A couple days ago, I ended up getting an early flight to San Francisco because of the impending snowstorm predicted to hit Denver on Friday morning. When you travel for work and you live in Denver this is part of the gig, especially in the “spring” (heavy air quotes). I changed my flight last-minute and ended up traveling in the late afternoon on Thursday — too early for dinner at the airport, and it would be too late for food when I arrived.
So, being the strategic guy I am, I decided to pick up a few snacks.
Snack food at the airport is so disappointing; I really need to remember to pack my own. I wanted none of what I saw. But I knew I would be hungry mid-flight so I got myself a couple things. And sure enough, I felt the urge to bust out my snacks about an hour into the flight. I asked the flight attendant for a Coke, and got out my Slim Jim (probably been 25 years since I’ve eaten one of these!? I guess it’s protein…) and Almond Snickers.
By the time I got to my hotel, I was hungry again so I decided to check out the room service options. I pulled up the menu on my phone and saw a quesadilla with Oaxaca cheese… oh boy. That stuff is like eating magic, so I found myself clicking ORDER. It got delivered around 9pm, and was gone within minutes.
While I was doing these things, I thought I was making OK choices. Not amazing, but OK.
I should’ve known better.
Around 3am I was awoken by a powerful, disconcerting feeling of acid reflux. I travel with stomach meds for just this kind of occasion, so I swallowed a pill. But for me, the thing about middle-of-the-night “health stuff,” as benign as it may be, is that it is an almost instant anxiety trigger. All my rational defenses are down, so the anxiety takes hold quickly, and completely irrationally (of course).
My saving grace these days is that I know what it feels like, coming on. So as I climbed back into bed, I grabbed my phone, launched my trusty Anxiety Release App, and felt myself calming within minutes. This app is some kind of magic.
If you’re a regular reader, you know I skipped writing an article last week. The last couple weeks have been quite a hustle with two big speaking gigs for two brand new clients on opposite coasts, and I needed a weekend off. It was also the weekend I had agreed to bring the fam up to my parents’ house to hang and do a small early Easter celebration. I decided to NOT bring my computer, and I did a really good job not working. I love being with my family; for me, quality time with these humans is another kind of magic.
Oh, and my knee is finally getting better! Even a few weeks ago, it was still more swollen than any of my doctors (or I) wanted it to be, so they put a steroid shot right in there. That stuff is as magic as Oaxaca cheese (but probably a lot less tasty?). I still can’t quite do child’s pose, but I’m getting closer.
It’s been an interesting couple weeks.
Both new client events were amazing, with two completely different topics (one on Why A.I. Is Not The Future and one on Work That Energizes), but with all the prep and rehearsal time I’ve felt a bit like I was just floating from one to the next.
My knee PT is nearing its end, which feels bittersweet because I’ve come to like my PT doc so much, and the once-a-week cadence felt reinforcing towards my goal of being a Health Guy. Guess it’s time to get my other exercise routines back on the calendar!
In the midst of all this, my friend Jennifer released one of our conversations on her podcast.
This wasn’t a surprise or anything, just interesting timing.
A couple months ago, after writing back-to-back pieces on DEI (here’s 1 and 2), I felt compelled to reach out to her to see if she’d be open to having a conversation about the status of DEI in the world. As Jennifer is one of the most kind and gracious humans alive, she agreed, and a few weeks later we got together on Zoom.
I mostly forgot we were recording, honestly. The conversation just flowed easily, effortlessly — to me, this is yet another kind of magic.
I do quite a lot of guesting on podcasts. I find it so energizing, and I’ve enjoyed all my recent conversations very much. And all the hosts I’ve gotten to talk to are, in a word, amazing.
AND — this one, with Jennifer, is incredibly special.
We talk about many things, but the through-line of the whole conversation is one of mutual appreciation, wonder and curiosity about what’s happening in the world and, I hope, a few scattered nuggets of wisdom we’ve found that I think might help you, too, as you navigate this strange and often-unsettling time.
Here’s the episode on Jennifer’s official site. Here it is on Spotify. And here it is on Apple. I hope you’ll listen.
One final thought for today.
When I was writing this, the first title was “3 Kinds Of Magic.”
Then I wrote and edited more, and it went to 4.
And then 5.
And then I was just like… OK, clearly, no more numbers!
There are so many kinds of magic all around us, my friends… we just need to take the time to notice them. The truth is: I wouldn’t have, had I not written this.
What helps you see the magic?