Today is one of my last days of vacation. I’m looking to get the maximum amount of feeling good out of the time I have left. I’m going to use these for brain chemicals, and the behaviors that go with them, to accomplish that.
Looking at this list, I would love to know what your favorite is.
Those of you who follow this blog for any amount of time are aware of the affinity I have for the location of Krautland. It is located inside of the Wisconsin State Fair Park, which is one of my favorite places to be. In addition to this, I have been visiting there a very long time. If you would like to learn more of that story, check out the story I did on Krautland for Chow Down in Milwaukee or click the link at the end of this post to read a previous story I have shared about this amazing place.
Today is less about the amazing food and service you will receive at Krautland and more about the owners, Ron and Karla. This year they are celebrating 20 years of owning and running this stand. There are many folks, like myself, who are indebted to these two wonderful souls for doing such an amazing job. When they took the business over from the previous owner, there were concerns as to how the business would continue. Not only were those concerns completely unfounded, but under their guidance, business has only improved!
A new generation is working on continuing this amazing legacy and doing wonderfully. Still, we take a second to recognize what a great job Ron and Karla have done in the last two decades. They have faced so many challenges and continued to rise above them. It does Margie and I good to see two people we respect and admire so much doing so well. If you see friends in your life achieving success, make sure to celebrate with them! Speaking of celebrating, enjoy this picture of the delicious treats Margie made to mark two decades of stewardship Ron and Karla have given Krautland.
CLICK HERE TO READ MY STORY ABOUT KRAUTLAND
This may strike some as an odd topic for a self-improvement blog. Money, or having enough of it, is really a secret to an amazing life. Lack of money can cause us to make questionable decisions or prevent us from being the wonderful giving beings we were created to be. Today we are all facing rising prices and inflation. The causes of these can be endlessly debated, and to be honest, does little to help us navigate the present situation. What we need is some concrete tools and strategies to help us make the most of what money we have.
Recently, I was interviewed by Madison Alworth of Fox Business News. She asked some very thought-provoking questions that are on the minds of most of us in this economy. One of them was what financial challenges I was facing. Like many of you the answer is not the price of any one item. It seems the price of most items has seen an increase. Some of them may be significant, but most are slight. The issue becomes when all of those slight increases are added together, the strain on our budget is anything but slight.
The two avenues I suggest we employ to tackle these challenges are planning and focus. One issue that Madison brought up was credit card debt. This is a huge strain on many budgets. Setting the focus on paying off, and discontinuing the use of, high interest cards should be a priority. Store credit cards can have interest rates as high as 25%. That would amount to paying $25 for a $20 item. Imagine doing that over and over again. Most of us are carrying a balance well over $20. Reducing the principal on these cards as soon as possible will save us considerably in the long-term.
This brings us to the planning aspect. Incurring a little pain in the short-term, such as making a coffee at home instead of stopping at the local coffee shop, at least not as often, and applying that money to paying off our credit cards. This may not seem fun at the moment, but it will help keep our heads above water. The more ways we can get creative with our spending and our saving, the better position we will be to make it through the tough economy. Once through, these tools and strategies will position us to get ahead in the future.
Today, let us remember to focus on enjoying the journey. The goal is certainly worth keeping in mind, but 80% of the time will be spent on the journey. This is actually a conservative estimate. If this is the case, we owe it to ourselves to find a way to have as much fun during the process. After all, it doesn’t make much sense to be happy only 20% of the time?
How do we accomplish this goal? Two words – focus and adjustment. We can adjust how we go about accomplishing the goal. Say we are trying to get for, but hate going to the gym. We can adjust. Maybe start going for hikes? Dusting off that bicycle in the garage. Maybe there is a pool we could swim at? The point is all of these will help us start getting fit and be a lot more enjoyable.
What happens when you can’t adjust? Maybe you need to get better at saving, but you really miss having Amazon visit your house more than your family? Switch your focus. Instead of being sad that you no longer get packages, focus on how good you will feel when you will get your financial situation in order. Focus on your bank account not draining as quickly.
Here is another thing to ponder. The more we enjoy the journey, the more likely we are to reach the destination! That should be motivation enough. Share any tips you have on enjoying the journey in the comments below!
It seems everyone is tired these days. Energy drinks are everywhere. What we may not realize is that our diet and behaviors may be draining our energy.
Look at the 2 lists above. One is filled with things that drain your energy. Try to eliminate, or at least limit, as many as you can. The other is filled with things that can energize our mind, bodies and spirits. Do more of those. All 3 areas must be taken care of. You could drink a case of energy drinks, but if your spirit is depleted, you will still feel drained.
Feel free to share your tips for staying energized.
This past Thursday, August 1st, I took my lady to my favorite place, The Wisconsin State Fair. While there, I informed her we were going to film a video for my YouTube channel. Which we did…kind of. Little did she know, I was actually filming me asking her to marry me!
I have went to the Wisconsin State Fair every year since 1975, and every day since 1996. It is my favorite place to go, so why not ask my favorite person to marry me right there, on top of the Ferris wheel? Our story even made the news as well as local radio! Did she say yes? Click the link below to watch the video on my YouTube channel and see the very moment yourself!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VERY MOMENT I ASKED HER TO MARRY ME AND HER REACTION!
