Whatever Means

A friend recently asked me a very pointed question. Based on some of the things I've said in recent posts about creating and shipping, this friend wanted to know if I think everyone should be publishing a blog or recording a podcast. I've never actually thought about that question before, and I was a bit surprised this person believed that was my position.

While it's true that I often discuss the idea of creating and shipping, I find myself speaking through the lens of writing and podcasting because that's my palette, my canvas. I actually don't think I'm called to write, or podcast, or speak, or (fill in the blank here). Rather, my calling is to serve others with whatever means I can use.

You have the same calling. However, "whatever means" varies greatly from person to person. For some, it's doing plumbing. For others, it's teaching children. For some, it's writing computer code. For others, it's being an accountant. Each one of us possesses skills, passions, and influence that we can choose to use to serve others.

"Choose" is the key word. We have a choice. We all have a choice. Every day we wake up with a choice. Will I use my skills, passions, and influence to make a difference today?

When I left my prior career to serve people in a different way, all I knew was that I was going to use financial coaching as my means for impact. Then came podcasting (which I never saw coming). Then came speaking (which I never saw coming). Then came writing (which I never saw coming). Then came consulting (which I never saw coming). Then came Northern Vesse (which I never, never, never, never saw coming). None of those were my callings. My calling was to serve people with my skills, passions, and influence, and those ended up being the means by which I could bring those things to life.

Be willing to get creative with the means. You have skills. You have passions. You have influence. Be willing to approach your life with a clean slate on how you can use those things to serve people. Your best ways may still be in front of you.

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“Have I Been Conned?”

"Have I Been Conned?" read the subject line of an e-mail I received last month.

The long e-mail I received was a hard one to digest, as evidenced by the month it's taken me to write about it. It was a deeply personal e-mail, so I'm going to paraphrase.

This man, we'll call him Steve (mid-40s), said he first stumbled onto my content about 4 years ago after randomly catching one of our Meaning Over Money podcast episodes. He was drawn in by the production quality of the show, and stayed because, unlike most podcasts, our show was short and to the point. "No fluff, no filler, just compelling, thought-provoking ideas."

He said that for several years, he disagreed with more than half of my content, especially anything relating to the idea that our work should provide meaning. His mission in life has been to make as much money as possible so he can retire as quickly as possible. And if you've been a follower of my content for any period of time, you know how much disdain I have for that mode of operation.

Here's where Steve's story gets interesting. One day, earlier this year, he woke up with a pit in his stomach. As he prepared for his day, he wondered to himself, "Is this really all life is about? Work, money, sleep, work, money, sleep, work, money, sleep." In an instant, he felt like everything he had been told about life revealed itself as one giant lie. What's the point, he wondered. After spending more than 20 years in his career, it just dawned on him that he was "playing a loser's game."

"I fell for the lie that life is about making money. I lost sight of what was really important to me. As I look around, I realize almost everyone is doing the same thing. I think that's why I so frequently disagreed with your content. Until now!"

Steve isn't alone. In fact, I hear from people just like Steve every week. It feels like an awakening is happening. The wool is being pulled from over people's eyes, and they are recognizing that our culture's perspective of work and money is deeply toxic. It's led to a place where 70% of Americans dislike or hate their jobs. On top of that, mental health issues are rising quicker than ever. We are running on this hamster wheel of money, consumption, and misery, picking up steam every step of the way.

At some point, we must jump off the wheel. We need to catch our breath and realize what game we're actually playing. We live in a system that's built around keeping us obsessed with money, stuff, and status. More than ever, one of the key status symbols that we worship is an earlier-the-better retirement. That's the flex. That's the mission.

My new friend Steve sees the con now. Fortunately, his eyes have been opened. As he puts it, he's never been richer, never been more miserable, and never been this lonely, and never been more ready to stop working.....and he's still only in his 40s. It's time for Steve to start playing a new game.

I'm on Team Steve. I love this new game that Steve is opting into. Meaning over money. Impact instead of consumption. The pursuit of work that matters. It's a wild game; it's an amazing game. Maybe you can play it, too.

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Mazzulla Has a Good Point

I recently stumbled upon an interesting video clip of Joe Mazzulla. Joe Mazzulla is the head coach of the Boston Celtics, known for his sharp comments to the press. Sometimes, his responses seem a bit unreasonable and impatient. However, there are times when he responds in profound and thoughtful ways. Today's video clip is of the latter.

Reporter (asking Joe about how he's dealing with the brutally difficult stretch his team is going through): "Is there something you're doing in the last 48 hours to keep yourself away from just being consumed with this? Are you watching different movies?"

