The best rewards
The best rewards are reserved for those who don't fear. It will take courage to be the exception. It will take courage to stick your head up. It will take courage to take the lead.
Socialism and Think Daily
There seem to be some (who have not studied history) who are thinking socialism might be better. That has been tried and proven over and over, and it does not work. Ask Argentinians. I do not make political statements on Think Daily. But I will say this: Think Daily conversation…
How many years do you have left?
I stumbled across this guy giving seniors advice about how to make the most of their Social Security income. Now that I think of it, it probably came up on YouTube since I just turned 62, and at 62 you can start getting Social Security. (OMG! I'm not 'old'. But…
(OMG) What have I become?
"You can't see the label when you are inside the jar" - Clay Hebert I think it is a good question to ask every once in a while to get a perspective. The only tough part about this question is answering it honestly. You have your reasons, and you have…
Peaked in a webinar?
Did you peak in 8th-grade science class? Did you do you best thinking in the first half of a webinar? If you want to get somewhere really great you'll have to focus and work down one road for a long time. You can make an amazing career or accomplish extraordinary…
Leave some unplanned time
A life scheduled down to the minute may be efficient, but it leaves no room for discovery and spontaneity. I do not like days with a "Full Schedule", meeting after task after meeting... I never know how long things will really take. I hate being late and rushed, and I…
Karma compounds
"Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make everyday are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which a few months later, you may be able to go on to…
Tolerant of others, strict on yourself
"In others, look for virtue. In thyself, look for vice" - Ben Franklin When it comes to others, you cannot expect them to live, act, or behave to your standards. It's not possible since everyone has different standards and ways to live, so nobody could possibly please everyone else. Same…
There is no “easy button”
There is no easy button. There is no get-rich-quick. There is no avoiding problems. Work hard and smart, or have the problems from not working hard and smart. Face reality or get smacked by it. Be nice or get treated poorly. Be strong or feel like you're not. You're going…
The best rewards
The best rewards are reserved for those who don’t fear.
It will take courage to be the exception.
It will take courage to stick your head up.
It will take courage to take the lead.
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Socialism and Think Daily
There seem to be some (who have not studied history) who are thinking socialism might be better.
That has been tried and proven over and over, and it does not work. Ask Argentinians.
I do not make political statements on Think Daily.
But I will say this: Think Daily conversation is for a free society where your life is your own.
If socialism ever took over my country, many past Think Daily posts are either null and void, or would have to be altered.
I would not write them anymore, because my framework of freedom is gone, and so are our incentives to do better.
We’d be in trouble.
I totally agree
This is an outstanding Think Daily post and much appreciated. And Yes, Doug Kenyon is the best.
Better the honest risk of freedom…the chance to rise or fall by one’s own hand, than the counterfeit security of socialism, a fool’s bargain history has exposed time and again.
👍
Great post! Let freedom ring
Unfortunately, there are people pushing the narrative and indoctrinating our youth. We must do our best to educate our youth.
Amen
Today I am grateful that i’m in control of my own destiny. My business, my problems.
You are 100% correct!
🙏
My sentiments exactly!
AMEN AND AMEN!
Amen!
Amen
Could not agree more Larry! I travel the world… doesn’t work! I pray it never happens for the USA.
Amen!
Agreed!!
please stick to not making political posts.
Socialism sneaks in very gradually over a long period of time and then all of a sudden you wake up and it has set in. We must remain ever vigilant because complete socialism is nearly impossible to reverse without extreme hardship for the people. That hardship usually ends with lots of people dying out.
We have more social programs in America now than we ever have and if anyone starts talking about reducing or eliminating them there is an uproar that’s heard around the world. I could go on for hours about social programs that use tax money to incentivize laziness and irresponsibility.
We could see ourselves at a tipping point in the very near future if something doesn’t change. There are already places in this country (namely some large cities) where the people have voted themselves into socialism (New York anyone?!) and the actual working and productive people are left to completely support the deadbeats and leeches that voted for the nonsense. Once people become accustomed to accepting handouts they will rarely go back to working for their livelihood again.
Having lived in the United States, I understand and agree with your concerns. Freedom, personal responsibility and the opportunity to build a better life are values worth protecting. I sincerely hope that, despite the current challenges, everything turns out for the best for the country and its people.
People who think Socialism is good should read “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand. It will open your eyes!
