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11901.  You are the buyer not the seller.  You’re not here to sell yourself for approval.  You’re here to choose who you want in your life.  Be willing to be disliked.  Because being liked by everyone means you’re being real with no one;

11902.  And rejection?  It doesn’t mean you’re broken.  It doesn’t mean you’re unworthy.  It doesn’t mean anything about you at all.  It’s just proof that you finally stopped auditioning for people who were never meant for you in the first place.  And that?  That’s freedom;

11903.  Medium Rare (MediumRareRestaurant.com) has a prix fixe steak dinner for $31.95.  It includes (artisan rustic) bread, a mixed green salad( with Dijon dressing), their (award-winning) culotte steak( with their secret sauce) and hand-cut French fries (i.e., pain de campagne, la salade verte, steak culotte, frites et sauce secréte);

11904.  3 questions to ask about money before moving forward in a commitment to dating: 1.  What was the conversation you had about money growing up?  What did your parents teach you about money? 2.  What’s your thoughts around ownership?  What’s your thoughts around debt? 3.  You have a $1,000,000.00 right now.  What are you doing with it?  Bonus question: What do you value most?

11905.  Love is: 1.  Liking someone’s personality; 2.  Respecting his/her values; and 3.  Commitment towards helping him/her get to his/her goals;

11906.  The (jumbo lump) crab cakes at Faidley’s Seafood (FaidleysCrabCakes.com) (in Lexington Market) in Baltimore, Maryland, are (really) tasty;

11907.  The cream of crab soup at Faidley’s Seafood (in Lexington Market) in Baltimore, Maryland, is tasty;

11908.  Cream of crab soup tastes like clam chowder, but with crab;

11909.  If you’re looking for (raw) raccoon, muskrat, alligator and/or frog legs, they sell it/them at Faidley’s Seafood (in Lexington Market) in Baltimore, Maryland);

11910.  Sweet potato cookies (specifically from the Trevon Clark Experience) have a (soft,) cake-like texture;

11911.  Walking around Lexington Market in downtown Baltimore(, Maryland,) feels/seem like an episode of “The Wire;”

11912.  The fried chicken at Super Fried Chicken (LexingtonMarket.com/Merchants/Super-Fried-Chicken) (in Lexington Market) in Baltimore, Maryland, is (really) crispy and pretty tasty;

11913.  Every time you tell yourself, “I should have handled that differently,” you’re projecting today’s awareness onto a version of you that didn’t have it.  It’s not fair.  And more importantly?  It’s keeping you stuck.  Because here’s the truth, regret is just self-attack in disguise.  And no amount of self-punishment will change the past.  You think that if you had just made one different choice, everything would be better.  But how do you know that?  What if things were unfolding exactly as they should?  Think about it.  That struggle, maybe it was shaping you into who you needed to be.  That failure, maybe it was saving you from something worse.  That pain, maybe it was life feeding you broccoli.  Something that didn’t taste good at the time, but was exactly what you needed.  How many times have you looked back at something that once devastated you and later realized that was actually the best thing that could have happened?

11914.  Life isn’t working against you.  It’s working for you.  So stop punishing yourself.  Let go of the guilt.  Decide, right now, that you don’t have to carry this anymore.  You are free to move forward.  You are free to forgive yourself.  You are free;

11915.  If you’re waiting for fear to disappear before you act, you’ll be waiting forever.  Fear doesn’t leave before you act, it leaves because you act.  But not just by forcing yourself through it; by leaning in and then letting go.  By experiencing the discomfort without trying to fight it.  By realizing that the thing you were so afraid of; it was never actually holding you back.  It was your resistance to it that was keeping you stuck.  So stop waiting.  Stop trying to be “ready.”  Start stepping in and letting go.  Because the moment you do, you’re free;

11916.  Apparently, you can make pate with wildebeest and zebra;

11917.  I can say I’ve had wildebeest pate. . . . It’s okay;

11918.  I can say I’ve had zebra pate. . . . It tastes pretty similar to wildebeest pate;

11919.  Brisket burgers are pretty tasty( specifically the Big Bites Grind burger (with ground sirloin, brisket & chuck) at District E (DistrictEDC.com) in Washington, D.C.);

11920.  The 3 most powerful questions you should ask when someone is overreactive, stressed out or overwhelmed in an argument or conversation: 1.  Sounds like you have a reason for saying that? 2.  Tell me more(.  What else is going on?  Is there anything else you want to say?  Are you sure?); and 3.  Are you okay?

