Tag: gratitude

Thankful for Awareness and Action, a +2 Day Thanks to So Many, & Lost in Flow

Day 3,425

Growth:

All great transformations in life start with a very simple step, the awareness of a gap between who we are and who we could be.

If we don’t have awareness we don’t realize how badly we could use the change. We are don’t know that there’s a gap, a place to grow into. This can be such a frustrating moment, unhappy and not seeing a better path forward. We can even begin to feel helpless, constantly fighting against the tide.

Once we have the moment of awareness we can move forward, but can also feel so daunting or impossible. The gap may be significantly larger than we’d thought, possibly on the border of impossible. In its own way, this can be almost more demoralizing than not having awareness as it seems profoundly difficult to grasp.

Once we have the moment of awareness, once we can see across the chasm of where we are versus where we are we should be, we need to put our heads down and focus only on the single footstep ahead. See that spot twelve inches in front of us, will our foot to lift, our leg to move forward, and the foot comes down. One small step, but the greatest step after awareness – the first step! Celebrate it!!! We’ve made our trip across the gap a little shorter AND now we know we have the strength to take a step.

Now take another step, then another. Slow but steady progress, gaining momentum. You’ve got this. After s dozen or so steps look up to make sure you’re still headed the right way, and then head back down and focus on the twelve inches in front of you. In seemingly no time you will make significant progress.

All that progress, all started with a moment of awareness, all started with one tiny and small step.

Over the past 3,424 days I’ve taken tiny steps daily, pausing to reflect on what I appreciate. Each day is one tiny step forward, motion towards closing the gap.

Today I had a conversation with a friend that reminded me to pause and appreciate the momentum I’ve built over the past nine plus years. As I reflect on the journey my mind is blown. This all started with the awareness that I was not happy, in so many ways I felt empty, like a fraud, unsatisfied, always in pursuit of more. I was not in a good place mentally and emotionally. Awareness came first, the awareness of unhappiness and a gigantic gap on the other side of which was full of joy. I wanted to cross. It seemed impossible, but I took one step. And the another. And then more which led to today. The gap is still there, but I’ve made progress.

Awareness, action. One small step at a time leads to profound growth over years.

Appreciation:

Sometimes I get so frustrated I just want to quit. When I get in those funks they can be difficult to get out of. What I’ve found interesting recently is that every time I have felt this way recently I find that the reason for the frustration is something well under my control, something I have the ability to change. I just have pause, breathe, zoom out, look at the situation from afar, have awareness, give myself grace to be frustrated, and then change it.

Today there were several moments in which I saw clearly I was in a perfect position to live into my purpose, to live towards the goal which brings me the most joy and fulfillment, which almost can’t help but pull me across the gap to where I should be.

To all those who brought me a smile, warmed my soul, reminded me of purpose, and helped in so many ways to get out of my own way while simultaneously helping to guide me back to the right path – thank you. Today was a beautiful day, a +2 day, thanks to you!

Presence:

This morning I had a tight deadline for a client. It would be just enough time, but not so much I could take my time. As luck would have it Dominic happened to send a text “Some great hype up songs for your day!” His timing was impeccable. I closed my door, put in my noise canceling AirPods, and proceeded to “massage” my ear drums with wave after wave of excellent music. My field of vision narrowed to only the project and I truly crushed it. With only fifteen minutes to spare I took out the AirPods, inhaled deeply and let it roll in my chest, and turn exhaled slowly as I punched the Send button.

An hour or two of being in a total state flow, consumed by the task at hand without distraction. Glorious!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Atomic Progress, Gratitude Themes Spanning a Decade, & a Gripping Story

Day 3,402

Growth:

While I’ve been tracking many things to start the year I am far from putting up a perfect score for a week, let alone a single day. What’s been most important to me is the pausing to be aware of my thoughts, my emotions, my actions, and my mindset. While there’s a very long way to go I’m seeing the little bits of progress like walking by the Butterfingers bars in the candy dish over half a dozen times rather than grabbing one or two every other trip by. That alone is not going to get me to the fitness standards I want to get to for my backpacking trips, but it certainly helps a little bit each time. Small changes that will all keep adding up over time with daily tracking to keep each action at the top of mind. Even when I fail I’m able to learn from the mistake and figure out a different plan for next time.

Appreciation:

I often mentioned the benefits of writing a blog post each day. The unintentional tracking of life, events, adventures, trials, triumphs, and everything in between has become a wonderful tool for reflection and growth. Sometimes I pull up a random post and read the posts that follow, so many memories are quickly rekindled. This has become a gift to myself, the bread crumbs my mind will need to bring back memories when I want to savor them.

