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HUMP DAY REMINDER 🐫

This is an important and much needed reminder. There are so many of us that work so hard to make the world a better place and bring joy to others. Those same people are often the hardest on themselves. Check your inner conversation. Is it motivating? Recently, I noticed that my inner conversation started to lean a little more to the negative than I would care for. I mentioned to Margie, “I need to work on being more positive.” She gave me a look that showed her shock with my statement. I should have been a little more specific. My outer conversation was still very positive. However, my inner conversation was not. Allow me to give you an example. Winter is always difficult for me. The cold, the lack of life, it all has me feeling down. I decided to add a way to help with this. I decided to appreciate the effort and beauty behind the decorations people put up for the holidays.

On the outside I did pretty good. Whether I was with others, or by myself. I would remark, “Wow! That one looks nice.” or “That must have taken a long time.” I did feel better. That was until my inner voice started talking. I am not sure who that person is, but he didn’t have many nice things to say. I heard the voice in my head say, “That one is sloppy.” and “Why did they even bother to put up decorations if they were not going to take their time?” Here I was trying to find beauty and the holiday spirit and my inner dialogue turned into a holiday decoration critic. Then, I started getting down on myself for being negative.

We must remember that we are human. We must be forgiving and compassionate with ourselves. Especially during this busy season. As a solution to combat my newly negative self-talk, I have begun to listen to positive affirmations on the way to work in the morning. It places positive thoughts in my head before my head can come up with negative ones. Remember to be kind to ourselves the rest of the week. In what ways are you kind to yourself?

PASS IT ALONG

Here is a simple greeting. Can you imagine how you would feel if someone said this to you? I say we try spreading this, and other positive greetings, as much as we can and in a many places as we can! Feel free to steal this picture and place it on all of your social media accounts! That way everyone will get a little positivity while scrolling.

One of the most impactful things you can do is share positive vibes with everyone you come in contact with. Be that person today! Share a smile and genuine well-wishes! Be the kind of person people look forward to seeing. The more of us that do this, the brighter the world will become!

IT IS NOT ONE MORE, IT IS ONE LESS

This is a change in mindset that could really motivate us. The funny thing is that it is the truth. Often, I use the hourglass as a metaphor for our life. The sand is always going from top to bottom. Just like the time in our life is always fleeting. This should motivate even those who procrastinate the most. You do not get ‘one more day’ on earth, you actually have one less. One less day to leave a meaningful legacy. One less day to love those closest to you. One less day to become the best version of who you can be.

Most of you who follow this blog know that I had a brief flirtation with death not all that long ago. In fact, I did die, but not to ruin the plot of my book, The Beat Goes On, but I came back. That whole experience certainly changed my outlook on life as you might imagine it would. The crazy part is that it was not the actual dying and coming back, but the time leading up to it that had the greatest impact on me. Knowing that in 2 months I would have a surgery that could end my life (I did not know it actually would briefly) was not a scary prospect in terms of me not being here. What really scared me is what I would, or in some cases would not, leave behind.

I thought of the Native American saying, “It is a good day to die.” Meaning that if your life were to end today, would you be happy with the life you lived up to that point? I realized that although I had turned around a great many aspects of my life that I had a long way to go to live a life that I would be at peace leaving. For one, I felt that I had not done enough to leave the world a better place. There was so much more content to create. There were more books to write, more videos to make, and of course more blogs to write. Since that day I have written a blog for nearly 1300 days straight. My fourth book will arrive in 2026. My podcast has moved to YouTube (See Living the Dream with Neil Panosian),

Every day we have one less opportunity. Some days may be tough, others may seem impossible. Even those days we must take advantage of. We must never miss an opportunity to show kindness or lighten the burden of another. We may never have the chance again. How many more opportunities will we have to tell, and more importantly show, those we love how much we care for them? Each day is one less chance. Make the most of today.

THE SECRET OF THE JOURNEY

Most of us have heard this saying. It has become almost cliche. What I want to point out at the start of the week, and the start of a new year is how powerful it can really be. Many people have the goal to regain their health in the new year. Many of these people haven’t put any thought into their health for at least 365 days. Their journey is 1000 miles long – metaphorically. What they must remember is just like walking a thousand miles, you cannot do it any other way than one step at a time.

