Your Personal “Election”

It seems we’re caught up on what other people think of us especially when we post things on social media and wait to see how many thumbs up, likes or comments others do.

Our lives are not up for a vote – we should not be asking others to “like” what we do or say.

The more we try to treat our lives like an ongoing election, the more unhappiness it brings.

It doesn’t really matter whether others like us – do we like us?

Holding a virtual election on who we are as a person always ends in defeat.

Live life as if no one gets to vote on how you live it.

Finally, election news you can use – go ahead and share.

Zero Pressure

Boston Celtics Head Coach Joe Mazzulla before kicking off the current NBA basketball season said he feels “zero pressure” to repeat last year’s World Championship.

Never mind that the Celtics have won a total of 18 banners in their storied history.

“We’re all going to be dead soon, and it really doesn’t matter anymore. So, there’s zero pressure.”

“”There’s nothing anyone in this circle can do to me that’s going to impact my identity and who I am as a person or a coach. We’re either going to win or we’re not, and 40 years from now, none of you are invited to my funeral and that’s it.”

It’s blunt but it’s true.

Like life all the good things we do carry over from year to year.

If there’s one thing never to forget it’s what got you to success.

Added pressure does not help.

So many life lessons in sports – feel free to share.

More for Less

The makers of Ruffles and Tostitos is planning to add 20% more chips into their bonus bags.

Ruffles and Tostitos were losing market share at Walmart while their own brand Great Value has been growing in chips and pretzels.

Many consumers feel the pinch but companies usually don’t until sales decline begging the question what’s a fair deal.

In human interaction when we promise more and do less, it usually doesn’t end well.

Maybe it doesn’t apply to food brands but when you make a promise and deliver more ahead of schedule, you are always going to come out ahead.

That last line could be life altering, feel free to share

New Friends

4 in 10 people have not made a new friend in over a year.

We’re constantly told how social isolation is a bad thing and yet this long after the pandemic, it’s seems even harder to find new friendships.

The research was conducted for CheapCaribbean Vacations so you can understand their interest in surveying the marketplace.

But the time with a friend has no clock on it – in fact, more important than the number of friends we have is the time spent present — focused on what each other is saying.

I saw research recently that said to avoid social isolation even one friend fits the bill.

This fascinates me, if you find it helpful feel free to share.

Family Leave

If you’ve been born into a happy family accept it and enjoy.

If not, family does not have to be based on genetics.

I considered someone not related to me a close brother and some who were distant – other people feel the same way.

Thanksgiving is coming, a time when families get together and either have a ball or melt down – the beauty of relationships is that the people we trust, feel close to, enjoy and can get along with are family.

Celebrate the joy of healthy relationships and feast on their many benefits not the obstacles that often last a lifetime and make us feel unhappy.

I live these DayStarters which is how I can write them – please, share.

The Future of Work

Sam’s Club believes the store they are opening in Grapevine, TX is the store of the future – soon to expand in 30 locations.

A robot sweeps the aisles, takes inventory, and checkout lanes are replaced with apps that allow customers to purchase goods without human contact although some human’s will standby.

Then there’s Costco – a company that values their employees who love to work for the company and will continue to serve samples of food in person to make your Saturday.

The long lines will remain, humans will ring you up, you will bring your own bags and boxes and any robotics or AI used will likely be behind the scenes.

You can replace some tasks, but not people as the future will show us.

Never be afraid of AI (artificial intelligence).  AI is just our best thinking scraped by algorithms – not our next thinking.

Share with a non-robotic tap below.

You’re the Solution

I asked one of my college classes to write a paper on the most difficult person in their lives as of two weeks ago.

Out of 25 students, 3 said they were the most difficult person in their own lives.  The rest cited family, friends and associates at work or internships.

We are not the problem.

We have problems – everyone does.

But we are the solution to whatever challenges come into our lives.

Just reminding ourselves from time to time of the power we have to make a difference is the difference.

Share with someone you think might appreciate this thought.

Before You Solve a Problem

Very often we solve perceived problems before we can state what they actually are.

Think of that beautiful earthrise that was taken from the astronauts’ moon landing – the earth sure looks different than it does looking out the window flying from New York to LA.  We see more.  We gain a wider perspective.

One of my favorite lines that I utter when faced with a problem is – “let me go to the moon” and take a look at this problem for the deeper perspective.

Then, define the problem in one phrase.

The rest, we are pretty good at.

Hopefully, you get a chance to try this and if you like it, pass it on.

Lay off the Layoffs

Life is tough enough without having to put up with the insults of others.

Sometimes they take the form of layoffs or firings that make people feel bad about themselves.

You’d think these companies would do everything they could to help valued employees (after all, they hired them in the first place) gain reemployment.  But they don’t.

Or the non-competes that are threatened and enforced to further hamper the reemployment prospects of those let go – they’re illegal in some states and there is a movement to make them illegal everywhere.

One of the toughest things on confidence is being cut loose or even working under the threat that it might happen and in our world today it is possible if not likely.

BUT, the one thing to protect us is self-worth because so many people who were discarded by employers have found new work, new life and even better pay by not believing the narrative that they are expendable.

This is a real threat today, share if appropriate.

The Advantages of Age

The most effective thing that I do to motivate college students is to put in perspective how time is so important and not to waste it.  It goes like this:

A college student is one-fourth through their life expectancy based on the average age of an adult in the U.S. which is 78.

How important their 20’s are – from 20 to 35 according to Megan Jay author of The Defining Decade is when life is set for most people.

And how older people are happier than younger because they must learn to live each remaining day the best they can.

No matter your age, imagine the advantage to putting time on your side.

If you’d like to share, go right ahead.