Tag: gratitude

Thankful for Accomplishing a Dream I Didn’t Know I Had Until I Accomplished It

Thankful for Accomplishing a Dream I Didn’t Know I Had Until I Accomplished It

Day 3,698

Talk about an epic surprise this morning! Before our run at 5am I poked my head out the door and looked to the north. As luck would have it, the Northern Lights were dancing all around the horizon!

As we can the first two miles I kept stopping to take pictures while also running with my eyes focused on the sky. Gigantic monoliths of light shot up through the sky like a spotlight and then slowly faded. The dark reds and purples were so bright they were clearly visible by the naked eye.

In a bit of cosmic coincidence they started to fade as we got to our turn around point. The majority of our run on the way back was heading south, which felt okay as the Northern Lights dissipated and the eastern horizon slowly lit up a little.

While I keep an active dream list (119 strong currently) one thing I’d never thought of adding to it was “Go for a run under the Northern Lights.” Now that I’ve done it I realize how epic of a dream that would have been, one that would have been almost impossible to accomplish. We just happened to luck out in this case – an opportunity to knock out a dream I didn’t know I even had until I was in the midst of accomplishing it!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Appreciation, Being Alive Today, & Conversation and Pumpkin Rolls

Day 3,658

Growth:

Such a perfectly eloquent quote by Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451:


We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing.

Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

This quote coupled with a couple of recent articles and a podcast or two really hit home. In so many ways we each already have everything we need to be happy – maybe joyful is the more appropriate term. We could feel fulfilled with all that we have in this present moment if we choose to. Instead we allow want / desire / greed / fear / envy get in the way and cloud our judgement, they block our gratitude.

Should we choose gratitude we have all we need right now in this present moment and in every present moment moving forward. When we try to sate our hunger for more by buying more we only push ourselves further from joy.

We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing… Appreciation for what we have.

Appreciation:

As one of my teammates put it this morning as we talked about a book we are both reading based in the mid 1800’s based in the American Southwest and Northern Mexico:

“This book makes me grateful to be alive NOW as opposed to any other time”

No kidding!!! When we think of the challenges we face daily and then compare them to that specific timeframe and location I’m also grateful for being alive now as opposed to then, no question!

One of the reasons I enjoy the occasional historical fiction is the ability to see times long past through the eyes of today. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy is staggering in its ability to punch me in the gut over and over and over… and this is the second time I have read it!

What also really blew my mind today was learning how much of it was based on real life people and their stories! It is nothing short of ridiculous to think we used to be at such a different place as a people and culture.

Nice to pause and be grateful to be alive now, today.

Presence:

Nothing like a surprise visit from a friend bearing a batch of pumpkin rolls to start off a morning in the office!!! Thank you so much to Trissa for an awesome conversation AND delicious treats to boot! There may have been a few more than a few during the day, maybe one or two on the ride home, and definitely more at home. Always fun spending time catching up with some of the people who’ve left an onngoing positive impact!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for A Quote on Judgement, Awareness of Joy Causing Activities, & Workshop Time with Gavin

Day 3,653

Growth:

As I’ve started reading Montaigne by Stefan Zweig there’ve been so many little nuggets of wisdom I’ve filed away to reflect on in the future. This one in particular struck me with the current state of affairs in our society / nation / world.

I do not subscribe to this communal error of judging a man according to the way I perceive things.

Stefan Zweig, Montaigne

Appreciation:

Today was an awesomely productive day, a nonstop high speed thrill ride of errands, projects, and other assorted tasks. For sure, it was a day largely full of adulting, but all in a very positive way. Funny how I used to look forward to days with nothing to do but sit on the couch and watch football, now I find days like this to be so much more rewarding and fulfilling!

This has been a bit of an ongoing theme over the past few days. Looking at several years ago when I would take Friday off for Oktoberfest and have too many beers, now I had the perfect Friday off thanks for knocking out a 15 mile hike and then spent the evening at Gavin’s football game. So much more rewarding and fulfilling than how I lived life a ways back. For sure, it wasn’t anything crazy or out of control, but even just the difference in scenery this year is so much more my style and my jam.

As I keep typing and thinking about this, I guess that’s what I am most grateful for today… a better understanding of or maybe a better awareness of what brings me the most joy and leads me towards my purpose AND then choosing it and enjoying it even if that path isn’t quite as relaxing as the other.

