The Minions Learned the Hard Way

Like every spring, the tornadoes are upon us here in the Midwest. When the crazy storms hit the other night, and the kids experienced their predictable freak-out, we gathered in the basement to ease their fears. I took advantage of that time by snuggling with them in the guest bedroom and watching a movie on the portable projector: Minions!

I hadn't seen that movie in ages, and as expected, it was silly. Something stood out to me, though. In the opening scene, the Minions bounced from serving one evil entity to the next. From the T-Rex, to ancient Egypt, to Napoleon. Then, while between evil masters, they found refuge in this little utopic ice den. They created a sanctuary for themselves, built beautiful shelters, and lived their lives in comfort and safety.

Then, something happened. They got depressed. Too much of a good thing became a very not good thing. Endless fun, games, relaxation, and safety lost their luster, and they literally became depressed. The narrator stated, "Without a master, they had no purpose." In their world, a master represented a boss, and through the boss, they had work. Without work, they had no purpose. They didn't need money. It wasn't a necessary evil (no pun intended). Work wasn't a means to an end. The work, in and of itself, was the meaning.

I think this is such a beautiful metaphor for what we talk about on this blog and on the podcast. Work has meaning; it matters. We weren't created to be idle, living our little lives of leisure. We were created to be productive, add value, and pursue purpose. Sure, we're probably not all called to serve evil villains, but we're called to serve someone. We're probably not called to steal the British Royal Family's Crown Jewels, but we are called to be productive in some other ways.

Leisure is great, in doses. Comfort is great, in doses. Relaxation is great, in doses. All of these things are tremendously valuable, and equally important......in doses. However, when they become THE pillars of our lives, we lose meaning and purpose.

The Minions learned the hard way, but luckily, we don't have to. Meaning and purpose can take a million different shapes, but I guarantee it looks different than the endless pursuit of leisure, comfort, and relaxation.

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An Open Postcard, Revisited

During a recent speaking event, someone in the audience asked me, "What's your origin story?" Such an intriguing question! Mere hours after that talk, I received one of those Facebook notifications about past posts "on this day." This particular post caught my eye. It was a blog post I published six years prior. In fact, it was one of the first things I ever published on my website, nearly three years before The Daily Meaning was born.

As I read that post last night, it seemed, in and of itself, the heart of my origin story. It was framed through the lens of a postcard I wrote to my then-toddler kids on the eve of resigning from my 15-year career and starting over. I was scared, excited, and queasy.....did I mention scared?!?!

As I re-read the words I wrote to my kids all those years ago, I don't think I would change a thing. I encourage you to read it, and I hope those scared words add value to you today just as I hope they someday add value to my grown kids. You can find it HERE.

Have a great day!

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Tell Me They Only Care About Money

Yesterday, on the 46th anniversary of The Miracle (USA's iconic Olympic hockey underdog victory against the Soviet Union), the American Olympic men's hockey team did it again. This time, though, it was against Canada. 46 years, another gold medal. It was a historic moment, and one I don't think I'll ever forget.

The game was a nail-biter from start to finish, culminating in a golden goal just a few minutes into overtime. In an instant, everyone in the arena was crying. The US players (and their fans) were crying tears of joy. The Canadian players (and their fans) were crying tears of sorrow. Even the NBC commentators were choking up as they were trying to put into words what this moment meant. It was pure ecstasy......and pure agony.

Here's something interesting, though. Every single player on both the US and Canadian rosters plays in the NHL, the world's most prominent hockey league. These players play with each other and against each other multiple times per week, year after year. Yet, this moment was so profoundly important to everyone on the ice.

It would be so easy to talk about how these rich professional athletes just do it for the money. Tell that to my TV yesterday. What I saw was pure emotion. Yeah, money is cool, but whether we like to admit it or not, money is far from the ultimate driver. The world might run on money, but at our core, we humans run on meaning. Watching those players yesterday, I don't think money was on their minds.

Let's talk about the money, though, as it's very, very real. After doing a little research, I found that these two teams have 50 rostered NHL players. Combined, their annual salaries (not including any sponsorships or outside income) total approximately $390 million. That means, on average, the players representing USA and Canada in yesterday's game make approximately $8 million per year.

