Tag: Gratitude

Day 11 Gratitude Challenge

Today is about the veterans. Be grateful for them today and everyday. Many in my family are veterans. This picture is of a statue my dads cousin Cecil Harris.

Take time to read Proclamation 3071—Veteran’s Day, 1954 which states in part:

“Whereas, in order to expand the significance of that commemoration and in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation, the Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day:

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”

Day 10 Gratitude Challenge

It’s Friday! Made it to the end of another week. After nine days of gratitude I can feel a change. Driving to work is less stressful (no complaining). People I care about are happier because I have let know how important they are. When I smile, people either smile back or think I am up to something….which makes me laugh and smile.

There are two parts of the challenge today. First, spend at least 60 seconds thinking about three things you are grateful for in your life. It could be family, friends, work, hobbies, faith, health, or anything else. Attention to how thinking about me. If this makes you feel. Does it change your state?

Second, get outside. Look around. What do you see? Was there a beautiful sunrise or sunset today? Could you see the stars or the clouds? what phase is the moon currently in? Did you notice beautiful landscape? There is so much beauty in nature Get outside and enjoy it today.

Day 9 Gratitude Challenge

I will be honest – I mostly write this blog and do this challenge for me. This challenge (and other blog posts) helps me think about and focus on what is truly important. Don’t get me wrong, I hope it helps others. It would be great if thousands read these posts and were helped. But if only a couple of people appreciate the posts and put them into practice, I will count it as a win.

This is the fourth time I have done this challenge. Each time, I learn something new about myself. Each time I become more grounded. I firmly believe this challenge led to my life transformation in November 2020.

Willie Nelson said, “When I started counting my blessings my whole life turned around.” What a simple yet powerful thought. Focus on what you have and you will realize you have a lot. What blessings do you have in your life? Family? Friends? Health?

I think of the countless people who make my life better. Last night I had a Zoom call with three of them. We haven’t talked in a long time but it is wonderful, for a few moments, to get back together. I know my life is better because they are in it.

The challenge for today is to think of one of your blessings or more specifically a person that has blessed your life. Once you identify that person, write them a handwritten note expressing your appreciation for them. Place the note in an envelope, seal the envelope, address the envelope, put postage on the envelope, and send the envelope. The super ambitious will send two notes today. As you send it, think about how you felt through this process. I suspect you are in a better mood. Have a great day!

Day 8 Gratitude Challenge

Yesterday was great. I expressed appreciation for my wife. She thanked me with a similar expression. Everyone is happy. Life is better when you thank people!

The challenge for today is simple. We live in an I want society. We are constantly exposed to marketing. A billboard along the highway as we drive to work. Advertisements on the radio and television. Go to a sporting event there are ads everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I love capitalism. I love that we have the opportunity for abundance. Yet, for today, resist the urge to buy that thing for you.

It has been said that it is better to give than to receive. Test this out today. If you must spend today, spend it on someone else or donate to a charity or both. Maybe I will buy a snowblower for my wife…

Have a great day!

Day 7 Gratitude Challenge

How was your day yesterday? We you able to stay present and mindful. Because I made it a priority, I found myself interrupting bad habits when I was not mindful. It allowed me to focus on what was important at that moment. I attended a college women’s basketball and focused primarily on being with my wife, the game, and mingling with friends. Hopefully, I will incorporate this more into my daily life rather than once a year during the gratitude challenge.

Today calls for us to ponder the following question: Who are you grateful for…or..For whom are you grateful? After you answer this question, contact this person and express your gratitude. While thinking and feeling gratitude helps you, expressing gratitude to others helps both. Make the world a better place and let someone know you appreciate them. Double dare you to do it twice today!

Day 6 Gratitude Challenge

Yesterday was a good day. My beloved Minnesota Vikings won. The weather was great. I finished a couple of projects. I had a great dinner with my wife. I spent time reflecting on cherished memories AND thinking about ways to make new memories. It is the little things that can make the biggest difference. I also made good on my pay-it-forward challenge from Saturday. I didn’t wait to see the reaction but the server at the restaurant was stunned when I asked to pay for the table next to me.

The challenge today is hard for me. The challenge is to be present, mindful, and grateful all day. I struggle with the definition and with the application of the definition. One definition says “Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”

For today, my plan is to make an effort to be aware of what I am doing right now. My plan (which will get disrupted) is to chunk my day. When in meetings, all my focus will be on that meeting as opposed to what is outside the meeting. When working on client files, my focus will be on my work. I will take brief moments (60-90 seconds) each hour to step back. Perhaps some deep breathing or maybe just listen to the sounds. Lastly, I will be grateful for what is.

Day 5 Gratitude Challenge

I today grateful for an extra hour of sleep. It is well documented the importance of good sleep. I am feel better and function better after a good sleep.

I must confess that I am disappointed I myself. I got a late start yesterday, got distracted with editing pictures, and never paid it forward. I will do so today. BUT it is important to give grace – to others and yourself. Sometimes things don’t go as planned.

For today, I want you to focus on a cherished memory. Make a list of your top five cherished memories. This take time to think about each memory and why you cherish it. Bonus points if you write all this down and share it. You can share it with family members or friends.

I won’t bore you with five of my most cherished memories. Truth is, I have probably bored you already with cherished memories in previous posts. However, I will share two cherished memories here.

The first happened many years ago in 1991. As many know, I am a long time Minnesota Twins fan. Through a stroke of luck, my best friend and I were able to get tickets to Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. If you have a spare three hours today, you can watch the game here. Attending that game, in that stadium, at that stage of my life, with my best friend and fellow Twins fan was an amazing moment. For those that don’t know, the Twins won the game 1-0 in 10 innings. I still get chills, thinking about the game and celebration after the Twins victory.