Presence:

Spending time in the workshop with Gavin as we built a fixture to help him cut lumber for his Eagle project was a blast! So grateful for the father son time up in the workshop – full of jokes, talks, coaching, teaching, and creating. The time we spent there and in working on his project today was a wonderful way to spend the day! Projects like that with him cause time to fly and memories to be made.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Decade Old Habit Which Has Changed My Life

Day 3,652

This is it, tonight’s post marks the 3,652nd straight day of blogging about at least one thing I am grateful for – one full decade of daily gratitude blogging is complete! So crazy that I can still remember the very first day of blogging and how I hoped to keep it going for one year (or at least a few months).

Taking time to pause real life to focus on what I am thankful for has had a more profound positive impact on my life than I ever initially thought it could. This process has helped me through incredibly difficult times (like Dad’s sudden and very unexpected death). This process has helped me better appreciate the incredibly excellent times (like all the milestones with Becky and the boys). This process has also helped me be so much more thankful for all of the ordinary days filled with work, yoga, outside time, and whatnot. Had it not been for this ongoing effort to be more intentionally thankful there are so many moments I would have missed or at least missed the deeper meaning of.

Each day the focus on appreciation shifts the filter of my brain as I know each day I will be accountable to myself for blogging about something I am grateful for, this means each of my mornings start off with the question, “what am I going to be thankful for today?” That subtle behavior shift causes me to start looking for the upside in everything right off the bat.

Throughout the past decade I’ve also unintentionally created a journal of my life. Stories I would have potentially forgotten have been recorded to go back to, to remind me of so many of the simple treasures in life. Taking time to go back and read them reminds me of where I’ve been, remind me of lessons to remember, and bring back so many smiles.

This daily process has also helped me learn what is truly important in life. “Stuff” doesn’t bring joy, enjoying what we already have does. The concept of joy being “wanting what we have rather than having what we want” has become so clear to me. The more I am grateful for what I have the more I realize the less I actually need. Quite often the introduction of that which I do not need leads to additional stress and anxiety, certainly the opposite of joy.

The more I’ve blogged the more I realize how much I appreciate time with Becky and my boys, spending time with outdoors in motion, taking in the simple moments of stillness in life. A good book, an emotion provoking song, a sweaty yoga session, a hike. Even writing – something I never enjoyed before this blog – has become one of my sanctums of joy. My joy doesn’t come from shiny things, from approval of others, or status and achievement, rather it comes from appreciating time with my family, time alone in thought, and all the splendor and beauty of the natural world.

This daily process, this time for daily reflection, has become a cornerstone of who I am. It has helped me work on closing the gap between who I am and who I am called to be. This daily gratitude journaling has helped me become a more joyful me.

Cheers to the first decade of this daily appreciation process, and I look forward to decades to come!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for 20 Mile Marches, Bonus Time Utilization, & a Frog and a Dog

Day 3,645

Growth:

Jim Collinsā€™ concept of a 20 Mile March is that we should focus on maintaining a rigorous yet manageable pace in the work that we do. Today I felt the downside of pushing too hard for too long, the week was a hardcore push and had very positive results, but I was completely gassed a little before I crossed the finish line.

Something for me to remember to work towards, keep an even flow throughout the week as much as possible, the more intense the beginning the more likely Iā€™ll be less than 100% by the end.

Appreciation:

Sometimes weā€™ve got a football game for Gavin, other times it gets postponed due to lightning šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø

Due to the postponement weā€™ve got some bonus time on our hands this evening and Iā€™ve made wonderful use of it – relaxing, writing this, and heading to bed early.

We canā€™t control what happens, but we can control how we utilize the bonus time!

Presence:

Couple of great moments from this morning included a small green tree frog jumping on my toe and a sunrise with Leia.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Assuming Positive Intent, Music Therapy, & Connectedness

Day 3,644

Growth:

So often all we need is all around us, it is up to us to LISTEN for the answer. I was caught off guard while re-reading one of my favorite books today. They very briefly hit upon the concept of “Assuming positive intent,” and the profoundly positive impact this can have on our lives and interactions.

Rather than immediately assuming “the other side” is trying to destroy our nation/world what if we instead paused and considered their actions/words from the starting point of assuming positive intent. Why are they responding as they are? What is the underlying issue leading them down this path? Quite often it is likely similar to our own reasons – just executed differently. If we assume positive intent we can more easily listen to understand rather than listen to prove wrong.

This will be in the forefront of my mind – assume positive intent before being so quick to judge.

Appreciation:

Part way through my drive up north this morning I realized I needed some music therapy for my soul. I like to utilize my drive time as learning time, focusing on how to improve myself with what could so easily be dead time rather than alive time. I feel more productive when I spend the time filling my brain with ideas, pausing to digest and consider what I’ve learned.

