Category: Feeling Fulfilled

I’m the type who likes to obsesses over time efficiency.

Once I discover a way to do something in its most efficient manner, like take the most efficient, time-effective route to work, I lock in.

And I’ll do it the same way day-in and day-out until I find a better way.

Now, because of this, and because I’ve been maximizing the efficiency of my days for two-ish decades now, my days are pretty locked in.

My morning routine is on lock… my afternoon routine is on lock… and my evening routine is on lock…

Which has me leading very “locked in type days” that can start to feel awfully monotonous.

But, generally speaking, the efficiency side of me is more stubborn than the spontaneous, just-do-whatever-the-heck side of me is persuasive.

And it’s at times like this, when I’m feeling the monotonous grind, that I have to remind myself to book something that I can look forward to.

This has been the key for me for years.

If I have something in my calendar that’s going to strip me from the daily grind and immerse me in a new world with new experiences… then spontaneity comes completely naturally to me and I have zero problem doing whatever, whenever, however.

In fact, it’s my time to NOT be time efficient and I relish in the opportunity by going all in.

Being time efficient is a beautiful thing. It’s a sign that you’re effectively managing your life’s most precious resource.

But, as is the case with many things in life, too much of a good thing can make you… dull.

And today’s message is just that: don’t be dull, dear reader.

Join me in, not just thinking gratitude, but expressing gratitude every day for the next 30 days.

The difference is that one leaves your mind about as quickly as it enters whereas the other—the expressed gratitude—makes an impression on the mind of another (that’s remembered), creates an atmosphere that’s felt, has the potential to linger (as a smile often does), and can resultantly ripple outward to touch countless other lives, too.

And the kicker is that the gratitude given to another affects the giver as much as the receiver—it’s a double positive.

There is nothing lost and everything is gained when the gift of gratitude is given away.

That said, here’s how the challenge works:

• Either share publicly (on a social site) or record privately your daily acts of gratitude.
• It must be expressed—not just thought of.
• Expressed could be shared verbally (e.g. “I just want to sincerely thank you for…”), written physically (e.g. A surprise post-it note), posted about socially (e.g. “Today, I’m grateful for ______. Join me for 30 days of expressed gratitude.”) , or even gifted tangibly (e.g. Flowers just because).
• The more specific the better. The more detailed the better. The more thoughtful the better.
• …But, “done” is the best. Don’t let “the perfect gesture” stop you from expressing at all.

And that’s it. Who’s in?! Forward this to whoever you think would join. Let’s flood our lives with positivity, warmth, and support for the next month. Lord knows we all could use it.

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I’ll record my acts here. Day 1: Today, I texted a coworker expressing my gratitude for an above and beyond effort that they did with grace. :)

Ten of my team members and I signed up to do a 10k, 20 obstacle course, mud race—one that none of us have officially trained for and one that has been rumored to be quite hard.

These are the types of messages that were being sent in our group chat:

• “Outfit picked, salvation army shoes, nervous but I’m committed…”
• “I’m nervous but excited to make the finish line…”
• “I’m a bit terrified and a lot excited. Whatever happens, it will be an experience!”
• “I’m mostly scared and a little excited…”

The excited/ nervous mix is an excellent indicator that you’re moving outside of your comfort zone and towards a zone of growth.

The ego is the nervous trying to pull you back towards safety—where you won’t embarrass yourself, mess up, get scared, get tired, get dirty, and so forth.

The deeper parts of yourself are the excited trying to push you towards something greater—where you get to “make the finish line,” overcome new obstacles, prove your strength, develop spirit, callous your mind, complete something harder than most others would even dare to attempt, and so forth.

The key, worth noting, is in the mix.

All nervous and no excitement and there will be no reward / reason. All excitement and no nervous and there won’t be enough depth / substance. Get the two mixed just right, though? And what follows as you step into that mix may very well imprint itself into your memory… for life.

…It’s the type of mix that makes memories that last lifetimes.

I’m in Disney this weekend at a Martial Arts Business Conference & World Class Tournament.

One of my young team members is here for the first time with me, not only competing at the highest level, but soaking in the whole Disney experience.

I asked him yesterday what his impressions were.

…He didn’t need to think about it.

He quickly started describing to me the most amazing thing he had seen that was right in his hotel room—the shower to be exact—and told me about these different wall-mounted squeeze bottles that each contained different liquids… one that had a thick, green shampoo gel… one that had a more white, runny conditioner (and how he didn’t really know what the conditioner was for)… and finished by telling me about the body wash and how it was more of a smooth blue gel.

…And he was absolutely floored by this.

Which made me see it in a brand new light myself—and is why today, I’m thankful for these everyday products that I otherwise would’ve never even given a second thought to; the products that keep me feeling so fresh and so clean; the products that I would have zero idea how to make if I was lost in the wilderness and had to live off the land.

Today while playing basketball, three of the people I was with got injured.

One was feeling pain in his Achilles tendon. Another tweaked his knee. And another took a hit in the ribs and groin. They each sat out the rest of the game.

Injuries happen. Especially when participating in intense exercise that involves sprinting, jumping, and physical contact. And when they do, all we tend to think about is, “Why me?” “Why now?” “How long will this last?” “When will I be healed?” “When will I be back to normal?”

…When we get injured, sick, or experience grief, suddenly our vast array of life interests, excitements, and focuses become one—getting back to feeling normal.

And today, I’m thankful that, all things considered, I’m feeling pretty normal. No serious injuries; no serious sicknesses; no imminent grief looming in the background of my life.

Feeling normal isn’t something I think many of us remember to show gratitude for—mostly because it’s precisely when we’re feeling normal that we’re able to fan our attention out to everything else in the world—and so we do. And if that’s you, I hope you can take a few minutes to come back and feel the full gratitude of normality in this moment.

Because right now, I know those three people I played ball with are probably only thinking one thing and it might be something you don’t even realize you’re so fortunate to have.

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P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Hardship is a necessary ingredient for deep gratitude.

Without hardship, beautiful things get taken for granted and a sense of entitlement can develop.

With hardship, beautiful things are seen as gifts that could be lost at any moment and that sense of deep appreciation emerges.

The greater the hardship, the deeper the appreciation potential. For example:

• The person who has always had running water doesn’t have the same appreciation potential as the person who hasn’t, who has spent most of their life thirsty, and who is suddenly given access.
• The person who has always had many friends doesn’t have the same appreciation potential as the person who has always struggled to make friends and suddenly has a great one.
• The person who has always had access to money doesn’t have the same appreciation potential as the person who grew up poor, with no alternative sources or connections, and is suddenly making a bunch of money on their own.

This is all to say, don’t curse your hardships—understand that your roots for appreciation are growing deeper with each passing day. And what’s really happening is you’re setting yourself up to be able to fully receive the blessings that come on the other side.

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P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.