11921.  You want to avoid eating sugar on an empty stomach;

11922.  Avoid eating sugar in the morning.  Breakfast should be savory;

11923.  If you really need the sugary snack, put clothing (i.e., proteins, fats or fiber) on your carbs (i.e., bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, oats or sugars);

11924.  Never eat your carbs naked so that they don’t cause as big of a glucose spike.  Because when you put clothing on those carbs, digestion happens more slowly;

11925.  You don’t need to fast in order to be healthy.  It’s much more important to eat well in a way that keeps your glucose levels steady than to restrict your eating window;

11926.  4 top blood sugar balancing hacks: 1.  Eat a savory breakfast – Eating a traditional sweet-and-starchy breakfast on an empty stomach triggers blood-sugar spikes and cravings.  Instead, start each morning with a meal built around protein and fat, like eggs, Greek yogurt or leftover chicken from last night’s dinner – something that will keep you satisfied for 4 hours.  Avoid carbs or anything sweet, other than fruit, if desired; 2.  Knock back an apple cider vinegar shot – Consuming 1 tablespoon of vinegar daily is shown to curb cravings and improve satiety by 144%.  Plus, the liquid’s acetic acid slows the rate that digestive enzymes in the gut can break down starches into glucose, flattening a blood-sugar spike by up to 30% and a fat-storing insulin spike by up to 20%.  One study found that people consuming vinegar lost 3,539% more subcutaneous body fat than those who skipped the sip.  To get the benefits, simply choose “a vinegar and a vehicle” to get it into your body 10 minutes before a meal.  1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 oz. of water, tea or seltzer.  Or you can mix vinegar into foods like pickles or kimchi.  One caveat: Since the goal is balancing blood sugar, avoid mixing your vinegar with a sugary drink like apple juice, which could create an unintended spike.  Tip: Sip vinegar with a straw to protect your tooth enamel; 3.  Enjoy a fiber appetizer – Before eating your most carb-heavy meal each day, first consume a veggie “starter.”  Research finds that lining the gut with plant-based food lowers blood sugar, inflammation and helps curb weight gain.  And soluble fiber helps balance blood sugar.  Eating veggies before a high-carb meal is also proven to slow sugar absorption and reduce the magnitude of a blood-sugar spike.  It’s fine to keep your pre-meal snack simple: Eating 10 olives, some cut-up carrots or steamed green beans will do.  One favorite: “backward broccoli.”  Just pour boiling water over fresh broccoli in a heat-safe bowl, let sit for 2 minutes, drain and enjoy; and 4.  Move after one meal – “Exercise makes your muscles more sensitive to insulin so they ‘soak’ up the glucose and help maintain stable glucose levels,” explains Dr. Gottfried.  A Cleveland Clinic study shows that exercising after a meal slashes blood-sugar bumps by 45%.  Strive for movement within 90 minutes of eating.  And since we lose muscle as we grow older – a change that slows our ability to burn fat – older women should opt for weight-bearing exercise.  Try seated calf raises with a heavy book on your knees, dancing while holding a grandbaby or walking with a weighted bag or hand weights.  Or consider wearing Agogie pants, with strength-training resistance bands woven into the fabric;

11927.  The chicken tenders at “Uncle C’s Chicken & Waffles” (UncleCCW.com) in Alexandria, Virginia, are very good . . . and the fried chicken is pretty good, but the waffles were disappointing;

11928.  The espresso martini at Casa Luna (TheCasaLuna.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria is dangerous.  It’s well-balanced, has a lot of coffee/espresso flavor and you can barely taste the alcohol;

11929.  Don’t be ashamed to need help.  Like a soldier storming a wall, you have a mission to accomplish.  And if you’ve been wounded and you need a comrade to pull you up?  So what?