Joe (with a shocked look on his face): "Honestly, I met three girls under the age of 21 with terminal cancer. I thought I was helping them by talking to them, and they were helping me. And so having an understanding about what life is really all about, and watching a girl dying, and smiling, and enjoying her life.....that's what it's really all about. And having that faith. You know, the other thing is you always hear people give glory to God and say thank you when they're holding a trophy. But you never really hear it in times like this. And so for me, it's an opportunity to just sit right where I'm at and just be faithful. That's what it's about."

Perspective matters. We need to remember what's really important as we live our days. It's so easy to get caught up in the small, ultimately meaningless nuances of life. The person in front of us didn't accelerate when the light turned green. Someone at the coffee shop cut in front of us in the line. Our co-worker gave us a snooty attitude when we asked for a favor. One of those dumb speed cameras caught us going 57 in a 45, and now we must send some rando a $97 fine. We didn’t get the promotion we so desperately wanted.

But then, there's Joe's perspective. Man, we're so blessed. Most of us will wake up today more blessed than the vast majority of people who have ever lived on this planet. Yet, many of us will wallow in self-pity and frustration today, looking for reasons to feel negative about the journey. We lose perspective.

I hope you live today knowing just how blessed you are. Not a perfect life. Not a life void of baggage, pain, and suffering. But blessed nonetheless. Remembering that fact has the potential to re-frame our entire day, allowing us to focus less on ourselves and more on others. That's the ticket to meaning and impact.

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And the World Shall Be Better

I received a fun little surprise yesterday when I opened my e-mail account. I was met with a piece of writing by one of my best friends, Dan. In his message, he shared that he's long been contemplating sending a monthly e-mail to a large group of people.....with yesterday's e-mail being the first. He vulnerably shared what prevented him from doing it until now:

"But if I'm honest, fear held me back.

• What if it's not good enough?

• What if nobody reads it?

• What if people think less of me?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized those aren't the right questions. The answers to those questions will always be changing. They're dependent on opinions, circumstances, and things we can't control."

Dan is a tremendously impactful and influential man. His experience, wisdom, and gifts have changed countless lives (mine included!!!). However, now that I think about it, outside of random texts, I've never seen his influence in written form. I liked it!!! Strike that, I loved it!

Dan is one of those people I envision never being scared, never backing down, never faltering. He's stronger than me. He's wiser than me, too. So when I see his vulnerable words about fear, it struck a chord in me. It's a topic I write about often, and Dan is evidence that even the strongest of us are sometimes afflicted by it.

But the fact that Dan is facing this challenge and opportunity of writing head-on tells me that his influence in the world is about to multiply. Thousands of people who haven't had the privilege of being impacted by Dan now have the opportunity to learn, grow, and be encouraged by Dan's gifts and insights.

Dan decided to step through the fear.......and the world shall be better.

Dan is a special dude, for sure! But everyone reading this has something to offer, too. In many cases, our impact and influence are just on the other side of stepping out of our comfort zone. It's on the other side of our fears. It's on the other side of doing the hard thing. Like Dan, many of you probably have things you've been considering for a long time. Today, please allow Dan's action to inspire your action. Step into what you're called to do.....and the world shall be better.

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The Pillow Test

There was a time in my life when I defined my day's success by how much money I made. And by "a time," that means 10+ years. For more than a decade, the measuring stick of success was measured in income, investment balances, titles, and net worth. After all, those are easy-to-read measuring sticks. It's easy to open an online bank portal and see a number in black and white.

Then, something changed within me. I realized none of that mattered. All of the measuring sticks I had been using for the past 10+ years were futile. They were something, but ultimately, nothing. That's when I developed "the pillow test."

Here's how the pillow test works. When I go to bed at night and lay my head on that pillow, I reflect on my day and determine whether I did everything I could to make an impact on the world and on others. If my answer is yes, I succeeded. If my answer is no, then I might not have. It's clearly not as objective as a black-and-white number on the screen, but it sure does make for a better assessment of my day.

I've had a few days recently where I made very little money, but through the lens of the pillow test, they were massive successes. Those days were filled with needle-moving encounters, and I'm prayerful that I served people in the ways they needed to be served. What's in it for me? Well, nothing, I suppose, but that wasn't the point. The point was to lie my head on the pillow at night and, hopefully, believe I had done everything I could to make an impact.

It's a different way to look at life, but I'll testify a better way. Does the pillow test pay the bills? No, not always. Sure, we need to pay the bills. We need to financially care for our families. That's true. Two thoughts on that:

1. When we serve others well, money usually follows. That doesn't necessarily mean a ton of money, but serving people well is the prerequisite to creating an income. They often go hand in hand.

2. When the dust settles, and we take our last breath, we most certainly won't be adding numbers in our head, trying to determine how much money we made. On the flip side, I think there's a strong chance we WILL be thinking about the possible impact we made on this world during the years we were blessed to be here. That distinction is worth considering.