Yet, in the postgame interview, the hero player for the US squad was crying, bleeding (from getting his front teeth knocked out), and talking about how much he loves his country.

It's so easy to point our fingers and accuse professional athletes, celebrities, and large business owners of only caring about money. I think we have it backwards. The presence of money and fame isn't the tell that they only care about money. Rather, the presence of money and fame is oftentimes the byproduct of pouring their blood, sweat, tears, and passions into something they deeply care about.....and succeeding.

I'll end with this. I think we would all be much more successful in our endeavors and pursuits if we cared as much as those 40-50 players on the ice yesterday. Yes, they are rich. Yes, they are famous. But I don't think that's what fuels them. I think they have meaning filled to the brim. That's something worth fighting for.

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The Value of a Pizza

"Dad, can we have pizza tonight?"

Ah, the common words of a nine-year-old. The boys were craving pizza last night. Since I, too, was kinda craving pizza, I wasn't about to fight the idea. "What should we get?" I asked.

Lots of ideas were tossed around, ranging from frozen pizza, to national chain to-go pizza, to local pizza shops. Ultimately, we (unsurprisingly) landed on our favorite local pizza shop. Additionally, there was one more request: "No pick-up. Let's eat there." Deal!

Pizza is one of those things that has a wide range of styles, quality, and prices. For example, we could have gotten a decent frozen pizza for $5-$7 or grabbed a national chain pizza for $10-$12. Instead, we paid $20 (plus tip) for a pizza....around $26 total. Was the local pizza 4-5x better than a frozen pizza? Was the local pizza 2.5x better than the national chain pizza? Probably not. It's pretty good pizza, don't get me wrong! We love this pizza. But 2.5-5x better than the alternatives? Not exactly.

It's not really about the pizza, though. Sure, we were there to eat a pizza. However, what we were really there for was an experience. We wanted to go to our spot, enjoy our time together, engage with the familiar staff, and create memories. We didn't pay $25 for a pizza......we paid $25 for an experience that happened to include a pizza.

We had a blast. We talked about all the fun things we did earlier in the day, and looked forward to the week ahead. It was a good time. The pizza was fantastic as well, but that wasn't the heart of the story.

Memories, experiences, adventure, and time with those we care most about. That's always worth investing in.

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God Bless, Mr. Van Der Beek

I was floored. I opened Twitter a few days ago, only to discover that James Van Der Beek had passed away after a brief battle with cancer. As a '90s kid, Van Der Beek was everywhere. From Varsity Blues to Dawson's Creek to countless appearances everywhere else, James was a fixture of the time. Every girl wanted to date him, and every guy wanted to be him. He seemed invincible.

Maybe it's because of his position in my life during those formative years, or perhaps because he's only four years older than me, but his passing has sat heavily on me these past few days. It's yet another reminder of our mortality and the fragility of life. Also, as a father, it feels like a gut punch knowing he left behind six children ranging from 4 to 15 years old.

James hasn't played a meaningful role in my life for more than 20 years, but when I learned of his cancer battle a few years ago, I started watching his content. He's a sweet, introspective, and wise man. In just a short video clip, James has the ability to cut through the noise and offer insights that seem truly valuable. Today, I want to share one clip that has stuck with me for a few years. It's only fitting that I share his words today in celebration of his life.

I'm not going to provide any context or follow-up commentary, as I think James communicates it so eloquently. HERE’S THE VIDEO CLIP…..ENJOY!

Life is short. Pursue wins that matter. Don't lose sight of what's important. Have a great day.

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Except He Didn’t Say Fudge

Remember that one time (earlier this month) I blindly clicked a link from my friend Ryan and purchased a TV without knowing anything about it? A few weeks ago, I wrote about my belief that we need to be an expert where we're an expert, acknowledge our gaps, and humbly entrust others to help us fill those gaps.

Today, I bring you an update on what happened after I purchased that mystery TV. I'll set the scene. With my purchase confirmation e-mail in hand, I walked into a local Best Buy to claim my purchase. The man behind the register politely asked me for an order number or a QR code to scan, and I quickly obliged. Beep, goes the scanner. The man behind the register paused. Was he confused? Was something wrong? Was there simply a delay in the system?

