LIFE
Day 4 of 365: Dating Advice For Married People
Amanda and I are coming up on 25 years of marriage. It's been an adventure, with good times, hard times, and everything in between. I'm no Love Doctor, but I can share one relationship nugget that has really helped us stay "happily" married for a long time. "GO ON...
Response to Change
Sudden change is scary, confusing, and because of this, are normal defensive actions may become passive.
Intensity
Will Smith once said in an interview, “The only thing that is distinctly different about me is I am not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked. Period. You might have more talent than me. You might be smarter than me. You might be sexier than me. You...
The Price of Kindness
When I think about what it is to be kind, it doesn’t always mean going out of your way to help strangers and give compliments and donate your time. Sometimes kindness is as simple as holding your tongue.
Anger
I think most people agree that harboring anger is like a poison for your mind. It clouds our better judgment; it blinds our broader eyesight to the point where we have sustained tunnel vision. Yet our minds love to get angry. Anger is a delicious dessert for our...
Do You Have a Young Reader
There are a million wonderful foods out there, but you’ll never know if you won’t even give them a try. “It’s the same with books, Ivy,” he said. “You’ll never know if you’ll like a book because you won’t even try it.” She is almost always willing to try new foods, so I’m hoping this comparison gets through to her.
Dominos Falling
That is what the last few days have seemed like. One thing after another with this Coronavirus. With each domino, our new reality becomes clearer. I watched Amanda unravel 6 months of hard work she had put in designing and organizing the Idaho Writers Conference set...
Little Changes
A week or so back from our most recent trip, I began to notice that while my daughters got ready for school, I’d have half-hearted conversations with them, but with my focus largely on my laptop. It didn’t sit well with me, so I don’t do that anymore. That laptop stays closed.
LEGACY
Day 2: How I Bribe My Teenagers To Talk To Me
Last year, I started offering my teenagers $20 for every chapter they read of a book of my choice, but with the requirement they had to take notes and talk to me about it before they could get the money. I know, I know... $20 per chapter? That is ridiculous, right?...
Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying
Last night, we watched Shawshank Redemption. And boy did that movie deliver. I think the ending is one of the best in movie history
DAY 1 of 365
Day 1 - Yesterday was my birthday, and I shared a big (possibly crazy) goal I'm working towards. I actually have MANY big, scary goals I'm working towards like... Acquiring a big beautiful sailing yacht to charter and play on. Building a sizable retirement pension...
My Mountain
It’s frustrating to see someone experience massive results in a short period of time when the rest of us seem to take tiny steps up a decade long mountain.
A Book for My Daughters
I write and exercise every morning. I haven’t missed a day in over 6 months, even when I feel sick, tired, or injured. It’s a daily practice for my mind and body that I committed to, and I have no intention of stopping this routine anytime soon. I don’t always write a...
On Purpose
But before we judge, we need to stop and think, because in all of these instances we’re seeing expressions of humans caring for and honoring other life. I think even when we can’t relate, we need to respect that.
Inspiring Characters
We all have the ability to inspire others. It’s a superpower we all possess if we choose to use it. The late Kobe Bryant once said, “The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do. To try and inspire...
Record Keeping
My daughters periodically ask me to tell them stories about themselves when they were younger. I have a few favorites, like when we came home from a camping trip and Ivy, having grown accustomed to peeing in the wild, dropped her pants to urinate on our front lawn.
LIVELIHOOD
Persistence
I’m re-reading the book “The Obstacle Is The Way” by Ryan Holiday. It seemed fitting, given all the craziness and uncertainty in the world right now. There is a chapter about persistence, and I wanted to share a few lines that spoke to me: “Genius often really is just...
Fear and Perseverance
This virus is attacking more than just our health, as many don’t know when their next paycheck will come in and are watching their reserves get depleted.
Working from Home
My wife and I work about 10 feet away from each other. Amanda’s office/workspace tends to be the kitchen counter. She doesn’t need much space, just a laptop, phone, and a notebook. I work at a desk with not far away, and we spend the majority of our day in these two...
A Gift and A Curse
One of my biggest challenges as an entrepreneur is deciding which opportunity to pursue. The gift of seeing opportunities is a curse and a blessing.
Getting Started
Mark Twain said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” What is that thing you've been putting off waiting for better timing? Are you thinking that you will get started when you have more time? We get ahead by getting started. We take the first step and...
Do You Have a Young Reader
There are a million wonderful foods out there, but you’ll never know if you won’t even give them a try. “It’s the same with books, Ivy,” he said. “You’ll never know if you’ll like a book because you won’t even try it.” She is almost always willing to try new foods, so I’m hoping this comparison gets through to her.
Work/Life Integration
This is a concept my wife and I have been working for many years, although we didn’t really know what to call it. Work/Life Balance is something we tried and often failed at because we are both so driven and hardworking that as a married couple with kids, it can...
Two Birds, One Stone
The rewards from certain tasks and activities are often naturally twofold. But I cringe when I see the “two birds, one stone” concept abused, when people shortchange the relationships in their lives because they’re too focused on that other bird that they’re also aiming for.