I hope you think about this when you go to bed tonight. Regardless of how much or how little money you made today, did you make an impact? Did you serve others well? Did you move the needle in someone's world? If so, I don't care how much money you made; you won!

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D, R, or Not Important

I recently received an interesting first-time e-mail from a blog reader: "I've been reading your blog religiously for more than 2 years now and I still can't tell your politics. I feel like I know your values but you never tip your hand about politics. Is that intentional?"

I think this is a very insightful observation, and yes, it's intentional. We live in a culture that defines people by the letters "D" and "R." Many people define themselves with these designations. It almost becomes people's entire identity and personality. It's interesting to me that for many Americans, the letter they attach to themselves has more bearing on their life than their chosen faith.

Therefore, I'm quite pleased that this blog reader has been reading my content for years, but still cannot paint me into a political box. Here's my favorite part of her e-mail, though. She feels like she knows my values. Yes!!! My values. Values matter so much more than letters, candidates, and bumper stickers. Every day, I seek to communicate my values, ideas, and perspectives. That's one of the reasons why so many people come back again and again. I DON'T jam politics down people's throats. Now, some people might ascertain my leanings based on certain shared perspectives, but it's not a concrete correlation.

Why? Why don't I share my political leanings more openly? In our culture, we decide whether we fully agree or fully disagree with what someone says the moment we know the letter in front of their name. Even if it's the best idea ever, we despise it if the person has the wrong letter. And even if it's the worst idea ever, we love it if the person has the right letter. Therefore, I opt out of that stupid game and instead allow people to judge my values, ideas, and perspectives on their own merits.

I propose we chop up the letters. Nobody needs to know what letter sits before each of our names. D or R? More like not important. I don't care what letter you wear. I care about the ideas you bring to the table. If you bring good ideas, I'm in. If you bring dumb ideas, well, probably not. Politics shouldn't need to play a factor.

I'm so glad my new blog reader friend shared her observation with me. I'm grateful she noticed, and I hope others do, too. You are more than your politics, far more! In fact, I'd argue that almost everything about you is more important than your politics. Please remember that, and let's create a world where people know more about our values, ideas, and perspectives than the letter we wear.

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Everything Can Be Something, Something Can Be Everything

Yesterday's post struck a nerve with people, both in tremendously positive ways and profoundly negative ways. I expected as much, given how countercultural my perspective on retirement is. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend you check out YESTERDAY'S POST.

I concluded the piece with a snippy little comment, "That's what happens when we choose not to throw away all of our wisdom, experience, relationships, influence, skills, and knowledge. Or he could just keep tinkering in his garage and tending to his garden."

Ironically, I received a fun message from my friend Randy about this. Randy, a retired man himself, pointed out that one of his fellow retiree friends actually has a massive garden. He and his wife find great joy working the land, seeing the product of planting, watering, and caring for their crops. In fact, they yield so much produce from their garden that they give much of it away.

I couldn't love this more. And no, this doesn't contradict what I said yesterday. Randy wasn't intending for it to contradict me, either. Instead, Randy was joyfully pointing out an important concept. Nobody gets to define what "work that matters" is. For many, a garden is simply a garden. It's a way to pass the time; keep busy. For this couple, though, it's so much more. It provides the three key ingredients that define "work that matters": meaning, fulfillment, and impact. They find meaning in the work, sharing the experience together. They feel a sense of fulfillment seeing the fruits of their labor (pun intended). They create impact by giving generously. Everything can be something. Something can be everything. A garden could just be a garden, but to this couple, it's so much more.

This leads to another e-mail I received from my soon-to-be-retired friend, Dave. Like Randy, Dave is one of those people I respect so dang much. When either of these men talks, I listen. Dave recommended that I continue to define what "work that matters" is. More specifically, perhaps we need to define what it's not. "Work" doesn't just mean something we do in exchange for financial rewards. The gardening couple mentioned above works on their big, beautiful garden. That's still work. But to them, it's work that matters.

To many, including my friend Dave, volunteering is "work that matters." Volunteering, as the name implies, is unpaid. But if you've ever served an organization in a volunteer capacity, you know two things: 1) It's unpaid (duh!), and 2) it's work! I've volunteered for so many organizations, including a 10-year stretch as a high school youth group leader. It's work....hard work! But it's so, so rewarding. Work that matters!

Everything can be something. Something can be everything. Collectively, we need to continue bending our culture around retirement. Yeah, we can listen to the prevailing culture and selfishly pursue an inward-facing life of leisure. Alternatively, we can pursue work that matters. The beautiful part of that idea is that everything can be something, and something can be everything. The world is our oyster, waiting for us to find the most meaningful, fulfilling, and impactful work suited for us. Embrace the journey!

