RISE EARLY. RETIRE EARLY.

Just an average guy, living an above-average life!

Bring the “weekend you” to work today…

Here’s a little secret to having a good Monday… You see, most people think they have to change who they are at work. Monday feels like when the โ€œweekend youโ€ needs to morph back into the rigid โ€œweekday youโ€. But the secret to having a good Monday —> is to never stop being the weekend Read more about Bring the “weekend you” to work today…[…]

List of active and passive leisure activities

Active Leisure vs. Passive Leisure

Active leisure: Often recreational and social in nature, it involves using physical or mental energy. (Like exercise, hobbies, or doing something with friends) Passive leisure: Activities that involve using little or no physical or mental activity. Like zoning out watching tv, scrolling social media or drinking beer while sunbathing. Everybody spends their downtime differently… And Read more about Active Leisure vs. Passive Leisure[…]

Get out of the water

โ€œYou donโ€™t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.โ€œ โ€“ Edwin Cole A couple reminders for today… Our problems will only defeat us —> if we continue to dwell on them. ๐Ÿ™‡โ€โ™€๏ธ YOU ARE SMART enough to solve your problems. Your abilities are bigger than you may think! ๐Ÿง  Your teammates, Read more about Get out of the water[…]

stars don't shine they burn

Stars don’t shine. They burn.

This was my favorite line from the movie Encanto… Stars don’t shine. They burn. When I first heard it I was like, “aaah, what the heck does that mean?” Then I started thinking… Most people look at stars and see perfect, beautiful, unreachable diamonds that twinkle in the sky. But in reality, stars are raging Read more about Stars don’t shine. They burn.[…]

Surround yourself with positive people

I have a challenge for you this coming month… Think of someone really positive, upbeat, and happy that you don’t regularly speak with. (Or, find someone new in your extended network that you think is cool and motivating). Reach out to them. A short text, DM, or email saying hello and something uplifting. (Eg. Hey Read more about Surround yourself with positive people[…]

Fun Feedback from you awesome peeps!

I love getting replies from you guys. Here are some cool ones from the past couple weeksโ€ฆ ***** In response to the GivingCard Stories email, Murph replied: “To my sweet Joel๐Ÿ’•โ€ฆ I canโ€™t believe you posted that todayโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ’•Thatโ€™s meโ€ฆ๐Ÿ’• Your favorite kindergarten teacher Murphโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ’•Love you always and forever” Whoa! Small world! Nice to Read more about Fun Feedback from you awesome peeps![…]

Parable of the Ducks — YOU have wings!!

There is a town where only ducks live. Every Sunday the ducks waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddle into the sanctuary and squat in their proper pews. The duck choir waddles in and takes its place, then the duck minister waddles forward and opens the duck Read more about Parable of the Ducks — YOU have wings!![…]

“Happiness is love. Full stop.”

Ever heard of the “Grant Study“? It’s one of the longest running studies ever done on human development… It started in the 1940’s when researchers at Harvard Medical School followed 268 college graduates, and studied them for next 75 years! They met with these people regularly through life and measured a bunch of psychological, anthropological, Read more about “Happiness is love. Full stop.”[…]

Bad news and good news…

Hello and happy Friday!!! Sorry I’ve been MIA the past couple days… got some bad news — I tested positive for covid on Wednesday so I’ve been sleeping in and resting a lot. But the good news is: my symptoms are light, my fridge is full, I work from home, my neighbors/friends/family are all supportive, Read more about Bad news and good news…[…]

Your niceness, stretching 2x as far…

Got this email yesterday from my brother… “I was recently reading this article about how during Covid people have been going ape-shit at front-line workers. Long story short, people are insanely rude in public these days. Sad. But the silver lining is, now it’s even easier to totally make someone’s day. Customer service workers report Read more about Your niceness, stretching 2x as far…[…]

Good morning, sunshines! โ˜€๏ธ

Happy MONDAY… It’s time to: M ake your coffee โœ… O rganize positive thoughts โœ… N arrate your task list โœ… D ominate everything on it! โœ… A nd donโ€™t forget to call ๐Ÿ“ž Y our mother and tell her you love her โœ… Have a great week, yโ€™all! Make it the best possible. – Read more about Good morning, sunshines! โ˜€๏ธ[…]

The boy who put the world back together ๐ŸŒŽ

A little boy was bothering his mother after school one day… “Mommy, mommy, can you read me a story?” But the Mom was tired and didn’t have time… She needed a way to distract the persistent little boy. So the Mom grabbed a magazine sitting on the table and tore off the front cover. There Read more about The boy who put the world back together ๐ŸŒŽ[…]

