Leaning Toward Wisdom

Sloping seems more gentle than stumbling. And graceful. But when it comes to growing older it can be inaccurate. We don't slope toward a face plant. We stumble. We fall. Face-first into the ground.

"Everywhere I look I see opportunities," I said. The conversation was about how we see the world and our place. Me? I have lived life trying to take various hills. Then quickly seeking out a new hill to take. Sometimes the hill is simply making it better. Always making it better - or trying to - is the curse of my mind.

As I approach the beginning of my 67th year on the earth I know the end began on day one. Growing up, children only think about the present or the future. Age urges us to focus on the future and we increasingly lose track of the present. Today wasn't great, but tomorrow will be better. Until we realize our past is larger than our prospective future, which prompts us to remember. Old people don't tend to talk about the future, but they rehearse - often with boring repetition - the past.

In the future, I'm liable to be guilty of the same behavior even though I hate it. I hope to avoid doing it.

The end has begun. The end of many things has begun, sparking the beginning of others.

Experience, not age, has taught me how little I know. And how far I have to go to reach my ideal outcome. Mostly, that ideal outcome is me. Not in some self-centered way, but in the sense that all I will ever contribute to the world is myself. Being my best self. Nothing else matters.

My impact - whatever it may be - is all any of us have to offer. It's not a minimal thing either. It's massive. More so for some than others because our talents, drives, ambitions, and opportunities aren't equal. There's also luck. Mark Cuban remarked that luck was the difference between him being a millionaire and a billionaire. So it goes.

I feel like I've grown. Evidence shows it's somewhat true.

Never mind that some likely view me in light of the worst chapters - or sentences - I've written. Everybody can make up their mind about me, or anybody else. And they do.

My days are spent focused on other people's lives. Largely on their professional challenges and opportunities. Sometimes the focus is solely on their personal lives because what ails them is deeply personal. Challenges come from all angles. Oportunities, too.

The drive to make a difference is always the hill I'm trying to take. The methodology is asking questions.

I figure things out by asking questions. Asking questions provides answers. Questioning answers clarifies existing answers. The focus isn't on me, so the questions are aimed at helping others figure it out. After all, it's not mine to figure out. It's a deep version of the old TV show, "This Is Your Life." It's not my life. I have my stuff to figure out. It's only about me so I can better understand, ask better questions, and improve at helping others figure things out.

Relationships.

Careers.

Faith.

Financial circumstances.

Habits.

Beliefs.

Choices.

Behaviors.

Skills.

Abilities.

Perspectives.

Hobbies.

Preferences.

Everything is subject to change.

Everything decays. Decay starts at the beginning and continues until the end.

But Eternity changes everything because according to God's Word, Heaven has no decay. Hell doesn't either. Bliss or torture without interruption.

That's not how life on earth works. Bliss, happiness, joy, peace - they're all interrupted by decay. Each has enemies that disturb or destroy.

Our lives are subject to change because other people have choices that can interrupt our choices and preferences. Some years ago I had different goals and dreams than I had just a handful of years ago. The changes in my goals were driven by the choices others made, which compelled me to change my mind as I tried to figure out my best path forward. It happens. To all of us.

Those folks who enjoy blaming God for all the mishaps or misfortune in the world fail to realize we're humans able to make up our minds. Our decisions impact the world around us. It's not always good because we don't always make wise choices. Our selfishness and sin take a toll on the world. We help create destruction, pain, sorrow, sadness, and damage.

We all can bring our foolishness to an end. At least we can begin the end of our foolishness. That doesn't mean we can begin the end of everybody else's foolishness. Since the point of this podcast has always been - and remains - an intentional leaning toward wisdom, I'm urging us to put in the work to get started ending our foolishness. Then keep working on it because foolishness is just around the corner in every decision we make - large or minute. And our choices will impact and influence everybody around us - and the world.

Relationships / Personal

Work / Professional

There are beginnings and endings in all areas of our life.

NOTE: My mom passed from this life at 2:58am today, April 4, 2024. She was a couple of months shy of turning 92.

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February 1974, Baton Rouge. Near the entrance to Louisiana State University. A record store, my favorite hang out. Leisure Landing.

