How are you thankful for the mundane?

By definition, the mundane is, well, ordinary and non-spectacular.

Meeting the President, securing a round of seed funding, watching your child take her first steps or receiving a diploma live up to the title of milestones or "once in a lifetime" events.

Even though I have Facebook and Instagram accounts with pretty pictures, I don't live the life of the rich and famous. The mundane is where we spend the majority of our time. No matter how much time we spend posing for a picture or capturing our lunch in a photograph, the ordinary is waiting for our return.

Our modern world rejects the common or at least tries to make it glamorous. My spell checker is flagging the use of "common" in the last sentence because it is overused and recommending other words that reflect an expansive vocabulary.

This is equivalent to waiting for the afternoon sunlight to touch the cheese and Wonderbread sandwich just right, before taking a picture to post on social media. 800,000 photos in an archive and nothing comes up when I search for "mundane," it ain't sexy.

We must capitalize on the massive block of time that comprises the minutes between birth and death. Thankfulness can transform the moments waiting to be picked up from school, cleaning the bathroom, cooking another dinner, or waiting in traffic (grrrrr).

Being caught in traffic on my way to the office means I have a job. Picking up blocks for the umpteenth time reminds me of the children in the next room. Arguing with dad about politics reveals that he is still alive. Paying the insurance bill indicates that I will get care to address a catastrophic diagnosis.

The thankfulness list is endless when given the time to adjust our perspective. When the first list is exhausted, comparing our lives to those who live in impoverished or war-torn nations or our list is exponential.

Let's rethink and recognize the blessings of the mundane. These moments are added up to equal a lifetime, and for that, we can be thankful.

Going Futher: How have you taken the mundane things in your life for granted? How can you embrace the mundane? How would this change impact your daily outlook?

Photo credit: My dishwasher rejects the label of mundane. It is working a rebranding strategy and available for photo shoots as a sexy dishwasher. DM for details.

Spell checker disclaimer: I love my spell checker, it continues to help me produce a better product for your consumption. As a result, we are all thankful to Grammarly.com. Thanks, guys!

How do you express thankfulness?

All action movies end in the same way. The heroine is smudged with black soot in just the right places, clothing is shredded enough to show sexy abs, and the high heels are long gone. The hero emerges from the wreckage with either alien blood or the villain's blood mingled with his own and arrives at his lover's side in time to see the sun setting on a world unforeseen.

The characters overflow with gratitude to be alive and relieved Earth's destruction is averted for another day. These two emotions, gratitude, and relief comprise thankfulness. The hero's journey provides the perfect outline for you and me to identify where we most encounter thankfulness.

The heroine gives the hero a kiss (gratitude) for saving her life (relief). The hero shakes the police chief's hand (gratitude) for the backup at the critical moment to avert his untimely death (relief).

How do you express thankfulness?

This is tricky since we have to provide the second component, relief. Most often, I only deliver on the gratitude. If I want to express thankfulness to my wife for dinner, I need to nail both elements.

Thankfulness would look something like, "Thank-you for dinner, the flavors worked well together, and without it, I would have made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or gone to bed hungry. In either case, my growling stomach would have kept us both up and woken the boogie man under the bed." (Refer to the hero's journey above)

Thankfulness becomes a much richer experience for both parties when fully expressed. This exchange becomes a chance to talk about the impact of what could have happened if the intervention did not occur.

The expression of thankfulness around the Thanksgiving table becomes more intimate as family and friends share the often overlooked 'relief' component, for others to appreciate.

The good news is that this expression is not limited to one day out of the year. Every day we will encounter those that deserve our thankfulness all it takes is paying attention to the acts of kindness that occur each day.

Going Further: Do you include both components when expressing thankfulness? What response do you receive when expressing thankfulness? How do you feel and what do you think when someone thanking you cites specific actions and how it has impacted their life? How can you improve your thankfulness game?

How do you honor Veterans?

The flag memorialized my grandfather's military service and draped his casket. I wore the patch early in my Navy career and found it with my father's tie clasps after his death. The pin honors my qualification in the submarine service, the proudest moment in my career. I wore the hat while stationed onboard the USS Alexandria (SSN-757) submarine.

