Good morning!
Winter band concert! 
After 11 years of school concerts, I got to see my young man swirling the mallet as he navigated several percussion instruments and realizing...I am DEFINITELY raising men .
After 11 years of school concerts, I got to see my young man swirling the mallet as he navigated several percussion instruments and realizing...I am DEFINITELY raising men . He looked out in the crowd, saw that we were up front and center, dropped his shoulders back, gave himself the nod and then proceeded to focus in on what he was there to do. BOOM! 
The nod of mastery
The nod of mastery My dad used to do that, with a smile on his face.... "DAMN! You see that??? NOICE!!!! " ... And then he would go and complain about the process for a bit 
and then get back to appreciating the quality of his OWN work What his hands have done and what they still can do...
" ... And then he would go and complain about the process for a bit and then get back to appreciating the quality of his OWN work What his hands have done and what they still can do...For me, that is what "growing up" (or raising up) looks and feels like....When you can step back in the moments you are in, observe your presence and contribution, recognize it was good (no matter what it was to get there), appreciate it ALL and then...continue....show up again! Mindful, contributing, able, loving, WILLING, learning, growing, refining, fine-tuning, ENJOYING, appreciating, embodying, and just living it fully.....WOW!
In order to "grow up" you gotta participate in one thing....GROWING! It's a process!! And it just keeps going and going....growing and growing....and it's worth it to be IN it....
That is the thing I have made sure to share with these boys in my "second chance" experience (which I am so glad to "get" the chance to continue in the process with...) ....be IN it!! Appreciate what it is that YOU can do with who you are and where you're at, and "when" you're at, and no matter "how" you come to the place where you are now....BE there!!
Do you have a home? What is it like to BE there? Even if it feels like it is just somewhere you stop in to get changed, go to sleep, and head out to do your "day" over again...what are you experiencing when you are THERE??
Do you have a family and friends? What is it like when you are THERE?? Even if you feel like you are just seeing each other occasionally or in passing, what do you do to make sure those moments have YOU present in it??
Grow in and grow up!! In increasing measure....how can you enjoy the mastery in each moment of your life? Even down to the challenging ones where you can reflect and realize...."I responded well to that..." or " I handled that better than I thought...."...or even "I stayed in the moment and saw how it all played out better than I imagined it would..." ...
BE THERE!! Just like I was super grateful to be there last night and witness the fruition ...from mallet (in kindergarten) to mallet (high school) ..."Did you hear that? That was NOICE!!"
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