I enter the store and a record is playing. It's alt-country. Weird. Because the guy's name is Ian Matthews. Ian isn't a southern United States name.

I grab the album cover and begin to read the back. Two players who I already admire are on this record. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of Steely Dan fame and David Lindley of Jackson Browne fame. I love both of these guys. I'm enjoying this record. Ian is an Englishman playing alternative country, folksy tunes.

Some days you eat the bear...

Some days the bear eats you.

I've never heard this artist before.

I've never heard this phrase before either.

But I'm street smart and quickly discern it means, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

That's today's show. A new episode from inside The Yellow Studio 4.0.

Enjoy!

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"The only way to learn how many plates you can spin is to break some plates. The question of capacity guarantees failure."        - T.S. Elliot

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.  - Jim Elliot (no relation to T.S. that I'm aware of)

I'm not a plate-spinner.

I am able to multi-task, but it's not actually multi-tasking at all. It's really intense focus on a single thing with enough speed to get a number of things accomplished over a short period. That makes it look like multi-tasking.

Themes of the week have been:

Self-control or self-regulation - manifested in the struggles people have with porn addiction, marital infidelity, alcohol, work, parenting, unruly children, loneliness and more

Capacity and resources - what's our limit?

Congruency - frustration in hearing people (often bosses) say one thing, but do something completely different

Failing to figure out how or where we fit - not understanding why or how we're making a difference / wondering if we are

I've got too much going on - too many irons in the fire. I'm working on it and I'll share more.

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Galatians 6:7-9 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Show High-Lights

Anybody can do easy. It requires resolve and grit to do difficult things. It requires skill, talent and solid determination to learn to do hard things well.

We're the constraint.

The value is in battling ourselves, not others.

Feelings don't equal evidence. Figuring out what's real and what isn't is hard work worth doing well.

Don't discount your will power. Don't over-estimate it either. It's a major component of the work, but it's not the only component.

Who you surround yourself with matters. The environment we put ourselves in has a major impact in our ability (and agility) to navigate figuring out how to do the hard things well. We're all influenced by our surroundings. Guard your environment.

Beliefs become reality. But delusions - which seem real - are still delusions. That's why evidence based living is still the path forward to mastering hard things.

Consider what's possible even if you initially think it's not. Learn what you don't yet know. Figure it out. Just make sure you're not restricting yourself with false notions. Don't feel sorry for yourself or feel like others can do it, but you can't.

Ponder your ideal outcomes. Imagine what might be available - and possible. Often, there's sufficient evidence for what probable, while we refuse to think it's even possible. It stops us dead in our tracks when we could be many miles further up the road to greater success!

Compounding is powerful. Doing a little bit consistently over time likely beats trying to sprint until we're winded.

Learning to do hard things well takes time and repeated efforts that become ingrained. Doing hard things well is habitual. Otherwise, it's inconsistent. Anybody can be a minor league player. Only those who perform well every single time can be major leaguers.

Laziness and procrastination are easy. That's where the masses live. Don't be fooled into thinking you can behave just like them and achieve something greater than average. Or worse.

Berating yourself is worthless. Accurate self-examination is priceless. See yourself for what you truly are and fix what ails you. Lean into your strengths. Shore up weaknesses so they don't derail you. Devote yourself to making yourself better in every way. Accept nothing less. Remember, you'll either make a way, or you'll make an excuse.

Learning means making mistakes, but it means making mistakes where you're still doing your best - and making mistakes you know you can recover from. When you get it wrong - and you will - determine that you'll make it right. Only fools repeat their mistakes. Learn from yours and get better. Always be getting better!

Working is hard. Retirement is hard. Health is hard. Sickness is hard. Being in a great relationship is hard. Being lonely is hard. Whatever you choose to name, on either end of the spectrum - it's hard. Every day we get to decide which hard we'll pursue. But there's a major difference in the positive things that are hard. They require more effort on the front end. A higher investment upfront. By doing that, we may be able to forego a tougher consequence.

Self-discipline is the key. Let's be clear about the definition of discipline. Discipline is the quality of being able to behave and work in a controlled way which involves obeying particular rules or standards. Self-discipline is our ability to control ourselves. 

