Inspiration – Dave Glardon

Got Plans? Reality Will Take That Challenge!

January 5, 2026 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, folks, and happy New Year!!! I hope yours is off to a great start.

It’s been some time since my last regular post, so I’ll try to keep this at least reasonably brief and focused. Those of you who know me best are already laughing.

We all face each New Year with hopes, dreams, and expectations of how life will take shape. But sometimes fate has a mind of its own and we’re just along for the ride, or so it would seem. In my case, fate got a running start Christmas Eve and, by the end of the weekend, gave me a full taste of what life can be when we haven’t treated our body with the best of intentions.

I knew how 2025 was going to end and what the first days of 2026 would bring. Or so I thought. The morning of Dec 29, my wife was scheduled for some pretty intense abdominal surgery that would have kept her in ICU for at least a few days. We knew it would be a rough ride, and it would be some time before life got back to normal. But sometimes we don’t have a choice.

We spent the weekend doing the things we love most – spending time with friends, breakfast at our favorite little restaurant, a trip to the top of Mt. Lemmon, and just generally spending as much time together as possible. It was the perfect weekend. Then fate stepped in and took a swing at the kneecaps. Or the gallbladder, as luck would have it.

I woke up just before midnight the night before her surgery with the worst abdominal pain I’ve ever had. I went from the bed to my recliner, back and forth at least a half-dozen times, stopping by the bathroom each time to empty the contents of my entire digestive system. I brought up food I don’t even remember eating. Of course, it’s possible it mutated over time. That’s my theory.

My wife was convinced I had an intestinal virus and, at 3:30 in the morning, called the hospital to cancel her surgery. By 7:30, I was on an ER bed expecting news of the impending detonation of my appendix. As it turned out, I had a gall stone blocking the entrance to the bile duct, and my gallbladder was expanding faster than a politician’s wallet.

Six hours later I took an assisted nap in the operating room, and by early evening I was headed home. Say what you want about our healthcare system (I’ll probably agree), medical technology is nothing short of miraculous. I never got to thank the robot that assisted with my surgery.

I felt better the next day … sore, but with four new holes in my belly, that’s to be expected. That night, I couldn’t sleep in bed without an abnormal amount of pain. The third day I was tired and sluggish, with moderate pain and a low-grade fever. Back to the ER, where I rang in the New Year. My liver enzymes were way up, and I was developing a mild case of jaundice.

After two full days in somebody else’s bed (with none of the good stories to go with it), another round of tests, and more holes in my arm than a cheap pair of sneakers, they determined I must have passed an errant gallstone or two. All told, it could have been a lot worse. I’m just happy to be back in my own little corner in my own little chair (all due credit to the original Cinderella).

So, what’s the point of this rambling post? Well, there are a few things I’d like to impart. First, never assume you have any idea what tomorrow will bring, because we never really know. Life has very little regard for our plans and feels no compulsion to support them. About the time we think we’ve got it figured out, something will come along to humble us.

Secondly, pay attention to your body when it starts talking (or screaming, in this case). What ended up being a relatively routine surgery with mild complications after could have been a whole lot worse. Gallstones aren’t necessarily the benign inconvenience we think they should be, and the cemetery is full of people who found that out the hard way.

Finally, life isn’t over until the fat lady sings. Thankfully, I don’t know any fat ladies who sing, and I plan to keep it that way. Until then, I’ll make the most of every day and rededicate myself to the goals and dreams I’ve let slip by year after year. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Not even a celebratory toast (or regular toast) on New Year’s Eve. All we can do is pick up the pieces and move on.

This post was much longer than I’d planned (you knew that from the start), but I hope I’ve inspired you to do three things – take care of yourself, enjoy time with those you love, and never let life’s speed bumps bring you to a complete standstill. Regardless of how it started, my 2026 will be the most awesome year ever! I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

That’s all for now. I’ll be posting more regularly in the coming months, but in a different format I’ll share with you soon. Thanks so much for being with me all these years. I hope your day, and all of 2026, are the best ever!

When Plans Meet Reality, Keep Stirring

April 2, 2025April 1, 2025 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

In business, each month begins a new set of books. The old month is over and what’s done is done. All we have now are projections for the new month. In most cases, it’s a shot in the dark, like a kid telling you their grades will improve, and their room will be spotless by Friday.

I was once tasked to write a business plan for a corporate expansion – one that, if projections came true, would create more than 1,000 new jobs and result in the local government giving our company a large regional airport for free. I’ll save you some time. The company did expand into the new line of business. And the airport still belongs to the county.