Additionally, there’s another interesting benefit when I couple them with an AI tool, ChatGPT. I had ChatGPT review my blog posts, scour them for their content, and then asked a simply task: Review each calendar year of posts and write a tagline / theme for each year based on what I blogged about. The results were uncanny and certainly thought provoking! Not perfect, but interesting to see what a completely unbiased outside observer thought of my posts 🙂

2015: “Embarking on a Journey: The First Steps into Daily Gratitude.”

2016: “Building Foundations: Establishing a Habit, Discovering Joy.”

2017: “Trials and Triumphs: Choosing Gratitude Amidst Life’s Tests.” – This was the year I lost Dad

2018: “Deepening the Practice: Unveiling Layers of Thankfulness.”

2019: “Embracing the Everyday: Finding Beauty in the Mundane.”

2020: “Resilience in Reflection: Gratitude During Global Uncertainty.”

2021: “Renewal and Growth: Gratitude Fuels Personal Evolution.”

2022: “Strengthening Connections: Thankfulness in Relationships.”

2023: “Mindful Moments: Savoring the Present Through Gratitude.”

2024: “Less is More: Appreciating Simplicity and Presence.”

2025: “A Decade of Thanks: Reflecting on Ten Years of Gratitude.”

Presence:

One of the books I’m currently reading, The Humans by Matt Haig has totally wrapped me up in itself. Time seems to fly by as I get completely lost in the story. I find myself laughing out loud at the humor, having my emotions deeply moved by certain themes, and have to stop for a moment to soak in the concepts just shared. So much fun getting completely enthralled in great stories!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Choice We Always Have to Make

Day 3,372

We always have a choice to make.

We cannot choose the challenges we will face. We cannot choose which surprises we want and don’t want. We cannot choose how others react. These are all out of our control.

Yet, we always have a choice to make.

We can choose how we will respond. We can choose where we put our focus. We can choose our attitude, our mindset, and our reaction. We can choose to live into our values, to live towards our purpose. We can choose positivity. We can choose growth. We can choose appreciation. We can choose to be present – especially when it is difficult. We can choose to face the brutal facts and we can choose how to work through them. We always have the ability to choose these.

We always have a choice to make.

Today I had the opportunity to work through a handful of almost consecutive challenges which I would not have chosen. But I chose to focus on what was important. I chose positivity. I chose growth. I chose to live my values and grow closer to my purpose.

We always have a choice to make. Choose wisely.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Consider Before Committing, Stillness Creating Space, & a Moment on Film

Day 3,360

Growth:

Think through the entire project before committing too much time to any specific solution. Today’s projects included getting our WiFi router moved to a better location and I wasted more time than I care to admit on something which was quickly negated by the electrical outlet being on a switch rather than always being on. Lesson learned, think through and test it all first, then commit resources to it.

Appreciation:

Two different yet similar moments today which blended.

First was a walk Becky and I took in the woods this morning, a peaceful moment of completely stillness enjoying being outside. This moment was captured so well in this pic, there was almost no movement in the water, just a mirror reflecting nature and the heavens.

Second was an instrumental piece at church which was so hauntingly beautiful it almost brought me to tears. Closing my eyes I could feel the entire Universe wrap around me with love like a warm blanket on a cold day. It was so powerful and soul warming.

Two very different moments of stillness, two moments in which I could feel so close to God. In those moments of quiet stillness our heart is free to hear everything so much more clearly.

Presence:

Gotta love the unexpected moments caught on video. Today we were cutting down our Christmas tree and I wanted a quick selfie of Becky and I. We just happened to catch this gem!

After sawing most of the way through the tree Gavin decided to put his football skills to work 😂

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Less, but More

Day 3,355

Going in a slightly different direction today, had a big thing in my head throughout much of day that is calling to be unleashed. The idea of having less, but more.

One of the reasons I love traveling to other countries is to experience the differences in cultures. Almost universally it seems that other countries seem to have less, but more at the same time.

Iceland is possibly the best at showing me a very realistic step or two back from where I currently am. Backpacking does an impeccable job of reminding me how little I actually need, but it is so transcendent from where I currently am that it seems sustainable in only short-ish doses. Iceland splits the distance between where I normally live and where I could be backpacking and inspires a sustainable lifestyle adjustment.

Take the Icelandic grocery stores as an insight. There are only a small handful of cereals to choose from. The soda / soft drink section contains less than a dozen options. The entire store is so much smaller than in the US.

