The Daily Meaning
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The Gatekeepers Are Dead
For generations, we lived in a world of gatekeepers. If you wanted to publish a book, you'd need a publisher to say "yes" to you and offer to publish it. If you wanted to be a radio or TV personality, you'd need a network to sign you. If you wanted to record an album, you'd need a label to discover you. If you wanted to start a business, well, there were a ton of barriers to entry.
Rock Bottom
"Okay is the worst place to be." There's nothing worse than being okay in xyz area of life. Okay isn't good enough to thrive, but also not bad enough to change.
Grateful For That Kid
Now, this couple will spend the next season of their lives creating an entirely new reality that will forever transform their family. All because that 23-year-old kid had enough awareness and respect for his future self to live with wisdom and discipline.
The Secret Sauce
When someone lacks humility, the ceiling is quite limited. With a high level of humility, there's nothing that can stop them. That's it, that's the secret sauce. If you ever want to know what sets some people apart from others, it's humility.
Screwing Up My Own Recipe
In other words, I lived a "normal" life and fell right into the hands of our culture's toxic perspectives. I was the epitome of our modern materialism.
The Recipe
The biggest question I received since yesterday is what a series of good compounding decisions looks like in a real-life situation. The below sequence of events, in rough chronological order, is my idealized version of this recipe.
Compounding Decisions
I stumbled upon a brutal rant from an early 30-something. This man, self-identifying as a younger millennial, went scorched earth about the older generations and how they set up the younger generations for utter failure.
Exercise the Muscle
During my 10-year stretch as a youth group leader, I taught hundreds of high school students about generosity. It was always one of my favorite topics to engage students with! In one of my favorite talks, I discussed a concept I like to call "exercising the giving muscle."
Rewriting History
The entire concept of the movie is mind-blowing in and of itself, but at its heart is a concept that has long resonated with me: Our very human ability (and inclination) to rewrite history.
A Lesson From 10-Years-Ago Mr. Beast
I don't regularly consume his content, but the video he posted yesterday quickly grabbed my attention. It's a video he recorded, uploaded, and scheduled 10 YEARS AGO.
Accountability, But With Grace
Grace does not mean the absence of consequences and accountability, just as the presence of consequences and accountability does not mean the absence of grace.
Thanks For the Pain!
"I'd like to once again take a second to thank my previous employer for laying me off. Every knockdown is just an opportunity to come back even stronger."
When the Stingrays Eat Your Fist
On the first pass, one of the stingrays practically swallowed Pax's entire fist while trying to grab the fish out of it. Pax looked in shock, but he quickly gained the confidence to try again. Finn was the same way. What started as a scary endeavor quickly morphed into a fun adventure.
Easier to Just Stay At Home
Can I just be frank and tell you I'm terrified? Yeah, it would definitely be easier just to stay at home. If I were to stay home today, there's zero chance I could fall flat on my face and face a giant embarrassment.
Noisy But Quiet
Hundreds of people flowed in and out of the shop, but at the same time, it felt empty. As one of our baristas put it, "noisy but quiet."
Leaving a Gift For Future You
This is the mind-bending part about our financial lives. Every decision we make impacts two people: Current us and future us.
Ugly Scoreboards
On the very first play of the game, he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. In a matter of five seconds, they were losing 0-7. Ouch!
From the Ashes
One of my friends experienced something beyond horrifying. They've been through it all, and somehow stand upright on the other side of it. I can't even imagine the amount of pain they've endured.
Deeper Than We Think
However, those who suffer on the other side of this coin typically suffer in silence. They often feel guilty, sometimes embarrassed, about not being able to spend money on wants.