I shipped out to boot camp in Great Lakes, Michigan on December 7th, 1988. 47 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Marching through the Michigan winter to chow, and the intense smell of moth balls embedded in our uniforms are memories that have stuck.

One early morning, I stood lookout on top of the submarine as we were returning to port in Groton, Connecticut. It was a crisp morning, the seas were calm, and the predawn was stunning. The massive warship rumbled at our feet, effortlessly parting the surface of Long Island Sound over the bow. This perch was a magical vantage point to greet the day.

A few short hours later I sat in my car and waited for the red light to turn green. As I watched people going about their daily routines, I realized, no one else started their day, the same way I did.

During Desert Storm, I was in a shipyard helping deliver a new submarine to the Fleet. As an added perk, I met my wife, of 23 years, while in the shipyard. The Navy has been good to me and my service was far easier than others.

Today, the U.S. honors her Veterans. Memorial Day honors those who have died while serving. Veterans Day celebrates all Veterans who have served our nation. The men, women, and families that sacrifice an ordinary life to learn the art of war and ensure the horrors never reach our citizens.

Today, there is some young kid, standing lookout on the bridge of a submarine, watching the water break over the bow, and ensuring we are safe. We don't restrict our love for Mom to Mothers Day and don't need to limit our appreciation of Veteran's to a single day.

Every day is a good day to thank a Vet.

Going Further: Who are the Veteran's in your relational network? What stories have you heard? How have you expressed gratitude for their service? How do you support those that are currently serving?

What do you appreciate about politics in your country?

The USA will hold elections on Tuesday. This particular presidential election cycle has been one for the record books and will provide plenty to analyze for future changes.

The temptation is to spend our time emphasizing all that is wrong with the opposition, the country, and the political process. Push back against the temptation, cause the brain to sweat, and notice the good. This line of thought may require lubricant to get the rusted gears of our brain functioning.

The ability for each citizen to have a voice in the political process and influence the leadership of the country is a relatively new possibly. The opportunity to cast a vote per our conscious is a precious gift and must be treated as such.

Henry Ford famously quipped, "a customer can have a car painted any color he wants as long as it’s black." A choice of multiple political candidates is still a choice. The process is public, known, and anyone that desires can throw their hat in the ring to provide another choice.

I appreciate those willing to spend their lives serving constituents. Not everyone is prepared to endure the meat grinder that is the negative and media infused political process.

We, the flawed populous, have incredible freedoms protected by imperfect elected officials. This dynamic will ensure we fight for the diversity of thoughts and desires held by the people.

Internal diversity also exists. I don't see the world exactly the same today, as twenty years ago. It is good I don't get everything I want today because I won't be the same in another twenty years. Different perspectives provide space for transformation. If your positions don't grow and change over your lifetime, you have missed the point.

Going Further: How has this political season altered your view of politics? What has this season caused you to appreciate about previous elections? What political candidate do you appreciate and why?

Who taught you how to meditate?

The self-made man is a myth. No one stands alone; we all stand on the shoulders of our predecessors.

Those who are honest will gladly admit this truth. Additionally, they will be quick to point out the kindness of a mentor who used their influence to open a door, or a trainer pushing another rep out of our spent muscles. Those who have tread the path and achieved a level of success can peer into our lives and steer us clear of the dangerous chasms ahead.

During primary school, classrooms were assigned and with a bit of luck, you didn't draw the mean-old-hag that would smack your knuckles with a ruler. Evading the monotone and stubborn college professors, was the best you could request.  Upon completion of school, geography no longer constrains our options of teachers, and the Internet makes the connection that much easier.

Meditation is an intimate activity and to invite someone near to shape how to conduct the practice is an extension of a gift of trust. These teachers are distinctive and must be carefully selected. The age-old adage, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear," has proven true.

By providence, I met Pat and extended this gift of trust to learn about the Scriptures and prayer. His humble study and reflection of the Scriptures laid a foundation for me to approach my personal study. He patiently taught me how to approach a genuine prayer life informed by faith.