The homes we’ve been renting are rather simple. This last of the four was one of only two with a television. There isn’t much variety of anything, all four have had a mix of the same furniture, silverware, and whatnot. Not just similar, but exactly the same. All the homes have been very small, yet they have everything we need.

For sure, this is definitely a first world realization, there are so many who don’t have what they need. Many would be ecstatic for what I’ve experienced here. What’s interesting is that I feel as if I would be too, but for very different reasons.

How much more simple would life be with less? How much emotional energy and thought is wasted on decisions over which things we need? How much happier would I be with less? How much more grateful would I be for what I have rather than catching myself wanting more and feeling miserable as a result?

We really need very little to live a joyful life. My visit has really helped me see more clearly how easy it would be to have less – less choices, less stuff, less options. For sure, certainly not less freedom, rather the willpower to remind myself much less I need.

As I look ahead to my annual personal planning I am seeing I may have found a very fitting and appropriate theme for myself in 2025, one inspired by my trip to Iceland.

Less, but more.

Less stuff, less unnecessary stress, less running in different directions, less goals, less…. but more. More life, more of what is important, more joy, more gratitude, and more fulfillment.

Less, but more.

Takk!!!

Thankful for a Moment of Kindness Generating a Cascade of Growth

Day 3,329

Over the past couple of years I’ve worked towards splitting my blog into three parts – Growth, Appreciation, and Presence – an homage of sorts to one of my first mentors who goes out of her way to find one thing that is beautiful each day. When I first learned of her practice it helped me see that I would benefit from finding one way I grew one thing I appreciated, and one moment of true presence each day. This practice has increased my awareness of those three categories more than expected and has led to growth through introspection.

That said, when I started blogging daily almost ten years ago I focused on one specific thing I was thankful for each day and I went deeper into that singular topic. Occasionally I had “list days” in which I had to go through an entire list of what I was grateful for as there seemed to be blessing after blessing after blessing. For sure, they weren’t all initially seen as “blessings,” some were very challenging moments in which I was able to grow, but they were moments that shaped and molded me, hence I was grateful for them even though they hurt. As another of my mentors once said, “‘Joy’ isn’t the same as happiness, and it is often the opposite of comfort.”

Lately I’ve been a fan of breaking the blog into smaller bite sized pieces as it provides the opportunity to not go too deep into too many categories, especially the ones I need to write about but don’t want to go deep into because they hurt. What’s interesting is that it is in exactly those moments in which I need to go a little deeper and work through my thoughts and emotions. In processing all of life, the blessings and the frustrations and the sufferings, gratitude helps transform all the experiences into growth. It is in that vein that I am opting to go “old school” tonight and dive a little deeper.

Whew – and that was all just the intro! 😉

Today has been a difficult day, one filled with emotion, one in which I can’t help but pause, take a step back, and feel incredibly discouraged. Due to compounding of mistakes and missteps there are challenges I need to face in business and they have a large impact. By the end of the work day I was feeling drained and questioning my ability to live into the purpose I feel called to live into, to brighten lives through shared experiences. In short, I was feeling like a failure. There were bright spots throughout the day to be sure, but the biggest challenge just kept pulling me down and it seemed to be the only place I could focus my attention. I felt defeated.

As I tried to put it behind me for the night and spend time focused on my family and being home I kept drifting back to that challenge. I could feel the weight of it on my shoulders and my soul.

Out of the blue I received a phone call from someone I had not spoken with in over four years. They were reaching out to ask me to be a reference for them as they considered a path towards a dream they want to live into. As we spoke they shared the positive impact I’d had on their life at a pivotal time. The thoughts and appreciation I shared for them helped them out with providing the right message at the right time and they are still grateful for that interaction. My eyes were watering up as they shared the positive impact I’d had. In a sentence, they shared that I had lived into my purpose – to brighten lives through shared experiences.

What a dichotomy! In one case I was feeling as if I was failing at my purpose, yet in the other I’d lived into it without intention. Two distinct moments of the day, both overshadowing all the rest, both focused on purpose, and yet both going in polar opposite directions.