After what seemed like a minute (which was probably only 10 seconds), he became animated. "Hilly fudge! Are you crapping me? What in the fudge?!? What in the fudge!?! How in the fudge did you do this?!? Oh fudge!"

Except he didn't say fudge (in my best A Christmas Story narration voice). In fact, none of those were the words he actually used. I'll let you decode it. In any event, he was beyond excited. He asked if I could give him a minute to see if there were any similar deals still available for him to personally grab. There weren't.

Seeing that I appeared to be confused by his reaction, he asked me, "Do you know what you just got?" Nope, I didn't. "Well, how did you do this?" he asked. When I told him I just blindly clicked a link from a friend and clicked "buy," he was even more shocked.

He went on to explain that I purchased a $3,200 TV for only $750. Again, I don't really know anything about this.....I just clicked a link and drove to the store to pick it up. The next day, I had it all set up in my living room. The verdict? It's easily the best TV I've ever laid my eyes on. I actually didn't even know TVs could do this.

Will I always come out on the winning side of trusting other people to fill in my gaps? Of course not! However, more times than not, I'm going to end up in a far better place than I ever would have by trying to figure it out myself. Better yet, I don't have to spend the time, energy, or brain power to get there. All that's needed from us is to find people we trust, then trust.

I know this is a weird position to take in life, but it's a hill I'll die on. We need to focus our time, energy, and brain power on the areas we know best. Then, we delegate. We entrust others to walk alongside us and provide much-needed insights and guidance. I couldn't love that any more than I do! In the meantime, I'll be watching and re-watching all the Twenty One Pilots music videos on the new TV!

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Your Values, Not Mine

One of my clients asked me what I think about a particular decision they are making. Here's how I responded (paraphrased, as I definitely don't remember word for word):

"On a personal level, you don't want or need my opinion. We are on totally opposite sides of this decision; we couldn't be further apart from each other. However, what I think doesn't matter. This decision clearly aligns with your values and what's most important to you, and therefore, that's most important to me. It doesn't matter what I or anyone else thinks of this decision. This is your life, your journey."

The topic? They are considering buying a very, very, very, very nice house. And with that many "very"s, I'm talking about one of the nicest houses I've ever seen in my life. Considering I'm content living in this 80-year-old, one-bathroom house we currently rent, we couldn't be further apart.

This is where nuance MUST come into play. Do you know how successful I'd be walking alongside people if all I did was try to jam my values down their throats? When it comes to money and work, very few things are black-and-white. Instead, it's all different shades through different lenses. What's right for one is wrong for another. What's wise for someone is dumb for another.

This is the problem with most people's financial advice: It's portrayed through their personal lens as right and wrong. You shouldn't buy coffee. You should only buy the nicest coffee. You shouldn't go out to eat. You should only eat at fancy steakhouses. You shouldn't drive a nice car. You shouldn't drive a used car. You shouldn't travel. You shouldn't care about anything other than travel. You should, should, should, should.

Whenever we try to tell other people what to value, we've lost the plot. Instead, it should be about ideas. There are ideas, principles, practices, and habits that are proven to work well. Once we're able to digest those things, we can pursue our values through those lenses.

To my client who is considering buying a tremendously nice house, that's cool. It's not my type of cool, but it is theirs! After walking alongside them, seeing their heart, and understanding what moves their needle, it's probably the right decision for them. Context matters. It always matters.

Therefore, don't listen when other people tell you what you should or shouldn't value. They are them; you are you. We're all different. Embrace your uniqueness, and approach your work and finances accordingly.

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Blood Money

Have you ever had a decision in front of you that you knew in your heart the correct answer would result in you losing a ton of money? Here's an extreme example. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make $50,000 for a single day's work......but it's the day of your kid's high school graduation. $50,000 is a lot of money! But it's also your kid's graduation! Is a single one-hour ceremony really worth losing $50,000?

These are the types of scenarios I refer to as "blood money." It's money for the sake of money, even at the expense of something even more important or meaningful (perhaps our dignity). Over the course of my adult life, I've encountered maybe a dozen of these opportunities. A high-paying job/project that I should say "no" to because it would surely steal my job. A financial windfall that would come with major strings attached. Work that needed to be done at the expense of attending an important life event.