The numbers just didn’t work. If we had hired all those people and put our plan into motion, we would have run out of new customers in a matter of months. And that’s if every potential customer in the nation bought our new product during that time. This wasn’t like Beanie Babies™. It was a mobile data terminal for heavy trucks. Exciting, huh?

My plan showed a profit of more than $20 million in the first six months. Wow! After that, our profit would drop to zero and all those people would be unemployed. So, the boss had an idea. “What if we increase our per-unit cost, and double the time it takes to build each unit?” Well, now we’d lose $13 million in the first six months and would never recoup that loss. Back to the drawing board.

We played with those numbers for a month, and I finally told the boss I sure hope somebody a lot smarter than me would be reviewing the plan. He assured me this is how ALL business plans are written. I find that a bit disturbing. Thank God we weren’t building airplanes. Thank God we weren’t building airplanes.

It’s easy to start new endeavors with an overabundance of excitement. “Wow, I’ll be rich by next Friday! I should buy that new car now before the prices go up!” Thankfully, the practical side of our brain kicks in and brings us back to earth, maybe a little too much. Then we start to doubt the entire premise. “This can’t be that easy. Maybe the whole idea is stupid.” Sound familiar?

The truth is, nothing is ever as easy as it sounds, and nothing ever goes completely according to plan. Just ask NASA. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying. We just need to set realistic expectations and anticipate setbacks. If the idea is sound, it’ll still work. You may just need to tweak it a bit.

Fifty-six years ago, man first walked on the moon. It was a lofty goal. And we’ve all seen video of those early attempts at manned space flight. They weren’t pretty. Your dreams are no less important. You may not reach your goal as quickly as you’d hoped, but if you follow the plan and revise expectations based on experience, success is still out there waiting.

That’s all for now. Keep those dreams alive and never let anything stand in your way, especially your own imagination. Have an awesome day!

Your Dreams Won’t Chase You

January 24, 2025January 22, 2025 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a great start.

Most of you know I’m a firm believer in dreams. We should all have dreams, and not just the kind we get when we’re asleep. Okay, some of those can be fun as well, but you can’t always talk about them in church. I’m talking about the kind of dreams you can share with anybody. Even your wife.

Several years ago, I put a picture of a motorhome on my desk. Every day as I sat at my desk, that picture was right there in front of me, reminding me of what I was working for. It took a few years, and some financial wizardry, but in March of 2020, we drove that dream off the lot and began a life of adventure that we could never have fully imagined.

We traveled through 20 states over the next few years, up to five months at a time, just enjoying the freedom of the open road. Of course, some roads are better than others. One day in Texas, we hit two waves of asphalt that would have made Evel Knievel vomit. At highway speed. That can be fun in a dune buggy, but not so much when you’re driving your house. To my credit, nothing broke.

One of our goals in all that driving was to find a place where we could retire. We didn’t know where that would be, but we knew it wasn’t in Ohio. We found it in Tucson, Arizona. Yes, I know. Tucson is hot. But it’s a dry heat. Go ahead and laugh. We love the climate, the scenery, the people, and the RV resort we returned to for the next three years. Living in Tucson became our next dream.

That dream came true last November. We now live in a place where, at 67, I’m one of the younger people in the community. And let me tell you, these old people know how to live! They dance, they walk, they play games, and when these folks ride a bicycle, they don’t mess around. Ever heard of El Tour de Tucson? Google it. We’re talking 60+ miles, and most of these people are in their 70s.

After I had my stroke, our daughters came to visit. Within a few days, they both said, “Now I get it.” Our oldest even said, “You have a better social life than I do!” We do. There’s always something going on, and we try to do it all. Dances, dinners, parties, tours. And at the end of the day, we take a relaxing drive in the golf cart, stopping to talk to neighbors on just about every street.

Maybe that appeals to you, maybe not. We all have our own dreams. The point I’m trying to make is, without a dream, we’d still be sitting in that same living room, never knowing what all we were missing. My tombstone would read. “Here Lies Dave – He Died.” Well, someday I will. But not until I do some more living first!

If you’re not living your best life, what are you waiting for? It all starts with a dream. Once that dream becomes a burning desire, it’s inevitable. Sure, you have to work at it, too, but once you know the outcome, the rest is just mechanics.

That’s all for now. Chase your dreams until you’re living them. You can do it! And it all starts now. Have an awesome weekend!

