When I first started courting Kristi, she spoke about her yearly cycling adventure. It was a fundraising ride for the American Lung Association. We were just beginning something beautiful, and I was interested in anything that would foster her affection. So naturally, I asked if I could join her on this jaunt. She eagerly agreed to allow me to accompany her on her adventure. And quite an adventure it would be. The best way to explain this excursion is that once a year, she, a

It has been over 35 years since I lost my dad. And even though they never met, my 21-year-old son tells wonderful stories about his grandfather. My brothers, our nephews, and our sons partake upon incredible adventures every year in my father’s memory. This tradition has been going on since the mid 80s. It started with hiking, fishing, camping, horseback riding, and more. Now it’s usually, shopping, eating, and sitting around. But it is also always about reminiscing, laughing

I’m going to fly again this year. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and purposefully. And you can too. When I was younger, I loved going to the beach and flying kites over Lake Michigan. I flew the classic (cheap) wood-framed paper diamonds. They were about $1.50 and came with 100 feet of cotton string. I’d often splurge on a few extra feet of string; if you’re going to fly, fly high. The wind has always been hungry for kites. It blows from the West across the beach pushing

If you drive through Lake Zurich long enough, eventually you’re going to get an opportunity to enjoy a train. It’s inevitable. According to the website, there is an average of 17 to 21 trains on the Canadian-National (CN) Rail Line that roll through the heart of the Village every day. That’s a lot of trains; so many that they blend in with the background and are often easy to ignore. But occasionally they won’t let themselves be ignored. They get in our way, stop traffic, and

My brother AJ is a year and a half older than me. As we grew up, genetics favored him. He has always been a little taller than me, tougher than me, bigger than me, and better than me at so many things. He was one of the popular kids in the neighborhood and I was his little brother. We would often play games where we were imaginary characters. Sometimes we were Army Men, sometimes Cops and Robbers, but my favorite was when we played Batman and Robin. We ran through the neighbo

Life can be scary. There are so many unknowns - death, disaster, failure, famine, in-laws, and more! Our families should give us comfort, our community should make us feel safe, and our work should make us feel appreciated. We spend so many hours of the week, so many weeks of the year, and so many years of our life working; why work somewhere where you don’t feel safe? Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify,

There are many reasons why we hate to say, “NO.” It probably started with our parents teaching us to show others respect. And as we grew and made friends of our own, we realized the need for reciprocity. Now between guilt and desire for advancement over the go-getters, we find that it is harder and harder to decline a request. Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to y

Watch children laugh and play. They know how to have fun and they do so as often as they can. It is a priority in their lives. They have not been beaten down by life yet. They haven’t been told to take life seriously yet. They have not been made to feel embarrassed about acting foolish yet. As we grow, we fill our lives with responsibilities, directions, and goals and we often don’t leave enough time for fun. To many, fun does not seem necessary. Follow us at: www.MasterHappi

Most people hate Mondays. Some don’t care for Tuesday through Friday, but most really loathe Mondays. I was one of those people. I didn’t like Mondays when I was going to school, and I didn’t like Mondays with many of the jobs that I held. I was lacking something to look forward too. I felt like I was just one of the many. My existence and my contribution didn’t matter. I was just a number and it seemed easier to avoid difficulties than to face them. I fell into the same hole

Have you ever felt the crash after a high-energy experience? Anxiety and worry can be as mentally exhausting as participating in or anticipating an exciting event or physical act. And when the event that triggered these feelings is over, your whole body may just want to collapse. Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. To Worry is to give way t

When I was little, I loved watching butterflies dance through our garden. They are so fragile, but also beautiful and necessary. My favorites were the Monarch Butterflies (Danaus Plexippus). Monarch Butterflies are a contradiction in color and pattern. They want to camouflage, but they also want to stand out. They have large, gorgeous wings that look like bright orange stained-glass. And those wings are tipped with black and white polka-dots that match their bodies. They appe

It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we take in information through ALL our senses. Therefore, there is more to attraction than meets the eye. We are attracted to many things that we see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. But there is even more to it than that. Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. We are always seeking bala

Hyenas, Horses, and Humans. Hyenas are scavengers. Their motivation is strictly survival. They will hunt if they need to but are happy with someone else’s leftovers. This is the most basic of all motivation. Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Domesticated horses are motivated by a carrot dangling in front of them or a stinging stick behind

Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Like, Love, and Lust, we often use these words synonymously and incorrectly. But worse than that, we are often confused about the way we feel and the words we use to describe those feelings. We sometimes think that we love what we really like or lust for and sometimes we lust for things that we don’t even

Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Like cooking, we are always either Tasting, Basting, or Wasting. In other words, we are doing what we Want to do, Need to do, or Avoiding what should be done. If procrastination is the problem, motivation is the answer. The problem is that we tend to compare ourselves to others. But each of us are motivat

Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Admitting You’re Wrong with BACON??? Well, that is just silly. I’m never wrong and If I was, I would admit it right away. So rather than discussing me admitting that I’m wrong (because I’m not) let’s instead, talk about why some people have a difficult time admitting it, unlike me, and how we should react

Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Why try? I'm going to fail at it anyway. I can't do it! I'm not as good as everyone else. We all second guess ourselves occasionally. But doubting our abilities too often can and will hold us back from realizing our dreams. Some people put more energy into knocking themselves down than just trying. This c

I loved building sandcastles when I was little. At the lake, I would run to the sand with bucket in hand. I had grand plans of building fortresses, palaces, and entire empires on the beach. The trick was to find a clean, clear palate of sand. Not too far from Mom so she could occasionally lather me up with sunscreen. And not too close to where my brother was playing because I knew his goal in life was to kick over my castles. I would start by digging a moat in a great big cir

Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Or at least that is what we blindly expect. An opening and a closing. This is true in all relationships; personal, professional, and casual. Sometimes partners leave and others pass away. We lose pets and children move on. Some relationships fade away and

Follow us at: www.MasterHappiness.com/live or “Bacon Bits with Master Happiness” on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. I grew up being pushed, pulled, protected, and provided for. Older siblings paved the way for me to be me. They tested the waters and created safer paths for me to mirror, maneuver, and manage to avoid. I was given opportunities to learn to lead, follow, and fight. And I took those opportunities often. Si