Last week I was walking the dog.

I was holding his leash with one hand, and had a piping hot coffee in the other. I also somehow was holding my phone, some letters, headphones and a face mask. Hands completely full.

All was going well until Cooper stopped and did a big poop. Then I had to figure out how to pick up the poop with my hands already full…

The ground was too wet and dirty to put anything down, and I didn’t have any pockets… So I decided to try and squat as low as I could (right next to the poop) and use my upper legs as a table to rest everything on and free my hands up.

I carefully balanced my coffee, phone, the letters and such on my legs and sat as still as possible while I slowly reached for a poop bag. It was like a sidewalk balancing act. Quite impressive, actually.

But then suddenly Cooper saw a squirrel. He yanked his leash, threw me off balance and everything came tumbling down. Coffee mug landed in the poop, spilt coffee all over my crotch, phone and letters into the wet grass, etc…

******

Anyway, this reminded me of a common mistake I make at work… I tackle 5-6 seemingly small tasks all at the same time, then add one more, then another. Eventually, my attention is so scattered I screw everything up.

Multi-tasking is a bad habit. It usually makes you less productive.

So, keep this in mind as you go about your business today. Stay focused on one thing at a time, or you might end up with a big poopy mess on your hands.

– Joel  📱 💩 ✉️ ☕️ 😳

Past stories…

I am an idiot #1 🤷‍♂️

I am an idiot #2 🤦‍♂️

I am an idiot #3 🙋‍♂️

I am an idiot #4 🙅‍♂️

**Feature pic by Matthew LeJune

My friend Cory shot me this yesterday…

“I just read a book called The Happiness Advantage (<—- affilly link!). Turns out there is a whole branch of psychology that studies happiness. The author summarized a bunch of research and came up with a really cool discovery!

Most people see that “successful” people tend to be happier than the rest, and come to the conclusion that success leads to happiness: Success –> Happiness.

However, the book cites a bunch of research showing it’s actually the other way around. The people who are happier from the outset tend to be more successful: Happiness –> Success.“

*****

Pretty cool, hey?

It’s a good reminder that you can’t just wait for happiness to show up after you’ve achieved a bunch of milestones. It doesn’t work that way.

Instead, you gotta lead with happiness. It’s the secret tool that helps you reach those milestones in the first place!

Happy Saturday peeps! Enjoy your well earned time off!
– Joel

Another painting from our friend Barbara in the Ripple Effect Story!

“If it’s true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts” – Leo Tolstoy

If you think your smile doesn’t make a difference, your wrong. Nobody smiles like you smile, and someone out there needs to see it today.

If you think your compliments to people don’t make a difference, your wrong. Someone out there needs your compliments today.

If you think that nobody likes your horrible dad jokes, your wrong. (Actually, maybe they are horrible), But eventually someone will laugh and you’ll lift their spirits. People need a laugh.

Your kindness in this world is unique. It’s needed.

So get out there and express it as much and as often as you can. You never know who’s life you are improving.

Happy Sunday!
– Joel

Blow drying the dog. He hates it but puts up with it cause he knows he gets a treat afterwards!

Happy February!

It’s the 1st day of the month, time to celebrate!

About 6 years ago my wife and I started a tradition. On the 1st of every month we celebrate together and toast to the good life! It’s awesome because:

• It keeps us celebrating regularly. Life moves so quickly you gotta remember to constantly reflect and be merry!
• We do a quick review of our finances and talk about good/bad expenses the month prior (we mostly pat ourselves on the back for being such tight asses 😂)
• Each 1st signifies a fresh start, and we enter each month with a new positive outlook.

If you have a spare 10 mins today, grab your partner/pet/friend and do a little cheers!

Here’s to an awesome month ahead!
– Joel

Some people think I’m nuts getting up at 5am to go surfing in the freezing ocean. But this was my view yesterday. I think people are nuts staying in bed!

Ben Franklin once said…

”Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.”

Following this logic, I have 2 missions for you today…

1. Make a teeny tiny step towards removing one of your bad habits.
2. Make a teeny tiny improvement in solidifying a good habit.

By increasing the gap between your good/bad habits, you’re increasing your value to the world.

Happy Tuesday! Make it a good one 👊

One of my buddies is restoring this beautiful old 1955 IH pickup! Reminds me of Mater from that movie Cars 🙂

“Simplicity boils down to 2 steps…

1) Identify the essential

2) Eliminate the rest”

– Leo Babauta, Zen Habits.

Today, try following Leo’s advice! Take your to-do list, circle the 3 most important items on it, and forget everything else.

Simple. Manageable. Clear cut.

Once you’ve kicked those 3 things in the butt, you can expand your attention elsewhere as needed.

Happy hump day! Cheers to a productive day ahead💡
– Joel

*Feature pic by Imani Bahati!