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The Lie of Lies

I recently sat down with a newer retiree. It's a man in his early 60s. His kids are young adults, pursuing their own dreams, aspirations, and careers. His wife was a stay-at-home mom for the majority of their child-rearing years. He had an objectively successful corporate job, which he generally enjoyed. After years of discipline, diligence, and patience, he had enough financial resources to ride off into the sunset and fulfill the American dream of living a life of leisure (i.e., stop working).

Uh oh, he fell for the lie! Even before we sat down, I knew how this conversation was going to play out. Sure enough, and right on cue, he shared the same story I hear over and over and over. He followed the conventional wisdom of our society by pursuing a life of leisure. After all, work is bad. Work is a necessary evil. Work is something we do because we have to, and naturally, as soon as we don't have to do it, we should quit doing it. He followed this mode of operation to a T. He knocked it out of the park financially, so he quit.

That's the lie! He fell for it! I don't say that to disparage him, though, because most of us fall for the same lie. He's two years into his retirement, bored and frustrated. He used to have influence, make an impact, be productive, and serve others well. He willingly (and excitedly) exchanged that for sleeping in, tending his garden, cooking more meals, and tinkering in his garage. As he thinks about this trade-off, he feels scammed. He gave up so much meaning, and for what? Leisure. Rest. "Nothingness," as he put it.

His problem wasn't leaving his prior job. His problem was walking away from something without walking toward something else. He wishes he could go back. He desperately wishes he could go back. But he can't. Here was my challenge for him: Pursue work that matters. Whatever that means in this season of life, pursue it with the same vigor, curiosity, and excitement he pursued his work during his 20s. His life isn't over. Heck, in many ways, it's just beginning. He might have 20-25 solid, productive years left in him. After these last two years, he recognizes he still has so much more to give.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that he will make more impact in the next 5-10 years (whatever he ends up pursuing) than he made in the entirety of his prior 40-year career. That's how it works. That's what happens when we choose not to throw away all of our wisdom, experience, relationships, influence, skills, and knowledge.

Or he could just keep tinkering in his garage and tending to his garden. That's what society says he should do. Society says he deserves that. Society says he's earned that. Maybe so.....or maybe, just maybe, he deserves to live with purpose and meaning. Either way, it's time for the next chapter to be written.

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A Reminder From Waterlooville

One of my hobbies is watching the web activity on my website. I always find it fascinating to understand who is reading my blog, and from where. It boggles my mind that we've had readers from at least 101 different countries this year alone. After enough posts, I start to forget what I wrote about in the past. Therefore, when I see the names of blog posts pop up in the live web feed, they sometimes catch my eye. For example, I recently saw someone from Waterlooville, UK, read a post titled How Many Apples Are In a Seed? Waterlooville?!?! I went straight to Google Maps. Waterlooville is a town of 35,000 people, approximately 60 miles southwest of London, right along the southern coast of the UK.

The fact that someone from Waterlooville took time out of their day to read some of my words blows my mind. I never take this for granted, and I sincerely hope something I say means something to someone. Perhaps this person was moved by my post in some small way.

Speaking of the post, the title made me raise an eyebrow. What in the world was that one about?!?! I clicked to find out for myself. Oh yeah, I remember that one!!!! It was a post from April 2024 about the importance of simply planting seeds, using UCONN coach Geno Auriemma as the example. Reading it brought back good memories, but it also reminded me of an idea I think about over and over and over.

We oftentimes don't know what impact we're making. Instead, our job is simply to plant seeds. We plant, plant, plant, water, water, water.......then wait. Some of our seeds will die. Some will sprout, but ultimately not make it. Then, sometimes, our seeds will not only sprout, but grow into something far more beautiful than we'd ever imagine. The tough part is we don't know which ones are which. Therefore, all we can do is keep planting, keep watering, and trust God to sort it out. I loved the message then, and I love it now.

Distant friend in Waterlooville, it would be fun to meet you someday. I wish you well. I hope your life is full of meaning, impact, and joy, planting seeds every step of the way. Please keep up the good work!

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Fraud Alert

I received quite the scare a few weeks ago when I checked into my hotel in Bogotá, Colombia. The woman at the front desk asked me for my debit card for incidentals and processing. After I inserted my card and entered my PIN, I received an unexpected message on the terminal: "Card Declined." Oh boy! Never fun to be in another country, only to have your bank access revoked.

Then, I felt a vibration in my pocket; a text message from my bank. Given that I don't typically spend money on hotels in Bogotá, Colombia, my bank's fraud-alert system kicked in. The text asked me to confirm if this was a real transaction or potential fraud. I confirmed that I am, in fact, trying to process a hotel room in Colombia, re-ran my card, and it was approved. The bank algorithms have improved drastically over the years, picking up on our behavior patterns and habits. It's good to know that when the bank senses something is amiss, it tries to protect us.