This morning I needed to spend some time in quiet calm, listening to music to relax my mind and soul. It was time for some therapy, some rejuvenation. I found it in music. For almost half an hour I went from song to song to soak up the energy I needed to feel recharged and ready for the day.

By the time I got to the office my head and heart were in the right palce to dive in and make a positive impact.

Presence:

With so much discontent and anger and hate and divisiveness in our world I found sanctuary and solace in M83’s song Outro.

While driving to the Eau Claire office this morning I almost had to pull the car over as I was completely overcome with the emotion of pure love and connectedness with all people and all creation while this song reached its crescendo.

Pause your life, shut everything else off, turn on this song, close your eyes, and feel the love and connection you have with all people. I hope you will be moved as I was – awakened in the love of the connections we all share.

When it is my time to go this song (from 1:30 on) will be the last music my soul plays before moving on. Beautiful, breathtaking.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Perfect Weekend Day

Day 3,632 (Crazy to think that it will be a DECADE of daily blogging in only 22 days!)

There is so much to unpack from today, but it is all pretty simple in the overall concept… This was pretty much the perfect weekend day. So much happening, so many moments of presence, reminders of appreciation throughout, lots of personal connection, and so many nuggets of learning mixed in.

Maybe the best way to run this one out is to go with a list kind of day. Additionally, this format provides me an opportunity to walk back through the day in a little more full detail and enjoy it all a second time šŸ˜‰

  • The morning started off with a mug full of some amazing coffee. Scratch that, it started off with the aroma of freshly ground, freshly brewed coffee while I laid in bed as Becky had gotten up before me and worked her magic.
  • Breakfast was a couple of slices of cold pizza leftover from last night – glorious!
  • To kick off the morning Becky found a hysterical video which caused me to laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. Short and sweet, but nice starting the day with a good belly laugh like that!
  • Becky and I packed up for hiking and a trip to Eau Claire to watch Dominic’s rugby scrimmage. As we got rolling she recommended we fire up a podcast she had recently listened to. The Ologies podcast has been one of her recent go to’s and this episode was focused specifically on the science of happiness. Here were some of the key takeaways and moments of a-ha’s!
    • The concept of “Time Affluence,” the sense of having enough time, is a critical component of happiness. This really hit home with how I feel amazing on days like today (very limited structure) and I feel almost claustrophobic on days when I am planning out my next few weeks.
    • Choosing to view ourselves Objectively rather than Relatively. Consider the studies of happiness levels of someone who won the silver medal versus the bronze medal. The bronze medalist is almost always smiling much bigger than the silver medalist who often looks sad and disappointed. Consider that we are really good at something or that we really enjoyed something, don’t compare it to what others do or what they have. Look internally for happiness.
    • Are we happy both “in our life” and “with our life”? Are we happy in the moment of what we are doing in life? Are we happy with where our life is going towards a purpose? Both are important and and not always related (and sometimes can almost be at odds with each other).
    • Awareness, awareness, awareness! Step outside of ourselves and observe how we are reacting to something, consider why we are reacting that way. Don’t observe with the intent of changing or correcting, rather, observe to understand more fully. We can’t fix what we are not aware of.
    • I’d 100% recommend this podcast to anyone looking to add a little extra joy to their lives (that should be all of us, right?). Check out the episode we listened to here: https://www.alieward.com/ologies/eudemonologyencore
  • The conversations Becky and I got into while listening to the podcast and after the podcast were engaging and insightful. So appreciative to be in love with a fellow lifelong learner!
  • Our hike in Perot was soooooo chill! The weather was perfect, the trails were quiet, so much to observe and take in all around us. Everything was so green it was awesome! The feel of hiking on a fall day is something I will never tire of. Hiking with Becky and joking, talking, and walking in silence, all exactly what I needed.
  • While on the hike I was reminded of an adventure Steve and I went on kayaking on the Black River a while back, it may have spurred on ideas to attempt it again.
  • Dominic’s rugby scrimmage was so much fun to watch! He was one of the starters and got quite a few opportunities to impact the game on both offense and defense. So much fun watching him do something he loves.
  • During the game I was able to make a quick sprint and caught a ball way out of bounds. I know, super cheesy, but it was so much fun to enjoy the fleeting moment of feeling like I was almost in the game, almost a kid again. Super minor, but such a blast regardless!
  • A handful of Dominic’s friends from high school came to the match to cheer him on. They hung out with Becky and I throughout the game and we shot the bull the entire time. so much fun seeing the kids we used to see often grow into the men they have become. I swear each age of our son’s and their friends has somehow continued to be better than the year before.
  • Our ride back was so chill, the dog was absolutely toast from all the hiking and excitement. We stopped by the apple orchard, grabbed some apples, ciders, and maybe a caramel apple pie or two. So nice being outside and having a little mini date with the two of us. Fresh apples off the tree… so deelish!
  • At the grocery store we saw a mom with two small kids which brought back fond memories for us as well as a little laugh as we saw reminders of the happiness podcast concepts in her expression.
  • Gavin was home from his volunteer work and was in an awesomely talkative mood. We shot the bull for a while and then the and I continued the conversation at Dick’s as we picked up a knee brace for him. We may have also had some bonus fun dreaming up a home gym and pricing it out while we were there. Great one on one time with him, nice to have such fun conversation with him.
  • I got a little bonus time to make a quick fix on the grill as it warmed up. Nothing crazy or difficult, but just enough to feel like I got to problem solve, work with my hands, and be productive. A nice little chill moment.
  • There were a couple of awesome brother moments that don’t need detail. Long story short, I was reminded of one of the many reasons I love my brother and how grateful I am for the relationship my sons have with each other.
  • Grilling brats, drinking a hard cider, joking with the family. Throw in eating out of my grandma’s old stainless steel bowls from the 1950’s and it was a wonderful dinner outside on the deck!
  • Game night was fun (even though Gavin destroyed Becky and I in both Catan and Skipbo), another evening spent around the kitchen table, one of my favorite places in the world. The addition of caramel apple pie with vanilla caramel ice cream was a banger!
  • As we wrapped up the night Gavin and I fired up a movie. Sitting on the couch and taking it in we were both making comments on what we appreciated about it. I also look forward to knowing we’ll bring it up in conversation on again off again for the better part of a week or two, reminding us of that time together. Nice and chill to wrap things up.
  • Typing this blog has only increased the size of my smile today! Crazy to see all that happened appear as words on my screen. Each memory has brought back a smile and jogged my memory on other things I was grateful for. This daily thought practice has been proven over and over again over the past ten years to help me sleep with a focus on good stuff in life so much more than the frustrating.