A little poem for y’all this morning…

“You gotta look for the good in the bad,

the happy in your sad,

the gain in your pain,

and what makes you grateful not hateful”

by Karen Salmansohn 😀

Keep your eyes open for the good stuff today… There’s hidden gold in every situation!

Speaking of hidden goodness, yesterday I was walking along and spotted a gold coin hiding in the rocks and dirt.

When I bent down to pick it up, I noticed a few pennies too. Then I saw a few more coins next to that, and then even more coins…

I ended up with $2.14, and 1 Israeli new shekel coin! 🙂

Feeling lucky, maybe I’ll buy a lottery ticket with the money and see what happens? 🤷‍♂️

Have a great day,
Joel

It’s Friday, and you’ve spent the last 4 days helping others and working on their stuff… Now maybe it’s time to start putting your own ideas into action and working on your stuff?

No one will ever see, hear, or share your ideas if they never leave your head!

Convert your ideas —> action. You are WAY smarter than you think you are. 😉

Happy Friday!
Love, Joel

Fizzy hibiscus tea! The perfect mixer for cocktails this weekend!

Good morning and happy Saturday!

Oh man, I really don’t feel like working out today. Had a killer long week, a late night yesterday, my brain hurts, and all I wanna do is relax and do nothing all day.

But, I read one of my flash cards this morning. It says…

60 minutes of work out is only 4% of your day. No excuses.

Bugger. It’s true.

4% of my day isn’t that much. And there really is no excuse.

Plus, working out makes me sleep better, feel happier, clears my mind, gives me energy, gets me outside, and I never regret it.

60 mins of work out makes the other 1,380 minutes of the day better. That’s a good time trade. I’m IN!

What about you? Ready to sacrifice a little, to gain a lot?

Happy weekend! 😎

Sunset, Los Angeles a few nights ago 🙂

Bad News is I didn’t win the $68 million lottery jackpot last night.

Good News is I already have everything I need in life right here at home.

The secret to having it all…
…is knowing you already do.

Happy Sunday!

Woohoo! Found a place nearby for free puzzle swaps!

Dwelling on the negative is like tying your shoe laces together. It trips you with every step.

Actually it’s worse… It’s also like tying your friends laces together as well as all the other people around you.

Negativity slows your entire world down.

So shift your perspective. Focus on the positive! Take your shoes off and run as freely as you can.

Something amazing is gonna happen today. And it’s your job to find out what that amazing thing is 🙂

Happy Tuesday!
– Joel 👟👟👟

Looks like a sunset, but it’s actually a sunrise! Taken early morning in Adelaide, Australia.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it… is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward

Try some of these today…

• Shoot someone a quick text/email telling them the good impact they had on you
• Pay forward an act of kindness, like how someone helped you out recently
• Be patient and give someone a second chance, like you’ve been given second chances.
• Ask the people around you, “What’s the best part of your day, and why?”… (helping others express their gratitude is a great gift)

Happy hump day! 😉
– Joel

Cool mug I saw at the store. But I didn’t buy it, we already have about 400 fun mugs at home 🙂

Most humans have a tendency to wait until the mood strikes them before taking action.

We think things like, “I don’t feel inspired right now, maybe I’ll just do xyz later”. Or, “I’m not very motivated today, better start my project tomorrow when I’ve got energy.”

But the truth is: Moods follow actions. Not the other way around.

If you need motivation, go to your 2021 goals list and start doing one of the activities. Activity will pump you up.

If you need a happiness boost, reach out to 5 friends and ask if you can help with their workload. Positive activity will cheer you up.

Happy Thursday! Time to get going! 🏃

“Behavior first. Thoughts, feelings and perceptions follow.” – Andrew Huberman

“We’ll its not everyday you see a Peacock on the roof of a house in the morning. This guy has a great view from there​.” – Taken by our friend in Arizona on Monday!

🏮Happy Chinese New Year!!!🏮

Here are some fun facts for ya…

• About 2 Billion people will be celebrating Chinese new year today! (actually they started last night and will continue for the next 15 days – that’s a long holiday!)
• More fireworks will be set off today than any other day of the year! These fireworks and firecrackers scare away monsters and bad luck at night. 🐲🐉 And during the day time, firecrackers welcome good luck!
• Most people will be hanging with family… Tradition says you should be locked inside with your family for at least 5 days straight. Whoa. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
• 2 out of 3 people won’t shower today. Because showering might accidentally wash off good luck! 👃👃Also people won’t be sweeping, cleaning, or taking out the garbage for the next few days.
• About 8 Billion little red envelopes 🧧🧧will be gifted this week with “lucky money” inside. This is how fortune is transferred from elders –> kids. Anybody out there feel like passing me some fortune? 😉
• The color Red scares off monsters too, so it will be used in almost every decoration possible. Also many people will buy new clothes and wear a lot of red! 💃👠
• Dumplings should be eaten for every single meal, every single day of the holiday. Well, they’re supposed to. But most people give up after the first meal cause there’s too much other delicious stuff to eat!
• Fun fact, the “dumpling eating champion of the world” is an American dude, Joey Chestnut, who holds the record for eating 384 in 10 minutes! 😳
• Lastly, here’s some Chinese drinking games people will be playing. I might test some of them out too this weekend 🙂

Happy Friday and have a great day celebrating!

