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Category: Living Well

How To Revitalize Appreciation / Gratitude

Published on March 24, 2025

One of my all star employees is getting back surgery this coming Monday.

He’s scheduled to be out for 3 months minimum.

Then, he needs to get both hips replaced.

…Scheduling him out for another 6 months after that.

It’s one of those bitter sweet moments where we’re sad he’s going to be out for so long because of how much of a light and anchor he is—but we’re also so glad he’s getting the work done he needs to get out of the chronic pain he has been in.

It’s one of those reminders to truly appreciate what you have before it’s gone.

…And it’s a reminder I’d like to pass off to you to reflect on today.

Who is the “light” of your day? What would life be like if they were gone?

Who is an “anchor”—a source of stability and consistency—in your life? How would your day feel without that anchor there?

What items, systems, modern inventions do you rely on heavily that make your days better/easier/more enjoyable? Imagine what your life would be like without them.

We visualize life without these people and things, not to be morbid or to make us sad, but so that we can revitalize the appreciation we have for them while they’re still here… So that we can more truly express these feelings towards them and fully enjoy all that they do for us without taking it/them for granted.

P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Two Formulas To Help With Spring Cleaning

Published on March 21, 2025

The snow is melting. Birds are chirping. The buds on trees are showing. People are coming out of hibernation. Our seasonal energy boost is returning and with it, our desire to freshen up and bring back to life our living environments is reawakening as well.

As you look around at the clutter, the extraneous purchase items, the piles of things created during the hibernation months… you might feel resistance and attachment.

Resistance because of how much… resistance because of where to start… resistance because of not knowing what to do with it all…

Attachment because of money spent… attachment because of time/energy/and effort invested… attachment because of not knowing when you might need/use it again…

To which I offer two simple formulas for you to consider that might help: (1) Trust behavior > Emotion and (2) Use + Emotion to combat – Emotion.

In regards to the first: Trust behavior over emotion… if a clothing item is at the bottom of your pile or in the back of your closet and you haven’t worn it in MONTHS… then trust that behavior more than any feelings you might have of it being “your favorite” or “still cute” etc. If you haven’t missed it in months… you probably won’t miss it.

In regards to the second: Use “positive” emotions to combat “negative” emotions… if you’re being held up by an irrational attachment to an item and you don’t want to just throw it away… try donating it to a homeless shelter or gifting it to a friend… the positive emotion of giving it to someone who could really use and benefit from it is like water to the fire of our attachment.

Happy spring cleaning :)

Smile, Nod, Say “Thank You,” and Ignore

Published on March 20, 2025

A friend of mine was telling me how fruits and vegetables blended into a smoothie and then consumed is not the same as eating them raw… and how you don’t absorb as many of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

This made me not want to consume my fruits and vegetables in a smoothie anymore.

However, I quickly remembered: I’m not going to eat my fruits and vegetables raw as consistently as I’m going to drink them blended into a smoothie. It just doesn’t align with my current lifestyle and I know it’s not something I can make happen with my current kitchen discipline (or lack thereof).

…And not getting any fruits and vegetables is far worse than getting them in a blended form.

This is the mistake too many people make.

They have something good going… compare it to something they could be doing better… get discouraged with what they’re doing… stop… and fall back to something far worse.

Like… if I’m not consuming them in a blended form, and I default back to getting processed, packaged, or fast food instead… how does the above insight help?

…It doesn’t at all.

Even though it was intended to be helpful.

And this is where self-awareness comes into play. Sometimes, you have to smile, nod, say “thank you” for the insight, and keep doing what’s working for you.

Would You Do It For Free, Though?

Published on March 17, 2025

It’s common for people in today’s world to have a side hustle—something they’re building, creating, or doing after their 9-5 regular job because they love it or to earn some extra income.

And with the internet and social media… there’s essential zero barrier for entry. All you need is an idea and a willingness to follow and act on your curiosities.

One thing to keep in mind, especially if you’re side-hustling for extra income, is to make sure the person you’re serving—above all others—is yourself.

People who side hustle via trends, get rich quick schemes, or domains they’re not really interested in… are the ones who not only flop… but waste a bunch of their time in the process… time they could’ve spend doing things that actually served them.

What I’m talking about is the artist/painter who paints because they love it… because it relaxes their mind and soul… because it’s an expression of who they are and adds to the legacy of their life… who THEN decides to share their creations with others and turn it into a side hustle. As opposed to the person who never like art who saw somebody else killing it online and decided to copy them.

Or the writer, like me, who writes daily because it’s one of the best things I ever started doing for my mental health… who THEN decides to create guides, posters, and coaching. As opposed to the person who never really liked to write… who saw that you can make a bunch of money ghost writing and took a class or two about it online.

If you’d do it for free… it’s a good sign you’re in alignment.

…And it’s also a good sign you can start side-hustling with it.

Don’t Confuse Patient With Passive

Published on March 16, 2025

Being patient is a strategy that prioritizes future benefits over immediate gains. Being passive is choosing to have no strategy… and just allowing things to happen without any action on your part.

Being patient is being persistent in the face of injustice and taking action time and time again to make a change that faces a lot of resistance. Being passive is being a bystander and allowing injustice to happen.

Being patient is working day in and day out to realize a dream that requires consistent—oftentimes monotonous—work to be done. Being passive is hoping things work out without a plan.

Being patient is giving the person you like reasons to like you back—without crowding them or being annoying. Being passive is not saying anything to the person you like.

Inner Work Prompt: When it comes to the different domains in your life… are you being patient? …Or are you really just being passive?

P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Don’t Sleep On This

Published on March 16, 2025

Tonight, the martial arts association I’m a part of hosted our annual awards banquet.

After all the food was eaten and presentations were awarded, we opened the floor up for dancing.

And throughout the night, I had a bunch of people tell me how fun I was…

…When all I tried to do was get others to have fun.

There is such a power in this realization that I think a lot of people let slip under their radar.

If you want to have fun… get others to have fun.

If you want to be respected… give others respect.

If you want to be remembered… be the one who remembers others.

This formula has an incredibly diverse range of applications…

All you have to answer for yourself is… what is it that you want?

…And then simply go give that generously to others.

Understanding Envy To Understand Yourself

Published on March 14, 2025

Want to get to know yourself?

Pay attention to what you envy.

And once you start to understand what that is…

Understand that it probably isn’t that.

What you’re probably after are the feelings that having that thing evokes.

And once you understand that…

You can begin the real inner work of evoking those feelings without needing the thing(s) at all.