Tag: life

Thankful for Pausing to Remember My Faults, The Stockdale Paradox, & a Moment of Awareness

Day 4,047

Whew – this was a day for sure. Nonstop from the alarm through getting home. Similar to last night, I’m not quite sure where this one is going to end up, should be interesting!

Growth:

We all have our challenges. Our frustrations. Our setbacks. Our fears. Our backstories. None of us has ever experienced the exact same things as another person. Throughout history there have been approximately 117 BILLION people, not a one has ever had the exact same experiences as another.

While we experience the world through our one life, we understand the world through those experiences. We frame the actions of others through our past experiences and assume the intent, yet we get frustrate when others don’t assume our intent correctly.

How do I remind myself to consider the other person’s unique experiences? How do I remember to be kind to everyone when I don’t understand their perspective? Rather than frustration how do I choose to pause, acknowledge my complete ignorance of their personal story, and listen and love? So easy for me to get frustrated, or to assume, or to paint an incomplete / incorrect picture. Pause and choose love and kindness, those will always be the right answers.

Appreciation:

Over the past week or so the concept of the Stockdale Paradox has come up well over a half dozen times in a variety of situations. When Jim Collins studied Admiral Stockdale he realized Stockdale had a very interesting insight from his time in the POW camps of Viet Nam. Stockdale said you always had to confront the brutal facts while simultaneously maintaining unwavering faith that everything will work out in the end.

This balance of accepting reality and optimism in the long run is a difficult act to be sure. Personally, I find that I’m more likely to lean more one way than the other based on the situation. I can vacillate between the two, sometimes quickly, but I find it tough to maintain the balance of the two.

What I’m grateful for today is this concept as a diagnostic tool. Seeing it as a highway I can remember to pause and see which lane I’m in, hopefully using the rumble strips to quickly wake me up and bring me back to center. It’s been especially helpful over the past week!

Presence:

The moment in a storm when someone gains awareness, seeing the why behind the action, changing their mindset in a clear way, realizing how they should re-frame a situation as a result of walking a mile in the other’s shoes, suddenly sighting a way to live more into the person they are meant to be. A moment of grace, a moment of presence, all of the feels.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Uncharted Territory, the Secret, & an Outdoor Morning Moving Meditation

Thankful for Uncharted Territory, the Secret, & an Outdoor Morning Moving Meditation

Day 4,046

Growth:

One of my favorite authors once shared that the reason they write what they do is to figure out how they feel about a certain thing. As I was starting to think about my blog today I was almost giddy as I had an idea or two, but I really didn’t know where this post was going to take me. Then it hit me, that’s one of the reasons I appreciate this practice so much – I never know where it’s going to go and I likely wouldn’t have gotten there without taking time to write and think it through.

This practice, more than eleven years in, and it’s still surprising me with the reasons why I appreciate it so! Here’s to all of the uncharted territory I worked my way into without intent over the past decade and change!

Appreciation:

After spending a few hours working on my passion project today my mind kept pulling back to this quote:


The awful truth would begin to dawn on him: there was no Secret! His days would have to be spent in exactly this manner, give or take a mile or two, for longer than he cared to think about, if he really wanted to see the olive wreath up close. It would simply be the most difficult, heartrending process he would endure in the course of his life. At that point most of them would drift away.

John L. Parker, Once a Runner

How many of us spend so much time trying to find a shortcut, a way to make something difficult easy? I can’t even begin to express how much of my life energy has been spent in this simple pursuit of the quick way. In some ways it’s incredibly humbling, but I also fear it is also incredibly human.

When I read the quote above I picture the imagery from the book, Once a Runner, in which the focus is on putting in a ton of miles of running… day after day after day… as the way to getting to the goal. Everyone wants the shortcut, but once they learn the awful truth that “the secret” is nothing more than putting in the reps over and over and over and over, they lose heart and quit.

Interestingly enough, when we somehow find a way to keep grinding, to keep putting in the reps, we might eventually find just how much of an impact that repeating action made. Case in point, this daily blog has averaged about 320 words per day. Those 320 words per day have somehow accumulated to almost 1.3 MILLION words over the past eleven years! How wild is that? They just keep adding up, piece by piece by piece.