Let it be known…

Good morning everybody! I have an announcement to make… “It is very possible, that I will achieve greatness in my lifetime” How do I know that I will possibly achieve greatness? Firstly, because this fortune cookie told me so ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡ And secondly… Because I wake up every day, look in the mirror and tell myself Read more about Let it be known…[…]

You’ll be ready –> when you are ready

There’s a lot of pressure these days to do things NOW, achieve things ASAP, to 10X your goals, retire “early”, refashion yourself overnight, etc. Well today’s message is the opposite. Sometimes you’re ready, whenever you are ready. It’s OK to grow at your own pace. And grow you will. When you are ready. It’s only Read more about You’ll be ready –> when you are ready[…]

Doing your best — varies day to day

Came across this awesome graphic yesterday… courtesy of @lizandmollie It got me thinking about how progress comes and goes in waves. Sometimes progress is fast. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s backwards ๐Ÿ™ But, there are always more good days than bad ones, more forward days than backwards days, and more satisfaction than regrets. Progress is Read more about Doing your best — varies day to day[…]

Finding quietude ๐Ÿคซ

quiยทeยทtude (noun) a state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place. “it highlights her quietude and wise passivity” ***** Happy Sunday my friends! Today: Find your quietude. Silence isn’t empty. It’s actually full of answers. Have a good one, Joel New Years Day sunrise on the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA. Read more about Finding quietude ๐Ÿคซ[…]

This year, light 1000 candles ๐Ÿ•ฏ

Did you know that… One single candle ๐Ÿ”ฅย  can light 1000 other candles, without shortening its own life? Well, itโ€™s the same with sharing happiness… One single happy person ๐Ÿ˜ย  can light up the lives of 1000 other people, without decreasing their own happiness supply. So this is my challenge for you in 2022: Share Read more about This year, light 1000 candles ๐Ÿ•ฏ[…]

Another “outrageously generous” story…

Mornin’ mornin’!! Remember my “outrageously generous” friend, Steve? Well he just sent me another cool story I wanted to share with you guys… “After our family church zoom call I got to thinking about how Mary and Joseph probably felt not being able to find shelter. So I called up a few extended stay motels Read more about Another “outrageously generous” story…[…]

The Bright Sides

I am tired and exhausted. (but maybe that’s a good thing… it means I’m working hard, playing hard and living life to the fullest ๐Ÿ’ช) I feel anxious about traveling tomorrow. (I guess that’s a good thing too… It means I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and seeing to new places โœˆ๏ธ) I have Read more about The Bright Sides[…]

How heavy is a glass of water? ๐Ÿฅ›

One day, a professor holds up a glass of water in front of the class. He asks everyone, “how heavy is this glass of water?” A few students throw out guesses “8oz, 12oz, etc”… The professor continues… “The absolute weight of the glass doesn’t matter, it depends on how long I hold onto it. If Read more about How heavy is a glass of water? ๐Ÿฅ›[…]

Time to unplugโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ”Œ

I love this quote… Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including YOU.โ€ โ€“ Anne Lamott   Iโ€™m not sure who Anne Lamott is, but Iโ€™m following her advice regardless ๐Ÿ™‚ To do this weekend: Unplug. Disconnect. REST. Go offline… Everything will work again when you reboot next week. Read more about Time to unplugโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ”Œ[…]

Book Recommendations: For You, From You!

Happy Friday yโ€™all! I received about a billion book recommendations yesterday! And after a lot of cutting and pasting and linking, here they all are in one big list! (Itโ€™s more like ~50, not a billion ๐Ÿ˜Š) These links are all Amazon links, but if you are interested in reading any books I definitely recommend Read more about Book Recommendations: For You, From You![…]

Your focus ๐Ÿ” determines your reality

The secret to being happy?โ€ฆ โ€”-> Focus on what you love about your life. The secret to being miserable?โ€ฆ โ€”-> Focus on what you hate about your life. Today: Focus on the good stuff! (Then, go and create more of it ๐Ÿ˜‰) Make it a good one, Love, Joel Sent from Reykjavik, Iceland ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ. Thanks Read more about Your focus ๐Ÿ” determines your reality[…]