Whew!!! What a day!!! Seriously, so many moments of joy throughout the day. I grew. I appreciated. I was present. Throw all of those together with the connections with those I love and it was pretty epic. To all who played a part in my today, thank you!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Journaling Leading to Discovery

Day 3,537

Journaling has helped me yet again, this time in a very unexpected way! By spending time answering a few questions on my personal scorecard each night Iā€™m finding more and more insights into how my mind works.

For instance, Tuesdays are typically the least joyful days of my week (lower joy, decreased sleep, less physical activity). Mondays are usually my days of most intentional eating. Days with time spent outdoors rank more joyful than days without.

One of the biggest shockers was in the analysis of my response to the daily question ā€œif I only had 10 years to live, what would I stop doing?ā€

In those results I found a slowly compounding reservoir of wisdom, of themes repeated, of lessons to remember. Consolidated I was able to create my personal 2025 Stop Doing Manifesto:

āœ‹ My 2025 Stop Doing Manifesto

ā€œI give myself permission to stopā€¦ā€

šŸ§  Mental Noise & Overthinking

Obsessing over things I cannot control.

Worrying about what others think or whether Iā€™m doing ā€œenough.ā€

Running from discomfort by filling space with screens, snacks, or scrolls.

Letting the urgent crowd out the important.

šŸ§¹ Emotional Clutter

Comparing myself to others or my past self.

Letting guilt, obligation, or resentment steer my decisions.

Carrying stress instead of naming it, sharing it, or releasing it.

Ignoring moments that need closure, clarity, or courage.

šŸ•¹ Busywork & Distraction

Saying yes to everything and wondering why Iā€™m burned out.

Keeping time-wasting apps or defaulting to entertainment instead of creativity.

Chasing productivity when I really need rest or stillness.

Doing everything myself when I could ask for help or delegate.

šŸƒā€ā™‚ļø Overdoing

Overcommitting, overscheduling, and under-resting.

Thinking one more meeting, message, or task will finally bring peace.

Sacrificing my presence in the pursuit of more progress.

Mistaking motion for meaning.

šŸŒ± Growth-Limiting Patterns

Avoiding honest conversations to preserve comfort.

Doubting my instincts and dimming my clarity.

Dismissing nature, movement, and rest as luxuries instead of lifelines.

Living by drift rather than by design.

šŸ” Instead, I will:

Choose clarity over clutter.

Allow joy to be enough.

Use presence as my metric of success.