As I spend time reflecting on today and both of those interactions I can’t help but remember a handful of nuggets of wisdom others have taught:

  • The question we should be asking ourselves isn’t “What should I do?” rather, it should be “How can I be useful?” In that question we find the direction we should really pursue.
  • Each day we should ask ourselves, “How have we impacted the lives of others?” This question will also help us see the positive, but it can also cut deeply and help us learn from our mistakes. Asking myself this question has led to tremendous insight into whether or not I’m living into the best version of me.
  • Never underestimate the power of small gestures. This was advice I’ve learned from many others, but Jim Collins summarized so concisely. Don’t hesitate to reach out and share what a positive impact someone has made on you – you never know when that is exactly what they needed at the right time. The conversation this evening was an exquisite balance of sharing my gratitude four years ago when the other person needed it and their sharing of their gratitude exactly when I needed it. The Universe dances so beautifully and moves us all exactly where we need to be if we allow it to. Never hesitate to share our gratitude or kind words, those small gestures may have an enormous positive impact on the other person and cause a ripple of positivity which will grow and grow.
  • Control what you can control. This was what started the conversation with my friend and I a handful of years ago and I chuckled as I re-read what I wrote for them back then. Little did I know how much the world would change and how much difficulty and challenge that phrase would get me through. Even tonight I can’t help but be reminded of how much this is a guiding light in my life – when I remember to seek the advice out for myself.

As I finally wrap this all up I can’t help but smile. My challenge still lies in front of me, but I feel more bolstered to figure it out while also remembering that there are ways to live into my purpose while doing so. I’m reminded of, and grateful for, the small gestures which help us see the world more clearly when we’ve let it get hazy. The clarity provided this evening was truly stunning and moving. If it were my story to share I would get into more detail, but that is for them. At least I can share that their motivation, selflessness, gratitude, passion, and integrity are inspiring to me, in many ways they have had a very positive impact on me.

To my friend – thank you for the incredibly positive impact you’ve had on me today. The writing of my blog was cathartic, and inspired by you. Thank you for reminding me that one misstep doesn’t define us, we have the opportunity to live into our purpose daily, and inspiring me to live into my dreams – especially when it isn’t easy.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Journaling, Unexpected Family Time, & the Storm Front

Day 3,196

Growth:

Today was a wonderful reminder of the power of journaling. My blog post from four years ago popped up and flooded me with so many memories. Had I not taken the time to write my thoughts down I would have likely forgotten a day like this.

“Gratitude leads to abundance. Abundance leads to giving. Giving leads to joy.”

Mike Kreiling, July 4, 2020

What a different world it was only four years ago! This was quite the time capsule to open today: https://thankful4forty.com/2020/07/05/day-1376-thankful-for-seeing-more-correlations-to-gratitude-and-abundance-mindsets-and-returning-to-church/

Appreciation:

Becky and I were expecting to have a quiet house to the two of us after our hike this morning. As luck would have it we had both boys and their girlfriends for the majority of the day and evening! So many games and laughs, dinner as a family – all completely unexpected and greatly appreciated! Times like these are always moments I am grateful for.

Presence:

During our hike we reached a very scenic viewpoint just before the storm and rain rolled in. As I recorded the video below the wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and everything in the air seemed to shift as if there was an immense inhale. What a moment! Nothing quite like the moment the front rolls in.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Reminder to Bring Others In, a Belated Father’s Day Gift, & Beyond the Pines

Thankful for a Reminder to Bring Others In, a Belated Father’s Day Gift, & Beyond the Pines

Day 3,183

Growth:

This afternoon I had an awesomely in depth conversation with my friend, Brian, on the topics of leadership and life. Initially he had reached out with a question, but I quickly found he was helping me find answers to questions and feelings I’ve had over the past year. What was especially insightful to me was his willingness to open up and share so much, he just shared where he was at. His openness was truly inspiring. As I reflect on the conversation I can’t help but realize he summed up my awe in a follow up text.

Life feels different when you bring others in!

Brian B

How often do I carry the burden myself rather than sharing it? When am I too nervous about how others may view me to share how I am really doing and thinking? Why do I sometimes struggle to ask for help when I am in need of it? One would think I would know better by age 47, heck, I even wrote about this very topic in my book about losing Dad!

Today I’m very grateful for the reminder to open up, to share my heart openly, and to bring others in. We all have so much in common and we can all help lighten each other’s loads. Thank you for a conversation I needed more than I imagined today Brian!

Appreciation:

Due to our vacation my sons held back on giving me a Father’s Day gift until this evening. There is no question it was well worth the wait! Not gonna lie, there may have been a little bit of awesome leaking out of my eyes as I took it in and read the quote they added.

It was a map of the world, complete with pins of all the places I’ve been – and color coded based on who was with on the trip. In the bottom left corner was one of my all time favorite quotes by Jim Valvano, one I used in my blog the Father’s Day less than a week after Dad passed away.

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

Jim Valvano

Throw in some very heartfelt and handcrafted Father’s Day cards from the boys and I was definitely feeling the love. Between the boys and Becky it was quite the way to lead into the weekend!