A frugal and effective happiness trickโ€ฆ

Morninโ€™ happy people! Today Iโ€™m sharing a snippet from a post over at The Frugal Girl. (h/t to J.Money for sharing with me!) ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡ “Another tip thatโ€™s both frugal and effective in boosting happiness: a decade ago I started a project where I took two empty jars, and put โ€œgood momentsโ€ in one jar, and Read more about A frugal and effective happiness trickโ€ฆ[…]

Today = a worldwide celebration of generosity ๐Ÿ‘

Happy #GivingTuesday!! Now that Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Turkey Thursday and Sexytime Sunday are all over ๐Ÿ˜‰… it’s time to get back to what the holiday season is *truly* all about!… GIVING and HELPING others! “#GivingTuesday is an opportunity for people around the world to come together through generosity in all its forms by sharing Read more about Today = a worldwide celebration of generosity ๐Ÿ‘[…]

Proud to be an “imposter”.

Imposter syndrome… It happens everywhere, at every level of life. Trying something new?โ€ฆ Imposter syndrome. Leveling up or getting a promotion?โ€ฆ Imposter syndrome. Networking, making new friends, visiting new placeโ€™s?โ€ฆ Imposter syndrome. Everyone feels it. So…. Instead of feeling weird, running from it, or letting it hold me back, from this day forward, Iโ€™m going Read more about Proud to be an “imposter”.[…]

Happiness is a direction, not a place.

Most people wander around life, trying to find “happiness”. They think it’s a thing, a place, a person, a promotion… they travel far and wide to find it. But the truth is, happiness is already inside them. It’s a direction, not a place. To unlock happiness you just gotta be present, and pay attention to Read more about Happiness is a direction, not a place.[…]

Happy Spanksgiving! ๐Ÿ

Woohoo! Happy Thanksgiving everybody! This is my 13th year celebrating Thanksgiving in the USA. Growing up in Australia, we didn’t have Thanksgiving and there’s actually no holiday like it down there. When I moved to the US, it quickly became my favorite holiday! Everyone sitting around, family and friends, sharing delicious food, giving thanks for Read more about Happy Spanksgiving! ๐Ÿ[…]

Proof that more money doesn’t equal more daily happiness

I got some kind of big news last week… We had one of our rental properties appraised, and it’s risen in value by a whopping $46,000 since this time last year! Holy moly!!! I’m $46k richer!! Now, let me explain all the ways this will affect my daily life and happiness… Do you know how Read more about Proof that more money doesn’t equal more daily happiness[…]

What if…?

What if Iฬถ ฬถfฬถaฬถiฬถlฬถ I succeed? What if Iฬถ ฬถlฬถoฬถsฬถeฬถ I win? What if Iฬถ ฬถsฬถuฬถcฬถkฬถ I crush it? What if people dฬถoฬถnฬถ’ฬถtฬถ ฬถlฬถiฬถkฬถeฬถ love me? What if I’m tฬถoฬถoฬถ ฬถlฬถaฬถtฬถeฬถ perfectly on time? Today: Make sure your “what ifs” have the right ending. CONFIDENCE! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ‘Š You got this! – Joel Absolute killer sunset last Read more about What if…?[…]

Set a date –> Make a change

This is one of my favorite stories… A buddy of mine, Kevin, was a successful lawyer years ago. Although his career was going well, he was miserable and stressed at his job. So, one day he set a calendar appointment exactly 1 year into the future labelled “Quit my job”. Throughout that year he experimented, Read more about Set a date –> Make a change[…]

Happiness is pretty simple

Happy Friday, beautiful souls! Just a quick reminder for todayโ€ฆ Happiness is not about having everything you want in life. Itโ€™s about wanting everything you already have. ๐Ÿก ๐Ÿ” ๐Ÿš— ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ โค๏ธ โ˜€๏ธ = ๐Ÿ˜€ Wishing you a great day out there, appreciating your awesome stuff in life. Cheers! – Joel **Update: A reader sent Read more about Happiness is pretty simple[…]

Ask Me Anything – Round 3 (Blogging and Writing Stuff)

Good morning! Here are the questions I got about writing and blogging, along with answers. For anyone out there that still has questions or wants to dig a lil deeper into something, Iโ€™m always open to chat and help wherever I can. Hit me up! ****** From Drew M: ย ย Iโ€™d love to know if you Read more about Ask Me Anything – Round 3 (Blogging and Writing Stuff)[…]

Friday celebration routine ๐Ÿฅณ

Happy Friday lovely people! What a great day to celebrate some of the fun things going on in our lives. What’s new with you? Here’s a few cool things going on in my world I’m celebrating… – this week we received an offer on one of our rental properties. And although it was the lowest Read more about Friday celebration routine ๐Ÿฅณ[…]

I wrote 1/30th of a book!

