I have 2 pen-pals, both are serving time in prison. Real prison. (I started writing inmates last year after listening to the podcast Ear Hustle, and I found my pen pals at WriteAPrisoner.com.) One of my pals, James, is 24 years old and has been incarcerated since he was 15. Despite spending his entire adult life behind bars (and he Read more about Your “prison” ain’t that bad[…]
When I go outside, I wear a face mask and gloves. It looks scary, but it’s just an outer layer. Under the face mask I actually have a huge smile! I’m a happy guy, even in tough times. But behind the smile, if I’m being honest, is a scared little boy who’s concerned about the Read more about Layers: Like an Onion[…]
Yesterday I got thinking… Now that my wife and I are stuck at home, I wonder if my car insurance company will lower my rate? (Based on the logic that we can’t drive our cars right now, and if quarantine continues into the year, we will be putting way less miles on our cars than Read more about Stay at home = lower car insurance?[…]
Are you a “leader”? If you asked me this question 6 months ago, I would have said No. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always shied away from leadership positions. I thought being a leader meant you had to be at the front of the pack. The quarterback. All eyes on you. Read more about Lead From The Middle[…]
Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken to about 10 people who were either turned down for jobs they applied for, missed out on promotions, or got let go from their jobs. 🙁 So I wanted to write a quick note for anyone else out there that might be currently going through the same… Rejection Read more about Hang in there! – You are not alone in this![…]
This is a simulation game to test whether you can predict the timing of the stock market… Try it: Market Timing Game All you do is click the [Start/Pause] button, and the graph will start moving. Then, use the [SELL] and [BUY] buttons to move your money in and out of the stock market. Goal is obviously Read more about Let’s play a game… Can you predict the stock market?[…]
I found a cool trick to help me create a habit of complaining less… It started last month when I realized I was complaining a lot to my wife. Every day when she got home from work I would unload the details of my day on her and complain about all the little things that Read more about No complaining until April 1st![…]
Little unknown facts about gratitude: These are scientifically proven (by real scientists)… – Gratitude makes you happier in the mornings when your alarm goes off. – Gratitude makes you live longer… it extends your life span by up to 243% – Gratitude makes you better at playing sports. – Gratitude makes you a better dancer. Read more about Little Unknown Facts About Gratitude…[…]
More funny volunteering stories! It’s been 7 months since I started with Meals on Wheels. I still only do 1 day per week, and I’ve been promoted to a regular route (delivering meals to the same people each week). It’s important to stay positive while doing volunteer work, that’s why I collect and share these Read more about Year to volunteer[…]
Here’s a list of 101 things you can do when you wake up at 5am. I’ve tried to categorize them, so you can choose based on whatever mood you’re feeling that morning. Try some out, and let me know what you like or don’t like! Personally, I’ve tried almost all of these things over the Read more about 101 Things to do at 5am![…]
Imagine an airplane leaving from Los Angeles flying direct to Rome, Italy. The flight will take about 12 hours if the plane goes in a direct and straight line. But, if the nose of the airplane is pointed just 1 degree off course to the south, after 12 hours the plane will land somewhere in Read more about A One Degree difference – The Compound Effect[…]
March 4, 2014 As I write this, I am on a plane to Seattle, planning to meet with some of the biggest companies in America. It’s my duty to talk to them about business continuity, and that’s a pretty important job. I am wearing a nice suit, my shoes are polished and hair is Read more about Quick story from a plane flight in 2014[…]
About 10 years ago, I got a phone call from my Dad. He was really excited: ”Hey Joel, I’m starting a band! Me, Pat, Brassy, John, Boney Bob, *insert about 10 other nicknames I’ve never heard of*… We’re all gonna start a band called The Rock Doctors!” I was a little surprised. Dad was almost Read more about The Rock Doctors[…]
About 5 years ago, my wife and I started a tradition of celebrating the 1st of every month. It sounds silly, but we love it. We do this because: 1) It began when we bought our first rental property together. Rent checks come in on the 1st of each month, and even though most (sometimes Read more about It’s the 1st of the Month – Time to Celebrate![…]
🌴 A Lesson From Palm Trees… 🌴 There are 2 gorgeous palm trees standing either side of my house. They’re about 60 feet tall and are really beautiful. I love them. But sometimes, they do this… A big wind storm comes and blows off all the dead palm fronds. It creates a huge mess Read more about A Lesson From Palm Trees…🌴[…]
Did you know, today… – You’re probably going to get richer! Because statistically, Monday is the most likely day of the week that the US stock market will rise, rather than fall. – We’re probably in for good weather, too… Mondays have the least chance of rain! – There will be 384,701 babies born today. Read more about Today Statistics – Pre-Christmas…[…]
Good morning! Here’s 5 quick stories from my recent Meals on Wheels adventures… – Last week I delivered to an old lady, and when she answered the door she had no pants on. Instead of acting shy or apologizing, she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders as if to say, “I don’t really feel like Read more about More fun volunteering stories![…]