In addition to the initial fun of the gift we all got an epic bonus present… time to dream as a family as we looked at all the spaces without pins and started dreaming up some additional crazy ideas and plans for the future. Just a hunch, but I’d bet on a trip to a little place called Mount Kilimanjaro at some point in the not too distant future 😉

Thank you Becky and the boys for making me extra loved for a belated Father’s Day, I’m beyond blessed to ahve you each in my life!!!

Presence:

There’s a moment, maybe better put as a series of moments, from our time in Sequoia National Park which has been with me often in the past week. As we walked the trail amongst the massive sequoias I wandered in awe of the enormity of the titans towering over me. My mind and soul struggled to comprehend all they had experienced in the two to three THOUSAND years of life on earth.

While walking among them one of my favorite songs came to mind and played on repeat. Beyond the Pines by Thrice is a song I’ve blogged about a little over a year ago (you can check out the post here or the lyric video of the song here).

The lyrics which have resonated the most are these:

Somewhere down the road is a place that we can go where everyone
And everything is divine
And when we’re all awake, we can finally make and end of these
Divisions in our minds

Far beyond those walls, gleaming black and white
Further than our false schemes of wrong and right
Is a field where we can walk
Leaving all our names behind

I will meet you there, beyond the pines

Thrice, Beyond the Pines

The feeling of hiking in the giant sequoias felt like I was walking in heaven, in paradise. There was zero stress or need or frustration, only awe and peace and gratitude and joy and love. How much more joyful and full of love would our world be if we all took time to go “beyond the pines” once in a while? To pause, breathe in the fresh pine scented air, feel the cool breeze on our face, and look in awe at the wondrous gifts the world has been given?

This is the specific tree I would like to have some of my ashes scattered at when my time is complete, it is marked in my Garmin Earthmate GPS as “Perfect Seq-MK ash” It was the most perfect and beautiful sequoia I saw on our trip to Sequoia National Park, and it was just far enough off the busiest paths to have the eternal quiet I would liek to enjoy.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Looking Backward for Growth, Racing the Storm, & Lightning on Demand 😉

Day 3,165

Growth:

Look backwards for forward growth rather than for what might have been. One enriches, the other devours joy.

Appreciation:

Nothing like running in the rain and then racing a thunderstorm! What an awesome start to my day!

For real, the sensation of voluntarily running in a relatively warm rain is sublime. To have the addition of pre-storm electricity in the air made it all the more intensely satisfying. By the end I didn’t even mind losing to the storm and being swallowed by the rain, it was beautiful and my heart was full of joy.

Presence:

The moment the lightning struck almost on cue! Wowza!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Surreal Moment in Parfrey’s Glen

Full disclosure, my mental diet has been loaded with possibly too much Neil Gaiman reflections, stories, and ideas as of late – if there is such a thing.

Have you ever met a person who at some deep visceral level you could tell that they were more than a person?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do a little bit of trail running in between Gavin’s races and I found this beautiful rocky valley just a short drive away.

As I ran into the valley, I just had to pause and take it all in. Surrounded by beautiful rock walls that had been carved out by thousands and thousands of years of water slowly cutting through the rock from the glacial activity, I was completely alone.

There were roots holding trees up at impossible angles right on edges of the cliffs where no tree should be able to exist. And yet there they all were.

When I hit the end of the trail I just paused and soaked it all in, and savored a moment by the little waterfall. I stood on a couple of the big rocks right in the middle of the canyon and just took it all in with each of my senses.

As I was walking back, I encountered someone who just seemed to be more than just a someone. In so many ways, they seemed to be the incarnation of that area that I was in. They seemed to have been carved out of the surrounding environment, their eyes the same dark brown as the surrounding rock walls, their hair blowing in the valley breeze as if one with the shadows created by the swaying leaves.

They had said they’d been here many times before, it’s one of their favorite places on earth. Their face lights up as they say this as the sun shines on the rocks over their shoulder.

There was this sly smile on their face, a smile that was so knowing, almost as if to say, “I’m going to tell you about these other places to go, these other trails here, but I’m not going to tell you about all of them because you have to find and experience them yourself, you have to come back.”

And there was just something about them that was just so similar to the enchanting landscape surrounding me. Even the surreally intricate tattoo of a feather on their right forearm seemed to have been plucked off the floor of the valley after having recently dropped by an eagle soaring by. It was incredibly intense and yet the edges of memory are already starting to slightly fray as a dream does throughout the morning.

I don’t know a better way to explain it other than I met someone, someone who was more than someone. They were of the valley.

Thanks!!!