"If you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen."
— Conan O'Brien

Hello, how are you? It's -7 degrees here today, a little warmer than yesterday; it's bitter cold, it looks like a winter wonderland; I'll be staying in the house for the 2nd day in a row. Some mornings I get up with an idea to write about; other days, the whiteboard is blank; today is an empty day. So this will be interesting.

It looks like we might have the start of World War III. I'm not sure what interests we have in Ukraine; they are not a part of NATO, is the industrial, military complex itching to get back to business? We will see how that evolves; could it distract from the great reset?

A busy day yesterday, we had our sales meeting, we are rolling into 2022 with some steam. I had six meetings yesterday, all virtual, I've started working from our dining room, and it's pretty comfortable. We had our last call at 4:00; at 4:30, we made a drink, and my wife made pasta with a homemade bolognese sauce.

We ate like royalty and then watched a couple of shows; I think it was the third night in a row we were in bed before 9:00 p.m. I slept until 6:00, another nine hours of glorious sleep. Tomorrow morning, we work another busy day today, then take our pup to our sitters head to Denver to work on the condo before leaving early Friday for Las Vegas.

I got a note from my friend Matt; he got some fantastic medical news. A few years ago, he got diagnosed with cancer, bad stuff, but he did an experimental treatment, and after a long battle seems like he may have beat it. Another friend was having some chest pain and seemed to have got that figured out as well—a good day for our community. If you don't have your health, you don't have much.

My wife just came downstairs, kissed me, is now making breakfast for Parker Van Halen. Dog food and rotisserie chicken are what's on the menu. The sunrise is in full bloom, a beautiful snowscape with a sky filled with pink, orange, blue, and white. I am now using a massage belt in the mornings on my back, I have no back issues, but a warm massage as I pen a few thoughts is nice.

What's up with the pandemic? It seems everything is going back to normal, and after two years, it's about time. Sure I'll wear a mask on the plane and in the airport for what seems to be no good reason, but I'll play along until the return of sensibility and sense. I can go to a concert of 20,000 maskless people spitting, yelling, and cheering, but now it is dangerous on an airplane with a HEPA filter in the sky.

Since entering adulthood, I'm a morning person; I have always been a morning person. I think one of the reasons for my little bit of success had to do with getting up at 5:00 a.m. for 20 years. Although most of my competition was up at 7:00, I got a two-hour jump on most. So when asked what you tell a young professional about success, I always recommend a 5:00 a.m. get your ass out of bed program.

We spoke to a young lady yesterday; she's looking to make a career change. I'll review her resume and help her find a new opportunity. Although, as we spoke, both my wife and I shared our early life of being poor, working twelve-hour days, we both shared how you can create a dream life when you turn fifty or so if you work hard in your younger years. Our generation was modeled after the boomers, working hard, growing a family, finding a job, and staying there for life. There has been a focus on building wealth, helping others, occasionally enjoying the spoils of life.

The generations following us seem to have a different take on life. Work, but don't work too hard, find balance, don't get too engaged with one company, always be looking for the next opportunity, it's a different approach, but I think an evolution of how we live, work and play. It will be interesting to see how Gen Z and Millenials live when they get to their 50s.

I will say that at 52, almost 53, my 50's have been my favorite decade. I've found peace, love, a pleasant workflow, low stress, and a fun existence. My 20's were filled with having kids and trying to figure out how to navigate life; my 30's were coaching little league baseball, 40's I went through a divorce and established a life 1187 miles from home with a new partner. Today I'm a grandfather, father, lover, writer, teacher, and small business owner. Who are you?

I watched a clip of the Joe Rogan Experience yesterday; he had a chef who described how to make the best coffee. I tried it this morning, and it could be in my head, but I think he's on to something. His instructions are as follows. First, pour about an inch of water through your coffee maker, then wait and allow it to settle, then add the rest of the water using another receptacle, and the flavor of the coffee will pop. My wife agrees; this is our new morning method of coffee making. I'm a press pot fan but don't have the patience or grace to wait for that process at 6:00 a.m.

Okay, a minor update about a rose-colored human: I'm told I could be a man or a woman. My pronouns are zip, zap, and zup, and today I can identify as a magical dinosaur. But, unfortunately, we have lost our agreement of what is real and what is make-believe. I like to live in the real world where a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. Women's sports are no longer protected for those born with two X chromosomes, it's strange times, but I believe the pendulum is beginning to swing back right. I am clocking in at a little over 1000 words, not bad for a blank whiteboard brain.

"If you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen."
— Conan O'Brien

Word Soup

-7 Degrees, White-Board Mind, My Favorite…