Even a Violin Eventually Sounds Good

April 15, 2024April 15, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

Did you do anything fun over the weekend? I usually ask that question with no idea what response I’ll get, but some of them are well worth the effort. Which is why I don’t ask my oldest grandson, because I may get an answer I didn’t want. I have to remind him every now and then that, although we’ve always been best friends, I’m still Grandpa. We’ll just leave it at that.

My weekend revolved around a pair of high-school performances. My oldest granddaughter (16) was in a production of Beauty and the Beast. The sets, the music, the singing, and especially the acting, were all worthy of a lot more than the $10 admission price. The acting was so good, I didn’t really notice the part of Gaston was played by a young lady. I’m not sure she did, either.

Then yesterday I got to see my “bonus” granddaughter (also 16) in her school’s show choir final performance. To see so much talent on the same stage, especially at an age where a lot of kids are thinking of anything but school, was inspirational. And if I’m allowed to say it, our girl was amazing. She stopped hearts with her two solos. I know because mine was one of them.

I was telling a friend yesterday I insisted my daughters would do some kind of extracurricular in school. Band, choir, sports, chess club, it didn’t matter. And I made sure that any time one of them was onstage, we were in the audience. Sometimes, that takes a lot more love than we realize – band parents, especially. If you know, you know. Some things take a lot more practice than others.

But the day comes when they’re making actual, recognizable music, and the cat no longer hides behind the couch when they play. And that glow on their face at the end of a performance is worth all the hours spent silently nodding our approval while trying to hide the earplugs. It takes time and effort to master a skill. Thankfully, these kids have plenty of both.

I saw a poster once that showed a baby bird peeking out of the nest with a caption that read, “It flies because it thinks it can.” We’re all born with no sense of limitations. It’s how we learn to walk, and talk, and hold our own bottle. And we carry those skills all through adulthood, though I do still spill a little sometimes. I think I need more practice. Walking, that is.

Children’s minds are the epitome of imagination and possibility. Sadly, both start to fade through the teenage years. By adulthood, most of that magic is gone, which is why we have life coaches and motivational books to help rebuild what should never have been torn down in the first place. If only we could nurture more of what was already there, there’s no limit to what they could accomplish.

We’re no different. If we can remove the barriers that were put in place by people and events though our formative years, we can achieve any goal. And, as a good friend used to ask, what would your dreams be if you knew you couldn’t fail? Food for thought.

That’s all for now, friends. Have an awesome day!

It Ain’t Over Til the Fat Lady Sings

April 12, 2024April 12, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope you’ve had an incredible week.

We got lucky here in southern Ohio and had a spectacular view of Monday’s solar eclipse. It was just like the book said it would be … a shadow from the bottom-right slowly spreading across the sun until suddenly, it got almost dark, a good bit cooler, and eerily calm. Two minutes later it was over, and the moon continued its journey. And I went back to work, so the cycle is complete.

Two things stand out that I’ll never forget. First was the naked-eyed view of the corona at the point of totality. It was a clearly visible ring of light around the moon’s shadow – just a reminder that our sun was still there. The other was how much the sun lit the earth up to the point of totality. With even a sliver of sun still showing, it was full daylight. Simply amazing.

We never did see complete darkness. It was inspirational, in the sense that if the sun can continue to provide that much light when it’s completely covered, we’re in good hands. Clouds will come and go, but nothing can block the light completely. Even when it sets in the west for an evening of darkened slumber, we know it’s just waiting to peek through again from the other side.

Which, if you think about it, is pretty much the cycle of life. You go to sleep, you wake up. You cut your finger, it heals. The light turns red, then it turns green. There are more, but you get the point. Nothing in this life is permanent, and if you miss an opportunity, odds are it’ll come back around again. If only Mrs. Kellogg had felt that way about missing homework assignments. “It’s coming!”

For more than ten years, I’ve messed around with a business that could be much more profitable with just a little effort. Several times over the years, I’ve made a declaration: “This is it! Time to get busy! I’m serious this time!” Yet, here I sit with more potential than I can ever appreciate, and a stack of bills growing faster than my excuses. If only I could sell them. The bills, not the excuses.

But here’s the thing. The factors that led me to start a business in the first place are still there. The dream hasn’t faded, and the opportunity I was so excited about is still there, quietly waiting for me to get off my keister and do something about it. And I can do that today. I can choose to pick up where I left off and start chasing that dream. Thankfully, the dream is waiting, too. It knows I’m old to keep up.

