How can we bottle it up and keep it forever?! As summer winds down to a close, many parents have sent their kids off to school for the first time, twelfth time, or twentieth time. As the first day of school approaches, it is one of those that comes with mixed emotions in my house. On one hand, the start of school signifies the end of summertime, less flexibility with our schedule and the impending drop in the temperature. On the other hand, we are excited to see the girls back into the rhythm of school, sports and a more regular sleep schedule! No matter what my wife and I think, schools back and my daughters are pumped! They are at the stage where they could hardly sleep as they counted down the days to get back to school. The anticipation of seeing their friends and teachers were almost more than they can handle. The build-up to the first day of school has carried so much excitement that my wife and I are bought in for the first day of school pictures and drop-off. As much as we look forward to this each year now, the first day of kindergarten was likely an unmatched morning of emotions that I wish I could have bottled up forever. I remember the morning clear as day. As I peaked my head into my daughters’ rooms to wake her up, I was met with a WIDE-EYED girl who was grinning from cheek to cheek seemingly ready to burst with excitement. Not being able to control the volume of her voice, Harper all but screamed, “Is it morning time yet?”. Before I had a chance to answer, she had jumped out of bed to put on her first day of school outfit as quickly as she could so she could be the FIRST one to school! I have been blessed to be able to experience nearly that identical situation with BOTH of my daughters. As I’m reluctantly embracing the fact that I don’t have the power to make Groundhog Day (1993 movie) a reality, I figured I would find ways to embrace and recreate these moments as often as I can.
Here are a few of the main things I took away from sending my girls off to school:
- Embrace the moment– I have a tough time fully embracing the moments as my mind often wanders to “what’s next?”. It may sound silly, but I have been working on telling myself, sometimes audibly, to “be fully present!” Whatever your strategy, I would encourage you to find a way to stay present in the moment.
- Take a mental snapshot- Similarly to embracing the moment, this is advice my wife and I received right before we took our vows. Our pastor stopped dead in his tracks, took a step back and encouraged us to take mental pictures of the moment. To this day, 16 years later, I can recall the looks on peoples’ faces, exactly how I was feeling in that moment and the overall feeling of gratitude of the moment.
- Create these moments continually– It’s not likely you are going to be able to replicate the feeling you had on the first day of kindergarten. However, find something that excites you, and maybe scares you a little. If it fits within who you are, or who you seek to become, find a way to make it happen. These don’t have to be big things, but things that excite and challenge you in a quest to live the life you were meant to have.
BOOK CLUB:
John Maxwell is a favorite author of mine so when I saw he had a new book out, High Road Leadership, I was excited to read it with you all. For me, Maxwell does a great job of making complex matters, simple and gives me some clear things I can implement into my daily work or personal habits to make a big impact. Here are some of my favorite takeaways:
- Lead ALL PEOPLE with no strings attached- Look to bring more value to others without expecting anything in return. By taking out any of the thoughts, or expectations, of getting something in return, you will be at peace no matter the outcome.
- Include others in the process- When you don’t include your leaders in the decision-making process, you will create leaders who aren’t able to think for themselves so will learn to rely on you to tell them what to do after they have completed the last task. By including others in the process, you will be able to help multiple perspectives and teach others how to effectively lead and teach others to grow with you.
- What did you learn? What did you love?- I have been journaling for several years and have changed my approach to include answering these two questions every night before I go to bed. It has been a fun/challenging thing to do depending on how the day has gone. I believe there are several moments throughout the day we can learn something from so this exercise has been a fun addition to my nightly routine!
NEXT MONTH’S BOOK:
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg
POSITIVE THOUGHT:
“A high work ethic and a good attitude puts you in places where good luck can find you.” Allistair McCaw
– Nick Ovenden