“What excites you? Aside from the wedding of course.”
This is a question Tom Krieglstein dropped on me while we met for coffee, brainstorms about student engagement, and overall catching up. (Side note: Social media relationships matter because this was the first time since NASPA was in Chicago that Tom and I had seen each other in person. The conversation kicked off as if we just saw each other last week.)
At the time, I rambled off some caffeine fueled answer that I’d be willing to bet Tom can’t even recall because it was such word vomit. I must get better at that…anyways.
What excites you?
I felt like young grasshopper being given a task by a master to answer a question that goes beyond the surface. A 45 minute train ride later…I think I have the answer.
What excites me? (Aside from the life Robyn and I will have and are having together.) Here is what came to mind and I’ll expand on each one with a blog post as time allows.
- Creating Great Experiences
- Experiencing Great Experiences
- Connecting with brilliant individuals
- Public Speaking
- A safe forum for my child-like curiosity
- Being a champion for a cause
- Enchanting students with opportunity and potential
- BIG ideas (typically hashed out in Google Hangouts/GChat or over coffee)
- Learning
- Storysharing
- Storytelling (yes, there is a difference)
My plan is to write this list out and keep it on my desk or on the wall next to a picture of Robyn and I. If I ever get bored, annoyed, or frustrated, I need to remind myself to look at my EXCITE list and do one of those things. No time to do one of those things? Staring at my beautiful fiancé will just have to do. 
Special thanks to Tom (@TomKrieglstein) for the inspiration, the time, and the chat. Follow him. He’s someone wise beyond his years. When he doesn’t tweet often that just means he’s doing something awesome.
Since Tom asked me, I’m asking you. What excites you?
