Swirling Planet Times

Photos from Seattle

2008-10-12T17:34:00.007-05:00

I went on a bike ride today around Lake Union. The lake is about 200 yards from our apartment and is surrounded by houseboats, yacht moorings, and industrial/commercial facilities. There is a ton of activity on the lake all the time including sailboats, kayaks, yachats (power and sailing), float plane taxis, fishing boats, barges, and other vessels. It's amazing that people don't more collisions! Here are some photos from that ride. The photos are taken with my iPhone so the quality isn't great but it provides the scene.

First a quick map to provide some orientation:
Click for Map

First set is taken from Lakeview Avenue on the south east side of the lake.

Looking north north west.

Looking west north west. Queen Anne hill in the background

Looking West. Queen Anne Hill in background.

Looking west south west.

Looking south west. Space Needle and Seattle Center in Background.

Looking South. Downtown in background.

And the second set is take from Gas Works Park on the north side of the lake.

This first shot is an attempt to find out apartment. Probably hidden behind a tree from this angle, but we would be somewhere in that shot.

Looking west. Queen Anne hill in background.

Looking south west. Queen Anne hill and Seattle Fire Department fire boat.

Looking South. Fireboat, Space Needle and Downtown.

Looking Southeast. Downtown and the edge of Capitol Hill.

Looking East Southeast. Capitol Hill.

Looking East. Capitol Hill and East Lake.

Looking East NorthEast. East Lake (the shot of our apartment is pointing a little further to the north than this shot.)

Gratitude-A-Day September 8, 2008

2008-09-08T08:58:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for the internet. I'm sitting here in our hotel room this morning on our trip west and able to connect with the world, catch up on work, do some work and find weather and road reports all so easily. It's really pretty amazing and easy!

Gratitude-A-Day September 7, 2008

2008-09-07T22:35:00.001-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for expansive views! The drive through South Dakota today was surprisingly beautiful. We saw some incredible colors in the Badlands (pictures to be posted soon!) and the fields of wheat and grass were beautiful in their color.

Gratitude-A-Day September 6, 2008

2008-09-05T08:36:00.004-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for freedom. Yesterday, I wrote about my feelings of sadness in moving further away from family in Minneapolis and said I would write today about the reasons for moving. This post is going to be a simplified version of these feelings but I hope to be able to dive into this topic in greater detail in the future.

I've lived in Minneapolis (SouthWest Minneapolis specifically) my whole life - except for 8 semesters in college (Beloit, WI). I want to experience living in a different setting. Different in terms of attitude, natural landscape, history, culture. Moving to Des Moines, Chicago, Kansas City, Madison, or St Cloud would feel very much like Minneapolis. Different to me would be west coast, east coast or another country. The deep south would be different but isn't appealing to me. Seattle is different.
When I went to college I was amazed what it was like to suddenly be in a place where all of the people around me were new. No one had preconcieved notions of who I was. This created an opportunity to define myself anew and shed habits and social conditioning I carried from earlier in my life. I see moving to a new city (although some people already know me in Seattle) as another opportunity to define myself with a relatively clean slate. I figure that I'll have 2-4 of these opportunities in life and I want to make the most of this one.
I want to find out what it takes to create "home" in a new location. I'm excited to figure out all of the simple things - where is the grocery store/post office/corner store; what are the local radio and TV stations, what do people talk about at the bus stop. I'm also excited to learn the vibe of a new community - how does the city wake up in the morning; what are the pressures the community feels; what vision does the city share for the future. And, what does it take for me to feel at home in a new place?
I've always lived close to my immediate family. This is the flip side to my post yesterday - I want to experience how it feels to be removed from my family and loved ones. What does it feel like to be a long way away when they are sick/hurting and celebrating/joyous. This might sound crazy but it's something I'm interested in experiencing.
In addition to moving to a new place I'm also starting a new chapter in my career. By founding Gottschalk Technologies, Inc I'm going to be learning and growing as a business person and professional in ways I can't begin to imagine. I feel that by combining this new buisness venture with living in a new community will provide the right kind of stimulus and freedom to break new ground and learn as quickly as possible. I feel kind of stale in Minneapolis in terms of my professional growth. When I'm in Seattle I feel fresh and new.
I've gotten to know Minnesota and the surrounding communities VERY well in the time I've lived here. For the last few years I've found myself yearning to have a new home base to explore from. Living in Seattle will provide a fantastic opportunity to explore and see and experince new places and things on a daily/weekly basis. This includes neighborhoods, restaurants, theaters, clubs, museums, day trips, bike routes, races, weekend trips, backpacking, the ocean, the parks and a whole bunch of other things.