I wish I could tell you I always made the right choices in these scenarios, but unfortunately, I haven't. The pain of my regret is where I coined the term "blood money." I looked at the financial reward for x decision and felt disgusted in myself. The financial rewards I received might as well been drenched in blood. I ripped meaning from my life for the benefit of dollars. It's the antithesis of what I believe in, yet I've fallen for it more than once.

There are several families in my coaching going through similar situations. Blood money is on the table. The culturally right decision is to say yes to this money, but the consequences could be dire. What will they choose? Only time will tell. My strongest encouragement to them is to remember what their purpose is. If they are honoring that, they will (usually) make the right choices.

Always choose wisely, as everything is connected to everything.

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What a Privilege

I recently stumbled upon a quote that stopped me in my tracks:

"What a privilege to be tired from the work that you once prayed for."

I've had quite the month. I'm utterly exhausted. Some days were fun, many were a grind, and a handful excruciating. All the while, though, I kept thinking about that quote. What a privilege it is, indeed, to be tired from the work I once prayed for.

It's so easy to lose sight of how blessed we are. I'm immensely grateful for every opportunity on my plate. Nearly seven years ago, with two toddlers and Sarah locked into her stay-at-home mom role, I left my prior career, and our family took a 90% pay cut. Overnight, we went from having plenty to not having nearly enough. Every month was a struggle. The budget was cut down to about nothing, and we had to be tediously careful with every dollar spent. Month after month, we struggled to build the business and get our legs under us. Fast forward to today, and there's no other word to use than "grateful."

I'll never take for granted how this journey has played out. We've experienced the worst of the worst and the best of the best. Though I have some scars from along the way, I'm not sure I'd undo any of it if I had the chance. Instead, I think those scars will continuously help remind me what a privilege it is to be tired from the work (and life) I once prayed for.

I hope this resonates today. Have a blessed day!

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It’s Okay

Have you been on social media lately? Wow, it's a crazy world out there. If a Hollywood blockbuster apocalyptic thriller came to life and lived in the digital world, that would be today's social media environment. Every single time I open any single one of my social media apps, I'm instantly met with a barrage of unhinged humanity.

Today, I want to share a little life hack with you. Some of you already practice this, which might be where I picked up on the habit. Alright, here goes: We don't have to have an opinion about everything. Do you know how emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining it is to have a strong opinion about each and every topic? It's exhausting!

Sure, there are events, situations, and developments in our lives that naturally elicit feelings. However, I'm not sure we humans were meant to have strong opinions about everything, especially things that are five standard deviations beyond our purview, our understanding, and our expertise. "I don't know" is a perfectly acceptable answer. In fact, I think I use the phrase "I don't know" more than any other phrase. I'd actually take it one step further. If we never admit that we "don't know," it brings into question whether we know anything.

What does this have to do with the overarching topic of this blog? Here's how. It's nearly impossible to live a meaningful life if we let ourselves be spread razor-thin by everything going on around us. Sometimes, we need to practice humility and not know something. After all, if we truly want to be masters of our crafts, our lives, our influence, and our relationships, we must not allow ourselves to be consumed by all the world has to offer (er, shoved down our throats). This isn’t me saying that we shouldn’t care what’s going on around us. I think we should care deeply. However, there’s something brutally unhealthy about having steadfast, unwavering opinions about every single thing. It can drive us into the ground.

I'll probably have a lot of opinions today, but I'm going to try to focus them on things that actually fall within my purview, influence, passions, and skillsets.

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Silver Lining to the Memory Loss

I discovered something wild yesterday while I was working in my home office. I stumbled upon a random and mysterious yellow envelope. It had been sent through the Postal Service, but I didn't recognize it. I eagerly but nervously opened it, only to discover it housed 13 handwritten cards addressed to me.

Unreal! The cards were from high school students who attended a talk I gave on December 4th. Turns out, I received this package of cards during the stretch when I was suffering cognitive function decline and short-term memory loss as a result of a neck injury. In fact, I didn't piece this together until yesterday, but I actually gave this talk the morning of the day when my cognitive function deteriorated. I remember this talk well, but I don't recall much about a family event I attended later that evening.

As I read through the cards yesterday, I couldn't help but think how this was such beautiful timing. I've had an absolutely brutal week. It was the kind of week where one can start questioning if they are actually in the right place. Is this where I belong? Am I doing the right things? Is this where I'm meant to be?