Last post, I mentioned a negative experience I had with a gentleman on social media. I wanted to revisit that story because it brought to mind another great secret to an amazing life. This man really did inspire a lot of good ideas. In case you did not read the last post, let me give you the tale in a nutshell. I wanted to share this site with my neighbors in hope that I could bring a lot of joy to those living in my city. I went to social media and shared a little story about this site and what everyone can find here. Careful to mention that it is indeed free.
That is when things took a turn I wasn’t quite expecting. This gentleman said that I was telling him what to think and he wanted no part of it. Explaining that this was not at all what this site was about did nothing to satisfy him. He then went on to state that I was an influencer looking to make money off of people for doing nothing. Reminding him the site is completely free and is just intended to bring positivity to people only prompted him to call me a liar. He was soon joined by a woman who echoed his feelings. Here is the ironic thing, neither of them even looked at the site.
My lady, in a desire to defend me, wanted to inform them of a bit more than what this site was all about. Informing her this was a waste of our energy and would only incite them further, she shortened her rebuff. Here is the crazy thing. These two people who have such a cynical view of the world, are exactly who could use this site the most. It may help them lift themselves out of the negative view they have of the world and those in it.
The ironic part is that they will be the last people to ever read it. This is something that I learned years ago as a bartender. You can bring knowledge, encouragement and inspiration to the masses. You can plant seeds of motivation and inspiration. For some souls, it is like throwing those seeds on concrete. It is the concrete parts of the world who could use the flowers the most, but if you spend your life and energy here, you are throwing your seeds on concrete. The chances anything will bloom are slim. It is certainly worth introducing everyone to the good you discover in life, but your energy is best served by sharing with those who are open and looking.
In life, it may feel like all of your efforts are not accomplishing much. Chances are there is nothing wrong with your efforts. You may just be tossing your seeds on concrete. That is not to say you should abandon those folks. Just spend most of your time, energy and seeds on those who will be open to your efforts.
Do you have people in your life that treat you harshly and you cannot figure out why? Let me give you two fine examples from my own life. At my day job, I do my best to bring joy and show appreciation to everyone. There is a couple I work with who seem bent on bringing drama into the work place. We looked at the best way to deal with these people last post. The funny thing is that initially, only the man worked there and we got along great. When he lady started there, everything changed. They make up lies about me to the boss. They even will spend extra energy to do things they feel make my job more difficult. This is not only sad and petty, but a complete waste of energy on their part. Not only do I not waste my time or energy on doing anything to make their workday miserable, I honestly never give them a thought. Unless, of course, it will help me come up with an example for a blog.
Another fun example is this blog. Recently, I shared it on a local social media site. I am in over 200 countries around the world, but it is always good to take care of your own neighborhood. Most of the responses were positive, but like in any crowd, there were a few detractors. It started with a gentleman who accused me on telling him what to think. Informing him that is not what this site is about, he told me that I was an online influencer making money off people for doing nothing. I informed him my site is completely free and is just for leaving the world a better place than I found it. He called me a liar.
What makes these people so cynical and miserable? I do not know their stories, but I am sure there is one. Somewhere they must have picked up on the idea that life is a negative experience. As to why that anger comes out directed at me? To me, that is not really a big deal. It serves two very important functions. First, it reminds me of the need to put positivity out into the world. Second, if they are focused on me, for that time they are not directing their misery at someone else. I am grateful for the example as to what it can be like if you do not keep a positive outlook as well. These folks, despite their best efforts, have given me no less than three things to be grateful for. When you do your best to be positive and bring light to the world, know there will be others who are offended by that. Perhaps they do not like seeing others happy when they are not. Maybe they are jealous that you have found the secret to an amazing life? Whatever the cause, do not take it personal. Send them some good vibes and move on. It is not worth your energy.
This thought comes from the book, The Art of War. It is a great book not only for military conflict, but for life as well. This quote is a prime example. Many people wish to start wars with us. They could be an ex lover, a jealous coworker, or a boss that likes to put us down. Some of them just enjoy bringing chaos into our lives. Have you ever heard the saying ‘misery loves company’? It is true. There are folks whose only joy in life is to see people as miserable as they are. Baffles me as why this is better than working on their own life, but ours is not to wonder why.
Often, the only result these folks want is for us to engage them in this misery. Remember that you do not have to attend every argument you are invited to. What you should do instead is what Frank Sinatra reminded us to do in the quote above. Focus on our success. Nothing will drive a miserable person crazy than to see the person they are trying to bring down experiencing joy and success. Do not engage them. Do not fight them and you will win the war!
Next time someone does their best to start drama in your life, instead of engaging with them, focus on your own success. At the end of the day you will be further ahead while they will be in the same place disgusted they could not force you into joining them in their misery. That is a win for you.
Many people shy away from the fires of life. That is to be understood. Nobody really enjoys discomfort. What you must consider is what discomfort and challenges do in our life. They provide us opportunities that comfort and ease simply cannot. You grow exponentially more during difficult times than you do when life is easy. You also display to others your true character.
Everyone can be patient, helpful and happy when the sun is shinning and all of the bills are paid. Can you still have that kindness and compassion when life is not going so well? Can you still treat others as you would want them to treat you when life is beating you down? If you can, it speaks volumes about you and your character. This is something that you could never display unless you face challenges and adversity. Next time life seems to descend into chaos, ask yourself one very important question, “How am I going to walk through this fire?” If you are really brave, you can ask a follow up question, “What will that say about me?”
Be grateful for the challenges. They help us to grow and to demonstrate to the world the strength of our character. You can dislike the challenge and still be grateful for the opportunity.
SECRET 2 AN AMAZING LIFE 