Goals have an expiration date. Dreams don’t. And whatever means you found to make those dreams come true ten years ago is probably still valid today. You just have to make the decision and stick with it. And there’s no better time than the weekend to reflect on your dreams, solidify a plan, and put it into action. Not Monday morning or next week or next month – now.

Take time this weekend to reimagine your dreams and commit to achieving them. And if you don’t mind, take a moment to share those dreams with me. You may just light a fire under my butt.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day and an even better weekend!

Don’t Blink!

April 8, 2024April 8, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

Today is a special day for much of the United States. In a few hours, most of us will be able to see the sun and the moon at the exact same place in the sky at the exact same time. Granddaddy used to always say it’s a lazy man who can see the moon in the daytime. Well, if it blocks out the sun completely, does that still count? I think nature has to take some of the blame for this one.

And if you think a full moon brings out the best in people, imagine a dark full moon in the middle of the day. People are traveling from around the country and spending more than $1000 for a single night in a fleabag motel to find a coveted spot in the roughly 110-mile-wide path of totality, where the moon will completely block the sun … for exactly four minutes. I get to see it for free.

Of course, based on the price of these high-tech disposable viewing glasses, it may be one of the last things I’ll ever see. I take some of the best vitamins known to man to help keep me from getting sick, but apparently my eyes are only worth $1.99. For the record, I spent six times that much on lottery tickets this weekend. Hey, you’ve gotta have priorities.

My grandson was asking why it’s such a big deal. Okay, he’s 24 and will likely live long enough to see another one. Odds are, I won’t. So, at the appointed time, I’ll be standing in my front yard with my $1.99 glasses protecting my eyes from what could be my last chance to view such an amazing event. I’m sure I won’t be alone.

Between inflated gas prices, astronomical lodging rates, and all the extras (tee shirts, anyone?), some of these people are paying a lot of money to watch a cloudy sky do what it does every night. According to the Carly Simon song, an egotistical acquaintance once flew his Learjet to Nova Scotia for the same view. Hopefully he was equally dedicated to his other endeavors.

I guess the question that comes to mind is, how many of these people would be willing to invest a fraction of the time, money, and effort, to build an income that would allow them to fly their own jet to the next one? How many, while driving days to witness four minutes of darkness, will pass the time sharing dreams and discussing ways they could work to achieve them?

We all like to say we’re too busy to take on anything new, but when something like an eclipse comes along, time just seems to materialize. And that’s okay, for a once in a lifetime event. But what about when the moon moves on, and the sun comes back out? Will we find the time to chase some of our own dreams? Or will we go back to whatever we’ve been doing all these years?

Thankfully, most dreams don’t come with an expiration date. You’re never too young or too old, and plans we made ten years ago can still be put into place. We just have apply the same sense of urgency with which we’d chase an eclipse. Or a new romance. My grandson has mastered that one.

That’s all for now. If you have the chance, get outside and enjoy the view. It’s an experience you won’t forget. Meanwhile, have an awesome day!

It’s a Puddle – Step Over and Move On

March 25, 2024March 25, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is starting off well. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, spring is almost here!

It’s been a while since my last post. I know, that happens now and then (more now than then, it seems). I’ve had lower back pain for several years and, the end of January, it paid me back for all those decades of abuse. Well, I should say it began to pay me back. The punishment lasted close to a month, and any time I tried to work around it, I found out real quick who’s boss. Here’s a hint – it’s not me.

Thanks to modern medicine, I’m about back to normal, or my interpretation of the word. I can sit and stand and walk, which is something I’ll never again take for granted. And thanks to modern insurance, I get to do it all again. Back pain can come from a lot of sources, and apparently one wildly successful pain injection doesn’t prove a thing. We have to prove it twice. Fun.

We were supposed to leave this frozen tundra a week after I went down, but it’s hard to drive 1800 miles when you can’t sit upright more than 3 minutes. And my wife refused to drive that distance with me laying across the back seat. One trip to the doctor was enough for her. Okay, so I complained about her acceleration and braking and turning and her uncanny ability to find every single bump in the road. Sue me.

But, when life hands you lemons, you make whatever drink takes your mind off the fact that you’re not where you want to be and way too old to throw a tantrum. Alcohol may have been involved. And in case you’re wondering how much bourbon it takes, don’t even try. I’m told there’s a limit, and it’s not nearly enough.