I agree
You didn’t make a political statement – you just spoke the truth about your own life and things that could/would affect it… People should be able understand and appreciate the difference.
If you can’t speak to your own life and well-being in your own posts, then what’s left…?
You just keep being you, Larry – it’s enough at all times, and much more than others can muster in many instances. I think what you said was thoughtful and well stated…
Amen brother
Amen to that, as you know I emigrated from South Africa 29 yrs ago, South Africa’s “new” government is Socialist (just a few years ahead of the USA Democratic party) and marching towards communism. They have taken a once wonderful country and destroyed it in 30 yrs with these policies. It is the policy envy and victimhood
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How many years do you have left?
I stumbled across this guy giving seniors advice about how to make the most of their Social Security income. Now that I think of it, it probably came up on YouTube since I just turned 62, and at 62 you can start getting Social Security.
(OMG! I’m not ‘old’. But maybe I’ll ride my dirt bike down there and pick up my check.)
Well, this guy was asking the viewer to guess how long they will live. I thought how sad it would be if I, or anyone else, gave an answer like 70 or 75. Maybe some don’t think about it, and others may think they will live about as long as their parents…I don’t know.
But this is an important topic for everyone, even if you are 20. Having a great life, and what could be more important to a person than that, requires some planning. It can’t happen by accident. What we really want is a great healthspan. For the last chapter, we want to feel good and be able to do stuff, not simply be conscious in a chair or bed. Right? (If I die suddenly, thank goodness!)
So we have to plan. For me, as most of you know, I have this giant jar of marbles on my vanity. I have one marble for each week I will live to be 100. Each weekend, I take a marble out. I think my brain and body get it. They know the road ahead and are planning accordingly.
62 years down, 38 left to go. 62% – the math is easy.
I have to do my part. I have to eat well, move well, sleep well, and use medical technology to the fullest to avoid or fix early what might get me before 100.
They say that because of AI breakthroughs, for every year you live, you will live even longer because of these discoveries. (Let’s hope regulation does not get in the way.)
So, if I asked you, how long do you think you will live? What would you say?
And what are you doing to ensure that happens with a closely matching healthspan?
Great post, thanks. I heard a great saying that the key is to add life to your years not just years to your life. People in general are living a long time, but often with poor health in the last quarter or even third of their life, and IMO this is the part we should be trying to improve.
I am also 62. I try to live the healthiest life i can. I eat well, exercise, green time (outside) strenght train, cardio, most nights 7 hours of sleep. Working on more social and family time. planning for retirement and my daughters wedding, the obstacle was divorced 20yrs ago with two young kids that have now graduated college and doing amazing. I have to build my retirement back up. Working smarter to do that. Life is a gift dont waste it on negativity. If you put your mind to something it will get done. Have a sparkling day
Awww. Thanks Larry. I am grateful for you too! Keep moving! Find peace!
Keep going, Larry. Every day is a gift. Let’s make the most of each one.
This is interesting. I have no guess on how long I will be here. God and I may not have the same plan for me, but while I am here, I try to live my life with balance between doing all the right things to live a long life but also do things that may contradict that statement as I also want to have a life that I enjoy and share with others.
I hope to see the day you turn 100 my friend, that means I’ve made it to 98!
…ride my dirt bike down to get my social security… sounds like something I might do. How good a car your daddy gave you and how good a brain mama passed on decides how long you live, less accidents or crime. I won’t plan that heavily but would recommend better or more conscious planning to any young one I have the pleasure of talking the subject with.
I have customers that are still driving in their early 90’s and are pretty sharp. They all say their secret to longevity is to keep moving.
My paternal grandmother is 103 and lives alone in Mississippi. My paternal grandfather died at 66 from a heart aneurysm. My doctor doesn’t think that will be the fate of my heart. My mom got a rare cancer and died at 74. She was a world traveler and adventurer, exceptionally fit, and lived a lifestyle similar to those with longevity in blue zones. My dad is still alive at 83. How long will I live? If I withstand threats of cancer, likely pretty old. When I was younger I’d say 100.
Never too late to make a change, reset your priorities, and start investing in your healthspan, (that’s where I am at). Thanks for the daily nudge—and for keeping our brains thinking about how we want to live, not just how long.
I always knew you had all your marbles Larry! You missed one thing in your prescription for longevity, and that is social connections. Very important. BTW, I am 86 and Stuart is 91- soon to be 92 in Nov. and we are doing well!