As I opened the first card and read the generous words, those doubts I had been carrying were immediately swept away. In an instant, I was jolted back to reality, a reality where I recognize I'm exactly where I'm called to be. Following meaning is a treacherous endeavor. It sometimes means turning our backs on comfort, status, material gain, and an easier path. In its place can be uncertainty, risk, pain, frustration, and heartache.

I've been on all sides of this coin: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I've experienced comfort, status, material gain, and an easier path. I've also performed a drastic 180-degree turn and ran headfirst into uncertainty, risk, pain, frustration, and heartache. I don't claim to be a know-it-all here, but I can confidently testify that despite being the hardest seven years of my life, it's been the most rewarding, fulfilling, and impactful seven years of my life. Knowing what I know now, I'd never go back to "the old way."

I hope some of you have similar stories. If so, please share them with others. In a world that pushes one way to see the world, these stories can be powerful. On the flip side, if you don't have any of these stories, perhaps now is a great time to create them. It's not supposed to be easy, but it is supposed to be rewarding.

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E

As I sit here, my brain is completely blank. I've gotten 6 hours of sleep, combined, over the past two nights. I'm absolutely fried. The tank is on E. I have so many ideas, yet at the same time, nothing is coming out. All I can seem to think about is how important sleep is and how detrimental a lack of it can be.

The word we always use is "balance." Balance, balance, balance. Everything is about balance. I used to aggressively pursue balance, but eventually, after years and years of failure, I realized balance is a myth. Balance is something that works well on paper, but terribly in real life.

Now, I can admit that getting 6 hours of sleep over two nights is never a good thing. You got me on that one. However, setting my extreme example aside, it never feels like life is balanced. Rather, it's a perpetual swinging of the pendulum from one side to the other. We're either unbalanced one way, or unbalanced the other way.

There's nothing wrong with this. In fact, I'd argue it's a healthy and normal rhythm of life. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try to maintain a healthy lifestyle; instead, it means we should simply give ourselves more grace while we try to figure it out. Every day, week, month, and season is different, and each deserves its own rhythm. We should try to embrace it for whatever it is, wherever that pendulum falls.

I'm sure my life will be perpetually unbalanced one way or another, but I hope to go easy on myself as I navigate that journey the best I can. For now, though, I'm gonna try to get some shut-eye.

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3 Men, 3 Mindsets

Today's post is inspired by a recent piece written by my great friend, Gary Hoag. If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you probably know that Gary is the inspiration and encouragement behind this blog. If you didn't know that, now you do! In either case, you should totally subscribe to Gary's daily writings.

An excerpt from Gary's recent article:

"A story is told of a visitor to London during the time of the construction of St. Paul's Cathedral, the architect of which was Sir Christopher Wren. The visitor stopped at the construction site and asked some of the workmen what they were doing. One said, 'I am working to get money to keep my family.' Another said, 'I am working here because it is the kind of work I have been trained to do.' A third man said, 'I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build a great cathedral.'"

Three different men, three different mindsets. All things being equal, I think we can assume that all three of these men were doing similar work and earning similar wages. However, they might as well have been living on different planets. Each of these men woke up in the morning, got dressed, commuted to work, and started their workday. All three of their daily routines might have also looked similar to one another.

What happened when they got to the worksite, though, is where everything changed. Sure, they were performing the same work, but the mindset behind said work changes everything.

• One man was there because work is a necessary evil.

• One man was there to put his training and skills into practice.

• One man was there to make an impact.

Three men, three mindsets.

All work matters. Your work matters! Regardless of what you're doing today, your work matters. You might make the same dollar amount regardless of your mindset (I would argue even that's up for debate), but there's no doubt which mindset will drain our tank and which mindset will satiate something deep within us. Same paycheck, drastically different experience.

We can talk all we want about our work not having to have meaning, but considering we spend half our waking hours at work, feeling meaning in our work makes a world of difference in our journey. It has the power to turn terrible into okay, okay into good, and good into great. It puts an extra pep in our step, makes the tough moments worthwhile, and juices up the wins. Regardless of what work I'm performing, I want to be more like the third man. "I am helping Sir Christopher Wren build a great cathedral."

