The Daily Meaning

Take your mornings to the next level with a daily dose of perspective and encouragement to start your day off right. Sign-up for a free, short-form blog delivered to your inbox each morning, 7 days per week. Some days we talk about money, but usually not. We believe you’ll take away something valuable to help you on your journey. Sign up to join the hundreds of people who read Travis’s blog each morning.

“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 7/24/24 Travis Shelton 7/24/24

Two Is Better Than One

Ownership and action are two different things. Yes, both spouses need to have ownership. However, couples don't need both spouses to jointly manage the finances. There are so many different ways this can play out.

Travis Shelton 7/23/24 Travis Shelton 7/23/24

Beauty From the Pain

I recently had the pleasure of spending time with a friend who is going through a ton of pain. Personal pain, career pain, lots of pain. This stuff has rocked her world. Through this mess, she has made a few brutal decisions about her next steps. Decisions that have loved ones scratching their heads and/or criticizing her. To sum up my opinion, I believe her controversial decisions will be transformative for her journey. While it feels far too heavy at the moment, I deeply believe she will look back and view these challenging decisions as a hallmark turning point in her life. Beauty will soon rise from the pain.

Travis Shelton 7/22/24 Travis Shelton 7/22/24

The Problem With Worry

There's a lot to worry about right now: unprecedented political unrest, massive layoffs, a job market that feels like it's teetering on the edge, the miserable results of several years of rampant inflation, and a stock market that continues to defy the odds by hitting more all-time highs. It just feels weird....and worrisome.

Travis Shelton 7/21/24 Travis Shelton 7/21/24

Period.

As we were on our way to the science center yesterday, my family enjoyed a quick lunch at a downtown patio. Toward the end of our meal, a young woman approached us, looking distressed. "I'm sorry, and I'm really embarrassed to even ask, but I could really use some help. Do you have a few dollars you could give me?”

Travis Shelton 7/20/24 Travis Shelton 7/20/24

How We Were Silently Molded

The very first conversation I have with new clients is about what their childhood looked like. Whether we want to admit it or not, what we experience in our childhoods and how we were raised deeply influence our present-day relationship with money. If I can understand what someone went through when they were kids, I can understand why they have XYZ tendencies and behaviors around money in adulthood.

Travis Shelton 7/19/24 Travis Shelton 7/19/24

Ignoring the Finance Bros

Some of my favorite memories were when she would come into a coaching session with stories about how her guy friends would boast about their investing prowess and make fun of her approach to investing. Or in her words, they "mansplained" it to her, as she rolled her eyes telling me the story. These types of stories would persist for the coming years, always revolving around their investing advice, stock tips, and more boastful tales.

Travis Shelton 7/18/24 Travis Shelton 7/18/24

I Won't Be Stealing His Blessing

As he divided up the money into three components (spending, saving, and giving), he turned to me and said, "Dad, I'm going to use my giving money to buy you a new battery so you can fix your watch." I've been wearing a broken watch for a few months now. I have other watches, but this one is my favorite. Unfortunately, though, the battery died. So, at this point, it's for aesthetics only.

Travis Shelton 7/17/24 Travis Shelton 7/17/24

Remorse is Setting In

As they each opened their wallets to deposit their spending cash, they were welcomed to an empty cavern where money used to live. They were immediately upset at the idea of having no spending money (except for the cash they just earned). Sarah reminded them that they spent all their money on the 4th of July. I could see disappointment and buyer's remorse take over their expressions.

Travis Shelton 7/16/24 Travis Shelton 7/16/24

Who and Why

In our respective occupations, the moment we truly understand the who and the why is the moment we discover the special combo of finding meaning in our work and creating impact on the world.

Travis Shelton 7/15/24 Travis Shelton 7/15/24

The Blink of An Eye, Indeed

When I published a piece titled "The Blink of An Eye" a few days ago, I had no idea that idea would ring true in such a profound way just a few days later. The piece centered around the concept that life can change in the blink of an eye. I used examples such as births, deaths, job losses, marriages, sicknesses, career shifts, and divorces. Pardon my mistake of not including the attempted assassinations of a former president and a current presidential candidate.