I met Tara Brach (@tarabrach), through the Tim Ferriss (@timferriss) podcast, and came to enjoy her online mindfulness meditation archive. I attended one of her weekly classes outside of DC and was not disappointed in the session. Tara introduced a new language to add to my vocabulary and a new way to approach the meditation practice.

Whose shoulders do you stand upon?

Charlie "Tremendous" Jones said, "You are the same today you’ll be in five years except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read." How can you trace the influence of your meditation teachers from five years ago to whom you are today? Following this heritage confirms you were right to trust these teachers, and they were worthy of your gift.

Well done, now is a good time to express your gratitude.

What is special about your local nature?

My jaw hit the floor when I saw my friends pictures of Lake Braies (#lagodibraies) in South Tyrol, Italy. The mountains are majestic. The lake is pristine, and the cabins, docks, and rustic boats make for stunning photographs.

After enjoying his family pictures, I wondered if every person that lives on the lake wakes up every morning and is awestruck by the beauty that envelops them daily. My assumption is no, we all fall into the same trap of taking the beauty around us for granted. Sometimes it takes an out-of-towner to ask about the beauty of our local area and remind us that tourists will come from all over the world to see sites we drive by every day without a thought.

I live in Montgomery County Maryland, and we have trees, lots of trees. Growing up in the Southwest, I was accustomed to seeing the horizon far off in the distance. The abundance of trees brings the horizon to either side of the road unless you are on an overpass or a hill. We enjoy the luxury of all four seasons and get enough snow to shut down the Federal Government a couple of times each winter.

Maryland doesn't have any natural lakes, only man-made reservoirs. Yep, it's true, go look it up, I'll wait. The soil is predominantly clay. The forests have a healthy mix of oak, maple, dogwood, birch, and cedar that explode in a wide array of colors each fall season. We have fireflies.

The Potomac River provides a natural border between Maryland and Virginia. The river provides an excellent place for fishing and boating; and supports a robust kayak community. Great Falls National Park lives up to its name and is a great spot for bouldering. The C&O Canal and towpath, border the Potomac and provide an easy path for running and biking. During my commute in the spring, wisteria blooms along the canal and demands I roll down the window to breathe in the fragrance.

Your turn.

Consider where you live, what nature is nearby, and what is unique about your area. Why do outdoor enthusiasts come to visit? What surprising nature fact have you learned about your current home? What are the stark differences in other places you have lived? What is one thing you appreciate about your local environment?

Give the community a chance to enjoy your local beauty and answer a question in the comments.

How has nature influenced you?

Our shelter protects us from the elements and is foundational to our basic needs. However, it is nice to know what we are protected from, in our world of lattes and air conditioning.

Tree, camel, cat, lotus, mountain, half moon and firefly are all yoga poses named after the nature outside the window. These names provide a subtle invitation to experience the reality on the other side of the glass.

Orville and Wilber Wright studied vultures to understand the concepts of lift and drag and changed the way the world travels.

Author, Janine Benyus, formalized the idea of intentionally looking to nature to solve problems in her book, Biomimicry. Now the Biomimicry Institute helps a broad range of organizations discover their needed solutions in the swamps, skies, forests, deserts, and oceans. Michael Pawlyn applied nature's solutions to the Eden Project through improved horticultural architecture, with remarkable results and recounted in his TED Talk.

The design solutions discovered in nature are straightforward and elegant. Albert Einstein stated, "the best design is the simplest one." As humans, we tend to brute force our way into a solution through more power and resources to get the desired result (thanks, Seth Godin, for pointing out the article).

AsSummer ends and the Northern Hemisphere heads into shorter days, awareness of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) start to take effect. The yearly cycle of the sun helps to regulate expectations of what is coming next.

We decorate our walls, clothes, artwork, and furniture with scenes of nature on the other side of the front door. The iceberg screen saver gives mental relief during the heat of Summer, and the pristine beach provides hope of warmer weather during the Winter deep freeze.

If we are not looking, the quiet influence will pass unnoticed and we will return to solving problems with brute force and the protection of bubble wrap. Unfortunate.