Execution matters! If we're going to learn to get good at doing hard things well, we have to find the way to do them well more often than not. Ideally, to do them well all the time, every time.

Doing hard things well drives success because it makes us unique. It gives us a competitive edge over everybody else who is unwilling or unable to do the hard things. The harder it is, the fewer people willing to do it. Or the fewer able to do it. So if you will - and if you can - you begin to join the ranks of a more exclusive, high-performing crowd. Be a lemming, be average or put in the work and be something much, much more.

It's true in all areas of human endeavor. These senior years for us are proof. Shameless retirement - a show I did not that long ago - isn't just about being unashamed in front of others, but mostly it's about being unashamed of our own choices and way of life. It's about doing whatever we can do we don't intentionally create regrets. Lifestyles creep up on us if we're undisciplined. Lots of people follow our federal government by spending money they don't have. Every good program - every good thing to buy - doesn't justify the purchase. And just because we need it (or claim to) doesn't mean we can afford it. But the bigger the government gets the more we spend ourselves silly justifying it by exaggerated claims of the good it will do - or the dire need for it. It's no wonder that our federal government has corrupted our entire culture to feel justified with idiotic spending. Spending is easy. Restraint is hard.

The battles of life - if we're going to win - require learning how to do hard things well enough.

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About 15 years into my podcasting journey I recorded an episode entitled, A Virtual Tour Of My Podcasting Studio. I published it 9 years ago today, January 25, 2015. In 2019 I published an update, Welcome Inside The Yellow Studio (This Is How I Podcast Now). Since then I've tried to keep a page on my personal website updated - Inside The Yellow Studio.

The technology has changed monumentally since I began almost 24 years ago. Things have gotten so much easier - and so much more refined. As much as I enjoyed those early years when all of us were figuring it out, today is better. Today's show is less about the operational part of podcasting though and it's more about the metaphor of The Yellow Studio - creating, publishing and sharing. It's about the broadcasting of stories, ideas, observations and insights. It's about a journey into creativity. Well, it's about a journey deeper into creativity. I won't bore you with the earliest memories of the journey which began in childhood engaged in all sort of acts of imagination.

As much as I love to learn, which requires mounds of consuming (reading, listening, observing), I'm more in love with creativity, crafting something from mostly nothing. Starting with a spark. Sometimes small. Sometimes not. A burning ember sometimes. A bolt of lightning at other times.

Creativity takes practice. As in, you have to do it. Also, as in you have to do it repeatedly to improve.

Bouts of creativity against not being creative at all have prevailed my entire life. As a little boy playing with an impressive Matchbox car collection to laying in the yard looking up through the pines at the clouds wondering what to do next. Enthusiastic hours spent building a fort in the woods or a treehouse in the backyard coupled with lethargic hours spent telling ourselves we had nothing to do. Boredom always best fought off by engaging the gears of our imagination so we could create hours of delight often doing something we'd not done before. Or doing things we'd done a million times before. And ready to do it again one more time because we loved it so.

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Shameless

An adjective meaning insensible to disgrace

Retirement

A noun meaning a withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from active working life or the age at which one normally retires

The United States adopted an initial retirement age of 65 with the Social Security Act of 1935. By the mid-20th century, almost all countries had adopted a retirement age of between 60-65. About 40% of Americans receive Social Security retirement benefits as their exclusive income. The average benefit is just over $1700 monthly.

Financial advice is varied, but advisors widely suggest no more than 70% of your retirement income should come from Social Security. If you were to collect the average amount - $1700 - then you'd have a monthly income of about $2400 if that math worked in your life. That's $28,800 a year, hardly a comfortable living for most people.

However, as of this year (2023), the average check to 65-year-olds is about $2500 a month. Apply that 70% suggestion, then your total monthly income could rise to $3600, or $43,200 a year. That's $14,400 more than $28,800.

Lots of people are doing the math urging folks to collect Social Security as soon as possible - age 62. For some, that may make sense. For others, it may not. I'm not an accountant or financial advisor. I'm just a guy sitting inside The Yellow Studio making observations about all this now that I'm 66-1/2, full retirement age.

