The Daily Meaning
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Anti-Complicated
Simplicity always wins! Whether I'm meeting with high school kids or seasoned business professionals, simple is always best. I wasn't joking in my response; I'm going to teach these kids the exact same thing I teach all my clients. In a world that likes to make every little concept or idea overly complicated, I'm going to approach it with an anti-complicated posture.
(Not) Overemphasizing Weaknesses
The name of the game isn't fixing our weaknesses, but rather unapologetically and aggressively leaning into our strengths while bridging our weaknesses.
Childlike Wonder
I often wonder at what age most of us lose that zest, that imagination, and that wonder. There's a moment in life where we go from having that childlike wonder to getting hit with a blast of reality. It's like our dreams, creativity, and imagination were robbed from under our noses without us even knowing it.
The Wrong Scorecard
I just had a heartbreaking conversation with an acquaintance. He's in his mid-50s, married, with two children who are about to graduate from high school. He confidentially shared this with me, but also asked me to anonymously write and podcast about it.
Destroy the Bar
"Good enough" seems to be the motto of our day, creating a sleepwalking culture where businesses look to the left and look to the right, trying to determine how little effort must be exerted to stay on par with their peers.
Downshifting
Most of the negative feedback revolved around the idea that some people who are retired still work, volunteer, be productive, and use their skills. If that's you, I applaud you. But I also have some bad news for you. You're not actually retired. See, I think culture has created a perverted definition of the word "retirement."
1/3 Through the Race
Today, I'm almost 44 years old. As I reflect on the past 20 years, I realize I'm about 1/3 through my career. So much has happened already, but I can't even fathom what's about to happen in the next 40 years of my career.
Never As Good As We Believe
At the same time, however, we encountered and discovered gut-wrenching problems that knocked us down a peg or two on the ego scale. This is a universal principle I firmly believe in: No matter how good we might think we're doing, we're never as good as we believe. Danger lurks behind every corner, and our successes often mask the warts.
Excellence, On Display
People don't care about supporting you; they care that you're excellent. If you're excellent, they will come. If you aren't, they won't. This is always painfully obvious in a farmer's market setting.
Even When You Don’t See It
Here's the beautiful thing, though. Impact is still impact, even when you don't see it. It all counts the same whether you're watching it first-hand or if you never know about it at all.
But Would You Live For Them?
"I would die for my family," exclaimed one of my friends. One by one, each of my friends said the same thing. As a husband and father, they would die for their family. Noble. I agreed with them about this sentiment. If push came to shove, I would sacrifice myself for my family. However, I asked a follow-up question. "Yeah, but would you live for your family?"
Mission and Memories…and One More Thing
"There are two things worth investing in. Mission and memories." I didn't realize it back then, but those words would rock my world from that point forward.
The Chomp
If I'm being honest with myself, my life would be much easier and more comfortable if I had just stayed home today. I could spend the weekend relaxing with my kids, getting rested, and knocking out a bunch of important work projects early in the week. Instead, I'm waking up at 4AM on a Saturday and flying to South America.
(Not) Doing It For Free
The best work is the work we'd do for free if we could, but at the same time, we get to provide for our family while doing it. That's what it looks like to thread the needle of work that matters.
Just Notice
That single exchange tremendously moved the needle for me. Their actions didn't cost them anything, and yet, made all the difference in the world.
Driving Your (or Their) Future
I'll set the stage. I was meeting with a 30-year-old couple. They make a good income and live a normal life, but they have an issue. There's not enough margin in their monthly budget to save for retirement. In short, they are fearful that they won't have enough money to retire one day.