by Mike | Feb 12, 2022 | Connection, Gratitude, Inspiration
Ok…so, it’s confession time. I’m a little embarrassed to say, but, I love Tiktok, the social media platform that has taken the world by storm over the last few years. I try to use my time wisely, and in all honesty, watching Tiktok videos might not be the best way to do that. But, every so often, I see a video that hits me hard. A good friend of mine recently sent me one that did just that.
It was a video of a young man who was talking about his Grandma…and her pots and pans of all things. Years and years ago, his Grandma wanted a set of copper pots and pans. She bought them because they were beautiful and she was excited to be able to use them to cook meals for her family for special occasions. Christmas dinners, Thanksgiving dinners, birthdays, anniversaries. She was going to cook food for those that she loved….and she was going to use those beautiful copper pots and pans.
But, they were expensive. They were shiny. They were too good to use. Over the years, those “special occasions” just didn’t feel special enough for her to use them. She didn’t want to discolor the copper. She didn’t want to damage or scratch them. Because, they were after all, copper….and they were beautiful. So, she used other pots and pans. And there they were, hanging like a chandelier in the kitchen collecting dust. For years, and then for decades, and then…she passed away without ever making a special occasion meal with her copper pots and pans.
Thankfully, her grandson took those pots and pans, dusted them off, cleaned them up and brought them to his home where he uses them – for special occasions, for not-so-special occasions, for a Tuesday night dinner all the while knowing his Grandma is right there by his side cooking those meals with him.
I think we all do this far too often. We make promises to ourselves, but for whatever reason, we wait. We let time pass. We tell ourselves that the right time will come. And also far too often, that time never comes.
So, use the good copper, visit that high school friend that you haven’t seen in years, buy the fancy shoes, eat the chocolate cake, take the trip, have the conversation. Because, if you don’t, one day you will have never done it and those promises that you made yourself will only be covered in dust, just like his grandma’s copper pots and pans.
Thankfully, we all have an opportunity to act on the promises we make to ourselves. We don’t have to wait. We don’t have to keep the copper pots and pans beautiful. All it takes is a decision, a decision to experience the beauty of life in the moment.
So, a challenge for all of us – today, tomorrow, this week, this month..use the good copper.
by Mike | Dec 7, 2021 | Compassion, Connection, Gratitude, Inspiration
Merry Christmas everyone. ‘Tis the season! The hustle has started. The bustle has started. The Christmas lights are up, the decorations are out and the sleigh bells are ringing. There is no question that this is a beautiful time of the year.
While this time of the year holds a special place in our hearts for many of us, it can also be a time filled with stress and anxiety. The hustle and bustle of preparations, the chaos of endless crowds, the search for the “perfect” gifts for our loved ones. All too often, we seem to be focused on the “thing” that will bring joy to our friends and family.
But here’s a question for you – have you ever given yourself a gift for the holidays? I know some do and it always cracks me up that they go to the extent of wrapping it and putting it under the tree. I actually kind of love the idea. But what if there was a gift you could give yourself that didn’t require a trip to the store to battle the crowds, one that didn’t need to be wrapped, one that doesn’t cost a single penny – but at the same time, one that could change your life in some pretty amazing ways.
If you’ve read any of these articles, I’m guessing you have an idea of what this magical gift is that I’m talking about. Yup. It’s GRATITUDE. Gratitude is free. It truly doesn’t cost a dime. But the impact it can have on your life can’t be overstated. It’s a game-changing gift and one that will bring joy to you and your life.
Granted, gratitude is meant to be shared with others. But first, it’s important to build your own perspective of gratitude. In fact, doing so is a prerequisite to effectively sharing it with others. Building habits that leverage a grateful perspective, viewing your own life through the lens of gratitude and taking the time out of your day to practice personal gratitude are all required for you to realize the full impact gratitude can have on your life.
So, you might be asking yourself – How do I do it? How do I give “myself” the gift of gratitude? Well, here are some thoughts. First, during this Christmas season try to make an intentional effort to slow down and recognize the things in your life for which you are grateful – suspend the chaos and attend to the now. Take pause – give yourself an opportunity to notice things that you might otherwise take for granted. Said simply…live in the moment.
Second, be aware of your surroundings. Instead of hustling and bustling through the Christmas season, stop and look up. Greet those passing by you. Smile at them. Take the opportunity to make a difference in their day. You never know how grateful a stranger might be from the simplest of gestures…a smile.
Third, look at the people in your life. Look at the things in your life. Notice the good actions of others. Keep your eyes open to things that are often far too easy to overlook. Notice and appreciate the little things because, as I’m convinced, those “little” things in life are really the “big” things in life.
So, as we navigate the craziness of the next few weeks, give yourself the gift of gratitude. Witness the power that can come from it. Remember, it is when we leverage our own personal perspective of gratitude that we will be able to bring joy to the lives of those around us.
