While there hasn’t really been anything “new” from a conceptual perspective, there have been many opportunities to view parts of our work from a different perspective today. Training doesn’t always need to be novel, sometimes the most impactful part is the space created to pause and think. In that space there are so many new permutations and opportunities!
Lots of space to think today – not to add new ideas tk the mix, rather, to help clarify and consolidate or eliminate the unnecessary pieces.
Listen for what is not being said, watch for that which isn’t easily seen. Ask the questions which may cause discomfort, listen to the meaning behind their answers.
The surface is just that, the depths are what matter.
Appreciation:
Seeing the world through others in various different stages of life, reminding me of years gone by. Helping me see how far I’ve grown, reminding me to consider how I’ll feel about these same challenges in twenty years when my perspective shifts. Wishing to go back to those stages, unsure how we ever made it through, and being grateful for being past those stages – all at the same time!
Presence:
An early-ish morning run, done completely out of routine, same task as usual, but different execution lead to an increase in presence.
Whenever you get that feeling like there’s lightning in a bottle – the type that others could likely use too – trust your gut and go with it. Having the entire team read Essentialism could not have been more well timed!
Appreciation:
There are moments in our lives when we are able to pause, see a snapshot of ourselves from decades ago in someone else, and immediately have the perspective needed to see the growth we’ve had in those many years.
As each day goes by the growth can be almost impossible to gauge, but when viewed from across decades in a moment it is truly impactful.
Here’s to the reflection of my old self I saw today through the eyes of me of today.
Presence:
Yes, virtual meetings are helpful, convenient, and so easy to pull off, BUT they are never the same as being together in real life. Lots of extra driving for me today, but the moments of very focused presence were well worth the miles!
Nothing quite like being wise/old enough to realize when it’s time to get som extra sleep to get recharged! Today is definitely one of those days for me!
I’m getting to bed a little later than I planned, but that was due in large part to taking additional time to work on a side project I’m pretty excited about! More details to follow, but it’s been fun working on something that has been putting me quickly and regularly into a flow state.
Off to bed, time to recharge, there’s so much more to work on tomorrow!
We often don’t realize and appreciate the rhythms we live our lives by until they are upended for a period of time. In those moments in which muscle memory no longer works we’re left scratching our heads wondering how to get back on track and how we fell off track in the first place.
In a similar fashion to my recent blog posts the concept of normal for us has been very much upended due to a variety of reasons. As we get into little patterns of normalcy we are quickly swept up in the completely unexpected or very abnormal nature of life surrounding us.
Today was a great time with family, so positive in so many ways, yet I feel exhausted due to the seemingly constant state of running we’ve been in. I need to take some time to breathe, to catch my breath, and get back up to speed.
A wonderful day to be sure, one which reminded me of the power of keeping a rhythm.
There was no alarm set for this morning. There was no grand plan or timeline. There was nothing to prepare for the day. There was nothing on the agenda besides some hiking and heading to see Ken and Mary. Total calm, all day long, and it was amazing!!!
Becky and I were talking about how the trip we took to Arizona to see The Wave felt like it was last year, even though it was less than four months ago. So much life since then! The calm of today was a wonderful counterbalance to the nonstop we’ve lived recently.
Also, in a similar vein, while at Ken and Mary’s I stood outside less than two feet away from the hummingbird feeders and stood still while holding my camera out to record the buzzing birds. So much fun to watch, so chill! One almost landed on my phone while another was only a few inches from my arm. Gotta love close encounters with nature like that!
When I have to open up a panel and see something like this:
…I’m immediately grateful for Dad. Throughout my life he continued to teach me so much about mechanical, electrical, and plumbing repair. As Dad built our houses he wasn’t shy about making sure I understood what he was doing and why.
What I’ve learned since is that Dad didn’t always have the answers to whatever he was fixing, often it may have been his first time attempting something. Dad had a superpower that he had taught himself – a trust in his ability to learn something new, to figure something out, and to know when to ask who for help. That powerful combo is how he was able to take on so many different types of projects.
Dad taught me – without teaching me – how to get at the root issue or purpose, how to consider similar situations / systems, how to be fearless in trying new things, and how to ask for help when he got stuck.
As I faced this labyrinth of plumbing stuffed into a tiny little space I remembered to take a deep breath, get my eyes on the issue, and walk through the potential issues and fixes. Sure enough, I had it fixed quickly.
In what is supposed to be a holiday shortened week I am certain I have figured out a way to pack in well over a week’s worth of life. This has been a transition from graduation festivities right into what is lining up to be a triple Blursday. Yesterday was the combo of a chaotic and jam packed workday with a chaser of Gavin’s last Regional track meet. Today was an even more ludicrous work day with even more twists and turns with Gavin’s last track banquet and packing as a dessert. Tomorrow is an out the door by 5am and off to the races until I get home about 5:30pm in order to quickly eat and then make a three hour drive up to our campsite. Friday is also loaded up to potentially be a quad as I work in the morning and then hit a retirement party and haul my butt to Gavin’s last Sectional track meet (fingers crossed it’s not his last track meet – I’d like to sneak in one more).
Hmm… I’m somehow even more exhausted after typing all of it out!
All that said, I don’t think there could be any more appropriate end to Gavin’s last bit of time at Logan High School. For the past decade and a half or so this has been the pace of our life! Why not put a bow on it in the same fashion in which we’ve lived it for so long!
Woo hoo – at least one more high school sporting event to go! Gavin qualified for Sectionals in Pole Vault while his 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams also both qualified. I was pretty nervous, so much fun watching him nail his jumps to punch his ticket!
Several other moments of learning and growth today from a work perspective. No need to elaborate, just a gentle reminder for myself to see clearly, to ask questions with the intent of learning, and remembering how important it is to lean into what we are truly encoded to do.
One last bonus – re-reading The Book of Joy has been amazing! This read has me viewing from a slightly different perspective and remembering to give myself a little grace.
Thankful for Forty 