I'm also VERY interested to hear from the rest of you about your experiences moving to a new location or how it feels to anticipate an upcoming move. Please share your thoughts, feelings and experiences in comments!

Gratitude-A-Day September 5, 2008

2008-09-05T07:37:00.003-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for family. On the eve of the next step in our move to Seattle I'm very aware of my feelings of sadness about being further away from my now larger family in Minneapolis. We made our decision to move several months ago (tomorrow I'll write more about my reasons for that decision) and, at that time, I knew there would be a day that such feelings would be present and strong. But, like feelings surrounding all transitions in life, I've come to learn that given a bit of time I'll adjust to the new situation and feel strong, connected and happy. I'm looking forward to the next chance to give everyone a big hug and catch up in person. I know we'll stay in touch before then and the quality of time together will be that much more valuable, special and memorable.

Gratitude-A-Day September 4, 2008

2008-09-04T09:29:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for friends. I had breakfast with a good friend this morning and the conversation we had was invigorating and refreshing. We are both going through a lot of change in our lives right now and were able to listen to and hear each other in a way that was uniquely valuable.

Gratitude-A-Day September 3, 2008

2008-09-03T08:54:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for great sleeping weather. Yesterday the weather dried out and cooled off. We got out our blankets for the first time since May and it was nice to snuggle in a warm bed on the first cool evening of late summer.

Gratitude-A-Day September 2, 2008

2008-09-02T07:50:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for rain. It's gotten really muggy here in Minneapolis on the first two days of September and the air quality has gotten pretty bad as well. See the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Air Quality website for the current air quality readings which this morning were sitting about about 90. A pressure front is supposed to come through town later this morning and bring rain with it lowering the dew point and cleaning up the air. It'll be a nice change tomorrow!

Gratitude-A-Day September 1, 2008

2008-09-01T10:46:00.002-05:00

First day of September always feels like the first day of fall to me. To mark this passing of time I've decided to restart the Gratitude-A-Day posts that I was doing over a year ago. So...

Today, I'm grateful for libraries. I'm trying to save money these days as we are in the process of moving to Seattle and the library has turned out to be a great way to save a few $. When I hear of a book that is of interest to me I just go to my library's web site and request the item. Sometimes it's available right away, other times it takes months. I kind of like it when it takes time because it feels like a gift when I get the email saying "the book you reserved is ready to be picked up...". And then I get to review the book in greater detail before deciding if it's a Buy, Skim and Return, Return right away. This way I only end up owning the books I really want and get to see a lot more content without spending the $.

Gratitude-A-Day March 26, 2007

2007-03-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for the internet. In the last 24 hours I've had a couple of experiences that have demonstrated the power of the internet to make something that would have been very difficult or clumsy into a simple task. I really can't imagine how day-to-day life would work
without it.

Gratitude-A-Day March 23, 2007

2007-03-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for the return of the birds in the spring. I was struck by the sound of their songs this morning when I walked out the door. There presence makes the morning so much more dynamic. A month ago it was the sound of cold snow under foot. I like the change.

Gratitude-A-Day March 20, 2007

2007-03-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for having fun at work. The last few days at work have been a real pleasure which isn't always the case. It's not the case often enough that it stands out when it is this way.

Gratitude-A-Day March 17, 2007

2007-03-17T14:16:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for already knowing how to solve a computer problem that has resurfaced. A couple of weeks ago my windows XP laptop wouldn't start up after upgrading some software. I spent 3 days and some very stressful time trying to fix it. I eventually figured out the solution. This morning the problem is back. But this time I know the fix. The second time through these things is so much easier and I've grateful for that right now.

Gratitude-A-Day March 14, 2007

2007-03-14T16:28:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm grateful for the arrival of spring. OK, I know it's supposed to snow again tomorrow but it was so nice yesterday to have temps in the mid 60s. It's been a long time since I've felt that kind of sunshine on my skin as I didn't take a vacation this winter.

Gratitude-A-Day March 5, 2007

2007-03-05T07:43:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the early morning hours. I got up a bit earlier this morning to start my day and week and it's feels good. I love those early morning hours when my thinking is clear and the world seems fresh and full of possibility.

Gratitude-A-Day March 2, 2007

2007-03-02T17:41:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for flexibility. I had a meeting yesterday at 4 PM that got rescheduled to this morning at 6:30 AM. I was able to attend from home, using an online meeting, and it went great. Usually I don't like these kinds of early morning things but today I was grateful that the technology available allowed the flexibility in planning and execution.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 27, 2007

2007-02-27T12:59:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for my family. We had a fun family gathering on Sunday evening for dinner and to celebrate my Dad's birthday. It was a lot of fun and a good reminder of how much I appreciate them.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 24, 2007

2007-02-24T08:35:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the anticipation of a big snow storm. We're supposed to be getting whopper of a storm in the Twin Cities this weekend and it's been fun to watch people scurry around in preparation. Now we just need the storm!