Another great example is writing a book. After writing three of them you think I would have a great idea of how to stay motivated and disciplined. It may very well be the opposite. When I wrote my first book, A Happy Life for Busy People, I was ignorant to all of the challenges that go into writing a book. I could not dread the editing or formatting because I had never experienced them. Same with any other goal you have tried and failed. What we must focus on is the next step.

The reason I bring this up is because it is far easier to say than do. We must keep this saying in front of us as we make our journey. In walking a thousand miles, some steps will be easier than others. We will be tempted to give up sometimes and driven others. We must realize that each one is one step closer. As we start a new week and a new year, remember to take it one step at a time.

HOW TO THINK ABOUT YOURSELF

This quote is not only amusing, it is also very powerful! We may chuckle when we read it, but it does force us to confront a certain reality. That reality is often the smallest things can create the biggest changes. Think of Covid. That was a virus. Something so small it could not even be seen. Still, this small thing changed the entire world! It is not always a mosquito or virus. The same can be true with things in the positive. Think of how people change just by adopting one new habit. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or giving up soda or alcohol. These are just one little habit, yet they create a big change in people.

Just as a mosquito is a seemingly small and insignificant creature, it can sure create an issue. A while back I shared a story about an employee at the coffee shop I write at. She came in on her off day and proceeded to hand out roses to every woman present. A nice, but not that grand gesture. I cannot be sure how it affected the other women, but I know it gave my mom a great deal of joy. Not sure how many flowers she handed out, or the cost of each individual one, but each one gave joy to the life of the person who received it.

You can do the same. You do not have to hand out flowers. It can be a smile, or a genuine compliment. What may seem insignificant to you can be nothing short of magic to the person receiving it. You, my dear reader, are keeper of magic beyond your imagination. With social media, YouTube and the closeness of the globe, you can impact lives with not only your actions, but your example. Are you striving to better yourself in the new year? Those watching can draw strength and motivation for you. Believe in yourself and your power to make a difference. You can give someone hope, peace and joy. That is nothing short of magic.

BUILD THE NEW!

This could not be more true than it is today. The world is a crazy place. That is something we can all agree on. Many people stand on the corner cursing out the way things are. Instead of that, why not try to focus on building things the way you wish them to be? Personally, I would love a world that is more tolerant, accepting and loving. Through these posts, and in my personal life, I do my best to be that.

I am not telling you to stand up against what you feel is wrong. Quite the contrary. What I am suggesting is to approach the situation with understanding, compassion and most importantly, a solution. One that does not marginalize or hurt others. One that is constructive and brings peace and positivity to the world. That is what is most important in these trying times. Build a world we love and celebrate.

DILL PICKLE SOUP AND REFLECTION

There are times when we feel reflective and miss our past. Perhaps it is a favorite childhood place we used to go. Maybe it is a loved one who passed away.  Sometimes it can be both, or something completely different.

What do you do when this happens to you? Most of us sit in our feelings and so not do much of anything. That’s a shame because there are ways to reconnect with our past. Walk through the old neighborhood. You can email or call up a childhood friend. Visit the restaurant you used to like as a kid, if it is still around.

Food has a powerful way of connecting us. My friend Shannon remembered i liked dill pickle soup and told me about a new Polish restaurant that was featuring it. My grandmother used to make the best dill pickle soup. Margie and I made the trip there after the gym and it really took me back. Not only the soup, but there were several dishes I recall my grandmother making.

How do you reconnect with you past? What to you do with that self-reflection? Do you put it to good use? Next time, I think I will try making some of these dishes at home!

IF I CANNOT DO GREAT THINGS….

It is so important to remember that greatness, and success, are habits. There is a quote that says “it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. ” What that means is that it is better to be prepared for a situation and not have it come, than to be unprepared for an event that is now here.

When it comes to success and greatness, being prepared is so important. We have seen countless celebrities get fame quickly and not be able to deal with it. They end up in rehab or worse. We must practice success in every area of our life. It isn’t just how you do one thing. It is how you do everything. Make sure to keep this in mind next time you are making dinner, cleaning the house or any other supposed little thing. It is in these little things that the seeds of greatness can be found.

NEVER STOP BEING THAT PERSON

Why is important to keep being kind? It can be tempting to take a “look out for number one” attitude and only worry about ourselves. As we can see by this quote, the power of the kindness we do can not only change lives, it can actually save lives. I can’t think of any more powerful reason than that.

Remember to be kind at every opportunity. There are friends, and maybe even strangers who will never forget it.