One of my friends recently had a similar but different experience. This friend believes in generosity and is a regular giver. However, he was moved to make a larger gift than he normally would. Much larger! Can you see where this is going? He logged in to the organization's giving portal and confidently entered his data. Then, the moment had arrived: "Submit."

"Card declined." What?!?! Then, as in my Bogotá hotel experience, he felt a vibration. His bank's fraud alert system had kicked in, sensing something was amiss. This transaction ran afoul of his normal behavior patterns and habits. After confirming to his bank that this was, in fact, a real transaction, he re-entered the data onto the organization's giving portal and successfully made his gift.

I loved this situation! His generosity was moved to the point that his own bank thought fraud was being committed. What a tell! An amazing tell!!! Those are the kind of tells that get me excited. He pushed himself enough that his own bank shut him down.

I love this friend so much, and I'm grateful I got to witness such a funny situation unfold in real time. I look up to this man so much, and I, too, want to live life so generously and audaciously that my own bank thinks I'm committing fraud against myself. Through the lens of sacrificial generosity, that's a strong sign we're moving in the right direction.

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Their Opinions Don’t Matter

Today's post is courtesy of my guy Ryan. I'm not sure Ryan has ever read the blog, but we talk about it often, and he knows me better than most people on earth. So, when he texts me a link and a message that reads "feels like a blog," I know it's about to be good. He sent me a link to the following VIDEO CLIP. The actual video is a bit long, so I'll summarize. It's about how, coming out of high school, Patrick Mahomes was ranked the 22nd best quarterback of the 2014 graduating class. In other words, the experts believed there were 21 other quarterbacks better than who we now know to be one of the best quarterbacks who has ever lived. Well, we know how that worked out.

Other people's opinions don't matter. They just don't. I've watched countless aspirations go up in flames due to the inappropriate, unnecessary, unwarranted, and unsolicited words of well-intentioned people. When our confidence and convictions are already on shaky ground, it doesn't take much from the outside to topple our house-of-cards psyche. It's a good thing their opinions don't matter!

One of the closest people in my life called me a "f'ing idiot" when I left my prior career to start my own company and begin the journey I'm now on. Fortunately for me, when those words were muttered to me, I already knew other people's opinions don't matter. I'm so glad I didn't care. I'm so glad I knew back then that we shouldn't care what other people think.

I'm sure Patrick Mahomes had plenty of well-intended people around him who advised that he hang it up and pursue a "safer," "more stable" career. I'm glad he didn't listen to them. Their opinions didn't matter, and fortunately for Patrick, history will look different upon him because of it.

I often tell my boys that other people's opinions don't matter. When it comes to their callings and aspirations, my opinions don't matter, either. I'll definitely have opinions, and I'll probably share them, but along the way, I need them to know that ultimately, they don't matter.

Whatever you are called to do, block out the noise. Don't listen to people's opinions. Will you succeed? Will you fall flat on your face? Who knows, but at least give yourself the opportunity to find out for yourself rather than taking the advice of people whose opinions don't matter. Sure, Patrick Mahomes could have been an all-time bust. But instead, he has three Super Bowl rings. Remember that.

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A Different Person

I ran into a close friend yesterday who had been following the blog over the last week while I was in Colombia. He asked a very interesting question: "How do trips like that impact you?"

In short, I sincerely believe I return from those types of trips as a different person. When we leave our personal bubbles and allow ourselves to be uncomfortable, it stretches us in ways that are hard to fully communicate.

Those types of experiences challenge everything we know to be true, everything we take for granted, and every bias we use to engage the world around us. Those types of experiences also call into question who we are as people, what our place in the world is, and how we can best serve the greater good. So yeah, I don't think it's hyperbole to say that we return as different people after trips like that.

My first trip out of the country was at age 26; to England and Ireland. Despite both of those countries being Westernized and English-speaking, that trip profoundly changed me. My small little mind couldn't believe how big the world was, yet at the same time, how small it was. That trip showed me that no matter what I thought I knew, I actually knew nothing. Fast forward twenty years, and I think I've been to upwards of 40 countries. Each trip, each location, and each experience changed me in a different way.

How did this trip change me? My takeaways are pretty clear:

• Even the biggest, most audacious dreams are possible. We don't get to decide what's possible. Only God can decide.

• Time is but a number. No matter how long or short something will theoretically take, reality doesn't care about projections. It will happen when it's supposed to happen.

• People don't have to be world-changers to change the world. Some of the largest impacts come from the smallest, most humble beginnings.

• Life is so, so fragile. We can't take our days for granted. Any day could be THE day.

• There are a lot of dark forces in the world, darker than we often see with the naked eye or while stuck in our bubbles.

• Relationships are the key to everything. I've known this, but this trip was another reminder of the sheer power and beauty of relationships.