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 21, 2007

2007-02-21T11:37:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the touch of spring weather we've had the last couple of days. After the deep freeze of the last month 40 degrees and sunny feels so great!

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 18, 2007

2007-02-18T08:54:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for patience and the internet. On Thursday afternoon a laptop I use for work crashed and I didn't discover the severity of the problem until Friday AM. I spent most of Friday afternoon trying to recover the system, most of Friday night stressing about my lack of success and what I would have to do, most of Saturday rearranging my life so that I could work on this problem and start to figure out what I would do if I couldn't recover the computer, and then Sunday morning I fixed it!

Without patience and very generous people on the internet I wouldn't have been able to accomplish this task. I'm very grateful for all of these people even most of them will never even know that the information they shared was what I needed.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 15, 2007

2007-02-15T08:52:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for making change in my life. A couple of days ago I woke up in a bad mood. I realized what was behind that mood - frustration with myself for not following through on commitments I've made - and have put a plan into action to change. It feels good to understand the source of these feelings, create a plan and start working the plan.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 12, 2007

2007-02-12T09:08:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for having the opportunity to improve my mode. I've woken up in a bad mood today. This is pretty unusual for me and makes it all the more powerful. What I'm grateful for right now is that I know I'm the one that has the power to change my current mind state and I'm glad that power is mine and that I'm not dependent on someone else to make it all better.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 5, 2007

2007-02-05T11:21:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a warm home. This cold snap we've been having reminds me of how dependent I am on technology such as indoor heating and, heating fuel/natural gas and double pane windows.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 3, 2007

2007-02-03T07:05:00.000-06:00

I'm changing my strategy for my Gratitude-A-Day posts. I've decided to change my priorities a bit and although this exercise doesn't take a lot of time each day it's adding to my cumulative stress. So, I'm going to post a Gratitude-A-Day every 3-4 days rather than every day.

Abundance and Scarcity

2007-02-02T10:39:00.000-06:00

When resources (whatever resources are involved in the discussion – can be people, food, time, money, natural resources, territory, prestige, pride, …) are abundant there is less pressure on the parties involved in determining a course of action and therefore opportunities for compromise and “win-win” solutions are more readily available. When resources are scarce it is less likely that “true win-win” solutions are easily agreed upon. Often one or more parties feels like they are getting short-changed in these situations and they will “fight back” in some way or another.

Appropriate Actions – Unspoken Assumptions, Beliefs about “what is right” & Goals

2007-02-02T10:38:00.000-06:00

It is not possible for a group of people to agree on a set of actions that should be taken in response to circumstances unless there is agreement on the assumptions, beliefs about “what is right” and ultimate goals. If there is fundamental disagreement between groups or individuals about any of these things then there are two possible outcomes. One is that one party will dominate (either physically, emotionally or due to the structure of relationships/authority) and the second outcome is that there will be direct conflict leading to a new structure of authority. This conflict can be physical (war and fighting), emotional (oppression, ridicule), financial (sanctions, boycotting) or legal (lawsuits, elections). The party that wins in this conflict has the opportunity to initiate their preferred agenda and set of actions.

All to often in communication between parties we do not take the time to understand the unspoken assumptions, beliefs and goals of all participants. We like to jump directly to the discussion of goals and then apply arguments that make sense based on our own unique set of assumptions, beliefs and goals. A good example is global warming. For the sake of argument I’ll discuss this issue in simple terms of two different parties. The first party is represented by people that believe that global warming due to human activity is a bad thing. The second group is represented by people that either are not willing to acknowledge that change is occurring or that if it is occurring it isn’t really that bad of a change. “What’s wrong with winters being a few degrees warmer?” is a common question from this second group. At this point in the debate it is often the first group that will make suggestions for actions that will prevent the continued trend or will potentially reverse the trend. The second group, coming from a completely different set of beliefs, assumptions and goals, does not agree on the course of action and therefore tries to erect road-blocks to prevent any action.

The only way around this dead-end is to initiate a conversation that goes to the root assumptions, beliefs and goals of the parties involved. It may be that there is substantial common ground among the parties involved so that a common set of actions can be developed that fits for all parties. It may not be possible.