Full Retirement Age

Full retirement age (FRA) is the age you must reach to receive full retirement benefits from Social Security. Your FRA varies depending on the year you were born. The FRA in the United States is 66 years and two months for those born in 1955, increasing gradually to 67 for those born in 1960 or later. Since my wife and I were born in 1957, 66-1/2 is our FRA. I achieved that in November and Rhonda hit it here in December.

Life is more than numbers, but the numbers matter. What about things other than numbers?

Routine and habits tend to overpower older lives. Neuroscience informs us that we're all subject to habituation.

Habituation

Habituation is a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. The American Psychological Association says it involves "growing accustomed to a situation or stimulus," thereby diminishing its effectiveness.

We commonly call it being stuck. Getting in a rut.

What produces satisfaction or happiness?

Meaning is number one. Control is number two.

We need meaning in our lives. Some way where we measure our worth or value in the world.

We also need a degree of control over our own lives. Freedom is choice - the ability to make a choice is largely how we execute control.

As we grow older both of these can be challenges. No surprise because both are challenges no matter our age.

We've all experienced moments where we hit a high in meaning and control. Like that first big raise we got, it didn't seem to last. Things seem to settle into some sort of a norm sooner than later.

The hedonic treadmill is the idea that an individual's level of happiness, after rising or falling in response to positive or negative life events, ultimately tends to move back toward where it was prior to these experiences. It's like that proverbial set point for our weight. Changing that thermostat is hard. Doable, but hard.

This is where habituation is a double-edged sword. It helps us progress and move forward even though it may rob us of some joy. And without habituation, we're incapable of moving. Imagine having to make every little decision afresh every day. How exhausting would that be? So we need habits to a point. We just need to be mindful of our need for - the benefits of - change! New things. New experiences. New learning. Growth.

Scary can be good. Sure, it can be bad, too. But just because it's scary doesn't mean it's one or the other. It means scary is uncomfortable because it's outside our habits.

It's how we effectively combat boredom or complacency. Joy and happiness are not the result of boredom or complacency.

Meaning. Control. Happiness. Joy. Fulfillment. Contentment. Purpose.

Pile on top of that some other words.

Overhead. Expenses. Income. Savings. Bills.

Add still more.

Family. Relationships. Community.

These aren't age-specific terms. Whether we're young, old, or somewhere in between these words all matter. Some bubble up to the top and overpower the others. Then they fall back down somewhere on the hierarchy of what matters most to us. In that moment. It's that roller-coaster that is our life as we navigate challenges, opportunities, and whatever mundaneness rules our lives.

The other night Rhonda and I are watching Outlander. She's read the books and we're now up to season 7, the most current one. Well, as with most great stories, there's lots of action. Constant drama. Ongoing challenges and difficult circumstances. Jamie and Claire are the main characters, a husband and wife. I said, "They can't just settle on a little farm somewhere and live a happy life." Rhonda replied, "There wouldn't be much of a story to that." Exactly.

But so often we claim we'd prefer this trouble-free existence. A life where everything is boring and mundane. But if we had a life like that we'd grow disengaged, disinterested, and ridiculously miserable. Research has shown if you put people in a room with nothing to do except to give themselves a mild shock, they'll shock themselves. Just to feel something. Just to do something. Instead of sitting passively doing nothing except being alone with your thoughts, you'll shock yourself. Fascinating proof that we crave engagement.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. I suspect once you move up past the first and second levels things can vary depending on how we roll, but I don't think there's much doubt that those first two are real survival needs, which is why money is so important. Whether it's income or savings, money enters and exits our lives daily because we have physical and safety needs. We need a place to live. Food to eat. Clothes to wear. A place to sleep. And we need to know we're not going to constantly fight to stay alive in the process. 

As we get older those first stages of needs can become more challenging. It's amplified when control begins to slip away, too. Meaning erodes, too. It's a recipe for late-life misery.

Age takes a toll on all of us. Just recently President Jimmy Carter buried former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, his wife of 77 years. President Carter is 99. Age doesn't care any more than death. Death, which ideally is preceded by old age, comes for everybody. And however difficult youth may seem, old age is more difficult, but hopefully, life has taught us the resolve needed to navigate it successfully. Hopefully, we're surrounded by family that will help us. Still, it's up to each of us to do our part to battle what we can, accept what we can't battle, and keep moving - even if it's a mere inch at a time - forward toward what is next.