Meaning is a choice. Apathy is a choice. Impact is a choice. Misery is a choice. Choose wisely.

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A Question From Mr. Clear

In doing some research for a potential project, I stumbled upon a Tweet yesterday afternoon. James Clear, the author of the best-selling phenomenon book, Atomic Habits, asked a profoundly meaty question:

This falls in line with my ongoing messaging about budgeting: "It's not about spending less, but rather spending better." We need to lean harder into the things that add value to our lives while simultaneously turning our backs on the things that don't. That's the recipe for finding more meaning in our money.

When I see families exhausted and frustrated by their finances, it almost always includes their unintentional spending on things that don't actually matter to them. Consequently, they don't have the resources to spend on things they actually care about. It's the ultimate emotional drain.

However, when we can be laser-focused on what actually matters to us, blocking out all the noise around us, it oftentimes feels like we got a raise. Further, life just feels better when our resources go toward valuable things. There's no worse feeling than spinning our tires by spending all our hard-earned income on stuff that doesn't move the needle in our lives.

I'll answer Mr. Clear's questions, but after I do, I challenge you to answer them for yourself.

What single expense in my life delivers the least amount of happiness per dollar spent?

• This might be an unpopular opinion in my house, but some of our streaming services. If it were up to me, we'd justhave YouTubeTV and Netflix.....that's it. However, because x show is on y platform, we subscribe to y platform. And z show is on b platform, we subscribe to b platform. In my mind, this is one of the least effective categories in our budget.

• If this is true, I should probably engage Sarah about this and see how important it is to her (and how important it is for me to push back on).

What single expense in my life delivers the most amount of happiness per dollar spent?

• Dining out, and there's not a close second. I so cherish the time our family spends dining out, whether it's a quick meal with the kids or a date night with Sarah.

• The other one I was debating was Travel, but on a dollar-for-dollar basis, dining out offers a far higher return.

• If this is true, it would argue that we should consider increasing our dining out category each month. I think we skimp on this one far too often.

Your turn.

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A Nasty Coke Habit

One of my friends recently threw an interesting question at me. He has a Coke habit. No, not kind of coke…..he has the Coca-Cola variety of habit. Every single workday, he buys a bottle of Coke from the vending machine when he gets to work. $2.50/bottle. This habit drives his wife nuts. First, why does he need a bottle of Coke every day?!?! Second, if he's going to buy a bottle of Coke, why does he need to buy it from a vending machine?!?!

I'm going to set aside any health-related considerations and focus solely on the economic/behavioral factors. Why does he need a Coke each day? Well, why do I drink a cup of black coffee every day? Why does my buddy Evan eat a little cup of yogurt (with chocolate chips) each day? Why does my son Finn eat popcorn every day after school? Because some habits help us create an enjoyable rhythm to life. A familiarity. A comfort. None of these things are needs; they are wants. For me, there's nothing more enjoyable than savoring a steaming mug of black coffee shortly after I wake up. It's a staple habit of my day. Regardless of the cost, this small, repeatable habit adds significant value to my life. My friend's bottle of Coke falls into that same camp. It gives him something to look forward to. 

But what about the vending machine? Why wouldn't he just buy a case of bottles at Costco, then bring one to work each day? After all, that would make a lot more economic sense. He couldn't justify himself (to the ire of his wife), but I immediately spotted it. The ritual of buying his drink means way more than he realizes. The walk to the machine, the conversation he has with his friend while at the machine, the sound of clicking quarters, watching the bottle tumble down to the chute, and extracting the ice-cold bottle from the little door. Further, this little ritual isn't simply a ritual; it's a trigger. The moment he practices his ritual is a proverbial switch flipping in him. That's the moment he shifts from his personal self to his professional self. It's game time! He's ready to tackle the day.

Without realizing it, he long ago established a trigger that lets him turn on the engine. He's amazing at his job, and I would argue that this practice has played a positive role in his journey. By my math, he spends north of $600/year on this "dumb habit," as his wife refers to it. In my opinion, though, it might be one of the best financial investments in his life. A simple joy, a tangible trigger, a moment of normalcy. I'm not a pop drinker, but I think it's pretty dang cool. 