What do you do when it isn’t possible? War, unilateral action…

Often the most confusing situations arise when all parties involved assume that they are operating with the same set of assumptions, goals and beliefs. It may be that there is common agreement on the high-level goals, assumptions and beliefs but there are radically different “secondary” goals, beliefs or assumptions at work.

Any time that you find yourself in a situation where there is confusion regarding suggestions for actions it is a good idea to step back and identify the goal, belief or assumption that is behind the action. You may discover that the source of the confusion is a difference at this level.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 2, 2007

2007-02-02T08:11:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for taking things head on. When something is bothering me I'm much happier when I address it directly. I don't always do this but when I do I'm grateful for doing so.

Gratitude-A-Day Feb 1, 2007

2007-02-01T09:13:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for my triathlon coach. I hired him about 4 weeks ago and having a coach has made a huge difference in my training and motivation.

Guy Kawasaki in Minneapolis

2007-01-31T16:30:00.000-06:00

I went to see Guy Kawasaki speak at the University of Minnesota a couple of weeks ago on January 19, 2007. I wasn't able to get a seat in the main auditorium at the McNamara Alumni Center but I was able to see a simulcast of his presentation at the 3M Auditorium at the Carlson School of Management. I decided to post my notes from the talk here as a way of keeping track of them for myself and I figured that a few other people out there might be interested. I haven't taken the time to edit these notes carefully but you should be able to get the main points.

Sponsors:

Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota Venture Center
Haberman and Associates
James J Hill Library
STWA Ventures

“The Art of the Start”

Apple 1983-1987, software evangelist.

Started Several Software Companies

Returned to Apple

Now a Venture Capitalist

Learned that most high-tech CEOs suck as speakers

They have no concept of time – start late, go long.

Top 10 format for speeches:

Make Meaning

What is the reason a startup should start? To make meaning. To change the world. If you start off this way you will also make money. If you start with “lets make money” you will attract the worst kinds of people. MBAs, Investment Bankers, etc.
You will be acquired, go public, or die. Those are the only three choices.

Make a Mantra

Don’t make a mission statement. Use a mantra instead.
Mission statements are “BS.” They’re too long and don’t get to the core essence of the company.
A mantra should be 2-3 words. Wendy’s - “Healthy Fast Food”, FedEx - “Peace of Mind”, Nike – “Authentic Athletic Performance”, Target - “Democratize Design”.
The test for the mantra is that everyone in the company can repeat it.
Dilbert Mission Statement Generator website.
Use a mantra to get to the point where you need a mission statement.

Get Going

Don’t try to be perfect.
Think Different – product or service that I would like to use.
Polarize People – don’t intentionally piss people off but don’t be afraid to polarize people.
Find a few soul mates – the concept of people doing it by themselves is not accurate. Find a team of people that balance each other off. Three is the perfect number.

Define a Business Model

Five years ago you didn’t need a business model. Now you do.
There are examples of companies that don’t have business models that are successful but these are the exception.
Be Specific. Who is my customer? How do I get my money out of her purse?
Keep it simple. The business model is not the place to innovate. The product is the place to innovate.
Ask Women about the idea and business model. Men have a fundamental flaw in that they want kill things. One of the places where this desire to kill things is that it’s OK for men to kill another company, product or service. Women don’t have this flaw.

Weave a MAT (milestones, assumptions, tasks). Starting a new company is a blank slate. You need to:

Establish milestones. Finish design, ship product. Big things!
Assumptions of business model. What things are you assuming about your business model? How may calls can you make a day? How many new customers can you contact a day? Then test them.
Task. Tasks are things that allow you to accomplish a milstone or test an assumption. These are the smaller things.

Niche thyself

Chart.
X-axis: Value of things to customer
Y-axis: Ability oto provide unique product or service
Upper right corner is the goal.
Lower right – price
Upper left – stupid
Lower left – Dotcom (stupid and no value)
Upper right – this is where to be. Only we can make it and has high value. Just like our president – “high and to the right”.

Follow the 10/20/30 rule of pitching

10 Slides – Power Point
1. Title
2. Problem
3. Solution
4. Business mode
5. Underlying magic
6. Marketing and sales
7. Competition
8. Team
9. Projections
10. Status and Timelines
Delivered in 20 minutes. You may have 1 Hour but you should be able to pitch in 20. Remaining time for Q & A.

30 point font. Not 20, 14, or 12. Fid out who the oldest person in the audience is and take their age and divide by 2.
Hire Infected People

You should hire people who are infected with a love of what you do. They might not have a perfect background but that isn’t as important as loving what you do.
Ignore the irrelevant. Does the person “get it” – what you doing? If yes, then go for it. If not, then pass by them.
Hire better than yourself. If you don’t this is called the “bozo explosion.”
Apply the shopping center test. Go to the mall and if you see someone that you’re interviewing that you really like. You have a couple of choices. 1) rush up to them enthusiastically and say hello, 2) Avoid them but don’t leave. 3) get out of there. If you’re not compelled to do #1 then don’t hire the person.