Merry Christmas everyone!
by Mike | Nov 2, 2021 | Connection, Gratitude, Inspiration, Routines
It’s November. It’s the month of “Thanksgiving”!!! The month we are supposed to be thankful for all of the blessings life has provided. But, I’ll be honest, over the last several years, this month has become a bit of a challenging time of year for me personally. It has been during this month that I’ve lost some incredibly special people, people that have quite literally changed the course of my life. It has now become a month, no longer for necessarily “making” memories with these amazing people, but for appreciating the beautiful memories and connections that shaped our lives together. It has become a month for reframing my perspective and for finding gratitude and thankfulness for the opportunity to create amazing moments with each of them.
There truly is so much to be thankful for in our lives. While sometimes it might be difficult to see it, it’s there. It just might take a little more focus once in a while. For me, I’m thankful for time, time to create memories with those that I love. I’m thankful for those memories. I’m thankful for my family and friends. I’m thankful for medical teams that keep families safe and whole. I’m thankful for the unconditional love I receive from my dogs. I’m thankful for the connections I have made with others and for those that I will make each day moving forward. I’m thankful for the way those connections change my life in such amazing ways. I’m thankful for Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (yup…I love them!). I’m thankful for so many things. But, most of all, I’m just thankful for life – for the opportunities I am given every day to experience our beautiful world. The best part – the list could go on and on.
Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been easy. As anyone who has lost a loved one knows, getting to a point of appreciation and thankfulness can be a long and arduous journey. At the same time, there are reasons to be thankful. So many reasons. They are all around us — every day and in every moment. To be honest, it might be that even a little bit of focus on these things might make that journey a little less long and arduous.
What are you thankful for? I challenge you – take time to reflect, to look around and to notice all of the goodness that has brought you to this point in your life. There is much for all of us to be thankful for. In fact, the goodness in our lives is undoubtedly overflowing. Sometimes it just takes a few moments of pause and reflection to notice it.
So, here’s an idea! Let’s do it! Right now! Grab a pen and paper. Start writing. I’m pretty sure you’ll be surprised at how much goodness will end up on that piece of paper.
Ready – Set – GO!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!
by Mike | Oct 12, 2021 | Connection, Gratitude, Inspiration
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” ~Helen Keller
In life, we often strive to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We join together with others in a common cause. We find others that we believe in and those that believe in us. We surround ourselves with those that we can lean on. We push each other to a level of greatness that can only be achieved when we all work together as a collective unit.
Collective determination. The desire to create change together. The drive to accomplish a goal as part of a group of like-minded individuals. There is something incredibly powerful in it. This is the way we create impact.
In thinking about determination and how powerful a collective can be, it brought me back to an experience I had when I was a coach for my daughter’s traveling softball team several years ago. It was a “10 and under” team, so, many of the girls were pretty new to the game. In the beginning of the year they had their typical struggles – not only on the diamond, but, also trying to relate to each other as a team. The “team” concept was kind of new to many of the girls.
I don’t know that there was anything “magical” about this season other than the fact that they went from an “ordinary team” to an “extraordinary team” when it counted. They had been playing well throughout the season, each player improving individually and the team improving as a whole. However, in the state tournament I noticed a change in each girl. That change was a focus and determination that was almost palpable.
The thing that was impressive to me is that when I think of big games or series, there is usually someone who would be worthy of the MVP. That wasn’t the case for this team in the state tournament. Yes, there were girls that played their typical high level of softball, but, there were game-changing plays by every single one of the 13 girls on that team throughout the tournament. At the start of the tournament, the changed I noticed was that girls, as a whole, were more determined than ever. Together they decided that now was the time that they would peak and that it was time for 13 girls to come together as 1 team. That was their common theme throughout the tournament – 13 for 1… 13 girls for 1 win, 13 girls for 1 championship, 13 girls for 1 team. It was really a spectacular thing to watch and a sight to behold. The older girls made huge plays…the younger girls made huge plays. In the end, their motto really held true – 13 for 1.
They did, in fact, win the State Championship going 5-0 in the tournament and went on to finish 13th in the national tournament. While winning the tournament was nice, the impact for these girls came in the form of lessons they learned about determination. It is those lessons that have staying power. It is those lessons that they will lean on to create amazing change in our world as they move through life.
So the next time you’re see a true example of determination, whether that’s a group of young girls coming together to achieve a common goal or the mom who works three jobs simply to feed her family, take pause, look closer, and feel grateful for what you are witnessing.
by Mike | Jul 17, 2021 | Connection, Gratitude, Inspiration
So, it’s confession time. I’m a big fan of breweries. I just love them. The reason – they are “happy” places. Every time I visit a brewery, I look around to the other patrons and undoubtedly, one thing comes to the surface – happiness. There are smiles. There is laughter. There is friendship. On this occasion, the room is filled with people, some playing games, some just having conversations, but all simply enjoying the company of their friends and family. I just can’t help but “people-watch” when I’m at a brewery, and today, the people-watching activity has me focused on one person in particular today – a little boy, probably no more than 5 years old. This little guy is truly the definition of happiness. He is running around the brewery to different tables, talking to everyone along the way, handing out high-fives to each group of people he passes, laughing all the while. He’s having the time of his life!