US life expectancy has been in decline for about a decade. Why? Diseases of modernity and prosperity. Mainly obesity (too much food), suicide (lack of meaning), infant mortality (among the poor), road injuries (big cars, distracted drivers), and opioids (numb the pain). And the US spends far more on healthcare than any other nation. AI is not looking like a very good tool for making us live longer. Maybe getting back to being human, with a little more struggle, pain, and friendships, and a little less social media, junk food, painkillers, and SUVs, is good for us.
I like the work of Arthur Brooks a lot, who is a researcher on the study of happiness. He says that people are frequently their most happy when they’re able to be completely absorbed and focused on a singular thing. Whether it’s being able to focus on your family, your work, your favorite hobbies, an exciting new book or show… There’s a lot of power in our fixations, and they give us meaning. When I was stuck in life, at one point, I remember trying to do everything ‘right’… but I wasn’t really feeling less ‘unstuck’. Then I heard this advice and realized I wasn’t focused on the important things. I was focused on the small stuff that I hoped would help me ‘fake it til I make it’. It helped! But it wasn’t until I decided to focus on living in the moment that I began to find more meaning again. I think it makes me feel pretty good about how I’ve spent my time since then. It’s not perfect, but progress.
150 years old. Eat well, have meaning in life, annual physicals and bloodwork, drive safe & be a defensive driver, don’t drink, smoke or do drugs, stay socially connected with friends & family, quality sleep, stay hydrated, exercise, don’t sit too long, keep learning.
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(OMG) What have I become?
“You can’t see the label when you are inside the jar” – Clay Hebert
I think it is a good question to ask every once in a while to get a perspective.
The only tough part about this question is answering it honestly.
You have your reasons, and you have your excuses, so it’s hard to see who you are, or are becoming, from any other perspective than inside your own head.
But if you could try to see yourself from 10 feet away, and who you are to others, it can be encouraging, or sobering, and at least instructive about what course adjustments you may want to make. Because maybe who you have become is not exactly what you intended or want. You may want to make some thinking adjustments to be who you want before it’s all over – because after all, from the inner, comes the outer.
Who have you become?
Who are you becoming?
Good morning Larry!
Hope to see you this weekend.
Braaap braaap!!!
Hi Larry, I like this one!
Idea. On your footer, add one more button, that says Like. Many times I Like what you post, but don’t want to spend the time to fill out my name, email and then leave a comment. I just want to say Like. The person would press on the Like button. Not sure how the user would see how many Likes a particular blog post receives, or if it’s necessary, but at a minimum, you’d get a Like count.
Thank you for your blog posts!
Unstoppable.
I think, better everyday in every way! i have my support Blueprint!!
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Peaked in a webinar?
Did you peak in 8th-grade science class? Did you do you best thinking in the first half of a webinar?
If you want to get somewhere really great you’ll have to focus and work down one road for a long time.
You can make an amazing career or accomplish extraordinary things with discipline and perseverance to a simple but worthy goal.
You have to carry enthusiasm for long-term goals long after the sugar high of creating the goal leaves you.
Day after day, making progress, adjusting, getting closer without getting distracted or turning to go in a totally different direction.
Is that you?
That’s me Larry. When I was in grade school I was on the morning announcements. When I was in middle and high school I was in Story Telling Clubs & Odyssey of The Mind. When I got out of grade school I “thought” I wanted to be a preacher. When I realized that wasn’t me, I got into sales and management. When I joined Contractor Nation I have been telling our stories and will to an even greater audience. I believe ultimately that I like telling great stories, including yours. And now I realize it’s about getting to create the stories with others that we will get to tell to others. And one day when I’m gone I hope that there will be many great stories told about me.
That will Harris. He’s a nice guy, but he’s from NJ. Q1! Haha.
I still remember the quote from Earl Nightingale. “Success is the progressive realization of a worthwhile goal.”
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Leave some unplanned time
A life scheduled down to the minute may be efficient, but it leaves no room for discovery and spontaneity.
I do not like days with a “Full Schedule”, meeting after task after meeting… I never know how long things will really take. I hate being late and rushed, and I hate not being able to finish something if I am into it.
Sometimes you have to plan, sure. But for me, days with my hours claimed before they come are no fun.
Adventure requires uncertainty. When you get “invited” to do something different, having whitespace in your schedule allows you to take the invitation without knowing how it will turn out.
