Tag: stoicism

Thankful for Shifting, Adulting, & Life-ing

Day 4,014

Growth:


“And it’s true,” thought Valentine.  “I’m not the same person, really, from book to book, because each world changes who I am, even as I write down the story of the world.  And this world most of all.” 

Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead

As I read Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card for the seventh time this quote has resonated in my brain.

Each reading of this story adds depth, each reading uncovers previously missed concepts and connections. While the book remains the same, I continue to change, I see the path differently each time. Each reading shifts who I am a little.

Appreciation:

I’m typing this from bed, ready to crash and start all over again long before sunrise. I am exhausted.

The entire day has been spent adulting. Working, driving, and all the other “ings” related to being an adult. I’ve had about ten minutes of downtime except for my meals and a FaceTime with Becky.

I am exhausted, but also very fulfilled. I lived into purpose today. I busted my ass today. I got shit done today. I left it all on the field today.

That feeling of exhaustion after hitting it this hard is fantastic!

Presence:

My ride to work this morning was loaded with a playlist of some of my favorite music. The songs were not a collection of relentlessly optimistic and cheerful music, quite the opposite. There was frustration, longing, regret, time passing, heart ache, looking backwards, trying to figure out what really matters.

And somehow, I felt incredibly happy. Not happy in spite of the songs, but, in a strange way, because of them.

Driving along this morning, I realized I wasn’t listening to sadness and becoming sad. I was simply noticing how much there is to feel in a life. Love can hurt. People and moments pass. Roads take us away from places we once belonged. We carry scars from things that mattered. And that’s okay.

At one point I laughed at myself because my shuffle apparently decided that subtle emotional damage was the breakfast special. But underneath all of it was this surprising current of joy.

I’m here. Driving to work. Watching the morning pass outside the windshield. Listening to songs that remind me of all the beautiful, complicated, ridiculous things that come with being alive.

Maybe presence isn’t always about quieting everything down. Sometimes it’s turning the music up and realizing that sadness, joy, nostalgia, hope, heartbreak and gratitude can all ride in the same car.

Life is life. And this morning, I was really happy to be here for it.

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!!!

Day 1,872 – Thankful for Inspiration from the Insight of Incredible Teammates and Re-Reading an All Time Favorite

I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many incredible teammates. Not a day goes by in which I’m not thankful for the plethora of strengths they gift to our teams. Their hard work, high energy, and proactive action within our values is impressive. The momentum they’re building is a force to be reckoned with.

Today a few of us paused reality for a handful of hours. Select the office, went to a quiet place, and spent time discussing the future. We shared ideas for potential challenges and their corresponding opportunities. My teammates sharing fantastic insight into how we can continue to grow through the next year – both in business and as a team. The ideas they shared were awesome and the way they worked together to help position the team in a place to really utilize their unique talents was impressive. My mind has been racing with possibilities since we started our conversation.

My incredible teammates inspired me to dream even bigger dreams for next year. Their passion, energy, and awesomeness will no doubt propel us to a wildly successful future.

After spending a lot of quiet time processing so much of our conversation I fire up an audiobook for the rest of my drive home. It’s been a little while since I fired up one of my all time favorite and most impactful books so I figured it was a perfect time to load it up. For the however many-eth time The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday is reminding me of the importance of my perceptions, my actions, and my will. For reals, this is one of the most insightful and useful books you will ever read.

Thanks!!!