As I keep working on my next project, Life Topography (more coming very soon now) also has a longer term underlying structure beneath it. What started almost twenty years ago as a way for me to remember what was important to me in life has slowly grown. Over the past five years it’s become a core of who I am and has generated more and more of the daily grind / slow burn habits that have helped me grow towards more and more of my dreams recently. Those habits include reviewing my annual map each morning before I get out of bed as well as daily scorecard to review my day as I lay in bed before going to sleep. Small and simple steps, but unceasing, relentless.

I love creating and inventing things. I really enjoy the process of shaping something from the aether that has never existed or re-shaping an existing process to improve it. While that is fun, that is novel, and that is entertaining, some of the largest gains come from the simple act of doing the same thing over and over and over and over until we really start to see the core of the thing… and that’s just the start! Then we have to keep doing it over and over and over, maintaining the relentless trial of miles and miles of trials. Eventually, the magic happens and we didn’t even notice that it had been building while we were continuing to grind.

There’s a true magic in maintaining, in gritting something out, in being relentless. There’s a joy to be found in the process of putting in the reps, and more joy as we grow into what the reps build us into.

Presence:

I had a crazy idea for Becky and I this morning, I’m so glad she was game for it! We woke up early, drove out to the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge and proceeded to have a five mile jogging nature / bird watching / outdoor moving meditation. So much beauty and wonder to be found there this morning! We saw a good size buck burst out of the woods and run away from us. There were giant groups of pelicans preening and fishing. A flock of cormorants joined another flock and another flock and all flew in the direction of warmer horizons. Becky noticed something flying in the woods and pointed it out. Next thing we knew we were staring at a Barred Owl who seemed to be having just as much fun watching us! So many birds and birdsong throughout. We’d jog for a while, stop to take in the view, and then get moving again with no goal of a distance or a time, only to be present in nature together. These are the moments in which I am so grateful for Becky in my life!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Trial of Miles and Three Photos

Thankful for the Trial of Miles and Three Photos

Day 4,043

Growth:

I know, I just wrote about my reading list last night, but it really stuck with me again today! As I started to re-re-read Once a Runner by John L. Parker the reasons I added this book to the list came roaring back almost immediately. The entire story is built on the main character, Quenton Cassidy, and his nonstop grit that powers him towards his dream. Throughout the book one can’t help but get motivated and want to get out on a run, letting the legs fly, and enjoying every moment of it.

More importantly, there is the nonstop drive, the resilience, the grit that keeps showing over and over and over again. The quote below is one instance of that lesson driven home.


The only true way is to marshal the ferocity of your ambition over the course of many days, weeks, months, and (if you could finally come to accept it) years. The Trial of Miles; Miles of Trials.

Once a Runner, John L. Parker

The story itself is fantastic, a little out there, a bit obvious, but pulls me in tight through each reading. Definitely a sweatshirt book if I’ve ever read one! Three times this year will be enough for this one, but it will be back again in 2027 for sure.

Appreciation & Presence:

Last night as I was prepping for bed I stumbled across these two photos:

Two photos of our boys on our 2018 family trip to Isle Royale National Park with a pit stop at Split rock Lighthouse north of Duluth. Both pics show them taking in the moment: stillness and absorption in wonder in one, active and enjoying the world around them in the other. In both they are looking ahead, seeing the world, exploring the life that lay ahead of them.

In front of them the landscape looks timeless and vast, never-ending even as it disappears into the horizon, but these photos remind us of how fleeting those moments were. At the time we were out exploring, hiking, laughing, and creating memories together. None of us realized just how quickly those moments would fly by.

Becky and I wanted to take them to places out in nature and outdoors so they would grow up knowing that there is so much wonder to be found in the world, so much life to explore, and that those moments are made all the better when shared with loved ones.

Here we are eight years later and they’ve both moved out and are off to college. They’ve each started making their own paths in the world, and we couldn’t be more proud of the young men they have grown into.

As I look back so fondly on these photos I realize the moments they hold are like insects suspended in amber, memories preserved forever. The nature and views are majestic and full of wonder, but what I love the most are the reminders of all of those moments we shared together as a family, the experiences side by side.

There are times I wish I could go back in time and sit on the bench beside them, looking out over the seeming infinity of Lake Superior together. I wish I could pick up rocks on the shoreline and skip them across the lake together. Those moments have passed, but I’m grateful for being present in each of them them while it was happening.

All of this was going through my head as I lay in bed looking at those two photos last night, happy tears streaming down my face. I was so moved by the memories, so appreciative of the chance to have created them.

