Tag: calm

Thankful for Investing Time, “Sweatshirt” Books, & a Sense of Awe

Day 3,441

Growth:

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.

I was thankful.

I was calmed.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,988 – Thankful for Another Gift Within a Gift at Yoga

Another Monday night yoga practice, another moment of profound insight nestled in the deeply calm state of presence.

The two biggest reasons I love hitting yoga are the physical workout as well as the focused presence. Put those two components together and I’m always grateful for taking the time to get all namaste.

While those two are the headliners there’s an awesome added bonus which sometimes appears when my mind is deep in that state of serenity. Occasionally an idea will hatch during the practice. A little nugget of wisdom worth more than one hundred times it’s weight in gold. A magical moment of clarity and understanding which help me understand some better than before.

Tonight that gem was the realization that when learning and attempting something I’ve never done there is no stress about anything else in life. The act of focused and intentional learning create a state in which there is no concern or anxiety about anything outside the task. If I’ve truly set my soul properly there is also no anxiety in what I am learning, there is only the bliss of play. How wild is that? When I find myself stressing or anxious I need only play a little game with myself – what can I learn from this – to transition from anxiety into calm.

That bonus lesson buried within a yoga practice was yet another example of how much can be gained by pausing the busyness of life and intentionally choosing stillness and presence. As Becky pointed out on Friday, the world would be a much better place if everyone paused for a moment to practice yoga. The entire world would quickly become all namaste.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,988 – Thankful for Another Gift Within a Gift at Yoga

Another Monday night yoga practice, another moment of profound insight nestled in the deeply calm state of presence.

The two biggest reasons I love hitting yoga are the physical workout as well as the focused presence. Put those two components together and I’m always grateful for taking the time to get all namaste.

While those two are the headliners there’s an awesome added bonus which sometimes appears when my mind is deep in that state of serenity. Occasionally an idea will hatch during the practice. A little nugget of wisdom worth more than one hundred times it’s weight in gold. A magical moment of clarity and understanding which help me understand some better than before.

Tonight that gem was the realization that when learning and attempting something I’ve never done there is no stress about anything else in life. The act of focused and intentional learning create a state in which there is no concern or anxiety about anything outside the task. If I’ve truly set my soul properly there is also no anxiety in what I am learning, there is only the bliss of play. How wild is that? When I find myself stressing or anxious I need only play a little game with myself – what can I learn from this – to transition from anxiety into calm.

That bonus lesson buried within a yoga practice was yet another example of how much can be gained by pausing the busyness of life and intentionally choosing stillness and presence. As Becky pointed out on Friday, the world would be a much better place if everyone paused for a moment to practice yoga. The entire world would quickly become all namaste.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,985 – Thankful for a Workweek Bookended by Yoga

After getting home from being out of town for work for a handful of days I took Monday off. After our morning run early Monday morning (Becky was working so we stayed with our normal time) I took a little nap and then hit yoga at Root Down for the 8:30am yoga class. After getting home tonight Becky and I loaded up and headed out to Root Down for another awesome yoga session.

Yoga, work, yoga, weekend. Kind of has a nice ring to it! I might have to do this again sometime 🙂

Yoga as a tool to center myself before getting back into the swing of things was exactly what my brain needed. My mind was racing with ideas from the days of training as well as with everything I needed to do in order to catch up. By bending, twisting, sweating, and breathing I was able to calm my neurons down and re-focus on the present moment. A profound state fo chill to create space for me to get to work.

Throughout the week I flew at a crazy pace. The days blew past me quickly as they were each filled with very necessary activity from start to stop. Even with Monday off I cruised well beyond 40 hours worked. My mind was still racing as I questioned whether or not I could wrap up in time for yoga. I knew my brain needed it so I wrapped up with creating my task list which will be waiting for me on Monday early morning when I get back to the office.

Yoga as a path to chilling my crazy busy thought processes was the perfect switch to flip to move me from work mode to weekend mode. It pushed me to wrap up and find the end of the page, put the bookmark in, and then move on to some lighter reading. By bending, twisting, sweating, and breathing I was able to relax, reduce the stress, and focus on moving forward on what I want to accomplish at home. It was exactly what I needed.

Ahh… I’m now showered up, full from an awesome dinner, and wrapping up my day with my blog.

Yoga, work, yoga, weekend. Namaste.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,860 – Thankful for a Moment at the Beach I’ll Never Forget

With the sound of Lake Michigan waves upon the sandy shores over the past few days an old memory was stirred to the surface of memory. The reminder of that day, and another like it, have brought an added level of calm to my life.

Way back in my senior year of college I took a spring break road trip to a quiet beach town in Mexico. This wasn’t the party all day and night experience at crazy college bars that you may be envisioning. The setting was much more chill and relaxed, I think we only went to a single bar for a very short period of time. While the road trip and time with those friends were my favorite parts of spring break there was a single moment in which a deep state of inner calm was found and has been tapped back into often.

Not from that night, but a very similar evening many years later.

One of the nights my friends were all chilling out in the beach house. I felt compelled to sit out on the beach. In the moonlight and under the stars I sat on the beach, looked up to the stars, and became hypnotized by the rhythm of the ocean waves. There was no nervousness, fear for the future, stress about the next chapter of life, or anything like that. I had no past, I had no future, I was completely immersed in the present.

When I put that memory into focus I can almost swear that I am back in that moment. I can see the stars overhead, the wisps of clouds, the glittering moonlight on the waves. The repeating sound of waves landing on shore, the slight ocean breeze blowing across the beach, and the silence of the rest of the world all echo in my ears. I can feel the sand under the palms of my hands as I lean back with my legs outstretched as I sense cool air blowing across my legs, face, and hair. The scent of the ocean air hangs around me. Even my lips have the faint taste of salt upon them. I remember the waves, I remember that moment, and my soul is stilled and I am there again.

Over the past few days that memory has re-surfaced and I am so thankful for it. In a calm waters, stormy seas, and everything else in between this moment is a refuge of serenity. Breathe in, picture that moment, breathe out, and I am there.

Thanks!!!