• Everyone has a role. Each person on our team brought specific, non-replicable roles to the table. None of us could have filled the others' roles. Regardless of your role, it matters. Don't judge. Don't compare. Don't minimize yourself.

It's going to take me a few weeks to fully process everything that happened on this trip. However, it's safe to say that I'll never be the same after it. I'm a different person. God willing, a better person.

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From What We Have

I've talked about this concept many times on this blog over the past four years, but last night I experienced its purest form. We often make giving overcomplicated. We factor in all our bills, obligations, and other financial commitments, then assess whether there's enough remaining to give. Since we are human and our brains are wired a certain way, there's rarely anything left to give, regardless of our income. Thus, we elect not to give.

Put through its proper lens, giving should be much simpler. "What do I have to give?" we should ask ourselves. After all, we are called to give from what we have, not from what we don't have. If I have something, I should give it. If I don't, I shouldn't. This means financial resources, of course, but it should also include skills, experience, passion, relationships, influence, etc.

If I have the skills and experience to help businesses, some of that skill and experience should be given freely to serve others. If I have a relationship that would be valuable to someone else's endeavors, I should give that freely to help others.

In our Palmful of Coffee curriculum, we again go back Biblical to giving in its simplest form. We give from what we have, not from what we don't have. This concept can and will set us free. It allows us to practice generosity regardless of our current life situation. It allows us to stop comparing ourselves to others and simply give, knowing that all blessings matter.

Last night, it came full circle. As I sat in the front row of church in a Colombian village, I watched giving, in its simplest form, play out in real time. Men, fresh out of the fields in the nearby mountains, carried a large sack of green coffee beans to the front of the church and placed it at the base of the podium. Then another man. Then another man. Soon, the base of the podium was lined with some of the world's best coffee. These men might not have had a lot of financial resources, but they had coffee, beautiful coffee.

While we call this program Palmful of Coffee, it's not strictly about coffee. It's about giving from what you have, not from what you don't. Most church members had coffee, but some had milk, yogurt, corn, lemons, eggs, papaya, etc. That's what they brought. They didn't look in the mirror and say, "I don't have coffee, so I guess I can't participate." No, they looked in their storehouses and saw freshly picked papaya, then elected to give from what they had.

We make this too complicated. ALL of us have something to give. And if we would stop comparing ourselves to everyone else, we would recognize the beautiful opportunity we each have to simply give from what we have. Last night was one of the most special nights of my life, and I will surely remember it forever. But this lesson of Palmful of Coffee, give from what we have, can remain with each one of us every day for the rest of our lives as well.

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Comfort Is the Enemy

My favorite line from one of my keynote talks is, "Comfort is the enemy of progress, and failure is the admission price to success." We live in a culture that's obsessed with comfort. We seek comfort at all costs. We use our time, resources, influence, and experience to obtain whatever comfort is available to us. In fact, many facets of comfort have become status symbols for "winning" in this country.

On the flip side, despite my undeniable human attraction to comfort, I detest it. About a decade ago, I realized that comfort was the primary factor in preventing me from living my calling, my purpose. The pursuit of comfort often forces us to make decisions that subvert our ability to make an impact and find meaning. Comfort is a drug that sedates us, medicates us, lulls us into a complacent state.

Today, I'm embarking on a new adventure. I'm going somewhere I've never been, engaging with people I’ve never met. I'm about to be tremendously uncomfortable. I'll be the only person who doesn't know the language. Nearly 100% of my communication will be via translators. Will they accept me? Will they like me? Will they respect me? Will they value my ideas? These are all natural thoughts that stem from aggressively pursuing discomfort. Heck, I've been uncomfortable for a few weeks just thinking about it.

Despite all that, I also understand the flip side. Without discomfort, I have no chance of making a difference. Without discomfort, I'm waiving my right to create impact. Without discomfort, life simply wouldn't be as rich.

In a matter of hours, every aspect of "normal" will turn on its head. I'm not ready for it, yet at the same time, I couldn't be more ready. I crave the awe, wonder, and curiosity that discomfort brings. It will be scary....it will be amazing. It will be trying.....it will be beautiful.

Comfort is the enemy. Discomfort is our friend. I look forward to sharing more about this journey over the next week. Blessed to have you here.

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“What’s In It For You?”

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a fascinating conversation with a handful of friends. The conversation meandered to generosity. Knowing that generosity is one of my favorite topics in the world, one of the men at the table asked me a question: "What's in it for you? Why are you so into this stuff? What are you getting out of it?"

"Nothing. That's the point," I responded. In order for our giving to be true generosity, we can't receive anything in return. If we give and expect something in return, that's a transaction. That's done with motives, not a generous spirit.

"But why?" my friend continued to press. "If you're not getting anything in return, why not just spend it on yourself?"

