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.”
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Travis Shelton 5/14/23 Travis Shelton 5/14/23

Work That Matters: SAHM Edition

“So you just stay at home?” I was standing about 8 feet from Sarah when she was asked this question at a social gathering, but I could tell from the minute I looked at her eyes, that one hurt. We had recently become parents to twin boys. Considering her dream in life was to one day stay at home with her babies, she was in the midst of living her absolute dream. But in that moment, her confidence was wavering and the self-talk was starting to creep in. It wasn’t the first time she had received an innocent-sounding comment with an insult attached to it, but this one hurt just as much as the others.

Travis Shelton 5/13/23 Travis Shelton 5/13/23

Creating Traditions

As I write this, I have one little boy snuggled up to my left side, fast asleep. On my right side, the other little boy, equally exhausted. I’m laying in a tent, using my thumbs to peck away this post. I can hear birds settling in for the night, and thunder in the distance. I’m exactly where I am every year on this night. The boys and I are on our annual pre-Mother’s Day camping trip. We rode horses, shot BB guns, played dodgeball, swam for far too long, and ate s’mores. It’s a tradition.

Travis Shelton 5/12/23 Travis Shelton 5/12/23

Sometimes Surviving is Thriving

We’re in the middle of a tough financial season for many. Between groceries, fuel, vehicles, and housing, inflation has been squeezing people from all sides. I’ve talked at length about this topic on the podcast, but I like to categorize people into three different groups:

Travis Shelton 5/11/23 Travis Shelton 5/11/23

Muscle Memory

I absolutely love the NBA playoffs. Growing up west of Chicago in the 90s, there was nothing better than watching the Bulls raise a banner nearly every year. Though I’m no longer a Bulls fan (see The Last Dance if you’re curious why), the NBA has stuck with me for decades. The other night, as I was watching another stellar Lakers/Warriors game, a very peculiar play unfolded before my eyes.

Travis Shelton 5/10/23 Travis Shelton 5/10/23

Memories Are Memories

In a world obsessed with more, more, and more, we can often lose sight of what really matters. In the last week, I’ve had several conversations with parents about how they are spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on their kids. Sometimes they classify these expenditures as wants, and other times as needs. But as a general rule of thumb, if it doesn’t involve a doctor, there are very few purchases in the $1,000+ range that classify as true kid needs.

Travis Shelton 5/9/23 Travis Shelton 5/9/23

Being Right vs. Getting it Right

While serving a client yesterday, I was in a team meeting for a project we’re working on. It’s a complex project that intersects with several different departments. For that reason, it’s always helpful to bring the team together to get a second set of eyes and fresh perspectives.

Travis Shelton 5/8/23 Travis Shelton 5/8/23

Marty Was Right!

When my kids were babies, I remember asking my colleague, Marty, what his favorite stage of parenting was. At the time, he had two college kids and a young high schooler. Without hesitation, he answered, “every stage was my favorite stage.” What?!?! What a cop-out answer! C’mon, Marty, give me something I can use!! He went on to explain how every single stage of parenting was better than the last. It felt like the inverse of this classic scene from Office Space.

Travis Shelton 5/7/23 Travis Shelton 5/7/23

Even Work We Love is Still Work

Can I tell you a secret? Please don’t tell anyone I told you this. I detest giving kids allowances. It’s the quickest way to teach entitlement, laziness, and create a disconnect between money and work.

Travis Shelton 5/5/23 Travis Shelton 5/5/23

Wiping the Slate Clean

Has this ever happened to you? Life gets intense. Maybe it’s sickness, relational turmoil, job stress, or just being too busy. In the midst of life hitting so hard, you lose sight of your finances. You forget to do a few things, fail to track your spending, or perhaps don’t have a budget to begin with. Money is the last thing on your mind and it is what it is. Can you relate?

Travis Shelton 5/4/23 Travis Shelton 5/4/23

When One Chapter Ends

Ten years ago, I was playing a game a pick-up basketball at church when I was unceremoniously punched in the groin. Yes, no better way to start a blog post than with a good ol’ fashion groin punch story. As I was laying in the fetal position trying to gain my composure, the perpetrator of said inadvertent punch approached me to apologize. He introduced himself as Doug Applegate, our church’s youth group director. I’m not sure why, but he decided an injured stranger was the perfect candidate to solicit for a volunteer youth group leader position. Considering I really didn’t care for teenagers, it seemed like a bad idea. However, I was always available to serve, especially when someone “needed” me. I told him I would check it out, then make a decision.