Lower the barriers to adoption

Flatten the learning curve.
Never ask people to do something that you wouldn’t.
Embrace your evangelists. These people want to help you because it will make the world a better place.

Seed the clouds

How do you get sales? Sales fixes everything.
Let a hundred flowers blossom. You might not know exactly who your customer will be. If this happens, non-targeted people start buying, first thing to do is take the money. Then figure out why they’re buying.
Enable Test Drives. Allow people to use the product.
Find the True Influencers. This not always the CXO level of an organization. Find the mid-level people who are the true influencers.

Don’t let the Bozos Grind you down.

The dangerous bozos are the ones that look “like they know what they’re talking about.” Don’t let these people be overly-influential in your thinking.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 31, 2007

2007-01-31T08:39:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for waking up on time. That didn't happen today. Slept right through the alarm or never set it last night. Not sure which, but either way it makes me grateful for the days when that doesn't happen!

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 30, 2007

2007-01-30T05:52:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for insight into things that are bothering me. Yesterday I took some time to identify where some stress was coming from and put an action plan in place to make some changes.

FizzBuss for Programmers

2007-01-29T07:47:00.000-06:00

I read this post about a FizzBuzz test for programmers (which I was pointed to by Joel's Reddit page) and decided to give it a go. I like doing exercises like these for fun of them and because I’ve been “promoted” in my career to the point where I don’t get to write much code on the job. Doing exercises like these keeps the mind fresh and allows me to remember what it’s like to write code. Probably took about 5 minutes but that’s because I never try to remember syntax. I just look it up when I need it.

var output = "";

for( var i = 1; i < 101; i++ ){
if (i == 1){ output = output + i; }
else if ( i % 3 == 0 && i % 5 == 0){ output = output + ", FizzBuzz"; }
else if ( i % 3 == 0){ output = output + ", Fizz"; }
else if ( i % 5 == 0 ){ output = output + ", Buzz"; }
else { output = output + ", " + i; }
}

alert(output);

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 29, 2007

2007-01-29T05:51:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for going to bed early. One of the most pleasant experiences is going to bed early. It feels luxurious, relaxing and restful. It also makes it easy to get up early - something I love doing.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 28, 2007

2007-01-28T10:04:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for...
I'm having a tough time with this today. Usually it's pretty easy for me to figure out what I'm feeling grateful for but today I'm having a hard time identifying something specific. I feel grateful, I just can't isolate one tangible thing. So I guess, today, I'm grateful for general gratefulness. That sounds kind of silly to me, almost like a cop-out, but it's my experience today.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 27, 2007

2007-01-27T10:04:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a break from the stress of the project that I've been carrying with me each of the last 7-8 weekends.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 26, 2007

2007-01-26T10:47:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. I saw this last night - kind of by accident - and loved it. This movie touched me on a number of levels including Chris Gardner's struggle to care for his son and the impact of becoming homeless. Two things I've never experienced personally but this film provided me a sense of the struggle that is all too common.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 25, 2007

2007-01-25T09:31:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for optimism. I hosted a monthly breakfast gathering this morning and the question I posed to the group was "What are you optimistic about?" I'm not big on New Year's resolutions but I enjoy taking time at the start of the new year to ponder a question. We didn't talk all that much about this question but asking it got me thinking and has put me in a good frame of mind.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 24, 2007

2007-01-24T08:17:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for luck. A little of it never hurts.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 23, 2007

2007-01-23T07:07:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for restful sleep. This might be a repeat but the last two nights I've slept very well and it makes such a big difference in my day to have a good night's sleep.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 22, 2007

2007-01-22T08:07:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for motivation. The urge to do something can come in many forms and I'm in the middle of a wave of it for a specific project. I was wondering when and how it was going to kick in this time and it arrived yesterday afternoon like a wave. I'm glad it did.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 21, 2007

2007-01-21T09:47:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a fresh coat of snow. At this time of year the snow can start to look pretty dirty. A fresh inch or two every few days keeps things looking nice. Today, we're getting that new cover.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 20, 2007

2007-01-20T09:26:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a gorgeous winter morning. It's bright, sunny and crisp. I love these winter mornings.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 19, 2007

2007-01-18T08:17:00.001-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for sleep. I've been running a little empty the last few days and this morning I was able to sleep in a bit more. I'm also cutting my schedule back today to lighten things up a bit. I'm hoping that puts the spring back in my step.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 18, 2007

