Respect for all. Intention and energy is a gift, not a gift for all.

Sports scorekeeping is great. Business scorekeeping is great. Both are designed and intended to deliver results, Winners & Losers. But for you and I this cannot be how we measure results and progress. Comparison is the thief of joy. We are now more than ever surrounded by opportunity via comparison. Ads are just comparisons and are very effective in sales. You are not a product to be sold. Why do you sell yourself the result that someone else has gotten without also putting in the exact work to go toward it? Do you even know how much work they put in? Do you realize that it will never be the same for them as it is for you. You might actually stand a better chance than they did. But you sit and keep score and make no progress. Let’s go somewhere a little more hidden and not so obvious. You can write down in the comments whichever less obvious thing that you hide or used to hide. The thing you minimize because it sucks. The thing you do in private because it contradicts all your public goals. We’ve all seen the diet ad where the husband and wife sneak off to a closet to hid and eat a snack and then find out that they went to the same closet. Then we feel the ad reminding us its ok - and we laugh about it because they designed the ad for entertainment. Some of that is real and yet the world of business uses it so lightly. - The fear you have of not measuring up in one of a thousand possible examples - so you hide it. - Fear of abandonment and watching others be loved. - Fear of failure - The action in trying just feels like failure so you don’t act. - Rejection - being told no and taking it personally. - Criticism and coaching intended to be helpful causes more shutting down and seclusion. - Showing up where people are gathered makes you nervous because on the inside you’re a mess so you stop showing up. - After a long time of wanting to be invited and then telling yourself a lie repeatedly - you do get the invite and you say you can’t go because it wouldn’t be right for you with your issues to show up with everyone else enjoying themselves… that you’d just be a burden.

Is there someone you’ve been meaning to talk to? Take 1 minute out of your day to shoot them a text or video message. If you’ve got more time call them and have a conversation. Sometimes a simple hello can make someone’s day, including yours.

Excuses don’t get you to the top action does…. -Nims Dai

I certainly made a commitment to myself to slowdown this summer. Doesn’t mean work stops, or developing a writing style or “podcast”, training for endurance runs/events, or connecting with others. The commitment is in the noticing and appreciation of life. The small moments each day. The way the sun comes up and sets, the laughter of my kids and loved ones, the hot weather, or just sitting outside alone. Experiencing life isn’t always in the busy work. It’s the slow intentional time and moments that burn into me. That quiet my soul That set my days intentions That reset myself after my long days. This past weekend I did things I’ve never done before. I picked sunflowers and then sat in the brook and waterfalls to cool off after the summer days hot sun. In that moment there was just that moment. We call that presence. To land in that mindset took all my life. Maybe it’s because I’m maturing, maybe it’s because I’ve lost many close friends, friendships, and family the past year. My commitment to slow down to enjoy moments Regardless of time or place has been a lifetime coming. It’s never too late to start.