SOMETIMES THE BEST GIFT AND RESOLUTION IS SIMPLY MORE!

I cannot assume you had the chance to read my post on the one Christmas gift I wanted, so allow me to explain the title of this post. No, it is not a recommendation to be extremely materialistic. During Christmas, people asked me what I would like for a gift. Living in a state of gratitude as much as possible, I could not think of anything that would make my life more incredible. I have a gorgeous woman who loves me (see photo above), amazing friends that add greatly to my life, and experiences that bless me in ways I cannot often imagine. Walks in nature and coffee with my mother and friend Nick, fun and laughter with friends, and of course all of the amazing loving moments with my lady.

When thinking about all of the blessings I have, the only thing I could think that I would want, was more of the same. When pondering resolutions for the new year, the same thought came into mind. That thought was simply more. I enjoy making my lady feel special and loved, because she is both. In the coming year I will do that more. My passion is helping people see the greatness inside them and the world around them. This year I am going to work on doing that more. Sharing special moments of love and laughter with family and friends will be done more often.

How can I manage to do more of all these things? It will definitely take more energy. It will take more knowledge as well. How can I gain more energy and more knowledge? By working on becoming a better version of myself. Eating better, working out more consistently and listening and learning more. There is so much material at our fingertips, we can often overlook some of the easiest ways to improve. Eduardo, one of our self-improvement family from Italy recommended a great book on how to improve communication in a relationship. Not only were there great tools and strategies in this book, but it reminded me that there is always so much to learn. Pick any subject and spend an afternoon on Google and YouTube exploring that topic. You will be amazed at what you will learn. Do that for a week and you will walk away an entirely different person.

It is exciting that you can Google, “How can I be a better author?” for example. There will be many ideas for you to explore. Type the same question into YouTube and there will be videos addressing the same subject. Think of the possibilities! You can do this with how to be a better husband/wife, how to be more romantic, how to be a better listener, how to be a better friend and a million other questions. For once, we could use technology in a constructive manner to serve us instead of the other way around. Some of the information we will discover may not be a fit for us, but if you were to spend an hour, five days a week invested in learning on these or any other subject, think of how much further along you would be! That would be over 6 working weeks of time spent on self-improvement! You would only need to do it an hour a day and you could even take weekends off! Do you see how easy it could be to get ahead?

The best way to add ‘more’ to every area of your life and to make each area better is to work on the common denominator in all of those situations. That common denominator is YOU! By becoming the best version of yourself, you positively affect every area of your life. It is as easy as consuming content that is already out there. It does not cost you anything but a small fraction of your time. This should excite all of us in the year to come! I look forward to bringing you more, and better, content in the year to come as I work on improving myself. What areas of your life are you looking forward to learning more about?

FORGET FINDING, START CREATING!

Here we are, the first Monday of 2026! Let us take a chance to set ourselves up for success. This quote above is a great reminder that we are both the work of art, as well as the artist. We need to stop searching for our purpose, and start deciding what it will be. It can be helpful to consider what we are naturally gifted in and have a passion for. These will make our journey a little less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. We still have to spend some quality time deciding what we want the purpose of our life to be. One great way to do this is by using the ‘write your own eulogy’ exercise outlined in my second book, Living the Dream. We also discussed that a few posts back.

Neale Donald Walsch, despite spelling his first name incorrectly, is an incredible author. He mentioned how many people are looking for a mysterious chalkboard in the sky where God wrote “Your purpose in life is _____” That chalkboard does not exist. We must decide and write it. The great news is once we do decide our purpose, it can make decision making a lot easier. Does this align with my purpose or not? Another thing to consider is that once we decide on our purpose, it is not a life sentence. We can change or adapt our purpose as we grow and develop as human beings.

As we go into a new week, and a new year, let us take some time to decide what we really want to do with our life. What is our purpose? If we cannot decide on a life purpose, we can decide on the purpose of a year, or even a week. What are we going to do with our life this coming week? Will it be to practice the self-care we have been putting off? Maybe take the first step in writing that book, or starting that business? Maybe it is to reach out to some of our friends and let them know we care?

Our life, and our reason for living it, is entirely up to us. It takes some thinking and deciding to settle what that may be. The time spent on this endeavor is worth its weight in gold. It makes our decision making easier and brings a great deal of clarity and purpose to our life. Don’t you owe it to yourself to spend the time making these decisions?