I have a few similar habits in my life, and perhaps you do, too. Whatever they are, I encourage you to not unfairly judge them as "wastes" or "irresponsible." Each of us needs to find a rhythm that allows us to experience normalcy, meet a simple want, and act as a trigger to something even more important in the journey. 

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Blind Spots, In Action

Yesterday's post was on the spicier side, not because of my words, but because of the overarching subject matter. Several of my friends reached out yesterday (in love) to suggest I stay clear of these types of topics and instead keep my focus on my core mission. If you stuck with me and you're back today, I hope you'll see how it all fits together.

"Our blind spots are killing us. They are killing our relationships, our personal growth, and our success." Those were some of my parting words in yesterday's post. Despite clear evidence right in front of us, we humans tend to see only what we want to see.

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Many years ago, one of my young friends was struggling to land a good job. He was extraordinarily bright, charming, and driven. In his words, he was "overqualified" for all the jobs he was applying for, thus resulting in him being repeatedly turned down for job opportunities. In a fun little twist of circumstances, my team was hiring, and I thought he might be a good fit. I invited him to apply, and he eagerly obliged.

The interview was a disaster. While he was, in fact, a bright, charming, and driven young man, he came across as arrogant, condescending, and entitled. He presented himself as a know-it-all, made terrible eye contact, and overall, lacked professionalism.

Needless to say, he didn't get hired. The entire situation was a dumpster fire. On the heels of this debacle, he again lamented to me about how he's simply too "overqualified" for most jobs, and he's a victim of his elevated abilities. When I shared some feedback from the interview process, he immediately dismissed me, seeing only what he wanted to see. If he could overcome his blind spots, he would have easily been able to develop his interview skills, allowing his true giftedness an opportunity to flourish.

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In the past few years, I've met with countless young couples who are struggling with their finances. As we work through the numbers and their personal financial situations, they offer their perspective on what's happening: "The Boomers have ruined our economy, and it's nearly impossible for our generation to succeed. The entire system is stacked against us, and nobody gives a s#$t." The exact words of one of these disgruntled people.

Translation: they are victims of overarching systemic issues. Inflation, high housing prices, a tough job market, stagnant wages.....the list goes on. While I'm not arguing that these things do or don't exist, I think there's more to the story.

Here's what I uncovered. Their financial lives were comprised of a series of terrible and destructive decisions. They've structured their lives in such a way that they constantly back themselves into financial corners. However, since they only see what they want to see, they are blind (and defiant) to these dynamics. If they could overcome their blind spots, they could easily gain control of their finances and set themselves free from the misery that's been bestowed upon them.

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Lastly, I'll share the story of Sam. Like millions of Americans, Sam is in tens of thousands of dollars of consumer debt...$59,000 to be exact. Credit cards, car loans, student loans. Everything he's been told his whole life indicates he's screwed, and there's no way out. A debt-filled life is inevitable. I walked him through a simple but effective process that would free him from all this debt within 24 hours. "Impossible!" The black-and-white numbers said it was doable, but he saw only evidence of the doomed nature of his life. If he could overcome his blind spots, he could transform his life.

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These blind spots are so very real. They aren't just costing us dollars and cents; they are costing us our freedom, our dreams, our callings, and our meaning. Please don't allow your blind spots rob you of what could otherwise be something truly special.

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Win the Moment

Two nights ago, we held our annual State of the Union meeting for our Northern Vessel Coffee team. It was great to gather everyone in the room together. We shared laughs, enjoyed food, discussed friction points, and cast a vision for the year to come. In short, our 2026 strategy is boring: No major changes. No shiny objects. No distractions. We're simply going to lock in and endeavor to become more excellent at every aspect of our business.

The idea of "no shiny objects" came up a few times. In the past, we've always had some audacious idea in the works; something to look forward to. Some were massive successes, and others were epic failures. This year, however, there is no such shiny object.

I felt moved in the moment and shared something with the team. For me, there is something better than a shiny object: the moment. Every single person we have the privilege of serving creates a moment—a brief moment of their life for us to make a positive impact. A moment of encouragement. A moment of laughter. A moment of mourning. A moment of being seen. A moment of support. A moment of something.