Then I had another thought. I paused, swallowed hard, and pulled up one more photo, and then the tears flowed more…

I just stared at Dad’s face, the smile on it as he created a love-filled memory with his son, while his son created a love-filled memory with his sons.

As I stared at that picture of us in the treehouse we had just built together, I wept. That treehouse, those trips, raising those boys: none of it happened in a single day. It was our own Trial of Miles, built moment by moment over years that went by far too fast. And Dad walked those miles with me long before I walked them with my boys. What he gave me in that treehouse, I tried to give them on the shores of Lake Superior.

Now I can’t wait for all the adventures Becky and I still have ahead with our boys, all the moments we have yet to share.

My heart is so full of joy, gratitude, and love that it feels about to burst. I’ve been so blessed to have shared so many moments with those I love, and I am grateful for each of them.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for My 2026 Reading Goal, Choosing My Mindset, & Engaging Conversations

Day 4,042

Growth:

One of my Start Doing’s for 2026 was to read, re-read, and then re-re-read 25 specific books. Each was selected for a specific reason, largely focused on values I wanted to live into more this year, concepts I wanted fresh in my brain, and stories that have always struck me as interesting on a deeper than surface level. With a little over two months to go I’m on track and only have 10 reads to go, 65 already under my belt.

I’ve learned so many things through this process. There are books I’d like to read more than three times due to how engaging they are. There are also books that I’m going to set aside and not pick back up for at least a year or two. Throughout each I’ve caught myself seeing deeper insights, hearing slightly different themes, and changing my behavior and thoughts as a result. It’s been a positive result for sure!

I miss reading so many different titles, I’ve only read 14 outside of the 25 core curriculum of 2026, but I’ll get back to that next year. This year this level of focus was exactly what my mind needed to help hardwire some of these concepts into my brain. Here’s to the home stretch of 2026 AND to the new books of 2027.

Appreciation:

This was a day! Many reasons for that statement, some positive, some scary, some exciting, some frustrating. As Jim Valvano once said, “if you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day!” In one single sixty minute stretch each of those was knocked off the list! During the entirety of the day there were definitely some repeats of all of them.

What’s interesting is that I could find myself looking only at the positive and trying to forget about the frustrating, keeping an overly optimistic view of all of it, but I’d be getting it wrong.

I could find myself looking only at the negative and getting so frustrated and agitated as I forgot about the positive, keeping an overly negative view of all of it, but I’d be getting it wrong.

As luck would have it, my current book is The Book of Joy in which the Dalai Lama and Bishop Tutu share so much wisdom about framing moments and putting the focus on where it should be. They had a positive impact on me today and helped me choose what feels to be the more correct path.

All of the things today happened. They were each individually good or bad, they were. Each of those moments offered an opportunity to learn, to feel, and to experience life. Each moment gave me an opportunity to be grateful – I was alive for each of those moments, I was able to experience each of those moments. So many of them were out of my control. In most I was grateful for the opportunity to see that I can live my core values and into my purpose in good times and in difficulty. In some I was able to more clearly see the gap between who I am and who I be living into, I was shown an opportunity to grow. Each of those moments was a gift.

Each moment, not good, not bad, always a gift. An opportunity for growth. My mind and soul, both at peace.

Presence:

Today had several conversations that involved some hard core presence. In each there was no room for anything but being right in the moment – to follow along, to dig deeper into a difficult topic, to be sure I was hearing what the person was saying. There were some with high emotions, some more cerebral and logical, and others focused on new ideas and growth.

The consistent detail was keeping the focus on the conversation I was having the with the individual – hearing them, considering their message, and responding accordingly.

Very grateful for each of those conversations today, they were so engaging that they inspired me to work harder on being that engaged in other conversations.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Books x 4, a Day of Connections, & Calmness in Motion

Day 4,035

Growth:

Some books stick with us longer than others, and sometimes for reasons we don’t quite understand. What I’m learning is that when I find one of those books the best thing I can do is pick it up and read it again and again. As I keep diving in I’m able to see what my brain didn’t quite connect the first time, I can see all the details I missed the first time. In the third round I’m feeling more and more of the themes and connections, seeing the book from the wider perspective. By the fourth time I’m able to start combining the themes with my life experiences to see why the connection felt so strong. Four different readings, all of the same book, four levels of understanding.

