Thankful for Happiness Engines, People Who Inspire Me to Be Better, & Flow

Day 3,776

Growth:

Find our lane, stick to our strengths, and find ways to focus on what brings us the most energy – that’s where the magic happens. We can’t always do only those things, but the more we can lean into those the happier we can be. Prime the happiness engines, keep them running as much as you can!

Appreciation:

What I am most grateful for today are the people who inspire me to be a better person. These are the people who hold themselves to high standards and values, who always go above and beyond the call of duty. The ones who are selfless when it comes to helping others. By their very actions they help me see the gap between who I am and who I could be, and they motivate me to work on closing it. Through their actions, their very existence, they make the world a better place.

I am very thankful for being married to one of those type of people. Becky inspires me to be a better version of herself, her actions and her caring for others lay a path and foundation to help lead me to being a better human.

Presence:

The hours melted away as I worked on a presentation today! I cannot overstate just how lost I got into this project, time flew by at a crazy pace. Working on a project with purpose, pushing myself just past my comfort zone, learning new things – all these components combined together to create an awesome day full of flow.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Hard Hitting Story, Living a Full Day, & Lighting

Day 3,775

Growth:

This morning I took Leia out for a run, bundled up from head to toe, even wearing Dominic’s snowboarding goggles to keep my eyeballs from freezing up. As we ran down one of her favorite trails I heard a part of American Gods by Neil Gaiman which has always struck a chord, but this time it almost brought me to tears.

If you have a copy of the book be sure to pause, skip ahead to Coming to America, 1778 at the end of Chapter 11. The first 2-3 pages will deliver a gut punch to the soul in the best possible way.

“There are stories that are true, in which each individual’s tale is unique and tragic, and the worst of the tragedy is that we have heard it before, and we cannot allow ourselves to feel it too deeply. We build a shell around it like an oyster dealing with a painful particle of grit, coating it with smooth pearl layers in order to cope. This is how we walk and talk and function, day in, day out, immune to others’ pain and loss. If it were to touch us it would cripple us or make saints of us; but, for the most part, it does not touch us. We cannot allow it to… …There are accounts which, if we open our hearts to them, will cut us too deeply.” Neil Gaiman, American Gods – Coming to America, 1778

Appreciation:

This has been a day of action, of moving forward, of busyness, of flow. Throughout the day I’ve been going almost nonstop with very little time to pause in between – and I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it! As I think about it I can’t help but think back to Jim Valvano’s speech and his insight: “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that is a full day.”

Today I’m grateful for having lived a full day!

Presence:

Several years ago I read Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson and it had a profound impact on a part of my life I was not expecting. In the book Isaacson shares how da Vinci would paint the same scene multiple times – and always at a different time of day in order to learn more about how the ever changing sunlight transforms the colors and the highlights of the scene. Ever since reading that nugget I can’t help but take a moment to appreciate the bluffs in the Mississippi River Valley on my drive each day with the sun changing the hues ever so slightly based on the exact time I drive past.

Yesterday was a seeming fire erupting from the horizon, today was golden lit bluff tops. Each morning and evening the lighting changes just a little, but just enough to amplify the majesty of the natural world all around me. I’ve made that drive at least 5,000 times and it never ceases to draw me in.

Huge thank you to Walter Isaacson for a wonderful bit of wisdom which has sustained and grown my appreciation for the natural world.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Beauty in the Ordinary, the Vacation Before the Vacation, & Savoring a Treat

Day 3,774

Growth:

The everyday moments of life hold so many gifts for us should we only pause to take the time to enjoy them. This morning it was in seeing a sunrise that looked like flames licking up into the sky. This evening it was in watching the deer run along the road. Earlier it was pausing to appreciate the four hundred foot bluffs just outside my office. So many moments of ordinary with extraordinary beauty waiting for us to notice.

Appreciation:

Prepping for travel – is there a better feeling in the world (except for the travel itself, of course)??? Getting all the details wrapped up and in one place. Making sure we’ve got the plan all set and the trail maps downloaded. Putting together a list of the gear we will need for our hiking. Talking about all the awesomeness we will experience. A vacation before the vacation!

Presence:

This might sound a little odd, but the moment of taking time to appreciate the taste of the lemon ginger chew I had for dessert after lunch today was sublime! In my silent office I closed my eyes and took a moment to savor the delicious treat. Between that ginger chew and my breath nothing else in the world existed or mattered for that moment.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Interwoven Themes, Friends, & Yoga (Again)

Day 3,773

Growth:

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the amount of reading I’ve been doing this month. The condensed reading list I’ve prepared for myself this year is chock full of some of my favs and I’ve been drooling nonstop as I rip through the list. In reading my favorites all in a row I’m finding so many of them have themes interwoven between them. One line from Spin really kept hitting home as I read both Montaigne and American Gods:

“
…as always, the question is how to look at the sun without being blinded.” Robert Charles Wilson, Spin

Appreciation:

Having friends who…

  • …remind us to zoom out, take a deep breath, and re-assess our situation.
  • …allow us to work through our thoughts in a safe and nonjudgemental space.
  • …help us take the right actions when we’re too frustrated to see them ourselves.
  • …inspire us to love everyone, especially those we disagree with.

What a gift!

Presence:

Yoga, wonderful yoga. The moment in which all the weight of the world, all the stress of life, everything melts away. There is only the present moment, only my breath, and only that small studio. In many ways the walls and everything outside of my mat fade into the distance, and all is right in the world.