Travis Shelton 7/14/24 Travis Shelton 7/14/24

The Scales of Meaning

Money is finite. Each month, there’s only so much of it to go around. For every dollar we spend on one thing, it’s one less dollar we can spend on another. While it’s true there are dozens of categories and thousands of transactions at play, sometimes it boils down to a few major decisions. That’s where the scale comes in. For the sake of this post, I’ll refer to them as the “Scales of Meaning.”

Travis Shelton 7/13/24 Travis Shelton 7/13/24

The Blink of An Eye

A little more than eight years ago, Sarah and I were a mid-30s couple who aspired to one day have children. Just a handful of days later, we were the parents of twin baby boys. We went from “we wish” to “oh crap” in about twelve seconds. We bought car seats, bottles, clothes, and diapers AFTER meeting them for the first time. We didn’t even have a room ready for them. Our lives forever changed in the blink of an eye.

Travis Shelton 7/12/24 Travis Shelton 7/12/24

Being Ungrateful Beings

Do you ever think about how much we take for granted? I think about this topic a lot, but never more than I have this week. Post-hurricane Houston has been a mess. I've spent most of the last three days in a 90-degree office with no electricity, no A/C, no lights, and no WiFi. Nothing. I didn't have a hotel for two days. Very few restaurants were open. People were waiting in line for hours to get gas. I sweat through my clothes for three straight days. It felt like my brain was melting onto the table.

Travis Shelton 7/11/24 Travis Shelton 7/11/24

Inflicting Impact

I spent Monday trying to get to Houston WHILE a hurricane was pummeling the city (smart move, I know). Nearly every flight was canceled that day, but United re-booked me for a later flight that actually got me there safely. As I boarded my Denver-to-Houston flight, I chatted with a young man (maybe 16 or 17) trying to get home to Houston from a mission trip. Unfortunately, he was the victim of eight flight cancellations over the prior 18 hours. He looked beat up yet oddly optimistic.

Travis Shelton 7/10/24 Travis Shelton 7/10/24

There’s Far More In You

Travis Shelton 7/9/24 Travis Shelton 7/9/24

Keeping the Relationship Pure

Relationships and generosity, two of the most meaning-filled things in life. Typically, these two dynamics run parallel to one another. After all, both are a manifestation of love and compassion. They run parallel until, well, they don’t. Once in a while, a situation arises where the two can collide.

Travis Shelton 7/8/24 Travis Shelton 7/8/24

Cultivating the Next Generation of Stewards

One of the main questions I get asked about is how to teach kids about money. Most parents don't actually teach kids about money, and the ones who do typically do so in the most toxic of ways. I don't usually say anything when I see terrible teaching play out because, well, they didn't ask for my opinion. But since I have a platform, today I'll be sharing the way I recommend teaching it. First, I'll share a few key principles that I believe are essential:

Travis Shelton 7/7/24 Travis Shelton 7/7/24

Thanks, Brook!….and AI

He simply opened his preferred AI tool and entered the prompt, "Can you write me a short blog post about taking advantage of time in the summer to find meaning; from different perspectives?" 30 seconds later, it provided him with a complete article built around his request. That's scary, isn't it? That's exciting, isn't it? That's weird, isn't it?

Travis Shelton 7/6/24 Travis Shelton 7/6/24

His Greatest Hook Shot

It was about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In case you aren't familiar with him, I'll give you the cliff notes version. Kareem is regarded as one of the best basketball players who ever lived. He was a fixture of the 1970s and 1980s NBA, primarily known for his signature sky hook. He's a 6x champion, 19x all-star, 6x MVP, and second all-time leading scorer in NBA history. It's safe to say he won a lot of hardware! For many, his face belongs on the basketball Mt. Rushmore.

Travis Shelton 7/5/24 Travis Shelton 7/5/24

Ready to Jump Back In

All that said, I'm ready to jump back into work. I have lots of good things in store next week, and I'm excited to get going. Truth is, I feel this most weeks. Even when I'm having the best weekend, I'm simultaneously looking forward to work. It's an odd and understandably counter-cultural reality.

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!"