Now What?

It's the most important two-word question I know to ask of myself or those I coach. As I stare into an abyss of misery presented in the form of some current challenge, I ask myself, "Now what?" Now what am I going to do? Now what's my best move forward?

As I help somebody staring into their own abyss, I ask of them, "Now what?" Now what do you want to do? Now what are you going to do?

No point in fixating on how we got here except to learn from it.

No point in finger-pointing so we can assign blame.

No point in feeling sorry for ourselves.

No point in assuming the role of a victim. We may think that's helpful, but it's not.

Mostly, we're the victims of our own making. Not always, but much of the time.

Shameless retirement is about owning it. It's about figuring out how we can best move forward later in life. It's not about resignation from growth, learning or improvement. Rather, it's about figuring out to to keep making those components remain vital in our daily existence.

Some days you eat the bear. Some days the bear eats you.

a proverb meaning sometimes you win and sometimes you lose; everybody has successes and failures

Still, we press on. Unashamed. Because our progress is our own unique journey that we hopefully share with somebody we love - and somebody who loves us. And more than maybe ever before, it's about behaving in a way where we have pride in ourselves, but not because what we're doing is performative. It's not about showing off, but it is about showing ourselves.

The old couple has been married for almost 60 years. Their little frame house was built about 40 years ago. They bought it new. Less than 1000 square feet has defined their married life as far as a house goes. They drive a modest little Toyota. About 8 years ago they constructed a small, micro-bedroom suite in their basement to see if they might rent it on Airbnb. Turns out it resulted in nightly rentals of about $50, which made an enormous difference in their financial lives. A godsend they'll tell you.

They seem quite contented. Happy even.

Game nights with neighbors. Friends who have lived around them for years occupy their lives.

I have no idea what their financial situation looks like, but it appears their needs are met and financially, that's good enough. Those other needs seem to be well under control as they march forward day by day. Month by month. Year by year.

Does it matter if miles away some other couple, years younger, may occupy a million-dollar house on a lake? Nope.

Does it matter if somebody else - even a close neighbor or friend - has an investment portfolio that makes them look pathetic? Nope.

Does it matter how they stack up financially, emotionally, physically,...

Sorry. My usual show notes don't exist. And I was too lazy this time of year to write them. But I do have a couple of calls to action.

One, join us over in the Facebook group if you care. I'd love to have you in the group.

Two, support my efforts to lean hard into video in 2024. My goal is to crowd-fund $1000. I'm about 50% there so it's coming along. But you can help me out if you'd like (see below).

Please tell a friend about the podcast!

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Help Me Reach My $1,000 Goal

I plan to start vlogging from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas because the place is spectacular.

The scenery will make for a great backdrop. Plus, there are many places I'd like you to see.

To help, click the link (or the image below) to donate any amount you'd like.

Amazon Gift Certificates (use [email protected]).

Thank you!

I appreciate you all very much. Thank you.

Please tell a friend about the podcast!

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Help Me Reach My $1,000 Goal

I plan to start vlogging from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas because the place is spectacular.

The scenery will make for a great backdrop. Plus, there are many places I'd like you to see.

To help, click the link (or the image below) to donate

Sweetwater Gift Certificates (use [email protected]).

Thank you!

The Reality Distortion Field. Guy "Bud" Tribble was Vice President of Software Technology at Apple Inc. As Apple was developing the first Macintosh computer in 1981, Bud used the term to describe Apple's founder Steve Jobs. The term seems to have originated in a 1966 episode of Star Trek when it was used to describe how the aliens encountered by the crew of the starship Enterprise created their own new world through mental force.

It seems the great thinkers who are doers, like Steve Jobs, embrace (and enjoy) living in the reality distortion field of their own making. That is, they see things the rest of us don't. Vivid imagination coupled with obsession drive produces the likes of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.

Is it distortion though?