It doesn’t solve everything, but it is a tranquil respite from reality into reality, an opportunity to re-charge and gird myself to get back into the work that needs to be done. Yoga grounds me, focuses me, and strengthens me.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Wisdom from Montaigne, the Weekend I Needed, & Very Quiet Hiking Trails

Day 3,772

Growth:

This morning I realized my soul could use the help and guidance of a very specific book, Montaigne by Stefan Zweig. In his biography of Michel de Montaigne, Stefan Zwieg finds a role model to help him grow through the chaos and evil brewing in Germany in the years before WWII. Montaigne retreated from the roar of the hatred of his own time (mid 1500’s in France) specifically to preserve his inner freedom. So many nuggets of timeless wisdom in the pages of that book.

“In such epochs where the highest values of life—our peace, our independence, our basic rights, all that makes our existence more pure, more beautiful, all that justifies it—are sacrificed to the demon inhabiting a dozen fanatics and ideologues, all the problems of the man who fears for his humanity come down to the same question: how to remain free? How to preserve the incorruptible lucidity of my spirit faced with all the threats and dangers of sectarian turmoil?”

Appreciation:

This was definitely the weekend I needed, an opportunity to recharge, relax, and reset. The holiday season was a lot of fun, but between work and life this was the first weekend that truly felt like a relaxing weekend with zero plans. From meal prepping for the week to a ton of reading to hiking (more on that in a sec) to some game time with the family to movie and shooting the bull time with Gavin to vacation planning time for Becky and I to catching up with Dominic to relaxing on the couch drinking coffee while soaking up a book… Exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and ready for the next stretch of excitement!

Presence:

Nothing like a bunch of bonus outside time while there are almost no other people on the trails! Sure, it might be crazy cold, but we had the woods almost completely to ourselves and the views were outstanding. Between yesterday and today we hiked well over eight miles and saw only one couple on the trail the entire eight miles. Fantastic!

The outside time was exactly what I needed for sure!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Two Quotes Inspired by the Needless Act of Violence in Minneapolis

Day 3,771

The senseless murder in Minneapolis this morning by ICE agents was the inspiration for sharing these two quotes today:

“We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while.” – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

“When fanaticism is in the saddle, all the finer thoughts are trampled.” – Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here

Anything else I want to blog about seems to pale in comparison to the despicable action taken.

Thanks

Thankful for Adding More Quotes to the Collection, Brothers, & Couch Combo Night

Day 3,770

Growth:

In taking time to dive more deeply into the books I read this year I’ve been very excited to take more and more notice of the quotes that hit a little deeper than most. Case in point, I’ve now got the following line of Spin stuck in my mind and now saved in my ongoing collection of quotes:

“Ars moriendi ars vivendi est”

(The art of dying is the art of living)

Appreciation:

Over the past couple of years I’ve observed the friendship between Dominic and Gavin continue to grow stronger and stronger, even though they now live hours apart. As I spoke with my brother over the phone and we joked, laughed, and enjoyed our conversation I couldn’t help but be grateful for the same.

Presence:

Fun couch combo night this evening! After dinner we played a couple of games in the living room (very grateful for the love seat having felt pads that allow for easy moving on the hardwood floors!) before Gavin and I settled in for a deeply unsettling movie (Bugonia). Perfect way to wrap up a chilly Friday night!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Short Blogs, Nephews’ Basketball Games, & Flow

Day 3,769

Growth:

Some of my best days have the shortest blogs as I have gotten so much out of the day that I’ve got little left in the tank to write.

Appreciation:

Had a blast watching a few of my nephews play basketball this evening! I really enjoyed watching them to something they have a passion for and for the joking around afterwards. Well worth the drive time, a great way to spend an evening!

Presence:

Spending hours working on a project that challenges me, outstanding! Having windows to occasionally look out to observe the awesome combo of sunshine and polar winds dashing the glittering snow, even more outstandinger! 😉

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Humbled by Nature, Pristine Snow, & Spectacular Snowfall

Day 3,768

Growth:

The ability of a sense of awe to humble us in the best possible way. A quote from The Alchemist really brought this point to the top of my mind:

“I’ve crossed these sands many times,” said one of the camel drivers one night. “But the desert is so huge, and the horizons so distant, that they make a person feel small, and as if he should remain silent.” ~ Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Appreciation:

This morning’s run started off on a snow covered street sparkling like diamonds under our headlamps. Not a single track on the road from cars or other pedestrians, perfectly pristine snow flakes. As we ran the sound of our footfalls crunched into the quiet morning. An awesome start to the morning!

Presence:

Pausing to soak in the beauty outside my office window today, enjoying the spectacular glittering snowfall, what a perfect reason to pause for a moment to breathe.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Impermanence and Flow, Encouraging Moments, & a Drive

Day 3,767

Growth:

This quote from Heraclitus was introduced me from the book Spin:

“No single thing abides, but all things flow”

A wonderful reminder of the impermanence of all things and the one constant of life: change.

Appreciation:

Keeping my focus on my goals has been very helpful over the past several months. So much incremental progress slowly building towards positive results. Each day has not been perfect, far from it, but there are so many moments in which I’ve been able to glimpse the progress from afar. Today held one of those moments, very encouraging!

Presence:

My ride to Eau Claire was filled with some delightful views due to the extreme weather system. The drive up saw steam rising from the small streams running through the thickets. On the way home there were no less than one hundred deer in a 45 minute stretch. Two nearby fields each had literally dozens of deer out eating. A long drive, enhanced with stunning views, a wonderful string of moments!

Thanks!!!