2007-01-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for mindfulness practice. The class I mentioned a couple of days ago has had the expected effect of spurring me to practice on a more regular basis and has also introduced a new element to my mindfulness practice which I really enjoy. This new element is mindfulness of feeling states when a thought comes up - pleasant, unpleasant or neither pleasant or unpleasant. This is tricky to learn to start to incorporating into my practice but I'm learning a lot from the process and what it's illuminating for me.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 17, 2007

2007-01-17T07:16:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for being re-inspired in my interest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technology. I'm spending the day at the Local Energy / Local Opportunities:
The Second Clean Energy Resource Teams Conference in St Cloud Minnesota. The last few months I've been busy working on lots of other things and I'd kind of lost track of this thread in my life. It's great to reconnect!

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 16, 2007

2007-01-16T08:47:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the opportunity to participate in a class on Mindfulness of Feelings that started last night. I take a class like this about once a year and this one started last night.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 15, 2007

2007-01-15T09:02:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a new way of understanding long established behavior patterns. Every once in a while a new idea comes along that helps me understand myself better and yesterday provided one of these moments in the form of the book The Two-Step: The Dance Toward Intimacy. Of course the ideas in this book aren't the answer to everything but they provide a new thread of understanding.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 14, 2007

2007-01-14T09:36:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the potential for a nice snow fall this evening. It's been a very warm and brown winter and I'm hopeful that we might see some good snow this winter.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 13, 2007

2007-01-13T12:37:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a full day ahead of me. Not sure what I'm going to do with it but I'm happy that I can make it my own.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 12, 2007

2007-01-12T07:33:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for learning and the clarity that can come from new understanding. Now the trick is going to be putting that new clarity into action on a regular basis.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 11, 2007

2007-01-11T10:45:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a different start to my day. I was at Al's breakfast in Minneapolis when they opened at 6 AM this morning and now I'm next door at Espresso Royal to get my day started. This is very different from my normal morning routine and it's a fun change.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 10, 2007

2007-01-10T08:58:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the future. I've been planning for and thinking about the future and I'm feeling optimistic about it.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 9, 2007

2007-01-09T09:13:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for great conversations. I had one last night and another this morning. Both touched me deeply and provide motivation to be the best person I can be and to not accept an average life.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 8, 2007

2007-01-08T16:52:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a good night's sleep. I had a wonderful and intense weekend. Sleeping well on Sunday night was the perfect way to cap off the weekend and I'm in a fantastic mood this morning.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 7, 2007

2007-01-07T11:51:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for so many things - it's been an incredible 24-36 hours. Far too many to list out so I'm going to pick just one. Today, I'm grateful for the gift my mom gave me this afternoon - "Go for it!" This is the best gift I've ever received from her and it will continue to unfold throughout my life as long as I draw breath. Additionally, as a recipient of this gift, I'm now empowered to pass it along, which I look forward to doing someday.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 6, 2007

2007-01-06T08:23:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a strong feeling of excitement and optimism about the future. Lot's of different things are contributing to this feeling today. I'm not going to list them out here but each of these by themselves would put a smile on my face. In this case the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 5, 2007

2007-01-05T09:19:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for being able to learn and change. This is something that I experience in many areas of my life but I had a specific experience with swimming over the last few days that has highlighted the joy I find in learning something new.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 4, 2007

2007-01-04T09:18:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for dancing. Last night I touched the joy that comes from dancing and was reminded why I sometimes go out even when I know "I shouldn't."

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 3, 2007

2007-01-03T08:59:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the combination of dynamic conversation and great food.
Great food seems to lead to more interesting conversation and as the conversation gets more dynamic the food just keeps tasting better.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 2, 2007

2007-01-02T11:21:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for taking action in the face of my fears. The pattern is that the most difficult, challenging, and scary things are often the most rewarding. I'm not much for New Year's resolutions but this pattern has been top of mind as the new year started and is something I intend to continue to explore.

