What’s your “porpoise?”

Core Article: What’s your “porpoise?”

Paragraph I’m Pondering: “There’s nothing shameful about sweeping.”

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire: “I am aligned with the energy of abundance…”

Book Review: The Obstacle Is The Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity Into Advantage by Ryan Holiday

Cool Stuff: The psychological price of being an entrepreneur.

AI Info & Resources: Interested in the best AI business ideas to start in 2025?

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What’s your “porpoise?”

You might be thinking right above now, “Did she make a mistake? Shouldn’t it be “What’s your purpose?”

Well, here’s the thing – I honestly think sometimes the word “purpose” gets thrown around a lot, including by me. And sometimes, it may feel a bit big, like it’s your life’s magnum opus. Instead, I want to take this down to a lighter level. 

Something that makes you smile :-)—your porpoise (pun fully intended). 

We’re rolling into the holiday madness zone, and it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of it all. And I’m thinking, yeah, maybe you need a little shift in your thinking and your mindset. What if you focused on something a bit lighter to lift your mood…

Did you know that smiling does more than just change your mood? It’s a natural dose of pure feel-good stuff.

The simple act of smiling releases the feel-good chemicals—dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. When these are released in your body, it lifts your mood, reduces your stress, and can even ease physical pain. The simple act is a natural antidepressant and also helps with your immune system.

My favorite is how smiling is contagious. When someone sees you grinning, their brain wants in on the action and starts releasing those same happy chemicals. 

I’ve seen this in action. I just came off of a grueling 6-day trip to run a live 3-day event. Traveling across the country to a different time zone, long days, and long nights of working 24/7 is just a recipe for exhaustion.

What saved me? Smiling 🙂 — being around people I truly like and care about, sharing laughs, and greeting attendees every day with a genuine smile those moments helped them and me. Yep, as simple and as trite as it may sound… It actually really helped.

So, what’s your “porpoise?” What makes you smile? 

Last week, I mentioned that I was an Amazon reviewer. So, this past week, I reviewed this cute and goofy remote-controlled porpoise that swims on land and in the water. 

I was having so much fun having it “swim” on land, making it do fish tails and sliding all over the hardwood floor, I couldn’t stop smiling!

It reminded me how important it is to find those tiny sparks of feeling good, even in the midst of chaos.

Take a moment to think about it. Maybe it’s a coffee date with your spouse or partner on your comfy couch, sharing your favorite meal, reading a book, or finding the perfect gift for someone you care about. (Or playing with a toy porpoise 🙂 Check out a photo of it below.)

Maybe it’s as simple as stepping outside for a walk or journaling your thoughts. 

Remember, “time” is the one thing you can’t get any more of. So during this sometimes insane holiday period where you’re juggling work, play, responsibilities, gift buying, and more… 

Promise me you will set some time aside to focus every day on what brings a smile to your face. If you can’t find anything, why not just smile anyway? It may help you feel a little better. 🙂 

And when you catch yourself smiling, whether it’s at your reflection while brushing your teeth or during a quiet moment—lean into it. Celebrate it. And know I’m right there, smiling right along with you.

Paragraph I’m Pondering

“Andrew Carnegie famously put it. There’s nothing shameful about sweeping. It’s just another opportunity to excel—and to learn. But you, you’re so busy thinking about the future you don’t take any pride in the tasks you’re given right now. You just phone it all in, cash your paycheck, and dream of some higher station in life. Or do you think this is just a job? It isn’t who I am, and it doesn’t matter. Foolishness. Everything we do matters—whether it’s making smoothies while you save up money or studying for the bar—even after you have already achieved the success you sought.” ~
Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is The Way.

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire

• “My business is a vehicle for positive change, and I am committed to leaving a lasting legacy of purpose and prosperity.”
• “I am aligned with the energy of abundance, and prosperity is my natural state.”
• “I honor the flow of life and trust that everything I need for success is being drawn to me at the perfect time.”
  

Book Review

The Obstacle Is The Way: The Ancient Art of Turning Adversity Into Advantage by Ryan Holiday

Cool Stuff

• If you’re a hotel buff and want to know how the heck we get some pretty awe-inspiring largest hotels in NYC and across the nation – yeah, it’s historical. 🙂
• The psychological price of being an entrepreneur.
• Ten successful entrepreneurs that actually started with nothing. You won’t believe who’s on this list. I didn’t.

AI Info and Resources

• Interested in the best AI business ideas to start in 2025?
• The 40 best and latest AI tools for 2025 –
• Interested in creating AI images? This gives you the best programs, practical tips, and legal considerations.
  

Weekly Photos

1. Here’s my “porpoise!” What a cute, fun little guy that works on land and in water. The inspiration for today’s post. 🙂
2. Emma and I are trying to take a selfie. You would not believe how many outtakes there were to get to this one! I will post some of them next week. She just doesn’t understand she needs to look at the camera! 😉
3. Got this on my hike, the sun through the electric tower. It almost looks like a lightbulb that’s a bit off-center.
4. Emma is doing her infamous “frog dog” on the floor. She does this when I’ve really worn her out on our hikes.
5. This is one of my favorite views when I’m walking on the street uphill, and you can see the mountain as you walk up. Almost looks like you’re gonna walk into the mountain.
6. I didn’t post this for Thanksgiving. I did put it on social media. Classic Emma photo. I set the table for our small gathering, and Emma thought she had a place, too! She’s waiting for her turkey.
7. This was a picture I took after we took off from the San Francisco airport (Fondly known as SFO). It’s a pretty decent shot of downtown San Francisco. And sadly, the Golden Gate is hiding behind the clouds to get a good view. Love that city from the sky, when it’s not too cloudy, you can get some pretty amazing views!

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