simplest goals are the most difficult AND most meaningful. Each month I’m setting goals to help me stay on track for my goals for the year. For each month I’ve set weekly goals to get me to the monthly goals. January I took on too much and only reached 50% of my goals. I got it more dialed in for February and attained all eight goals.
The first weekly goal for this month? Be present. That’s it, simple. That’s also an insanely difficult one to reach, especially knowing the number of directions I am being pulled this week. Why this is important is to keep me grounded where I need to be, not getting to far ahead, not sleeping through something, but being fully present and engaged in each moment. Day one – so far so good!
Appreciation:
What a crazy day! By my count my day had nine different meetings scheduled and was exhausting from start to finish. That said, it felt amazing! Kind of like the sensation of sore muscles after an epic workout, sore but wonderful at the same time. Much was accomplished, so many moments of connection, all seeming to push clearly in the direction of purpose. Epic day for sure!
Presence:
The moment the sunset catches your attention and in that instant you know you are loved by something great enough to create it. Truly moving!
Father Sam’s sermon this morning was engaging and impactful. He started down a path he’d predetermined and seemed to drift off as he was putting additional thoughts together from his experiences. What’s interesting and stuck out to me was that the prepared portion hit him to a point in which he was able to improvise as he processed further – and that was where the truly good stuff was!
The key learning moment for me was this, preparation is necessary to position us to utilize our ongoing love of learning to flex into a place in which our untethered mind is free to explore.
Appreciation:
“It is only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”
Chuck Palahniuk
There’s a point in which it becomes so easy to let go, to step back and see the world with clarity.
While Chuck’s quote above is on the extreme, we are presented moments in life in which we see the fissures in the “permanence” of what we’ve held as “truths.” In those cracks it is so easy to quickly pass them by, ignoring them in hopes we never look back nor remember them. They would show us what we’d rather forget and never know.
When we look into that crack, press our faces right up against the cool concrete wall to observe what’s on the other side, what really could be reality, we become instantly aware, we are changed.
Once we see what could be true we can start to let our mind grasp that potential truth, to play with it, to look at it from so many different angles, to accept it. In that moment we are able to live that quite AND without having truly lost everything. Quite the contrary, we are actually gaining something, a second potential reality, one in which we are not encumbered by reality. We can dream more freely than if we had never accepted a reality outside of our preconceived truth.
Seeing beyond the veil, peering through the crack. What a gift we are presented!
Presence:
The little moments of human connection in real life, face to face. In those moments, if we choose to be present, we have an opportunity to brighten the life of a fellow traveler, and for them to for the same for us. Several of those moments today, several smiles of connection.
Stay focused on that which we can control, remember we always have a choice. Dream big, especially in moments of uncertainty, you never know what you might end up doing!
Appreciation:
I’m not sure how to put this, but I’ll take a stab at it. I’m grateful for understanding my purpose, for understanding and continuing to grow towards a reduced focus on pride and ego. I’m grateful for knowing what is most important for me and realizing that it is not “stuff.” I’m grateful for living within our means while also dreaming big while working to achieve those dreams without adding debt. I’m grateful for putting my family first, for prioritizing the experiences we have together and forever cherishing those memories together.
Presence:
Eating lunch with the family. Chilling on the couches with the family. Playing shuffleboard and laughing with the family. All family, all day, a gift of presence!
And don’t look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
Appreciation:
Through the chaos and fire lay growth and opportunity. When I’ve had the benefit of hindsight it becomes so clear to see how the challenges made me better, helped me close the gap between who I am and who I am called to be. In the midst of the flames and smoke it is so easy to become disoriented and lost. Have faith, trust in love for all, and remember the opportunity for growth is what we get when we don’t get what we want.
Presence:
The quiet calm of reading on the couch was such a juxtaposition to the entirety of my week. Calm and still, listening to the wind chimes through our closed windows rather than a flurry of activity with so many voices. Both sides worthwhile for their own reasons, though this evening it was truly exquisite.
Make the time to train others on the most important things, don’t always rush to do those tasks for them in an ill-fated effort to save time. Take the time, MAKE the time to teach and train. The return on investment will blow your mind over and over again BUT only when invested in the RIGHT people.
Appreciation:
I love curling up in my favorite sweatshirts on a cool evening. They warm and comfort me, their simple presence kindles the flame of my soul on such a basic level.
Certain books are “sweatshirt” books for me as well. In a similar fashion they help when I’m running cool, and warm my soul as I open their covers and smell the old pages. The subtle printing errors and smudges bringing a sense of home and of calm, a reminder that even the best of things are not perfect, though they are closer to perfect thanks to their imperfection.
Here’s to the “Sweatshirt” book I’ve busted out on a cold season of life, its heat is already warming my soul.
Presence:
My drive home was the site of my meltdown. It was a very busy day, for the large part very positive, but such a flurry of nonstop activity that my brain was completely overwhelmed by the end of the day. My neck is still stiff from the stress of busyness throughout the day. Again – almost everything was a positive! Successes of teammates abounded, signs of business growth, progress on so many different levels, yet my mind felt run into the ground as my legs after crossing the finish line of the marathon.
As I stared blankly out the windshield there was a bright flash out of the corner of my left eye, the setting sun casting a golden glow upon the exposed sandstone of the bluffs across the river channel. Then an eagle, no, two eagles, sitting in a tree watching for prey! I was flooded with awe, with wonder, with the natural beauty surrounding me.
Being in the presence of an organization who has gone above and beyond the goals of those goals which we most want to achieve is both profoundly inspirational and motivational. Today I was blessed with the opportunity to spend time an organization with quite possibly the most positive culture I’ve ever experienced.