Travis Shelton 5/3/23 Travis Shelton 5/3/23

Opportunity Cost: In the Wild

On the heels of yesterday’s post about opportunity cost, at least 10 people asked if I would provide a real-life example of how the exercise works in practice. At the same time, Cole (Meaning Over Money co-founder) has been encouraging me to be more transparent with my own numbers. I feel like I’m a very transparent person, but being open with my specific numbers does not come naturally. In fact, it’s quite uncomfortable. Therefore, let’s get me out of my comfort zone!

Travis Shelton 5/2/23 Travis Shelton 5/2/23

Through the Lens of Opportunity Cost

Let’s say you want to spend money on something. It could be a number of things. A new car, a fresh wardrobe, private school for your kids, or maybe a trip to Disney. Let’s also say this particular item is important to you. If it’s important to you, it’s important (other people’s opinions don’t count). Let’s assume this purchase is highly important to you.

Travis Shelton 5/1/23 Travis Shelton 5/1/23

The Grass Always Seems Greener

I’m not gonna lie. Pursuing meaning can be hard. A gut-wrenching, nail-biting, faith-testing, “why did I just do that?” kind of hard. Nowhere in the handbook does it tell us a life of meaning will be simple and stress-free. Whether it’s radical generosity, pouring yourself out for others, taking a counter-cultural path, doing something that’s never been done before, or facing a reality of reduced income, it can be brutally hard. Some of you are reading this and thinking this is the worst sales pitch for meaning you’ve ever heard. If all this is true, why would I still be such a champion for meaning? Because it’s worth it!

Travis Shelton 4/30/23 Travis Shelton 4/30/23

Celebration of Generosity Reflections

Wow, it was an amazing three days at the Celebration of Generosity Conference. I got home around midnight last night, exhausted, fulfilled, and content. It was my first time attending this event, and I had no idea what to expect. Between the wonderful talks, the powerful testimonies, and the discussions I shared with fellow attendees, I was deeply moved. I’ve spent a lot of time processing what I experienced. Knowing me, there’s a high likelihood that I could quickly get swept back into life in the hours or days to come. I don’t want to let this opportunity pass me by. Therefore, I’m going to share with you my top 10 takeaways and next steps for myself.

Travis Shelton 4/29/23 Travis Shelton 4/29/23

Generosity Capers

Ca-per (noun): an activity or escapade, typically one that is illicit or ridiculous.

One of the breakout sessions in the Celebration of Generosity Conference yesterday was titled, Generosity Capers. In it, they talked about the importance and impact of creating unique giving opportunities. Capers come in all shapes and sizes. Some capers are expensive, while others are cheap. Some capers are planned, while others are spontaneous. Some capers benefit friends, while others benefit strangers. Some capers are complex, while others are simple. Some capers are serious, while others are silly. Some capers involve cash, while others involve goods or services.

Travis Shelton 4/28/23 Travis Shelton 4/28/23

You Might Be That Somebody

Travis Shelton 4/27/23 Travis Shelton 4/27/23

When You Take a Step Back

In all the craziness of life, do you ever take a step back and realize how far you’ve come? Or maybe you realize life looks a lot different than you anticipated it playing out? Or perhaps you just shake your head that you’ve been blessed in so many ways? As I’m writing this (late Wednesday night), I can’t help but think about all those things.

Travis Shelton 4/26/23 Travis Shelton 4/26/23

Retiring Your Kids?!?!?!

I’ve seen this topic pop up from time to time in the past, but it seems to be gaining steam these days. Perhaps it’s a natural byproduct of more and more people understanding the power of compound interest. Mix that with people’s desire to hoard and the common belief that money=happiness, and it’s a perfect recipe for “winning.

Travis Shelton 4/25/23 Travis Shelton 4/25/23

The Illusion of Security

It seems like every day I read or hear about a company laying people off. A handful of employees, a whole department, or even an entire division. It started with tech companies, then moved to mortgage companies, and now it seems to be spreading much more broadly. Just this week, a handful of the country’s most prominent journalists were unexpectedly fired from their respective networks. I’m not saying today’s environment feels like 2008/2009, but these headlines give me an eerie sense of deja vu (or maybe it’s just my GFC PTSD).

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!"