You’re a few weeks into 2024. You’ve got a full head of steam. This is the year it's all going to happen. Lose weight, eat healthy, exercise, read more, watch less, call mom twice a week, and pray each morning. You’re off to a good start. LET’S GO!!

It's a great time of year to clarify & improve a few things that may need some realignment.

It’s ALSO a really good time to recognize what you’ve got in front of you. How easily we forget. 

Food on the table. A roof over our head. (I sound like my dad.) Gas in the car. Good health. A few loyal friends. So many of the “everyday” things we take for granted. 

Think about it.

I finished a 4th grade basketball practice this last weekend with the following thoughts:

1. I’m proud of your rebounding.
2. We’re stealing the ball more.
3. We just had basketball practice with our friends in a 70 degree gym wearing shorts & t-shirts. It’s 11 degrees outside! Be grateful for all the things we’re not thinking about.

I get it. We rarely think about the simple gifts at our fingertips.   WHY? 

For one, we’re numb to their benefit because they’re available all the time. (Remember the “irritation” felt the last time you HAD to go find new batteries for the TV remote! Geez!  They’re all the way in the laundry room drawer!)

Just as much, we’re also so distracted by the world’s desire to keep us “snowed over” with the next best thing that we forget what can truly make us happy.

Sounds crazy, right?  But I see it all the time. The desire to make more, have more, do more, be more and feel more (most new year’s resolutions) has us so distracted that we’ve forgotten what’s in front of us. 

Countless number of people have come back from a walk through our hiking trails and shared, “Awesome! I haven’t done that since I was a kid! And it feels even better!”   Wait, WHAT?  You’re 46 years old. What have you been doing with your days? Stop living your life in search of the next best thing, and rediscover all of the simple things that once made you so happy!  (I completed a 300 piece puzzle with my 11 year old on Sunday morning, and it was one of the highlights of my week!)

Maybe your new year’s resolution can be to recall the things that have already made us happy. We may find that the value of our current car still outweighs the stress of a new car payment. Maybe a night in a warm house watching a movie with our family with trump dinner out at a restaurant with friends. 

Remember, we still touch one switch to make coffee. One button to adjust the temperature in our car or home. One voice command will call a co-worker. One remote button starts our car (so we can drive our kids to practice in a 70 degree gymnasium when it's 11 degrees outside).

I share this thought because it works. It improves happiness and quality of life. 

I was born to help people in this way. I’ve known it for 35 years. It’s why I’m at Lone Oak.

Though I’ve had countless people in our Lone Oak history try and convince me to do things that aren’t “us.” TV’s everywhere, entertainment at every corner, flashier, shinier, more, more, more! Their intentions are good, but the path it would put me on is unsustainable.

My neighbor ate lunch at Lone Oak the other day with his wife on her birthday. When I asked him about their experience, he responded, “Man…Quiet. Peaceful. Nice.” I felt him relax. Breathing easy. Genuinely happy.  Mission accomplished. 

We’re the simple guys. We’re replacing “flashy” with authentic. “Fancy & shiny” with kickball, campfires & animals. Bells & whistles with sunrises, sunsets & Little House on the Prairie. Stoplights, intersections & parking lots with hiking trails, stargazing & fishing ponds.

We listen to customers. But why would I ever sacrifice our core values in hopes of creating something someone else has already created? Let them be them. We’ll be us. Simple. Good. Grateful.

Remain Encouraged,

Brian

(Learn more about Brian by CLICKING HERE)

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