Appreciation:
Whew – what a day and a half! This morning I was up and moving by 3:45am and then off to the races by 4:30. Working until I pulled in hot for a dinner with friends at 6:00pm. Having fun and shooting the bull until 8:30pm, and now off to bed by 9:30. Today has been a ridiculously busy day on so many levels, ready for a night of sleep to take time to process and digest tomorrow!
Presence:
Spending time with friends over dinner after a ridiculously busy day was exactly what the doctor ordered to slowly relax and take a deep breath. So much fun and chill from hanging out with them!
I cannot even begin to share how grateful I am for taking my own advice of resting up when I need it. Amazing how much 12+ hours of sleep can help a person heal up and feel better so quickly!
Appreciation:
Hmm… interesting one today. I’m going to go in kind of a funky direction. I’m grateful for working on the balance between emotion and logic as it pertains to interactions with people. It is difficult to navigate our interactions and relationships at times – do we follow our heart or do we follow our head? As usual, the answer is typically a combo of both, knowing how and when to balance is the key.
Today there were many opportunities to find that balance and while I was far from perfect I feel as if I was better about it than normal. I will definitely keep a focus on it, a skill I’d like to continue improving. Cheers to the opportunity to grow!
Presence:
Nothing quite like the rush of a nonstop day full of tight deadlines and twists and turns to keep the mind focused on the present! Needless to say, that level of ongoing presence has worn me out (in a good way).
As the kids would say, “I’m cooked.” With a bonkers week ahead of me I started feeling pretty awful late in the morning. rather than attempting to push through I made the smart decision to rest up, heal up, and be ready for the rest of the week. As such, I’ve been sleeping, ate, got a little more done, and am now heading back to bed. Fingers crossed for the resting to help get me back up and moving tomorrow!
Father Dodge had a wonderful sermon that I really didn’t want to hear today, usually the sign of one which I really needed to hear. Where there is discomfort there is usually room for growth.
In his sermon he reminded us that we are to love everyone, to want everyone to enter into heaven, for everyone to feel love. This is currently very difficult for me as I strongly disagree with several issues we are having as a society at large. It would (and has been) so much easier to be angry, to return hate with hate, and to be about as far from love as we should be.
As he spoke I couldn’t help but realize that this pushing back with anger and frustration is what is fueling the downward spiral we seem to be in. We should be remembering to love each other throughout, to pray for others, to help them understand that even if we disagree they are still humans, we should treat them all as we would be treated.
For sure – I am nowhere near ready to for this complete shift, I know what I should do and will work towards closing the gap between who I am and who I am called to be. As I reflect on the day I will be remembering to give a little extra prayer for those who need it, those who are acting from a place of hate, greed, ego, for them to find their way back to love for all humans and all life. I will say an extra prayer for all those who are directly impacted by the hateful and bitter action for them to have the courage to continue, the strength to keep fighting, and the ability to find a way to return love for hate. I will say a prayer for myself, to help me stay level minded, to help me know when and how it is appropriate to fight back, but in a way from the heart, with love. All in all, I’m praying for us to all remember to love each other and to treat each other well – especially when we don’t agree.
This evening I acted out in peaceful ways, a donation to an organization that could really use the extra help right now, sending messages to our congress on my thoughts on specific actions. Please consider doing the same. An organization which we’ve supported in the past that could use your help is the National Parks Conservation Association.
Appreciation:
I’ve been known to have some crazy idea, some might even say bad ideas form time to time. Nothing crazy or nefarious, rather ideas which many normal people would likely think a little out there. Case in point hiking a 50k last summer in the middle of a heat wave. Some have been so crazy they never happened, others I’ve seen through and maybe even questioned after the fact.
After Gavin finished reading The Long Walk by Stephen King this week he had an incredible idea – possibly a crazy one. We are going to do a 24 hour nonstop hike this summer just because we can. We’re going to start approximately 65-70 miles from home and follow the trail all the way back. Nothing short of ridiculous, no question, but it should be an incredible adventure, one we’ll remember for the long haul for sure!
Here’s to the crazy ideas, may they continue to invade our brain and lead us to many incredible shared moments together!
Presence:
Appreciate each moment, we don’t know how many more we have. In church today we received some deeply sad news of a parishioner who passed away from a very fast acting cancer. While we did’t know her well, we knew she and her husband well enough to enjoy a smile and a joke from time to time. Her death was a shock and that moment really hit hard. Her husband is the one I blogged about years ago as “the guy at church who reminds me of Dad.” My heart goes out to him and their family. Enjoy the moments we have, we are not promised tomorrow.
Saturdays are for getting stuff done is how I’m feeling today. Most of my task list for the weekend has been completed, only a handful of duties for tomorrow. With all that’s gong on in the world it seems like taking a day to control what I can control was exactly what I needed. That, and I’m very impressed with how much my blood pressure is reduced by just spending time in my campervan.
Appreciation:
Hiking in the woods with Becky and Gavin and encountering this little guy who was attempting to hide in a dead tree – what a cool moment and experience! Thanks to Roland the opossum for the bonus sights in the woods today!
Presence:
I had a pretty sweet daily double today!
Gavin came along with me while I got our campervan out to prep for Becky’s upcoming trip. We spent time together hooking up the chassis battery, navigating it out of the storage unit, and then taking it for a ride to get it warmed up. The entire time we shot the bull and had a good time together.
Later in the day I ran to pick up my contacts and Dominic called. We spent a good 15-20 minutes shooting the bull about nothing in particular, but had a great time doing it!
Shared moments with my sons – two excellent shared moments of presence!
Thankful for Forty 