Appreciation:

So much connection today from so many sources. Running with Becky. Morning conversation with Natalie in the office. Team stats review to celebrate where we’ve grown. Text messages of celebration. Face to face meetings to plan for an upcoming meeting. A lunch conversation with a WSU student to help her in her career search. Another face to face meeting with a client we’ve worked with for a long time to work through a challenging change. Phone conversations to coach and guide. Emails to help others understand and see. Chilling on the couch with Becky for a few moments at home. Dinner with friends hearing stories of their outdoor adventures and shooting the bull. Watching the Brewers game while texting Nick and my boys.

Around every moment today there was a connection waiting to be made, each a gift of sharing the present with someone.

Presence:

Our morning run today was outstanding! It didn’t necessarily feel the best, but we were both awake, talking, and enjoying time outside with the dog while the rest of the world slept. Those quiet mornings are amongst my favorite times, calmness in motion, connection without distraction. Throw in a random animal on the road (thinking it was fox, but it was dark and difficult to see) for good measure and life was pretty epic in that run! No deadlines, no stress, only chill!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Choice, Dream List Surprises, & Missing My Pup

Day 4,034

Growth:

Reading Man’s Search for Meaning will be an annual read for me for as long as I am alive. The story and wisdom remains the same, the reader and their experiences are always new. I cannot imagine a time in which this book will not hold meaningful thoughts to consider. Throughout is a reminder of the importance of surrender, love, compassion, acceptance, grit, and stoicism.

The passage that hit home today was:


And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate.

Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

In every situation we have a choice to make, how we respond to the situations that life and the world throw at us. Sometimes we can choose what happens, but often not. We always can choose how we respond.

Appreciation:

This morning a thought struck me. One of the more interesting thoughts rolling through my head in the past month finally caught in the right place and flipped a switch. I dug into my dream list today and found that this crazy idea had already snuck into my list of 100+ dreams to accomplish as I was planning for 2025, and AGAIN when I re-built the list for planning for 2026!

How wild that somewhere this little seed was planted, lay dormant in the soil, growing little roots I never saw, only to bust out of the ground and blossom when I least expected it? Not only that, but it was actually the comment of someone asking if I’d ever considered this before as it would seem to be very much in my wheelhouse???

As I reviewed my most recent dream list after that realization I continued to be shocked. I’ve either made progress towards or actually already completed some of the dreams I didn’t even consciously work on! By just taking the time to put them on paper I must’ve given them just enough soil to grow while I kept living life and stayed focused in other directions.

Over and over again I am reminded of how grateful I am for having learned to create a dream list AND for learning to re-create it on an annual basis. Such a wonderful gift to give to my future self while feeding the soul of the present me.

Presence:

Fourteen years ago today we added a family member, Lulu, our pitbull mix rescue pup. She’s been gone for over three years now, but I am still very appreciative for the years we were blessed to have her.

As I came across the memory of adopting her today I had to pause and dry up my eyes a bit. Sometimes the best moments of presence come when we are able to pause and focus on the feelings brought on by past memories. The memory is past, the emotion is now. Missing my pup, grateful for all the memories made with her. Joy and sadness, all at once.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Remembering to Choose a Beginner’s Mindset

Day 4,028

So much to be learned in a beta test! What’s interesting is that I went into a full blown beta on one of the two projects I’ve been creating I knew that it wasn’t going to be perfect, I knew there was going to be a lot to learn. While the results were significantly better than expected on the first run the reality test showed many faults to work through… but they also shed a light on some incredible opportunities that I had totally underestimated or had completely missed! It was wild seeing how much more room for future growth there is while also seeing there is a much higher ceiling than expected as well.

My biggest realization after taking time to think on it today was this…

I created a product that I knew would not be anything close to perfect or to the finished project and I had zero fear of what happens if it failed. I didn’t dwell on what could go wrong, I didn’t worry about crumpling it up and throwing it aside if I just totally missed. I was playing to win, not playing not to lose, and I had a blast!

How do I keep that mindset in more places of my life in which I worry about getting it all perfect and having it completely dialed? How do I keep a positive mindset and enjoy the journey rather than just the finished product at the destination while also not worrying about what happens if it fails because even in failing the journey was successful?

It reminds me so much of when I started logrolling with the family at the YMCA many years ago. I am super competitive and expect a lot out of myself, failing often really frustrates me. When I was logrolling – even at my best – I was absolutely freaking terrible at it! There were only two positive things I was doing in the entire process – smiling and getting back up on the log after falling off. Over several training series I just pretty much just as terrible as I had been, but I was having a blast! While my performance was awful from the physical perspective I was having so much fun realizing that it was a perfect practice of presence – as soon as my mind wandered in the least I was toast (technically wet toast). Failure, over and over again, and I loved every moment of it.