I usually don’t use this email list for self-promotion… but today I’m making an exception! I’m just really excited because I contributed to a fun new money book that is being released later this month… Wooohoo ๐Ÿฅณ It’s called: Money Mastermind About 30 money experts came together to write a book (I contributed 1 chapter Read more about I wrote 1/30th of a book![…]

A different perspective ๐Ÿšฒ

Last week I got my wife’s bike serviced… and while I was there, the shop attendants weren’t very nice to me… I know nothing about bikes, so they joked/laughed in Spanish under their breath, overcharged me (is $110 too much to pay for a bike service? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ), and on top of all that they didn’t Read more about A different perspective ๐Ÿšฒ[…]

Mondays can be tough, BUT…

Mondays can be tough. Butโ€ฆ. – you get to set your pace ๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿฝโ€โ™‚๏ธ – you choose the music ๐ŸŽต – you control your agenda ๐Ÿ“ – you own your attitude ๐Ÿง  – youโ€™re the boss of your work ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป – all your problems are figeroutable โœ… – your friends and family have your back ๐Ÿ’ช Read more about Mondays can be tough, BUT…[…]

Reminder: 100 days until Valentines Day 2022

Happy Friday, beautiful souls! This is your annual reminder that starting tomorrow (Saturday Nov 6th) it’ll be exactly 100 days until Valentine’s Day 2022! So if you want to try making the most romantic (and FREE) Valentine’s Day gift of 100 love letters, tomorrow is the day to start. About ~15 people did it last Read more about Reminder: 100 days until Valentines Day 2022[…]

A thin veil between this world –> and the next.

Happy Sunday! And happy Halloween! ๐Ÿ’€ Today begins Dรญa de los Muertos, a beautiful celebration of life and death. When you’re out tonight trick-or-treating and going to parties, take a quick moment to remember your lost loved ones. One day someone will be remembering you the way you are remembering them.   โ€œThere is no Read more about A thin veil between this world –> and the next.[…]

Ramming speed!

Today, I’m activating “Ramming Speed!” I’ll be attacking my to-do list head on, bashing through obstacles and challenges. Problem at work? Ramming speed! Angry client? Ramming speed! Bad traffic on the freeway? Ramming speed! (on second thoughts, maybe no ramming while driving is better) Wishing you all a STRONG day ahead. You are an unstoppable Read more about Ramming speed![…]

Tuesday Chooseday

What a lovely morning! Happy choo-choo chooseday! Today I’m choosing: โŒ Focus on pain โœ… Focus on gain! โŒ Complain about problems โœ… Celebrate my opportunities! โŒ Let the day happen โœ… MAKE my day happen! โŒ Listen to classical music โœ… It’s ROCK and ROLL time, baby! Wish you all a great day of Read more about Tuesday Chooseday[…]

How do you cheer yourself up?

A few weeks back I asked you guys “How do you cheer yourself up, snap out of a bad mood, and switch from negative to positive thinking?”… 7 brave soles responded, and here are the replies below! (and right at the very bottom, I’m adding a link to my personal massive list I’ve been building Read more about How do you cheer yourself up?[…]

Friday Celebrations ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ™Œ

3 things Iโ€™m celebrating this week: First off, my wife finished her first grad school class and got a score of… 100%!!! Yep, she’s awesome like that. ๐Ÿ† One of our real estate partnerships paid a huge dividend this month! Thank you bonkers real estate market! ๐Ÿค‘ Lastly, I found a new jacket. It was Read more about Friday Celebrations ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ™Œ[…]

Please excuse the bad language ๐Ÿคญ

unfuckwithable unยทfuckยทwithยทaยทble (adjective) When you are truly at peace and in touch with yourself, and nothing anyone says or does bothers you, and no negativity or drama can touch you. “Today, I’m feeling great and nobody will deter me from accomplishing my goals. I’m unfuckwithable.” ***** Sorry for the bad language!… But what a powerful Read more about Please excuse the bad language ๐Ÿคญ[…]

Coffee and Confidence

– Coffee โœ… – Confidence โœ… Thatโ€™s all you need to start attacking the day. Coffee in one hand, and confidence in the other (or inside you somewhere). Cheers to a kick ass day ahead! Joel ๐Ÿ’ช I brew my own coffee each morning, but most people don’t realize I brew my own confidence also.