It is when compared to the current state. Coupling the term "reality" to it makes it seem as though it's delusion. Something that's inaccurate, or unreal. Not true to the reality. Like a photograph that's distorted. Or the lenses in a pair of mis-prescribed glasses.

The achievements of self-driven maniacs to build great things, or to solve complex problems don't seem to the result of delusion though. Rather, they seem to be imagined by people capable of seeing what the rest of us can't. Yet.

“No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.”   ― Aristotle

The madness is subjective. What appears as madness to one feels ordinary to another.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”   ― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman

I think that term better conveys the truth, unreasonable. It's less of a reality distortion field and more of an unreasonable - or beyond current reasoning - view of what is possible. It's a reality bending field where the unreasonable man adapts or bends the current reality into a new, improved future reality. Then continues to do it over and over again.

Apple is introducing the iPhone 15. I'm currently producing today's show on a 2023 Apple MacBook Pro. Nevermind that just this week Apple introduced some brand new MacBook Pro models. In 1984 I purchased the first Apple Macintosh computer. That was then. This is now. Not even Steve Jobs, in 2011 at the time of his death, could have imagined the current technology. Had he lived, he most certainly would have figured it out though - and who knows what bigger, better products may have emerged under the Apple brand name?

Steve Jobs died 12 years ago (October 5, 2011). Who knows what he may have imagined? Or what things he may have seen as persisted in trying to bend the present technology to fit his vision? It's what unreasonable men do. Mostly, unreasonable people find a way, not an excuse.

We embrace different degrees and characteristics of unreasonableness as we navigate the various chapters of our life.

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”  ― T.S. Eliot

How unreasonable are you? And in what ways - or about what things - are you unreasonable? Are they positive or destructive?

Some of the titans of innovation have been so focused on what they see and what they want that others around them pay a high price. Sometimes, it's a price willingly paid. For example there are stories of high level employees of Apple and other high-performing companies where they burned out due to the intensity, pressure and elevated expectations. Opting for employment elsewhere, some experience boredom though because the pace is slower, the expectations lower and the strain much less difficult. In the absence of those things that burned them out they realized there was a void in their daily joy so they returned back to the company from which they resigned. Is that unreasonableness positive or destructive? Maybe both.

There are other stories of these mono-maniacs on a mission (Tom Peters coined that phrase in "In Search of Excellence") who are incredibly accomplished at work, but miserable humans at home with family and friends. Unwilling, or unable to separate themselves from the pursuits they behave poorly in their private lives. In fact, many behave poorly professionally, but they often are able make that tyranny work for them inside the confines of their company. Armed with a lack of desire to be liked at work, they're often unlikeable no matter where they go. Or no matter whom may be around them.

Again, an unreasonableness that is simultaneously positive and destructive. Positive in getting things done, even seemingly impossible things. Destructive in that the accomplishment takes a toll on relationships. The most unreasonable people don't care though.

The hero worship desire may prompt us to apply benefit where no benefit is sought by the unreasonable person. We may ascribe the desire to solve some grand humane proble when the reality may be the unreasonable man is merely seeking to outrun a youthful shadow filled with angst, pain and suffering. A driven desire to be somebody special in order to prove an abusive mother or father wrong!

Perhaps the unreasonable person is simply driven to be rich and powerful. There may be nothing altruistic about their motives, but we may find it hard to fathom that somebody could be so driven for something so basic, so primal. Just as we hear said of every murder victim - "they were kind and helpful and loved by everybody" - we're tempted to characterize the high-achieving unreasonable person as one who possessing a deep yearning to do good. History shows us that's not accurate. And the kindest of murder victims was clearly not loved by everybody, especially their murderer.

Unreasonableness, like most things, isn't an absolute. There are degrees and exceptions. On every extreme.

Awareness. Self-awareness. When it comes to our unreasonableness, our reasonableness and whether or not our conduct and behavior are helpful or harmful.

Lately, I've been focused on detrimental behavior. Mostly, my own, but also looking at all harmful conduct. What prompted most of this was the notions of struggle, adversity and suffering. Strength is improved by struggling to overcome or endure. In a word, it's "resistance." We grow and improve when we resist.

We weaken ourselves when we don't.

