The Daily Meaning
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Meaning in the Sky
You know what really hinders our ability to live a meaningful life? Crappy airplane travel experiences! Nothing will suck the life out of a vacation or business trip like painful travel days. While we can’t do anything about flight delays, ticket prices, TSA, or airport traffic, we, the people, control much of our own fate.
Investing In Wants
The personal finance space is filled with gurus, influencers, and professionals who demonize spending on wants. "You don't need it!" "Do something more responsible!" "Stop spending!" Everything is looked at through the lens of need (good) and want (bad). Need = spend. Want = don't spend. Need = responsible.
Every Meal Matters
This meal was absolutely nothing special, yet it created a seared-in memory for me. We don't need to drop hundreds of dollars to have a good meal. The restaurant doesn't need to have Michelin stars attached to its name to offer a high-quality experience (though I'd take some Michelin-starred dining right now!).
The Ratchet of Guilt-Driven Giving
On a recent road trip, I pulled off the interstate to grab a coffee at a convenience store. I selected my beans, chose a size, slid my cup under the spout, and then ushered my beverage up to the cash register to pay. The cashier rang me up, then asked if that was all. After confirming, she asked, "Would you like to round up your purchase to help xyz organization?"
“Support” vs. Service
Small Business Saturday is one of my least favorite days of year. No, not because I dislike small businesses. Quite the opposite, actually. I have a few small businesses myself. What I dislike about it is the pandering, guilt-tripping, and manipulation that comes with it.
Well, What'd I Miss?
Confession: I'm not a Black Friday'er. I'm not against people that are, but I'm just not. And it's not because I don't have any interest. In fact, it's the opposite. Deep down, I can feel a deep interest in all the things that comprise Black Friday.
Hold Onto Your Traditions....Loosely
All week, I've been excited to watch Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, the best Thanksgiving movie ever created. Watching it on Thanksgiving night is one of my favorite traditions! As such, I became progressively more excited as Thanksgiving night neared. But then, in a sick twist, my sister-in-law disgustingly suggested we watch a different movie.
".....Then What Was It All For?"
I had a brief but impactful conversation with a client today. He and his wife are considering making a questionable financial decision. They have been intentional about living a debt-free life, and as a result, they live a truly remarkable life. Sacrifice after sacrifice, they've chosen the road less traveled. They could easily have a bigger house, better vehicles, fancier trips, and an overall bougier lifestyle. However, they elected to stay disciplined.
Removing the Ceiling
I walked into the front door last night to the sight of an angry 7-year-old. He was huffing and puffing, seemingly threatening to blow the house down. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he wanted a cell phone or a pocket knife. Confused, I asked Sarah to clarify why he was so upset. "Because I told him he can't have either."
The Next Peak, Not THE Peak
This is Cole's career! He hasn't even sniffed his potential yet. He's shooting for ESPN at Arrowhead Stadium, capturing clips of one of the best football players to ever live, standing watch to get a shot of one of the greatest musical performers to ever live, and he hasn't even scratched the surface of his potential. This isn't the end. This is the beginning. He's 30 years old. He still has 40-50 good years left in his epic career.
It’s WHEN, Not IF
For most families, finances are generally ok......IF unforeseen issues don't pop up. That's the problem. We tend to live life as though it's an IF, but it's not. It's a WHEN. Unforeseen issues will absolutely rear their ugly head, but we won't know when, where, or how much. And WHEN they do, they can wreak havoc on our finances.
When Six Doesn't Equal a Half Dozen
We live in a culture where everything is black and white. There's an absolute wrong, and an absolute right. The personal finance world is no different. It doesn't help when one of the biggest personalities in the financial space treats everything like you're an absolute idiot if you don't do exactly what he thinks you should do.
The Possibility of Moments
Each moment contains a unique and fleeting opportunity to make an impact. Not necessarily a change-the-world type of impact, but a move-the-needle-in-the-right-direction type of impact. Will we seize the moment or squander the opportunity? Or worse, will we leave them worse than we found them?
Small Habits Add Up
On the heels of yesterday's one-year anniversary of publishing this blog daily (365 posts in 365 days!), my assistant, Alyssa, completed a project of aggregating all the posts into a single source document. What she found was staggering. It summed up to more than 156,000 words. 156,000!!! Considering the average non-fiction book is 50,000 words, we just published the equivalent of three entire books in a single calendar year.
Gary Was Right
Well, today is the one-year anniversary of beginning that journey. From November 14th, 2022, to November 14th, 2023, I wrote and published one article per day. Wow, what a journey! Here's what writing 365 articles in 365 days has taught me
Just Do the Opposite
This is a conversation I have with many of my clients. Whatever their respective industry is, I challenge them to "just do the opposite." The natural response is, "This is how it's done." That may be true, but it doesn't mean it's the best way.
When Rules Are About More Than Rules
It wouldn't significantly harm me if I cheated every now and then. It wouldn't hinder my progress. It wouldn't negate the good work I'm doing. However, one cheat is the gateway drug for the next. One creates two, and two creates twenty. The moment it's ok to cheat once is the moment cheating becomes normalized.
Pain, Joy, then Pain Again
At some point, the leader advised the audience to “Give beyond the point where it hurts, to the point where it makes us feel good.” This is a concept I talk about often. You know, the whole joy and sacrifice concept. If our giving doesn’t hurt, it’s not truly generous. The next part of his story is where he got me.