The Daily Meaning
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The Easiest Super-Hard No of My Life
You should have seen the look on my face when I received a text from my dear friend Gary Hoag, inviting me and our friend Chi-Chung to join him in Milwaukee for the first game of the World Series.
Ask the Person In the Mirror
I have a question for you today. It's a profound one, so you might want to sit down. I think it gets to the heart of the materialism that lives inside us. We all have some, whether we want to admit it or not. Here's the question: If nobody could see that you own x possession, would you still want to buy it?
Da Coach
We lost football legend and former Bears coach, Mike Ditka, yesterday. Coach was larger than life. Even if you didn't know the Chicago Bears, you knew Coach. Even if you didn't know football, you knew Coach. Heck, Saturday Night Live had a running skit based on him! Coach was (and is!) an icon.
One Big Bucket List
Bucket list items seem more of a dream than a reality. They are loosely held wishes. We may or may not actually do these things, but the idea of them inspires us and preserves our imagination.
Don’t Hoard the Pain
Sometimes, we go through things in life that are deeply painful. Experiences that forever change the trajectory of our lives. Moments we wish we never had to endure, but will never be able to forget. Pain that perpetually lingers, ranging from a dull ache to a knife-like stabbing.
Through the World’s Eyes
Their concern was sincere. Their intentions were pure. Honestly, I appreciated their generous spirit. Someone recently pulled me aside and asked me if they could help buy something for one of my kids. Why? They assumed we couldn't afford it.
Pancakes For the Table
"I always get pancakes for the table. Unlocks the whole menu. It's the best. Everyone who steps into a diner is thinking in their head, 'Should I do pancakes?' But you don't wanna just do pancakes; but you'd eat pancakes. So you get pancakes for the table."
Interest Rates Over Grandkids
They have a 2.9% interest rate on their house, and if they sold it to move closer to family, they would lose this favorable mortgage. Based on the information she provided, this mortgage equates to approximately $1,500/month in value (compared to a market mortgage).
Burying the Lead
I'm feeling sheepish today. My friend Dave rightfully called me out regarding my recent post titled Chess vs. Checkers.
An Unplanned Social Experiment
Since we haven't been publishing new episodes, there was nobody captaining the ship, so to speak. No new content. No marketing. No direct influences. However, our 440-episode catalog remained in cyberspace on all major podcasting platforms.
Ingratitude: Don’t Let It Poison You
"Oh, it's you again. I'll put it in the back," she said with an emotionless face, then she just turned around and walked away.
She Forgot the Drink, But…..
"I don't even remember what drink I had. All I can remember is how that place made me feel! It was a weird experience. Not weird in a bad way. Weird in the best way. I was just treated so well! Your team treated me like I was their family."
Full-Circle Dinners
During one of my first coaching sessions, I told the couple that when they got out of debt, we would go out for a celebratory dinner at any restaurant in the metro they wanted, my treat.
The Hardest Pill to Swallow
I don't say all this to discourage people or spark the very hate I'm trying to condemn. Rather, I want to double down on my original point that if what I'm saying about people hating us either way is true, we ought to……..
Chicken or Egg?
I recently stumbled upon a heated online conversation on a social media platform. The original poster posed a question: "If so many people are struggling right now, why are there so many people with brand-new vehicles parked in their driveways?"
“Is This Heaven?”
After the movie, I asked them what they liked most about the movie. Pax already had the answer on the tip of his tongue: "How he wanted to play catch with his dad at the end."
Discouraged, But Not Destroyed
In a few hours, I will load my car onto a tow trailer and sit next to a tow-truck driver for a 4.5-hour trek back home.
“They Are Spending My Inheritance!!!”
Excuse me, what?!?! A grown independent woman is venting about how her parents are on a cruise, lamenting that they are spending her future money.