Since we couldn’t leave for warmer weather, we improvised. Which means we kept the blankets out a while longer. Meanwhile, my wife was able to reschedule her second hip replacement for last Thursday. With two brand-new hips, she’ll be running circles around me in no time. Actually, I’m okay with that. I can just sit there and watch. If she starts running in a straight line, it’s all over.

Life doesn’t always go the way we’d planned. I’ll wait while you pick yourself up from the floor. But following a plan is easy. It’s when the brakes go out that you prove your worth as a driver. You don’t cancel the trip. You change your pants, fix the car, and get back on the road. The destination hasn’t changed. Just your means of getting there.

We all have visions of where we’d like to be and how we’d like things to go. Call it what you want, but at its very essence, that’s a dream. It’s an imagined outcome we hope to achieve. That may be as complex as building a second income or as simple as getting to work on time. Regardless, there will be obstacles. But obstacles were made to be overcome. And with each one, you get stronger.

As you start your day and your week, expect the unexpected. Come to terms with the fact that, no matter what, the unexpected will not change your goals. The dream is still alive. You just may have to take a different path to get there.

That’s all for now. Follow your dreams, no matter what stands in your way. You’re bigger and stronger – trust me. Have an awesome day!

Want a Little Cheese With That Whine?

January 15, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a nice start.

Depending on where you are in this country, the weather outside is somewhere between freezing and words you’d rather I don’t use here. Believe me, the neighbors have heard them, probably the last time I worked on my truck. Let’s just say I don’t have a lot of patience for things that don’t go according to plan. Or split knuckles. Vehicle maintenance involves both.

We all get frustrated. And when we do, it’s easy to say things we wouldn’t say in church. Oh, we may utter God’s name, but more as a hyphenated adjective. And loud. Nothing eases frustration like announcing our displeasure to the entire neighborhood all at once. Just one more reason I no longer work on my own cars. The neighbors took up a petition. I lost.

Okay, there’s another reason. I’ve found that life is a lot more pleasant when I’m floating in a swimming pool, playing with my grandkids, or simply gazing across the desert at the beauty of nature. Besides, my cardiologist suggested I find more ways to avoid stress. He didn’t exactly prescribe the bourbon, but I’ve been running my own tests. So far, the data is leaning my way.

We’ve all met people who go through life as if every waking moment is another reason to complain. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. Gas is too expensive. The boss is too cheap. And everybody and everything in this world exists for the sole purpose of ticking them off. Do yourself a favor. If you’re around these people when the news comes on, find the nearest exit and run!

I’ve always been into motivational reading and positive thinking. I can’t say it’s always shone through in my daily life, but I try. And I used to think I could spread some of that positivity to those who seem to have been cheated at birth. But the fact is, angry people aren’t born that way – they’re miserable by choice. It’s like a menu item that nobody wants, so they swallow everybody’s share.

In our discussions about living our best life, it should be obvious that this mindset doesn’t fit. You can’t enjoy life if you’re unhappy with everybody and everything life has to offer. To live that way is more crippling than a crushed spine. There is no joy, because that would only remind them of what they’ve been missing their entire life. There’s only misery. And it’s always somebody else’s fault.

Bitterness is a poison. We all know how it affects us emotionally, but the physical effects are even more damaging. It causes headaches, high blood pressure, and all manner of illness. In fact, the National Institutes of Health noted that 75-90 percent of illness is caused by anger and stress. And the effects on the heart are even more devastating. Seems like a lot of misery for … well, you know.

None of us are immune to disappointment. That’s just a part of life. It’s what we do with that disappointment that counts. We can keep it in perspective and focus on things that offer a higher level of serenity. Or we can nurture it and allow it to grow into the cancer of resentment. Choose happiness. Our days on this planet are numbered, anyway. We might as well enjoy the ride.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day and an even better week!

Sour Grapes Don’t Make Sweet Jam

January 8, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning! I hope your day is off to a great start.

So, here we are a week into the new year, and already planning next year’s resolutions. Just me? It’s not that I’m suddenly so proactive – just that I’m not ready to completely give up on the ones I’ve already blown out the window this time. That’s the way this works. If you really, really want to lose weight, you don’t just give up on the idea. You set a new date. That way, you keep the dream alive.

Okay, we all have our weaknesses. Mine, apparently, is buttered popcorn. And candy. I went six months without touching a piece of candy, and then found a recipe to make one of my favorites at home. It’s made from marshmallows, white chocolate chips, butter, and gum drops. And I only have two pieces each day. Then I have two more, just to keep it from going to waste. Can I get an amen?