Think of Monday as a tool. A day that is on your side. A day that most people dread or disregard. Thinking the opposite of most people gives you an advantage. Monday is a day to not just get ahead, but to get miles ahead. A day to be unstoppable. Ready to kick some ass Read more about Monday is on your side[…]
Today is Halloween! And there’s some weird stuff going on tonight… – Americans will spend about $8.8 billion in preparation for Halloween tonight 🤮. – 22% of Americans will go to a haunted house attraction. – And 80% of those haunted houses are operated by charities! (It’s a good thing, because they generate ~$300mil Read more about Halloween – Statistics in the USA – 2019[…]
I hate leaf blowers. Every Monday my gardeners come and fire up 2 loud leaf blowers. They circle around my house blowing all the leaves, dust, sticks and rocks away from my yard and straight into my neighbors yards. A couple days later, my neighbor’s gardeners come. They fire up their leaf blowers and blow Read more about Don’t be a leaf blower![…]
A few people asked for an update on my volunteering efforts. Here are the highlights… Summary: It’s been about 3 months, I volunteer only 1 day per week at Meals on Wheels in Santa Monica. My job is to drive around and deliver meals to people who can’t source food for themselves. Some clients are Read more about Volunteering Updates…[…]
Monday Mindset: I used to dislike Mondays. A lot of people do. I used to wake up and think of the bad things the day would bring. I pictured all the crap I didn’t like about my work, life, or other people. And instead of changing the things I didn’t like about my life/work, it Read more about 20 x Mondays left this year[…]
Surfing is a strange sport. About 99% of time is spent paddling and waiting, and only 1% actually standing up and riding waves. Sometimes I’m in the water for 2 hours and only catch 4-5 waves. This can be frustrating for beginners and bystanders to understand. Why go through hours of pain only to get Read more about The Surfer’s Secret[…]
Today, keep these 3 wise monkeys in mind… Speak no evil: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. Office gossip, yelling at traffic, phone etiquette, etc.. Be kind when you speak! See no evil: If you’re looking for flaws, you’ll find them. Instead, focus on the beauty around you and keep Read more about 3 x Monday Monkeys[…]
It’s easy to stand out on Mondays. Be different, be happy, and don’t let anything (or anyone) get you down. Happy Monday, make it a good one!
🇺🇸 Today is Independence Day! 🇺🇸 Here is what we crazy American’s will get up to… – We will eat A LOT of hot dots today… About 150 million. – 37 million hot dogs will have come from Iowa. – And 70% of the lettuce in our salads was grown in California! – 26% Read more about 4th of July – Statistics for 2019[…]
Hello and good morning to you! You know how sometimes on Fridays if you work really hard you might get to finish early and leave at 3 or 4pm for an early weekend…? Well have you ever tried doing that on a Monday? It’s totally possible. And even more fun than Fridays. They say that Read more about Mondays belong to the go-getters![…]
It seems like a pretty easy rule to follow. People usually don’t intend to be assholes. But for some reason it ends up happening from time to time. It happened to me the other day… I caught myself being rude for no reason. So I drew the below flowchart to help remind me of this Read more about Rule #1: Don’t be an asshole.[…]
Standing out on Mondays is easy!… (Just do the complete opposite of what all the regular people do) – Be alert while others are sleepy – Smile and be happy while others are grumpy – Get stuff done while others are procrastinating – Work hard while others are hoping and wishing life will magically get Read more about How to STAND OUT on Mondays[…]
Yesterday I got some bad news. I was turned down for a job I applied for. Not just any job, this one I would have been perfect for, and I was very very very excited about the position and company. Rejection sucks! I’ll be honest with you guys… I feel pretty shit right now. And Read more about Rejection: Disaster or Opportunity?[…]
A writer once visited Kane West’s house. As he walked in he noticed a massive poster of Kanye hanging in the living room. The writer asked, “Kanye, why do you have a giant picture of YOU on the wall?” Kanye replied, “Well, I gotta cheer for me before anyone else can cheer for me”. Read more about Cheer for Yourself![…]
Here are some interesting statistics for you this Valentines Day: 72% of millennials say they would break up with their partner if they forgot Valentine’s Day. The average millennial spends $182 and over 27 hours planning their Valentines Day gifts for their sig-nif other. 54% of men in Italy dress up as Saint Valentine Read more about 2019 Valentines Day Statistics[…]
“Waaaah, my life is so hard. I wish I had more motivation to do my stuff.” Have you ever heard someone say this? Or have you said it yourself? Well instead of motivation, what might be needed is just a little discipline. There’s a big difference between motivation and discipline. – Motivation is fleeting – Read more about Motivation vs. Discipline[…]
Yesterday I witnessed a 5am miracle… It was 5.40am, I was taking a stroll around my neighborhood. I came across an old lady, in her pajamas, shivering cold on the side of the road. She looked up at me and whispered “help”. She was lost, only remembered her first name and nothing else. Read more about Where is your grandma?[…]
Mondays don’t suck. – My attitude does – Today, a lot of people will be looking for excuses to be grumpy. They will blame Monday, their jobs, managers, commute time, workload, etc. I’m not gonna join them. It’s easier to adjust my attitude in the morning. I will find my morning bliss, and enjoy the Read more about Mondays don’t suck. My attitude does.[…]