Ah, now we were getting to the true heart of the topic. There's a cultural thread woven into the fabric of our society that says that if we earn it, it's ours to enjoy on ourselves. While this is legally true, it's not the highest and best use of our resources. When I look at the resources I'm blessed with, there's a tension at play. I can spend on my wants......or spend on other people's needs. If I don't put a pool in my backyard, my kids have to use the public pool. If those starving children don't eat, they might die. If I don't buy another pair of boots, I might not be as color-coordinated. If that family can't get their utility bill paid, they won't have running water. The math feels simple to me. Money spent on other people's needs has a significantly higher ROI than money spent on my own wants. I’m not saying there’s anything inherently wrong with spending money on pools or boots; I’m just trying to paint a picture of how my brain works.

We do actually get something from our giving, though. Heart change. When we give without expecting anything in return, something inside us changes. A selfish little piece inside of us dies, and something new is born. Each act of giving rips us apart a little more, a little more, a little more. If we're not careful, we might inadvertently undergo a full heart surgery. The old us is gone, replaced by someone new.

"What's in it for you?" Nothing.....and everything.

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70-Year-Old Travis

A blog reader recently reached out with a thought-provoking question. It's in reference to my repeated insistence that I don't believe in the traditional American retirement. The question was quite lengthy, so I'll paraphrase it: "Do you really expect to be working at 70 years old? What does that even look like?"

It's difficult to project what my life might look like 25 years from now, but I'll share some thoughts on this topic. Interestingly, many blog readers are even better qualified to answer, as they are living this reality of pursuing meaningful work in their 70s as we speak. In any event, I'll start. What does work look like for 70-year-old Travis?

I don't suspect I'll be ripping out endless 10-hour days, but the work will probably resemble full-time. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. How I describe this to others is the idea of shifting. Sometimes we upshift, increasing the intensity. Sometimes we make a lateral shift, merely refocusing our energies. Sometimes we downshift, decreasing the intensity. I suspect work in my 70s will be some form of a downshift from my current rhythm.

• Slower mornings, allowing me to enjoy more coffee time with Sarah, get more reading in, and stay physically active.

• A less regimented schedule. The lines between work days and weekend days get a bit blurrier. A day is a day. Life becomes more fluid. I'll work more when I have more energy and more inspiration, and less when I have less.

• More frequent travel. 4 days here, a couple of weeks there. Much of my work is probably mobile.

In terms of what work I'll be doing, it's hard to say. I don't even know what type of work I'll be doing next year, never mind 2+ decades from now. However, if I had to guess, I suspect it will be a combination of a few things:

• Pouring into the next generation of leaders.

• Building or iterating whatever enterprise I'm called to engage in.

• Serving those who wish to be served, at whatever level they wish to be served.

• Creating content and resources that will remain on earth after I depart.

I'm tremendously curious about what that stage will look like, but I don't want to rush to get there. Life is amazing now. The kids are young, I have tons of energy, and my present work matters so much to me. That future will unfold in due time, and when it does, I hope I still have the same level of conviction about always pursuing meaning and work that matters. I think future me will have a blast navigating that journey.

If you're in your 70s and living some parallel life to future me, I'd love to hear from you. What's changed with your work life since your 40s or 50s?

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It’s Kinda Like a Blog

Over the past few months, Sarah and I have found random pieces of paper and notebooks scattered around the house containing notes from the kids. The notes are generally around 2-3 sentences each, detailing some part of their day. Many of them are dated.

When we asked the boys about them, they answered very matter-of-factly: "Those are our journals. It's kinda like a blog." Hmmm, where would they get the idea of writing blogs?!?! I'd by lying if I said I wasn't completely touched by this little detail. It's fun to know they see what I do, and in some ways, want to emulate it. Moral of the story: kids are always watching.

It gets more interesting. Without divulging full "blog posts," I'll share a few excerpts I've seen:

• "We played football after Dad got home."

• "Dad took us camping."

• "Dad came to our game."

In a journal entry that may only be 2-3 sentences, it's wild that my mere presence in their lives makes the short list of notable events in their day. Again, I was touched, and again, kids are always watching!

I'm on record of saying I don't care what my kids decide to do in life. I will support, celebrate, and encourage any path they feel called to pursue. However, in the meantime, it feels great knowing that they are watching, taking mental notes, and using what they see as launching points to try new things. I'm so proud of them for that, and it makes me even more convinced that setting these positive examples needs to be one of the most important things in my life right now.

Kids are always watching. Words to live by....in so many different ways. If that's true, and the kids are sincerely watching, please go live a life today that you're proud for them to witness. I will endeavor to do the same.

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Remembered For

One of my friends is nearing the end of his life. We've had some interesting conversations recently. As you can imagine, he's been quite introspective lately. He recently asked me a question that I've been thinking about: "What will I be remembered for?"

