The Daily Meaning

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“Your daily blog posts have become a great part of my morning routine, waking up and reading your posts challenge me to reflect on something that matters in my life or view something from a different perspective.”
"Love starting my morning with a daily dose of positivity or perspective!"

Daily Meaning Reader

Travis Shelton 7/2/26 Travis Shelton 7/2/26

Two People to Make Proud

I recently stumbled upon a quote that lives rent-free in my head: "There are only two people you should strive to make proud: 10-year-old you and 80-year-old you." Let that sink in. See, it messes with your head!

Travis Shelton 6/30/26 Travis Shelton 6/30/26

“Have I Been Conned?”

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."

Travis Shelton 6/27/26 Travis Shelton 6/27/26

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.

Travis Shelton 6/25/26 Travis Shelton 6/25/26

Everything Can Be Something, Something Can Be Everything

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.

Travis Shelton 6/24/26 Travis Shelton 6/24/26

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).

Travis Shelton 6/22/26 Travis Shelton 6/22/26

A Reminder From Waterlooville

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.

Travis Shelton 6/21/26 Travis Shelton 6/21/26

October 2016

I used to have a naive goal in life: to have two kids by the age of 35. I don't know what sparked this goal, but I knew I wanted to have at least two kids, and I thought being done having kids by 35 was the "right" age. Again, that was young and naive me.

Travis Shelton 6/20/26 Travis Shelton 6/20/26

Fraud Alert

I, too, want to live life so generously and audaciously that my own bank thinks I'm committing fraud against myself.

Travis Shelton 6/18/26 Travis Shelton 6/18/26

How You See It

His son recently asked him a question: "Dad, why don't you complain about your job all the time like Mom does?"

Travis Shelton 6/17/26 Travis Shelton 6/17/26

A Cheap (Little Man) Date

When I talk to friends, I hear many stories about how they take their kids to these extravagant events and expensive activities. All of it sounds fun, very fun. It's what they say next that causes me to scratch my head.

Travis Shelton 6/15/26 Travis Shelton 6/15/26

Slowing Down?

Here was his question: “Do you look forward to slowing down?” This was a reference to my work and to my often-published perspective on doing it for the rest of my life.

Travis Shelton 6/14/26 Travis Shelton 6/14/26

Their Opinions Don’t Matter

Travis Shelton 6/9/26 Travis Shelton 6/9/26

Kristian, I Want to Play a Game

I have a rule when I travel abroad. I won’t eat anything that I am familiar with or can readily get in America. One of the best ways to learn someone’s culture and build relationships is through shared experiences with THEIR cuisine.

Travis Shelton 6/7/26 Travis Shelton 6/7/26

From What We Have

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.

Travis Shelton 6/5/26 Travis Shelton 6/5/26

Gutted….In the Best Way

Have you ever shared a sopping-wet, makeshift charcuterie board with a 9-year-old sitting at the base of an old oak tree in the pitch-black at 10 PM on a weeknight?

Travis Shelton 6/4/26 Travis Shelton 6/4/26

Comfort Is the Enemy

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.

Travis Shelton 6/1/26 Travis Shelton 6/1/26

“What’s In It For You?”

"What's in it for you? Why are you so into this stuff? What are you getting out of it?"

Travis Shelton 5/26/26 Travis Shelton 5/26/26

70-Year-Old Travis

"Do you really expect to be working at 70 years old? What does that even look like?"

Travis Shelton 5/25/26 Travis Shelton 5/25/26

Parable of the Oat Milk

This really isn't about oat milk. This is a parable for everything in our lives. Our gut instinct is to always make things more complicated, more complex, and more sophisticated.

Travis Shelton 5/24/26 Travis Shelton 5/24/26

Define “Actually Enjoy Life”

What if enjoying life is so much more than how much we can spend and how little we can work?

The Daily Meaning

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“Your daily blog posts have become a great part of my morning routine, waking up and reading your posts challenge me to reflect on something that matters in my life or view something from a different perspective.”

"Love starting my morning with a daily dose of positivity or perspective!"