Quotes of the Week from Me:

“Go for a walk, it’ll clear your mind.”

“Detach to gain perspective.”

“Be proud of your progress. Be proud of yourself.”

“The start stops most. So, once you start, never stop.”

“I don’t react but I notice everything.”

From an old, short story, Smile, Laugh, and Play:

“How do you like to spend your day? Make sure you smile, laugh, and play. Take a deep breath, kick a ball, run here and there, and have a good fall. Call a friend, maybe two. One of them will know what to do.”

Quotes of the Week from Someone Else:

I enjoy finding quotes from unknown authors. They carry only the weight and meaning of their words. A weight and meaning independent of any person’s character or reputation.

“You can’t change the people around you, but you can change the people around you.”

– Unknown

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” – Fyodor Dostoevsky

“I am not really sure what these sticks are either.” – Kevin, the old man from down the way

Finally, two quotes that are somewhat contradictory. Which do you prefer?

“A pivot is a change in strategy without a change in vision.” – Eric Ries

“To be constantly changing one’s plans isn’t decision at all – it’s indecision.”

– Rabindranath Tagore

Is pivoting indecision?

Quick Optimism

You might not feel like working out today. You might not feel like eating a healthy breakfast or staying hydrated. You might not feel like running errands or cleaning your home. You might not feel like doing the things that are necessary to keep your life running smoothly.

But you will do it all. You will feel better because of it. You will take the steps necessary to enter tomorrow feeling accomplished and excited to continue.

Get serious about your future.

Get serious about your goals.

Get serious about your health.

Get serious about your love.

Get serious about your legacy.

Get serious about your wealth.

Get serious about your faith.

Get serious about your life. Seriousness isn’t always intensity. It’s not always sacrificial or obsessive. Getting serious can be enjoyable and fun. It should be. Get done what you know you need to.   

What does that look like for you?

Full Newsletter

There is beauty in storytelling. Lessons to be learned, verbal pictures offered that can light up the imagination of readers. One of the most common strains on good writing and good storytelling is overthinking the message, the length, and the details. There is power in restraint, I think the reader should fill in some blanks. Paint their own picture. It creates a wonderful connection and reading experience.

Below find a quick story I wrote this week. Some stories rhyme but they don’t have to. I tend to enjoy the challenge though.

Sticks Go Click on Down the Road

Right next door but out of our views, a garage door rose with a click, click, click. Whirring, humming, and rising slowly, I saw my neighbor step into his shoes.

He is a stoic, elder man with untamed hair. His gentle smile is rarely there.

But when, by chance, he sees my son, a corner of his mouth rises. But just the one.

Quick while young but slower now, he walks with sticks as they allow.

He walks with breaks, taking breathers, today when he stopped, and said, “I am not really sure what these sticks are either.”

Some other observations for you on a nice Monday morning:

This week,

It was sunny outside for the first time in too long. That isn’t supposed to happen in the summer. Not in June. But I am all the more appreciative when the nice days come along. I sure hope they might stay.

This week,

Wheels rolled and sweat dripped; my son and I were outside for hours. Biking, running, laughing, and playing, on our way to another perfect day. 

This week,

I realized that everything always ends up working out. Sometimes for better or worse. The outcome is not always easy or understandable. But it will work out. Remember this when you feel stuck. When you feel like you are in a hard place or you are being challenged. Believe in yourself.

You’ll be okay. You will. This week, it was sunny outside for the first time in too long.

Remember that when it is cloudy, you can still feel sunshine through the darkness. My neighbor is fighting through some private health issues. Bu he is always kind enough to stop and say hello. It doesn’t matter what happened. Injury, illness, or something in between. It matters that he is outside, every day, walking. No excuses. He is finding light in darkness.

He is always making sure to keep his sticks clicking on down the road.

Make it a sensational Monday!