The most memorable part of a trip is rarely the airport, the hotel, or scheduled dinner. It’s the wrong turn, the unexpected person, the hidden trail, or unplanned challenge.
Unplanned time doesn’t mean I will be doing nothing. It means I can do anything without looking at my watch.
I love this one
Fantastic reminder for a Friday morning! Enjoy the day!
This is a timely reminder for me- I’ve been running from fire-to-fire in both my personal and professional life for the last 2 weeks, and I need to create some white space in my schedule. Thank you Larry for always saying what I need to hear!
Ditto! I like to maintain a ratio of 50/50 at least. I prefer to schedule even less than 50% of the day. Give much more freedom to spend the time on the unknowns.
Another ratio I have identified is that 1-hour of meeting often leads to 3-hours of follow-up. If we want to be sure to have enough time in our days with some left over then we should not schedule more than 25% of our time for meetings.
“Adventure requires uncertainty.” Well said.
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Karma compounds
“Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make everyday are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of.” – C. S. Lewis
Such a great quote and so true! I had not heard this one before. I love C.S. Lewis, he’s an immense source of wisdom.
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Tolerant of others, strict on yourself
“In others, look for virtue. In thyself, look for vice” – Ben Franklin
When it comes to others, you cannot expect them to live, act, or behave to your standards. It’s not possible since everyone has different standards and ways to live, so nobody could possibly please everyone else. Same with you.
But when it comes to yourself, set high standards and have the self-discipline to adhere to them.
When you are your own high standards maker and disciplinarian, you don’t have to be corrected by others, have the most freedom, and are set up for progress and success.
Good morning from Chicagoland!
Good morning to you Larry and all of CN from Chicago. Let’s all close out the month on a high note. 🙏 💪
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There is no “easy button”
There is no easy button. There is no get-rich-quick. There is no avoiding problems.
Work hard and smart, or have the problems from not working hard and smart.
Face reality or get smacked by it.
Be nice or get treated poorly.
Be strong or feel like you’re not.
You’re going to pay for something.
It may as well be fare to get somewhere, instead of nowhere.
Happy Birthday Larry! Thank you for starting my mornings off right all year long!
Happy Birthday
Enjoy the day.
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Larry
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday! Many more!
Happy Birthday Larry!
Happy Birthday Larry ! 🎉
Happy Birthday Larry
Happy Birthday Larry!!. Hope you have a great day
Happy birthday Larry!
Happy Birthday Larry
I hope you’re doing great and having an awesome day. Wishing you a fantastic year ahead!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LARRY!!!! Thanks for writing Think Daily!!
HAPPY BLESSED BIRTHDAY LARRY!! I appreciate Think Daily share it with friends and family.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!🥳🎂
Happy birthday!! Hope you have a wonderful day and something fun planned!!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Larry!
Happy Birthday, Larry, here’s to another trip around the sun
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday Larry! Enjoy your day!!
Happy Birthday, Larry! Thank you for all you do!
Happy Birthday Larry. Wishing you a blessed year ahead.
Happy Birthday Larry! May the next decade bring you health, joy, and happiness! I hope to see you soon.
Happy Birthday, Larry! Wishing you a fantastic year ahead filled with continued success and happiness.
Happy Birthday Larry!
Have a great day! I imagine you’re on some sort of adventure!!
Happy Birthday, Larry!
Happy birthday Larry!
Happy Birthday Larry , I turned 63 yesterday. For my birthday some friends and i rode the “Dirt Daze” adventure ralley last week . Based in North Haverhill, NH. We rode mostly in Vermont on the typical New Englang rock and ledge trails on middle weight bikes. My energy level is greatly increased this week from the workout riding last week. I highly recommend everyone tries it.
Happy Birthday, Larry!
I absolutely love your message today! There is no greater truth!
Happy Birthday!
Happ Birthday Larry! I love the newsletters. I share them with my kids all the time too. I have even listened to your album with my son. He enjoyed it
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy birthday, Larry! Wishing you at least 38 more splendid and fulfilling years!
Happy bday!! Thanks for the Think Dailys! And had a great visit from Tyler Anglin yesterday from LJCTBS – always a pleasure when someone from your team comes out!
Happy Birthday, Larry! 🎉🙂
Happy birthday Larry!
Happy Birthday! For a life filled with happiness and frontier edge growth…
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Happy Labor Day Larry. I enjoy reading your daily blogs. Be Safe!