Finding a way is about becoming an experienced warrior. Doing battle. It's not about winning every battle, but it's about fighting the fight and not losing so badly we're unable to fight again.

Finding an excuse is looking for somebody or something to blame so we can avoid accepting responsibility. It's about letting ourselves off the the accountability hook. Finding an excuse is avoiding the corner where the magic happens. That corner where we can back into and rid ourselves of all excuses. Where all the fuel for our excuses is extinguished. When we back ourselves into that corner we learn there's only one way out. Forward.

But let's avoid being confused...thinking all the answers are within ourselves. They're not. God is the Creator. He's God, we're not. We need guidance through His Word. Do you want to learn more, then visit Let The Bible Speak, or In Thy Paths.

These choices are drastically different and they result in dramatically different outcomes.

We can spend our time finding excuses and we'll find weakness, failure and inefficiency.

We can find a way and discover strength, resilience and success.

P.S. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving! I hope it's a happy and safe one for you and your family. I'll be taking off the next couple of weeks. Enjoy yourself. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your friends.

Please tell a friend about the podcast!

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Help Me Reach My $1,000 Goal

I plan to start vlogging from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas because the place is spectacular.

The scenery will make for a great backdrop. Plus, there are many places I'd like you to see.

To help, click the link (or the image below) to donate

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There's a Chinese proverb that declares owning two houses is a path toward madness. That's probably true, but I wouldn't know. I've never owned two houses 'cause I've never been part of the rich and famous. ;)

I'm practical. And I'm not rich by American standards, but I'm extremely wealthy by global standards (and by my own measurements). I'm content with my life and grateful for every blessing - most of them are priceless any way!

From my practical viewpoint I've never quite understood folks who maintain multiple houses. Even the super rich. The exceptions are those folks who spend a lot of time in multiple places. Do the math and it just doesn't make much sense to me. I remember reading about super rich who own homes all over the world. This particular article mentioned how many days each owner was at any given house. Outside of their primary residence, most spent mere days at the other places. At most. Some admitted they had not visited some of their houses in over a year. Yet, these houses - admittedly mansions each and every one - had hundreds of thousands invested annually just to maintain them. Given that you can rent anything from a single bedroom to a mansion, I just haven't figured out the economic sense of that kind of home ownership. But it's their money and I respect their right to do what they want with their own money. I don't get a vote. I don't want a vote, but I would like to understand. Could be it's far more satisfying to claim ownership of all those houses.

At a more common level may be people who have a primary house, then some vacation house. Years ago I first encountered somebody up lived in a northern state. They'd talk about going to "the cabin" on a weekend. I had visions of some nice getaway place in a remote area. Maybe on a lake. Certainly in some woods. Turns out they had a very small place in a more touristy area that was by a lake. I never saw it in person, but pictures of it showed it was a very modest little 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom house built decades ago. They had purchased it for under $50,000 many years ago and the annual cost was as close to nothing as you could probably get. They'd go visit this place each month, sometimes more. Rather than plan annual vacations they had decided - years earlier - to invest in a single place they felt they could enjoy year after year. That made sense to me.

I know some other folks who invested in a vacation place they weren't able to visit more than a couple of times a year, but it was a place where they hoped to retire one day. As the years rolled on, the property value increased proving they had made a smart purchase by buying it when they could afford it. In some cases, the cost of living in some of these places escalated beyond their reach and they found it better to sell. Sure, they made a handsome profit, but that retirement goal was completely wrecked. In other cases, the property value went up but the people could still afford to cash out of their primary residence to retire to what was once their vacation house.

Having a second place to go - a place to get away to - appeals to many of us. Maybe it's fully an American thing to own a second place versus being able to rent a place. Calling it our own certainly feels differently. But it can feel badly if it's too expensive or too much work.

Sometimes the things that seem awesome turn out to become a big nightmare. Here's an article by Financial Samurai, Reasons Why You Should Not Buy A Vacation Property." You'll find lots of online information and many horror stories. I'm sure for some, it works out magnificently, but it deserves sober thought and an awareness of what could go wrong.

But I'm not here to tell anybody what to do. Rather, I'm going to share what we're doing and then you can figure out what lessons might benefit you.

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