As I let this soak in, it hit me that I think we can learn a lesson from this little guy’s approach to life. As a little boy, I am sure he doesn’t fully understand the concept of gratitude – in fact, he may have never even heard the word before. However, his display of gratitude is nothing short of inspiring. He seems genuinely happy to be interacting with others and his surroundings. He is enjoying life without being dragged down by ‘boring adults’. He is not letting the fact that there aren’t any of the typical “fun” 5-year old activities like video games he might find in other establishments get in the way of his happiness. This little guy is truly living in, and appreciating, the moment in which he finds himself. It seems that for him, it’s not about what happened an hour ago, or what might happen later in the afternoon. It’s about right now…this moment. It is lessons like this that we, as adults, can, and should, take as learning opportunities.
The journey of life can be pretty amazing. Sure, it can be difficult, challenging and uncertain at times. There are always bumps along the way – that’s just life. But even with those challenges, life truly is a beautiful journey. Far too often, I think we are so focused on our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey. We are caught up with getting the next “thing” – the promotion, the house, the car. We let the pursuit of what’s next get in the way of allowing us to fully appreciate the moment we are in. We forget to slow down and appreciate all that surrounds us in the moment. We miss far too much goodness in our lives because we are focused on the pursuit of what we think should be next.
So do just that, slow down. Look at the goodness around you. Look at the people around you, those you know, and those you don’t know. Notice the smells – maybe you are sitting by a flower bed or by a kitchen creating delicious food. Notice the sounds – are the birds chirping outside? Is there a new song playing that you’ve never heard? In this moment, find something, anything, to appreciate.
That is what The Gratitude Spark is all about. It is that ‘spark’ that pushes us towards a more gratitude-centered mindset. That gratitude-centered mindset starts in the here and now. It starts in the moment. We can be grateful for things that will happen in the future like that promotion, the house or the car. But if we don’t appreciate the things that lead us there, we will never experience the happiness and joy that is undoubtedly connected to the moments along the way.
So, join me in learning a thing or two from this little 5-year old boy. Be appreciative of the situation you find yourself in, no matter how difficult, challenging or uncertain. There is something beautiful around you right here, right now. Notice it, appreciate it and be grateful for it
by Mike | Jun 20, 2021 | Connection, Gratitude, Inspiration
It’s hard to believe that it’s already June! We are almost halfway through 2021. With June comes lots of familiar things – rising temps and the lovely Minnesota humidity that comes with those temps. Yard work…oh, the yard work. Bike rides, boating and cookouts. Weekends at the lake. And of course, the day that we get to celebrate the men in our life who have made such an impact, Father’s Day.
Last month I wrote about Mother’s Day and how we might focus on celebrating those women in our life, not just for one day, but for the whole month. The same is true this month, but, now, it’s those men (your Dad, Grandpa, Step Dad – whoever those men in your life might be) that get to soak in the limelight for the month. June is the month that we get to celebrate that man (or men) who somehow, over the course of our life, magically turned into a friend, a role model, a mentor…a superhero.
As I started to think about what to write for this article, my mind drifted back to the many amazing moments I was able to spend with my Dad. So many awesome memories flooded my mind. Playing catch in the back yard literally every time he was grilling. Heading to the lake to go fishing in our little 14-foot Lund fishing boat. Sitting in the living room watching the Twins or Vikings and remembering him just shaking his head and rolling his eyes at the mishaps by our hometown teams. Heading to the golf course – only to get frustrated with my game as I watched Dad drive the ball straight down the fairway on each hole. Going into Brown Printing to hang out in his office and being amazed at how much he knew about all of the massive printing machines.
It’s no secret that society tells us that we are “supposed” to go out to find the perfect gift for that special someone on their day. But, when I was reminiscing about my Dad and Father’s Day, I honestly couldn’t remember anything that I had ever purchased for him. I’m sure there was the proverbial polo shirt that I got him from time to time, maybe some new golf balls, tools maybe? I don’t know. What I do know is that my memories of my Dad on Father’s Day immediately went to the experiences and the moments that we shared together. I really had no recollection of the “things”. And, to be honest, I’m ok with that, and I think he would be too. Those polo shirts, they get old and worn and need to go to Goodwill at some point. Those golf balls will inevitably get lost in the woods or water hazards. Those tools, they are left to sit in the dark garage only to be used from time to time over the course of the year. But the experiences…the moments. Those are the things that will stay with us forever and those are the things for which I am eternally grateful.
Over the past few years, I have realized how truly grateful I am for time. Time is a limited resource for all of us. With time comes the opportunity to engage in real and meaningful experiences and to create those moments that will be with us forever. Time has nothing to do with material “things,” but everything to do with providing us the opportunity to cultivate experiences and memories. So, on this Father’s Day (or any day for that matter), make use of the time you have to spend with that superhero who also happens to be your Dad. If you must, get him the polo shirt or the golf balls, but in addition to that, just “be” with him. Create your own experience, you own moments. I have no doubt that is what you will both remember from the experience – just “being”. And I also have no doubt that you’ll both look back on that experience and those memories with a true and genuine sense of gratitude.
Happy Father’s Day!