We’ve been talking about things that hold us back in life, and I’ll be the first to admit my greatest limitation is between my ears. I can do anything for a week. Beyond that, all bets are off. I thought intermittent fasting was the key. And it works! But it doesn’t do much good to put off your first meal until noon if you eat a water buffalo for lunch. I’m sure I read that somewhere.

You ever feel like you just need an attitude adjustment? You ever feel like somebody else does? I know I’m failing in my goal of losing weight, but that doesn’t mean I have to be miserable about it. You see, that’s the part about goals they never tell us. It’s okay to feel discouraged, even upset, about our failings. But we don’t have to share them with the entire world.

We’ve all met people who couldn’t be happy if you handed them a bag of cash. “Thanks! Sure, it’s a lot of money, but the government is going to take it all in taxes. And, what are all these ten-dollar bills doing in here? Did the bank run out of fifties? This won’t even buy a pound of bacon! And now the whole family will want some, too. See what you started?” Sound familiar?

Nothing can get in the way of our happiness quicker than a sour attitude. We all know that. Yet, some people not only embrace negativity, they buy it in bulk. And when that runs out, they make more. Misfortune is the only thing that makes these people happy. And if you weren’t aware of just how sad their life is, pull up a chair. They’ll be happy to enlighten you.

Then there are the others – people facing insurmountable odds, yet somehow, they never got the memo. I’m often reminded of a woman in our church who faced terminal illness with such grace and positivity, cancer didn’t stand a chance. Della didn’t stop living until her eyes closed for the last time. And knowing how she lived, I’m sure she left this world with a contented smile on her face.

I’m not sure every cloud has a silver lining, but if you look high enough, they’re all puffy and white. Our choices is to sit here in the darkness or reach for something better. We can’t change the challenges we’ll face, but we can change our response to them. And if an octogenarian can face terminal cancer with such grace, I can handle pretty much anything life throws my way. So can you. That’s all for now. Put on a smile and have an awesome day!

Confidence is So Under-Rated

January 5, 2024January 5, 2024 by Dave Glardon, posted in Uncategorized

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is off to a great start.

As we move into the new year and toward the goals we’ve set for ourselves, it’s important to identify what’s standing in the way. It’s not so much about avoiding obstacles, but kicking them in the shins and showing them who’s boss. Now, if you have any ideas for making winter more accommodating to an old guy who needs to get out and walk, I’m all ears.

Today is my oldest granddaughter’s 16th birthday. Yes, I’m that old. She was born when I was 12. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Like most her age, she’s struggling to plan her path in life. What I wouldn’t give to be that age and have all those choices again. Okay, I’d probably end up right where I am, but hopefully with a smaller waistline. Hey, a man can dream!

Watching her navigate this phase of life, the things that stand out most are her creativity, sense of adventure, acceptance of others, and ability to find amusement in the simplest things. All those things will carry her far in this life. She just needs to know that. Of all the assets we can impart to our kids (and one another), none is more important than self-confidence.

Okay, my oldest grandson sometimes takes that to an extreme. It’s hard to control my facial expressions when he’s talking about buying a $150,000 sports car and can’t even afford a bicycle. But I have to remind myself, that’s his dream, not mine. Besides, there may be a reason he wants a car I couldn’t possibly fit into. I wouldn’t want to ride with me. Not with this attitude.

I try as hard as I can to be supportive, and to remind myself that they don’t have to live my life – my job is to help them live their own. Do I think my grandson will own a “Lambo” in the next twenty years? Not for a second. But I don’t have to share that sentiment. His bank will handle that all on their own. Right after they stop charging him overdraft fees.

But you know, I made some of the same mistakes when I was his age. Or five years ago, take your pick. I’m sure my dad would have advised me against spending six figures on a motorhome at this age, but I didn’t ask. We made our own decision based on our own goals in life. I’m such a rebel. Next thing you know, I’ll be tying my own shoes.

I’ve accomplished a lot in life, and I’m happy to be where I am. This is all I want for my kids and their kids. And I did it because my parents gave me the most wonderful gift of all. They believed in me and, as a consequence, I believed in myself. I never heard the words, “You can’t.” The worst Mom ever said was, “Go ahead – I dare you!” But that’s for another day.

Everybody, from the youngest child to the oldest senior, needs to believe in themselves. It’s as important as oxygen. And we are the ones who can inspire that confidence in them. If a simple smile can make a homeless person feel important, imagine what we can do with a few words of encouragement to those we love most. Friends, we could literally change the world.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day and an even better weekend!