Why was that scenario okay while in so many other cases I would have gotten frustrated and worked up? Why was I so calm and unconcerned about failure while working on this recent project while I often can get so frustrated on something I think I should know?

Is it a choice of a beginner’s mindset? I’m not sure. If so, how do I shift my perspective to remind myself that every situation is a learning moment, the me who is about to do the thing is not the same me that has done the same task before.

Definitely a great reminder I am thankful for today, one I’ll be keeping in mind for the next few days for sure.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Perspectives of Time, Combining Friends and Family, & a Day of Moments

Day 4,024

Growth:


“There are so many kinds of time. The time by which we measure our lives. Months and years. Or the big time, the time that raises mountains and makes stars. Or all the things that happen between one heartbeat and the next. It’s hard to live in all those kinds of time. Easy to forget that you live in all of them.”

Robert Chales Wilson, Spin

Throughout the “sweatshirt book” I talked about yesterday (Spin by Robert Charles Wilson) there are several themes interplaying all at once. Connections to people. The way we view life and meaning. The shifting of perspectives. One of my favorites is the the various sizes and weights of time in our lives.

The quote above really encapsulates the concept throughout the book so well. Wilson does a masterful job of shifting between each of those types of time in the story, helping us feel the conflict as we shift uncomfortably from one angle to the other.

What sat with me today was how often I can catch myself in one mode and completely miss another, forgetting that the others exist while I’m hyper focused in viewing time from one perspective. I’d love to find a way to help keep this quote in front of me with regularity help me remember to choose the appropriate frame of reference.

Appreciation:

Very grateful for the opportunity to spend time with my some of my best friends AND Dominic all at the same time today! It was a busy time, loading and unloading the UHaul for a couple of moves in the same day, but so much fun and laughter throughout. So often I’m used to spending time with either my friends OR my family, this was fantastic to blend the two together and enjoy the time. The jokes were all combined, there were a few times when someone was about to hold back and I assured them it was totally okay to let ‘er rip and we all ended up having a blast! I’m sure I’ll be a bit sore from the moving and lifting and whatnot, but that is such a small price to pay for the opportunity to create new memories while also sharing old ones together.

Presence:

Quiet time on a long early morning drive. Fun conversation with Dominic as I pick him up to help friends move. Spending time combining the laughs and jokes shared with my lifelong friends with the laughs and jokes shared with Dominic. Taking a quiet moment to create space to share a moment of emotion with a friend going through difficulty. Enjoying the excitement of friends as they move into new homes. Hearing about Gavin’s first rugby matches and all the fun he had via text messages (can’t wait to hear more about it tomorrow on our family FaceTime). Dinner with Becky on the deck with a relaxing walk afterwards. Taking time to jot down notes from books I’ve recently read. All these moments, so much joy!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Positivity, My Forties, & Ouimet Canyon

Day 4,018

Growth:

I’m so many ways this quote from Speaker for the Dead hits home today:

“No human being, when you understand his desires, is worthless. No one’s life is nothing. Even the most evil of men and women, if you understand their hearts, had some generous act that redeems them, at least a little, from their sins.”  Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead

Today I was reminded of how easy it is to look at the life of another in a binary fashion – they were good or they were bad – when we know our own lives are across the spectrum of those two ends of the spectrum.

Throughout my life I’ve made mistakes, but I’d like to think I’ve made a more positive impact.  That said, if someone was to focus only on my biggest mistakes they would likely be accurate in saying I am a terrible person – and I would not be able to disagree if that was the only point to argue.  I would find it very unfair and would be so frustrated – “but what about all the good I did???” – why don’t you focus on that???

And then I realize that is what I do when I judge others.  I focus on only one or two key things.  Who am I to judge when I have not been in their shoes?  When I have not been their ugh their life?  When I don’t know the positives they have done?  How dare I judge?  What if my judging of them was the only thing someone judged me by?

Mike – remember to pause, remember there is always so much more to another person.  Do not judge – listen, love, help, support.  How much better will my fifties be if I lived this lesson?

