 When I was a kid, I thought the epic life was a big life. You know, hit the game winning home runs, lay a dragon, conquer a distant land. When I got older, I still believed that the epic life meant doing big things. Make more money, travel the world, make a name for yourself, be recognized for your excellence, do something memorable, make something big. I viewed the epic life as a battle to be fought or a game to be won. What if the epic life really isn't like this? What if it's all about tiny, humbler experiences that ultimately build a better life? When I think of my dad, I remember the hours spent tossing the baseball back and forth or playing video games in the living room or the times that we went to the lake. And when I think about my mom, I remember the long talks in the art projects and the trips to the bookstore and the hours spent playing UNO on a rainy day or the time when we used tennis rackets to form a family air guitar band. Sometimes I forget this. I think life is found in doing big projects that get tons of attention or in delivering more keynotes or having a successful book or gaining the reputation as an expert in education. That's not where life is found. Life is a journey with tiny destinations. It's found in building a pillow fort or a Lego set or gathering together for a meal. It's found in writing a story or painting a picture without worrying about the numbers and the metrics. It's found in serving others and making a difference even when you go unnoticed. It's found in exploring ideas and geeking out on things just for the fun of it. It's found in staring out in wonder at the canvas of the stars and being overwhelmed with the universe and its beauty and then watching the same amazement on the eyes of my kids. It's found in spending a lifetime with the woman I fell in love with over a decade ago who never ceases to amaze me.