My Secret for Mortgage Reduction is Living in the Future

Your brain has two choices.  Live in the past where all your mistakes, miscues and failures are present or create a new life in the future where your hopes, dreams and aspirations are waiting for you to catch up.  I created this game I'm playing called Par for the Course.  It's really simple – hit the financial goal for the month and make par.  Miss the goal and put a bogie on the scorecard.  Excel and record an eagle.  I played the game for seven months and got seven bogies.  Something happened this month.  I got a grip on my daily spending choices and made par.

I'm doing something radical.  It's called living in the future.  That's where all my dreams of financial freedom are.  In my future, I see a life of flying like an eagle.  All my bogies are in my past and I don't look back except to give myself a good laugh for my stupidity.  Visualization and meditation are helpful tools.  These ideas can be applied to any area of your life where you want to improve.  Make it fun.  Create a future where you can enjoy a great quality of life.  Have a great day.

Protect Your Energy Field

Have you ever noticed how certain people you meet lift you up while others drain you?  I'm not an expert on this topic but I'm pretty good at noticing how I feel around others.  There's a pattern.  Some people, like my tennis teammates, pump me up.  There are others who drain me.  It's the same people.  I do my best to avoid the negative people because they seem to transfer their energy into my spirit.  No bueno.  It takes a significant amount of work to recover from these encounters.

Strive to protect your energy field.  Treat the space around you as valuable real estate.  Remember the  most important part – location, location, location.  If you are in a location where the energy around you is negative, move.  I'm serious about this.  Your health may depend on this.  I'm thankful to be living in a part of the world where people are generally happy and treat others with kindness.  This is great for my energy field.  I recommend you take a look at your surroundings and make sure you protect your energy field.  Have a great day.

Celebrating 10 Years of Blogging Today

This is blog post number 3655.  With the exception of one day when I was asleep at the cyber wheel, I've been writing consistently every morning when I wake up for ten straight years.  It's been a pleasure to serve you daily at 8:08 AM.  This activity brings me so much joy.  Maybe it's because I believe I can make a difference by sharing my stories.

The longer I live, the more I realize the importance of simplicity.  Think about the things you do every day.  Some of them may be good and some not so good.  If you want to change your life, all you need to do is work on your habits.  Cease the habits that are not so good and create habits that make you a better person.  The key is to be consistent.

My daily habits look like a stack of pancakes.  It didn't start that way ten years ago when I wrote my first story.  I needed to get consistent with my writing first.  Slowly, I introduced new habits, one at a time, until I got solid momentum.  What is your first pancake?  Today is a good day to get started.  The process gets easier as you solidify your habits.  Go for it.  Have a great day.

Why Turning Off the Negativity Isn't Easy

We all have our ruts, a series of habits that are so engrained we don't even think about them.  Breaking out of them is almost impossible.  In my opinion, it's because the negative forces in our lives are rampant.  Is there a way out?  Yes.  It comes with a price.  You must be willing to change.  Some wait for bad news to do this.  I'm not waiting.  I want a positive life now.

You may not even notice all the negativity you are bombarded with because it seems so normal.  When was the last time you went on a hike?  A trip to the lake?  Maybe a beach experience?  Sadly, time in front of a TV takes us away from the kinds of experiences we should be having.  Time fighting about who is right and who is wrong on social media is time that could be spent with a loved one.

Turn off the negativity now.  Abandon your TV.  Read books that teach lessons and bring you good vibes.  Be with people you love.  Meditate.  Look for the positive.  Hint:  the more time you spend with Nature the easier it will become for you to see the positive.  Exercise.  Choose foods that boost your energy.  Seize the day.  Have a great day.

Home Sweet Home

There's no place like home.  I'm returning home after an amazing experience, first playing in a tennis tournament, and then visiting my mother and brother.  The time spent with them is something more precious than gold.  Now it's time to reunite with my wife.

I'm a huge travel advocate.  It's the best way I know to refresh my soul.  My heart is filled with so much gratitude to have all these wonderful experiences.  Have a great day.

Iowa Ladies Win Big in Oklahoma

I would like to give a shout out to the Iowa ladies who won it all yesterday in Oklahoma.  They are coached by my teammate, Fred Pedersen, assistant tennis pro at the University of Iowa.  Congratulations, ladies.  Good luck at Nationals in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, it's back to the basics for our men's team.  I promised them I will train hard while I'm away on another assignment at my day job.  The best way to keep a dream alive is to do the work.  My teammate, Fred, tells me, "It's all about attrition.  Winners never quit.  We need to stay in the game."

Speaking of never quitting, I'm spending time with my mother, the champion of personal growth and top notch motivator.  I still remember the pep talk she gave me when I was struggling with some setbacks at age 50.  She painted a beautiful picture of what my life could be if i stayed in the game.  Thanks, Mom.  Thanks, coach Fred.  Thank you, ladies of Iowa, for showing me the way.  And thank you for visiting this blog today.  Have a great day.

Tennis Dreams Fall Short in Quarterfinals

I'm looking in the mirror today and I see why our dreams of becoming midwest tennis champions came up short.  It was a heartbreaking loss.  A win on my court would have put our team in the next round.  I know what I need to do.  It's back to the basics.

I would like to salute my teammates for an extraordinary season.  Have a great day.