Gratitude-A-Day Jan 1, 2007

2007-01-01T08:40:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for a great start to the new year.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 31, 2006

2006-12-31T09:40:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for fun. Simple as that.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 30, 2006

2006-12-30T07:49:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for self awareness and the opportunity for reflection. This last week has been emotionally exhausting and I'm planning to spend some time today reflecting on the source of these feelings.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 29, 2006

2006-12-29T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for productive days. I got a lot accomplished yesterday and that pile of work that was looming yesterday feels much more manageable today.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 28, 2006

2006-12-28T07:10:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for self-determination - at least to some extent. I have a pile of work I'm facing and I'm glad that I have the opportunity to determine how to approach it rather than having it dictated to me how I should do things.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 27, 2006

2006-12-27T07:17:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for generosity from others. Generosity helps to soften my perception of the sharp edges that can, at times, seem to dominate the world.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 26, 2006

2006-12-26T09:38:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for having an opportunity to be gracious. I'm not going to explain the details about this but it feels good and I know is the right thing to do.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 25, 2006

2006-12-25T09:14:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for being alive. This sounds a little simple to my ear but it's how I'm feeling this morning.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 24, 2006

2006-12-24T09:44:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for wonderful friends. I've been around a number of people that a really care for over the last week and I feel fortunate to have such a wonderful group of people around me. For me this is the holiday spirit.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 23, 2006

2006-12-23T08:25:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for rhymes. I like word play, though I'm not very good at it. I just heard the song "Bullet" by Rhymefest and realized I was grateful for the wordplay in songs and poetry.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 22, 2006

2006-12-22T08:06:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for my physical therapist and the gift she has given me this holiday season of being able to ride, run and hopefully race - really race - again next season. This is such a big thing - it's hard for me to contain my excitement!

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 21, 2006

2006-12-21T07:55:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the inspiration and motivation that comes from having something new emerge in my life.

Altar Boyz

2006-12-20T08:27:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I alluded to receiving an offer for free tickets to a show. The show was last night and it was Altar Boyz. It's a spoof on boy bands (think NSYNC, or the Backstreet Boys) as well as the trend in evangelical churches toward the inclusion of pop music and youth culture in their salvation campaigns.

I'm not a theater reviewer, a huge fan of boy bands or a deep well of knowledge about saving souls but here are a couple of thoughts:

The singing was great. I guess I was a bit surprised by the quality of the performances. At times they really drew me in and I could feel the power of their performance.
Of the five guys on stage Mark stole the show. His "attention to detail" came through in everything he did and provided never ending entertainment. Abraham's character kept growing throughout the performance and came in a close second to Mark who started off strong and finished just as strong.
The dancing and choreography was excellent. As an amateur dancer I was fascinated by some of their hip-hop moves.
Best song of the show - "Something About You" If you see the show you'll understand what I'm talking about!
The show left a lot of room for interpretation. Was this a spoof or was it a subtle way to save more souls? I'd be really interested to know how other people respond to it. Did it offend you? Make you laugh? Make you think about going to check out a mega church some day soon?
There were some really funny moments. This is a show to talk about after you leave the theater and laugh at some of the jokes again a second or third time. If you decide to go make sure to go with great company, I know that put a shine on the experience for me.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 20, 2006

2006-12-20T08:26:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for sleep. I'm getting off to a groggy start to the day but I'm sure I'll perk up soon. The grogginess makes me really appreciate my soft warm bed and I'm already looking forward to crawling back into it this evening.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 19, 2006

2006-12-19T08:07:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for darkness. I was awake for a bit last night around 2:30 AM and it was very dark. Not quite complete darkness but by keeping my eyes closed it seemed that way. I really enjoyed this time as it forced me to tune into my other senses and experience them without the visual filter. This isn't the only time I've had this sort of experience - just the most recent.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 18, 2006

2006-12-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for kind people. I had a really nice experience last night and it was the result of the kindness of a number of people.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 17, 2006

2006-12-17T11:44:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for my neighborhood. I love all the different energy that exists just within a few blocks of home. I went to a couple of different areas of the city recently and it allowed me to realize how great my neighborhood is.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 16, 2006

2006-12-16T08:47:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for having a family that is open to exploring new ideas.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 15, 2006

2006-12-15T08:43:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for self-determination. Sure, in many ways the concept of self-determination is a fallacy as we're all dependent on our communities, but every day I'm discovering new ways to determine my own life course that I hadn't know were possible.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 14, 2006

2006-12-14T07:05:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for gift giving. I tend to be a bit of a humbug when it comes to giving holiday gifts. This year I'm exploring a different approach to this holiday tradition and I'm grateful for the opportunity to play in this way.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 13, 2006

2006-12-13T07:35:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for great storytelling. This time it's inspired by the film The Fountain. This film reached deep inside of me. Here is another article in Wired Magazine about the movie.
I tend to agree with the some of the comments about this movie that you will either love it or hate it - no middle ground. Problem is that I don't know if I love it but I know that I loved experiencing it. Not sure that makes sense but it's what the film did to me.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 12, 2006

2006-12-12T09:41:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the spell of warm weather we're having in mid-December. I've gotten out for a couple of nice bike rides in the last couple of days which is pretty amazing for Minnesota at this time of year.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 11, 2006

2006-12-11T09:07:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for synchronicity in my work life.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 10, 2006

2006-12-10T10:55:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the combination of patience and learning. These go together in a special way. It's very difficult for me to rush real learning. Some people seem to be specialized at cramming (for a test, project at work, learning a new skill) but that just doesn't work for me. A little bit every day really adds up to something special for me.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 9, 2006

2006-12-09T13:42:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for being able to sleep in. I was up late last night and slept in longer than I think I have for years.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 8, 2006

2006-12-08T13:31:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for sunny winter days. The crisp sunshine puts a smile on my face.