A second cherished memory involve a spontaneous trip to Minneapolis with my wife and youngest child. My beloved Vikings were scheduled to play his beloved Lions. The Vikings were having a great season. The Lions were awful that year ending the season with a 2-14 record (though that was an improvement over 0-16 the previous season). We stayed at a hotel that was relatively new at the time. Side note: We continue to stay at that hotel when we can. Imagine our surprise when we discovered the Detroit Lions were also staying at the hotel.

As the Lions team meetings wrapped up, players headed back to the rooms for good sleep before the big game. There was only one way to get to the room, and that way it was blocked by my son with a sharpie, notebook, and a smile. He even tracked a couple of players into the bathroom. By the end of the evening, he had obtained the autograph of most of the players. His prized autograph was of the quarterback Matthew Stafford, who not only signed his notebook, but also signed the Matthew Stafford jersey that he was wearing. The next morning the team left a hat for him. While at the game one of the Lions players remembered him from the hotel and handed him a football.

As I write this, I am smiling because it was such a wonderful experience for all of us. It almost turned me into a Lions fan! The pictures attached to this post show my son getting the autograph of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Long story short, we all have cherished memories that bring back good feelings. While it is unhealthy to dwell on the past, it’s OK every once in a while to think about those special moments.

Day 4 Gratitude Challenge

I’m not going to lie about yesterday. While I tried to smile all day, I spent much of the day focused on the various tasks at hand. The highlight of my day was taking picture at a tennis fundraiser. Based on my first review of the pictures, it was clear that many had read my blog, because there were lots of smiles. Seeing the smiles in the pictures. Makes me feel better about my day.

Day 4 is a bit easier than the other days. Today is a pay it forward day. At least once today, buy something for a stranger. If you’re in a drive-through and a coffee shop or restaurant, pay for the car behind you if you’re at a restaurant, pick a table and pay for their meal. Bonus points if you do it anonymously and stay to watch the reactions. Also, don’t forget to set your clocks back tonight and enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

Behind Every Picture is a Story

It’s been a while since I posted here. I could provide a list of excuses but that is all they are. Today, I want to talk about pictures, the stories they tell, and the stories behind them.

I have always loved taking pictures. From my first Kodak Instamtic to my present Nikon Z6, I have loved to capture moments. I don’t like to stage the moments (which is why I abhor portrait photography). I refused to spend money on a “good” camera for many years because it was just a hobby. Then one year I asked my wife to buy me a camera for Christmas – which she did!

I started by taking pictures of the birds in our backyard. When the snow melted, I took pictures of my son playing tennis.

Any parent who has watched his/her child compete in sports understands how nerve-racking this can be. I found it calmed my nerves. It allowed me to enjoy watching my son and his friends play without excessive nervousness. So I kept doing it.

Taking pictures of my son playing tennis evolved into taking pictures of my son, his team, and his friends. Eventually, I started taking pictures at Augustana sporting events. Sharing the pictures with the student-athletes and coaches. (I have taken pictures at all sports except golf (I tried but got the time wrong), track, and cross-country (maybe someday).

(still my favorite picture)

Truth is, I am not very good but I occasionally get lucky. I have no formal training. For every picture that turns out, there are ten failures. I have spent countless hours going through the pictures and deleting them. Nobody sees that side of the hobby.

I try to capture moments – like this.

And action like this.

Behind every picture is a story. The picture at the top of this post has a great story. I will think of the story every time I look at it. It’s not a great-quality picture BUT it captured a moment. The picture is of legendary Augustana basketball coach Dave Krauth. Since 1989, he has been the Head Women’s Basketball coach at Augustana University. Thirty-two seasons with only one season below .500. He coached his last game this week. A heartbreaking one-point loss in the NCAA Tournament.

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago. It was taken during the pregame of his final coaching win. I was wandering around the arena during warmups. As Coach Krauth was heading into the locker room, a fan named Scottie (if have been to Augie games you know who this is) began thanking Coach Krauth for his service and wishing him good luck in the game. It was a special conversation. As the conversation started, my camera was off and the lens cap was on. I noticed the smile on Coach Krauth’s face. It was genuine, kind, and rare in the arena. Quickly, I turned my camera on, removed the lens cap, and tried to capture the moment.

My autofocus didn’t fully focus and my framing was off. Yet, I mostly captured this moment. This picture will always be special to me because I know the story behind the picture. And now you know the rest of the story.

2022 Gratitude Challenge Wrap

After 31 days, the 2022 Gratitude Challenge has come to a close. This is the third time I have done this challenge. Each time, I learned more about myself. I am more aware of the importance of gratitude. I find myself complaining less (even during Viking games). I am more appreciative of what is going on around me. I shift my focus on what is and what I can control.

Yesterday, I saw a portion of an interview with Charlie Munger (at 3:30 of the clip). In the interview, Munger asserts that even with all the progress humans have made, we are less happy. Technology, medicine, and other improvements have made our lives easier but we are less happy. Why are we less happy? While some would argue it is greed, Munger argues it is because of envy. Humans often want what others have that they don’t.

I think Munger is on to something. We spend so much time obsessing about what we don’t have. We want the latest gadget. All sorts of lists tell us what the “Hottest Christmas” gift is this year. The anecdote to envy is gratitude. Be grateful for what have. When you focus on what you have, you will find you have an abundance. Have a great weekend.