祝你收获丰硕,
Joel

PS. I will be traveling this weekend and shutting the laptop off! So no morning emails for the next few days – catch you again on Tuesday! Happy Valentines day weekend 💝.

*Feature pic by Hiep Dai

Yesterday I was looking through my “someday-maybe list”. It’s a running list of all the things I want to do or try some day, maybe. Wild life dreams.

I started the list about a year ago, and just came to a sad realization… I haven’t actually done any of it yet. Haven’t even started one thing. 🙁

What’s the point of writing these dreams down if I never get to do any of them?

So today, I’m changing the title of my list. One day, or Day One?

A reminder that if I want something to happen in life, I have to take the steps to make it happen.

Today is day one for a couple things on my dream list. Small steps, but progress nonetheless.

What about you and your list? Gotta start sometime, may as well be right meow. 😺

Happy Tuesday!
– Joel

Long weekend away in wine country! Coops enjoyed being off leash for our walks 🙂

Sometimes when I’m tired and frustrated with life, this thought pops into my head…

“Why can’t I just be normal, like everyone else.”

But then I quickly come to my senses and remember these 3 things:

1) Being normal is overrated. Whenever I try to be like others, it only makes me feel crap.

2) Nobody is actually ‘normal’. Everyone has a unique twist that makes them different. This difference isn’t a weakness – it’s an advantage! I need to be grateful for my advantages, not wish them away.

3) I’m headed in the right direction for ME. Doesn’t matter what other people’s paths are, I have to follow mine or else I’m ripping myself off in life.

Not sure if you ever feel this way – the desire to be normal. But keep reminding yourself… YOU are great the way you are. The world needs your uniqueness.

Happy hump day 😉
– Joel

Ducks in a pond. They all look the same, but each sets off their own ripples.

Last Friday on my volunteering shift, I got a special assignment…

One of the clients has been requesting some pie for several months. The standard issue meals can get a bit bland, so he’s been asking constantly if meals on wheels can bring him some pie – to change things up.

So last week, one of the volunteers went and bought a huge delicious pie, and asked me to deliver it.

I can’t show you this person’s face, but I can tell you it’s a sight forever burned in my memory.

Strangers helping strangers… It’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

******

Speaking of strangers and good deeds, also last Friday I got to hand out these valentines day cards!

They were hand made by school kids in Santa Monica.

Inside there were funny sayings like “You have a pizza my heart” 🍕 and “I love you a little s’more every day” 🍫 with drawings to match. So cute!

*****

Last story: In November last year I wrote a post called 100 x Days Until Valentines Day. The idea was to write 100 x love notes over 100 days for your valentine in a little book.

Well, about 10 people out there actually did it! (there could be more we don’t even know about). Anyway, they all presented the books to their partners last weekend. Woohoo! Below is a pic of my buddy Kae’s…

If any of y’all are interested for next year, and want a little less stressful assignment… Try writing just 1 x love letter per week until valentines day next year. That’s 50 x love letters – pretty cool (and FREE) gift!

*****

Well, thanks for reading.

Just wanted to spread some joy and happiness this morning.

Happy Friday!
– Joel

“When I was in high school, my closest friends and I had a rule where we all put our phones in the middle of the table whenever we went out to a restaurant, coffee shop, etc. and the first one to break the phone stack had to buy something for the table (with the exception of a text/call from mom or to take a photo).

Thinking back, I don’t think that any of us actually ever had to buy anything for the others. Once this little rule was put in place, it was so easy to forget the attachment to our phones and just be able to hang out and enjoy our time together.” – J. W.

*****

Less phone time = more simple joys in life.

Have a great weekend. Remember to take break from technology.
– Joel 🏝

Fun new beers to try this weekend!

“Happiness is available. Please help yourself to it.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Happiness is free. 🙂 It’s right there for the taking.

SO TAKE SOME!

Happy Sunday 😎

Last night I got a royal flush!! Too bad we were playing hand and foot canasta and it didn’t help 🙁

Good morning and Happy Monday!

I got funny email from our street sweeper friend last week…

*****

Mr Joel, driving a sweeper is always interesting.

1 thing is after I have my fruit I can throw it in front of the sweeper and away we go. But yesterday I finished my banana and my attempt to throw it in front of the sweeper failed. I didn’t figure on the wind…

I was dying laughing at myself. Life’s too short not too laugh! Even at yourself. Have a great day sir.

*****

It’s the start of a new week. Make it fun, make it memorable, and laugh often.

– Joel

Past “I am an idiot” stories all here.