Create space to breathe, connect, and be.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Lesson in Preparation AND Improvisation, Peering Through the Cracks, & Connection

Day 3,444

Growth:

Father Samā€™s sermon this morning was engaging and impactful. He started down a path heā€™d predetermined and seemed to drift off as he was putting additional thoughts together from his experiences. Whatā€™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:

ā€œIt is only after weā€™ve lost everything that weā€™re free to do anything.ā€

Chuck Palahniuk

Thereā€™s a point in which it becomes so easy to let go, to step back and see the world with clarity.

While Chuckā€™s quote above is on the extreme, we are presented moments in life in which we see the fissures in the ā€œpermanenceā€ of what weā€™ve held as ā€œtruths.ā€ 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 weā€™d rather forget and never know.

When we look into that crack, press our faces right up against the cool concrete wall to observe whatā€™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.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for The Only Thing We Control, an Awesome Day, & Snowshoeing on a Saturday

Day 3,428

Growth:

Today has been a powerful reminder of why I write each day. Itā€™s a practice of reflectionā€”an opportunity to process my experiences, thoughts, and emotions, helping me bridge the gap between who I am and who I strive to be.

When someone lets us down or disappoints us, we have a choice in how we respond. I often find myself oscillating between anger, frustration, apathy, and sadness. But the interesting thing is this: my reaction is entirely up to me.

If we strip away our initial emotions, most disappointments come down to a simple factā€”someone took an action they believed was right. Few people intentionally choose to do the wrong thing. The action itself is neutral; itā€™s neither good nor bad until we assign meaning to it.

Let that sink in for a moment. The action itself is neutral. We are the ones who apply context, emotion, and judgment. And in doing so, we determine our response. Yes, their action may be the opposite of what we wanted or expected, but our reaction? Thatā€™s entirely ours to own.

Anthony de Mello captures this truth beautifully in Awareness:

“I have no right to make any demands of you.

I have no right to make any demands of you. Oh, I’ll protect myself from the consequences of your actions or moods or whatever, but you can go right ahead be what you choose to be.

I have no right to make any demands of you.”

Anthony de Mello

At the end of the day, the only thing we truly control is our response. People will act in ways we disagree with. They will frustrate us. They will disappoint us. But they are free to do so. Their actions only gain meaning when we apply it.

Marcus Aurelius offers another timeless insight:

ā€œChoose not to be harmedā€”and you wonā€™t feel harmed. Donā€™t feel harmedā€”and you havenā€™t been.ā€

The choice is mine. Someone else may take an action I dislike, but itā€™s up to me whether I let it disrupt my peace. I can let it roll off. I can take steps to prevent it from happening again. I can move forward. Or, I can choose frustration and dwell in emotions that serve no purpose.

I choose to move forward.

Why waste time and energy longing for a different outcome when I never had control over it in the first place? Instead, Iā€™ll choose focus. Iā€™ll choose resilience. Iā€™ll choose to protect my energy and not let frustration steal moments I can never get back.

Time is finite. Breath is precious. I wonā€™t waste them in frustration.

Appreciation:

One of the reasons I enjoy blogging is the ability to reflect upon the entirety of the day rather than dwelling on just one or two specific incidents. As I started typing this section I paused and ran through the day from start to end and I couldn’t help but smile at so many positives and moments I am grateful for today!

  • Waking up to the aroma of coffee, a delicious coffee Becky picked up in her recent yoga retreat.
  • Seeing a text come across my phone early in the morning saying, “Pulled a Kreiling and went hiking before the sun was up this morning, just me and the dog!”
  • Stepping on the scale and seeing more progress than expected.
  • Shoveling snow with Becky while listening to great music, getting lost in the fresh air, movement, and tunes.
  • Growing through a challenging situation.
  • Getting to the grocery store on a Saturday only to find it relatively empty.
  • Sticking to my guns with my weekly goals and preventing temptation.
  • Seeing a video of Gavin setting his new bench press PR and hearing about how much fun he had with his teammates.
  • Hearing about Dominic’s rugby scrimmage and hearing the excitement in his texts.
  • So much outside time snowshoeing with Becky! More on that below.
  • Making progress on my checklist for the weekend and prepping my meals for next week.
  • Trading awesome texts with good friends.
  • Playing cards with Becky and Gavin after dinner, laughing, and joking, enjoying our time together.
  • Taking way more time than expected writing this blog, reflecting on the day, learning and growing.

All in all, it’s been a pretty awesome day, one made better as a result of taking time to type my blog.

Presence:

There was enough snow for snowshoeing today and we took full advantage of it! We headed out to Great River Bluffs State Park and spent time snowshoeing through fresh and untrodden snow. The fresh air, the untouched snow, and the un-hiked trails all led to an incredibly invigorating experience. Such a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Thanks!!!