My best advice and encouragement for the team is to "win the moment." Our team is blessed with the opportunity to create thousands of moments. Each offers the possibility for us to "win the moment." Not "win" in the sense of competition or achievement, but rather, making a difference for good. It's hard to fully explain what I mean, but a Google review came in yesterday that sums it up so beautifully:

"The best part of our day." Our team won the moment. They created something special out of what could have otherwise been a mere transaction. This person didn't merely buy coffee; they shared an experience.

Shiny objects are fun (and oftentimes euphoric), but choosing to win the moments of life is far more satiating and lasting than any of that. That's my encouragement today. Whatever you're doing today or this week, win the moment. The opportunities are right there in front of you; it only requires us to step into them.

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Terrible Reasons

One of my clients recently gave me the surprise of a lifetime. After making so much progress, primarily due to their sacrifice and discipline, they arrived at a coaching meeting with a new priority: purchasing a new car. And not just any car, but a $75,000 vehicle they absolutely can't afford. When I asked them what drove this recent development, one of the spouses responded, "All of our family and friends are buying new vehicles. We make good money, so we think we deserve to buy something nice, too."

That's a terrible reason to buy a new vehicle! First, I don't know the financial situation of any of their friends or family, but assuming they follow general demographic trends, they can't afford these vehicles, either. I've seen more $1,000/month vehicle payments than I care to admit, and I can testify that they are more common than most people would believe.

Just because our friends and family are making insane decisions, it doesn't mean we should follow suit. This awesome young couple is doing so well with their finances, and their impulses to keep up with the Joneses have the potential of erasing 18 months of hard-fought progress.

This is the battle we all face. Every day is a gauntlet of more. A gauntlet of comparison. A gauntlet of jealousy. A gauntlet of social media highlight reels. And every day, we must stay strong and stick to our knitting.

Sarah's vehicle has 220,000 miles, and mine has 150,000. We're about due for some new purchases. However, those purchases cannot come at the expense of our integrity, our peace, and our plan. We have specific goals for our lives, and we're not about to let a materialistic urge set us back. Instead, we're taking intentional steps each month to prepare for a vehicle transition. I can promise it's not a $75,000 transition, though. We know the budget we need to hit to thread the needle of getting what we need.....for a cost we can afford to pay in cash. It won't be the flashiest vehicle on the lot, but it will allow our family to continue down the path we're called to walk. It will allow us to walk in peace. It will allow us the margin to fight the battles that life throws at us. That, friends, is a win. Not a sexy win, but a massive, life-giving win.

Don't let the urge for more knock you off the path toward better. Don't unwind years of progress for a fleeting feeling of euphoria. It's not worth it. It's never worth it.

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A Blank Canvas

Happy New Year, everyone! I don't know why, but this day gives me so much hope, optimism, and excitement each year. I've felt that way since I was a little kid, and that feeling never fades. I think what excites me so much is that it always feels like a blank canvas.

It's a clean slate, a fresh start, a new beginning. That canvas is so crisp, so clean, so empty. We are the artists. The brushes and paints are in our hands. What will we do with that opportunity? Will we continue to fall into the same traps as before? Will we fall prey to the ongoing pressures of our world? Will we take the path of least resistance and simply keep doing what we've always done?

Or, will we decide to carve a new path, a different path? Will we etch out a new storyline that has the potential to fundamentally transform our lives forever?

I feel the constant tension between continuing down the exact same road I'm on and having the courage to pivot. I see the hope and promise of what could be, but am I brave enough to go for it?

The same goes for you. You have a blank canvas in front of you. Today is day #1. This is where it begins. What masterpiece will you create with the blank canvas that lies before you? I can't wait to find out.

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Those Things Are Cool, But….

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It always has been, and I hope it always will be. There are so many things to like!

• I like the songs.

• I like the lights and decorations.

• I like the food.

• I like the trees.

• I like the snow.

• I like the traditions.

• I like the movies.

So many things to like!! Those things are cool, but for me, it's Jesus. I enjoy every part of Christmas, but as I've grown older, it's the celebration of our faith that I love most.

It's so easy to get lost in all the trappings of our culture's definition of Christmas; it can be intoxicating. But if you're a Christian, it's important to slow down and recognize the focal point of our annual celebration.

Whatever you're doing today, I hope it's a beautiful experience! Merry Christmas, everyone!

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