I need to admit that this morning when I was trying to figure out what to write for the Gratitude-A-Day post I drew a complete blank. Over the two months I've been doing this activity today is the first time that has happened. It was an empty and discouraging feeling to not feel grateful for anything. A couple of hours later that changed but it was still a powerful experience.

A Must Read For Anyone Interested in Innovation

2006-12-07T11:16:00.000-06:00

I picked this one up from Joel Splosky's Reddit page. If you're interested in innovation, particularly within large companies, this is a must read.

Engineering Management Hacks: "Extraordinary contempt and defiance beyond the normal call of engineering duty"

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 7, 2006

2006-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for my new physical therapist. My knee has been bothering me for about 1.5 years and I believe that this new person I'm working with might be getting me on the right track to a solution. This is a huge emotional lift to feel like I might be able to get back on the bike, x-country skis, and maybe even running again.

Or maybe...

2006-12-06T12:25:00.000-06:00

I just realized that the blogger swag might not be for this blog. I contribute to a couple of other community blogs and maybe it's for one of those. I'll probably never know for sure so I'm just going to pretend that it's for this one.

An Important Milestone In The Life of a Blogger

2006-12-06T12:20:00.000-06:00

I guess I've reached some sort of level of exposure through this blog as I received my first offer for blogger swag yesterday. Here is a short excerpt of the email that I received:

I am the marketing director for ______, producer of the hit off-broadway show ________. _____ is a fan of your blog and would love for you to come see ____________ in Minneapolis at the __________ Theatre.

I'm not going to tell who this was from yet but watch for an honest review of the event on these pages in the near future.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 6, 2006

2006-12-06T08:05:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for music. Specifically, music that has the power to evoke emotions. Last night while I was ending my day I listened to one of my favorite classical pieces - Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3. This music seems to always take me through a range of emotions and I'm always amazed by the dynamics of the piano. I've seen this concerto performed live one time and it was amazing to watch the pianist's fingers fly across the keyboard. Each time I hear it now I imagine sitting stage right so I can see these fingers at work.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 5, 2006

2006-12-05T07:31:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the healing touch effect of close embrace dance position in Argentine Tango.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 4, 2006

2006-12-04T10:49:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the environmental leadership that seems to keep coming out of Wal-Mart. Yes, you read that correctly, Wal-Mart. Read this to find out more about what I'm talking about. Each time a new bit of news comes out of Bentonville on this subject it gets a little more impressive.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 3, 2006

2006-12-03T15:16:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for courage. Courage is expressed by people in so many ways most of which are never acknowledged by anyone else. So here is one big blanket Thank You to anyone who has silently shown courage to do what they believe is right.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 2, 2006

2006-12-02T10:02:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for my dad. We had a great conversation over breakfast this morning and I'm thankful that he is my father.

Gratitude-A-Day Dec 1, 2006

2006-12-01T11:11:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for radio with soul and passion. I'm speaking of The Current from Minnesota Public Radio.

Gratitude-A-Day Nov 30, 2006

2006-11-30T09:06:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for the nights I get enough sleep. Last night wasn't one of them and I'm dragging a bit and it's only 11 AM.

Million Dollar Baby

2006-11-29T20:13:00.000-06:00

I just watched the movie Million Dollar Baby this last weekend. I remember when it won an Academy Award I was pretty surprised because it's a boxing movie. Isn't it? Well, I won't give it away but in my opinion this movie is about so much more than boxing. Boxing provides the foundation for a story that reaches deep inside some of the most difficult decisions that we have to make in life. If you haven't seen it I would recommend it but be ready to stretch your emotions.

Gratitude-A-Day Nov 29, 2006

2006-11-29T06:46:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for central heating. Winter is arriving today in Minneapolis. Up to this point it has seemed like a warm November to me but today is the first cold day.

Gratitude-A-Day Nov 28, 2006

2006-11-28T09:05:00.000-06:00

Today, I'm grateful for having the courage to ask for what I want.