June 23, 2023 | Just a Few Things
Welcome to this week's edition of Just a Few Things, where I share just a few things from that week that have inspired, motivated, interested or made me stop and think during the week.
Why do these? Because we often find inspiration in the most unexpected of places. Maybe you'll see something in this week's edition that will spur you to action or maybe you'll be moved to share a thing or two from your week with me!
And if you're thinking “wait, what does this have to do with flags?” Well, it has absolutely nothing to do with flags. Combat Flags has always been about more than flags - it's about community, sharing ideas and constant improvement. Let’s get to it.
What’s something that made me stop and reflect?
Just this morning I was proofreading a blog I wrote and published over on Flags of Valor. The blog is similar to the “Journey to Combat Flags” blog I reached out about last week, but with a few minor modifications.
While I was rereading it, I was stricken by the fact that Combat Flags is bookended by phone calls. Quite literally, the idea for Combat Flags hit me during a phone call at my corporate job AND it was resurrected with a phone call. While this may seem insignificant, the impact of the similarity of the birth and rebirth gave me pause.
It’s crazy how life works out, isn’t it?
What’s one thing I’m thankful for this week?
Flexibility. My little man came down with a nasty bug this week and was up most of Monday night with bad dreams and a fever. With Jenni working at the hospital on Tuesday, that left me home to take care of him and our 11-month old while running to the doctor and pharmacy for him.
Prior to Combat Flags joining Flags of Valor and my new’ish full time position with FOV, I would have been shuffling a full day of meetings, endless emails and countless Microsoft Teams messages with making sure everyone here was taken care of, but not now. The balance I’ve found since joining Flags of Valor as Chief Marketing Officer has been nothing short of life changing.
And I was reminded of that new balance and flexibility this week. It’s something I’m truly grateful for.
What’s something I’ve invested in that is 100% worth it?
Before I get to the what of this question, I need to address the why first. 2021 and much of 2022 was an incredibly trying time for me and my family. We felt astounding lows for most of 2021 due to health complications, followed by volatile highs and lows in 2022, all of which resulted in very little self-care for myself and my wife. We were surviving day-to-day while making sure the little man was happy, healthy and fulfilled.
As we pulled out of that cycle, I learned the importance of investing in ourselves individually and together. One thing I picked up in 2021 after a years’ long hiatus was the guitar, primarily learning from YouTube and other resources, but it was never with dedicated time and space. So, a few months ago I began taking in-person guitar lessons once a week for one hour. This has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself in quite some time. Spending that time 1:1 with an instructor has 1) accelerated my learning and 2) given me an escape from the week to focus on something I found so much joy and solitude in.
The lesson here, if I’ve buried it, is to invest in yourself by carving out time each week to do something that you like or makes you feel good.
Alright, that's it for this week's edition of Just a Few Things. I hope you've been inspired to try something new, read a book, reflect on your week or listen to a new podcast.
Please feel free to drop a comment or email with a thing or two from your week that I can share with others!
Have a good one!
-Dan
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