It's a fascinating question. In many ways, it's the culmination, aggregation, and consolidation of 70+ years of life. What will I be remembered for?

I'm a big believer in reverse engineering. We take the desired outcome and work backward to determine the steps needed today, tomorrow, and the next day to get there. For my friend, much of his cake is baked. The work is done, and now he's trying to discern how the cards are stacked. For many of us (hopefully), there's so much work yet to be done.

What do I want to be remembered for? I'm not going to answer that yet, as I want to give you time to ponder your own answer. But perhaps today is a great day to reflect on the implications of this question.

Here's an alternative way to look at this question. If you were to die today, how would you be remembered? Do you like your answer? If so, you might be on the right track. If not, it might be time for some major soul-searching. Again, I'll save my answer for later.

Here's one thing I know. I DO want to be remembered, and I DO want those memories to be of the positive and impactful variety. Today, I hope my decisions, words, and actions make that more likely, not less. I hope you do the same.

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Once You See It

I recently found out that one of my friends is taking her family abroad this summer. Not some fancy adventure to Europe, but a deeply cultural experience in a place most Americans will ever see. "This will change your kids' lives forever!" I exclaimed. She wholeheartedly agreed.

Something powerful happens when we see parts of the world that are extremely foreign to us. When we leave our little bubble and get a glimpse of the bigger picture, it has the potential to melt our minds. Everything we know and believe can be turned upside down in a matter of days.

I didn't have one of these experiences until my 30s, but when I did, it permanently shifted my life forever. It's one of the reasons my family lives in a one-bathroom house and drives aging vehicles. No matter how we live here in our bubble, we're rich. Period. There's no way around it. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

People are hurting. People are sick. People are hungry. People are cold. People are hot. People are unsafe. Yet, here we are, whining that our house isn't big enough, our cars not new enough, our clothes not sylish enough, and our technology not fast enough.

Here's a thought that often crosses my mind. If I had the choice between improving my family's standard of living and helping hundreds (possibly thousands) of people attain a livable standard of living, which would I choose? It turns out, we have that choice every day of our lives. It's easy to think we don't actually make that choice, but not making a choice is still making a choice.

This isn't meant to elicit guilt. Guilt is a terrible master. Rather, this is my encouragement for each family to seek out new perspectives. Let's step out of our bubbles and truly see what's going on around us. Let's get uncomfortable. Let's challenge ourselves to open our eyes. Let's get an up-close view of how the rest of the world lives. Then, and only then, can we be in a position to make some of these difficult choices (without guilt!).

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Systems and Standards

One of my friends, a fellow business owner, recently asked me what our goals are at Northern Vessel. We've never actually set any goals. In fact, we never discuss goals. There's no set of expectations for what we'd like to accomplish. Instead, it's more aspirational, directional. Continue to push the boundaries of excellence and find ways to exhibit hospitality in new and unexpected ways. To what end? No end. We're seeking the journey, not the destination.

This entire conversation reminds me of a quote I heard about a decade ago. "We don't rise to our goals. We fall to our systems and standards."

The NFL is a great example. All 32 teams start the season with the same goal: to win the Super Bowl. However, only one team will accomplish that goal. It's not that one team has a better, more cemented goal. Rather, a handful of teams simply have better systems and standards. Eventually, through the ebbs and flows of the season, each team falls to its systems and standards, and the team with the best systems and standards (plus a little luck) prevails.

Systems and standards. That's something we obsess about at Northern Vessel. It's an ongoing discussion with our team. It's a never-ending pursuit that impacts every guest interaction and every drink we prepare.

Saturday was the second week of the Des Moines Farmers' Market, the country's second-largest market. I heard there were north of 25,000 people present. Our team was excited and well-prepared. After spending three years obsessing about our systems and standards (including building our wonderful team), they are clearer now than ever.

I've attended many market Saturdays, and it never ceases to amaze me how locked-in and excellent the team is. Despite a seemingly unending line stretching 100+ people deep, our team strives to meet each guest with enthusiasm and hospitality. This week, the team served one drink approximately every 13 seconds for 5 hours. It's a pace that still boggles my mind, and I'm continually grateful for every person who decides to spend part of their market Saturday engaging with us. It's never lost on me, nor do I ever take it for granted, when a market patron decides to get into a coffee line (for a vendor that sells just one drink option) that wraps around the block.

I still feel like I need to do a better job at setting goals, but every time I feel that wave of guilt, I come back to the idea of systems and standards. The relentless pursuit of excellence. I don't know where we'll be a year from now, but regardless of what that looks like, I hope the systems and standards are higher than ever, we pursue an even grander version of excellence, and the hospitality pushes the boundaries more than ever.

Systems and standards. Whatever you're jumping into this week, please keep this in the back of your mind. We'll all eventually fall to our systems and standards, so we ought to raise them in the meantime.

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