Appreciation:

The last day of my forties being spent doing another ridiculous hike with Becky, a return to Nanabosho atop the chest of Sleeping Giant.  While it may have been a little longer than expected it was about as perfect of a way as possible to wave goodbye to my forties as I move on to the next stage.  We were outside for hours and hours, spent time talking and enjoying each other’s company while knocking out the miles.  So many stories remembered, some new ideas and adventures planned.  

Crazy to think of all that has happened in the past decade, so many positives, a many challenges, a lot of learning, and so much time shared with loved ones.  This decade of life has been one of the best, even the most difficult times led to more love, intentionality, and joy.  The memories made in this ten year span alone were a lifetime’s worth, so grateful for each of them.

The memories made who kicked off the big Four Oh had no idea how much there was to learn in life, how deep love could be, how full one’s heart could be.  I can only imagine and look forward to the big Five Oh and all I’ll continue to learn and grow through.

To my forties, thank you for working through the discomfort, for finding the power of gratitude, for intentionally living into what was most important.  Thank you for all of your beautiful stumbles and mistakes, your painful life lessons, and all the other events that helped shape me into who I am today.  May my next decade do you honor by continuing that journey, by continued learning, and by better closing the gap between who I am – who you grew me into – and who I should be.

Presence:

Standing atop a 300+ foot vertical drop down a rock cliff, looking over 400 feet across at an equally sizable drop.  The Ouimet Canyon did not disappoint, the sight of it shut off all in my brain except the focus on its beauty.  The views towards the end of the valley, the views of the cliff walls, the rock formations defying gravity and standing vigil over the canyon floor.  Everything in that view grabbed my attention and left me completely captivated!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Changed by Mistakes, the People Who Make Home Home, & the Highway

Day 4,015

Growth:

Well, I’m thinking this might be a little more common over the next few days as I read more and more of The Speaker for the Dead. There is no question that it is one of my all time favorites as I discussed yesterday. So many nuggets of wisdom, so many themes that wind slowly throughout.

This was one of the quotes that really stuck out to me today, a quote about giving oneself grace. This theme is interwoven throughout the entire novel in so many ways with so many characters. We’ve all made mistakes, have regrets for actions we’ve taken and actions we didn’t take when we should have.

This quote reminds me that the me who made those mistakes is not the me who is realizing that the mistakes were made, to remember to focus on the me who is here now, who is different, who is changed, as a result.


A strange thing happened then. The Speaker agreed with her that she had made a mistake that night, and she knew when he said the words that it was true, that his judgment was correct. And yet she felt strangely healed, as if simply speaking her mistake were enough to purge some of the pain of it. For the first time, then, she caught a glimpse of what the power of speaking might be. It wasn’t a matter of confession, penance, and absolution, like the priests offered. It was something else entirely. Telling the story of who she was, and then realizing that she was no longer the same person. That she had made a mistake, and the mistake had changed her, and now she would not make the mistake again because she had become someone else, someone less afraid, someone more compassionate.


If I’m not that frightened girl who heard her brother in desperate pain and dared not go to him, who am I? But the water flowing through the grillwork under the fence held no answers. Maybe she couldn’t know who she was today. Maybe it was enough to know that she was no longer who she was before.

Orson Scott Card, The Speaker for the Dead

Appreciation:

A full and productive day at work hot off the heels of a nonstop day of adulting had me worn out for sure. All good, a productive worn out, but worn down nonetheless.

Getting home to Becky back was awesome! We’re both pretty tired, but it just feels more like home when she’s here, no question.

At 6:15 the two of us hopped onto one of our twice a week family FaceTime sessions with the boys, the four of us all getting together even though we’re separated by about 16 hours of drive time. Those moments shared catching up with each other were amazing, though we’re far apart we’re able to stay connected. Many jokes, laughs, updates, and so on – so much love on the call.

Today I’m thankful for all of the people who help home feel like home, for the time shared with family to help re-energize and remind me of why I do all that I do.

Presence:

My morning drive was again the source of my presence inspiration today. The weather was just too perfect of a “driving in the morning while the sun is coming up and keep the music blasting while drinking my coffee” kind of weather!

With the windows down the cool air blew through the car, the fog intermittently hid and exposed the sun, providing a very intriguing combo of sunlight and dreary all at once.

I sang aloud to a little Audioslave (I am the Highway) and several different Rural Alberta Advantage bangers while occasionally pausing to drink coffee in the guitar solos.

All in the world was at peace, no stress, no worries, no looking ahead, no looking back, only the moment I was in as the highway laid out before me.

Thanks!!!