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11851.  Maybe wealth isn’t solely about more money, but more joy, more value, more fulfilment, more collaboration, more meaningful moments, more celebration of your life and those that support you.  The “mores” that matter;

11852.  Become more valuable.  Learn to delegate.  Hire those that truly enhance our lives.  We trade our money (energy) to access others energy (expertise) in order to free us up . . . so we can create the most value;

11853.  Not living your best life, not sharing how to do it with others, not being inspired and inspiring in the name of “playing it small and safe” is greedy.  The world loses your gifts;

11854.  Spending more than we make is a terrible choice leading to bankruptcy.  Yet by thinking life is something to reduce and money is something to “save” rather than earn and grow, we limit our potential and our production;

11855.  The hustle and grind would say save money by doing it yourself.  “If you want something done right, do it yourself” . . . and burn out.  And limit your best abilities.  And have less wealth;

11856.  Less wealth by doing what you hate.  Less wealth by limiting the depth of your relationships.  Less wealthy by draining energy by doing so much to save by having it be less convenient and losing time;

11857.  Those who buy into the budgeting mindset are willing to sacrifice life for growing a bank account;

11858.  By cutting back to build wealth, you can become the miserable millionaire.  Rich in your account, broke in life;

11859.  Wealth is how you live and enjoy your life.  And if money is the primary reason or excuse you do or don’t do something, you aren’t wealthy;

11860.  If your time isn’t your own, if you are doing things that you loathe, if you are obsessed with saving fiat money (that inflation decimates), if you wish the past were different or only focused on getting to a future date where your life will be better, you aren’t wealthy;

11861.  Money matters, but so do so many other things as well.  No money can lead to massive stress, debt, self-judgment, guilt, shame, embarrassment.  But no matter how much money you have, if you don’t have time to connect with people, cultivate relationships, be creative, have hobbies, have time for your health, fulfillment will be elusive;

11862.  What does wealth look like for you?  What matters most in your life?  What would you do if money were no longer a concern or worry, if you had an unlimited checking account?  What would you start doing?  How would your thinking change?  What would it take to create your richest life?  What can you do that matters most to you?  How could you experience a life that you love?  The key to wealth is within your answers to these questions.  Invest the time.  Only you get to decide.  If someone else chooses for you, you lose.  If you are unclear, you may be manipulated or have energy leaks.  This is the hard work worth doing.  The hard work that matters.  Not pushing through artificial deadlines or doing things you hate to make money.  But to know what you want, go for it and design a life you don’t want to retire from;

11863.  Pecans are harmful to dogs.  They contain a toxin called juglone, which can cause gastrointestinal upset, seizures and even death in dogs;

11864.  Sometimes when one door closes another one opens, but unfortunately many times we often focus on the door that has slammed in our face that we miss the window of opportunity just around the corner;

11865.  New beginnings often start with painful endings;

11866.  Be thankful for those closed doors and detours, they are guiding you to a better place;

11867.  I can say I was at Tom Wilson’s 800^th career game.  He’s the 9^th player in (Washington) Capitals history to play in 800 games;

11868.  Every experience, good or bad, carries a lesson.  What defines you isn’t what happens to you, but how you choose to grow from it;

11869.  The Power of Letting Go: The stories we tell ourselves about not being good enough are just that, stories.  Letting go isn’t about forgetting; it’s about freeing yourself from what holds you back;

11870.  Life has a funny way of forcing us to face the things we avoid.  Sometimes it feels unfair, overwhelming or even unbearable.  But when you pause, reflect and truly let go, you’ll see that every challenge carries a hidden gift, a chance to break free;

11871.  If they wanted to, they would, is a false statement.  We vastly overestimate people’s capacity for emotional regulation, conflict resolution and self-reflection.  Many want to they just don’t know how.  Stop taking other people’s limits personally;

11872.  According to Dr. Rhonda Patrick, one should take: 1.  Omega-3; 2.  Vitamin D; 3.  Sulforaphane; 4.  Magnesium; and 5.  A multivitamin;

11873.  According to Dr. Mark Hyman, a good level of vitamin D > 50 ng/ml;

11874.  If you don’t have enough vitamin D acutely, you get rickets and your bones bend;

11875.  You get vitamin D from the sun, wild fish and certain things like wild mushrooms.  You don’t need much (vitamin D) like 30 units;

11876.  If you don’t have optimal levels of vitamin D, say 50 ng/ml, you’re going to get osteoporosis, you’re going to be more prone to infections and you’re going to die from COVID-19;

11877.  To get 200 micrograms of selenium, you need to eat four Brazil nuts;

11878.  To get 30 milligrams of zinc, you need to eat 45 pumpkin seeds;

11879.  According to Dr. Mark Hyman, at minimum, one should take: 1.  A multivitamin; 2.  Vitamin D; 3.  Fish oil; 4.  (For most people,) magnesium; and 5.  (Probably) a probiotic;

11880.  In wanting to create something healthy, you have to make sure that you and whoever you’re going to build with want the same things.  That you’re willing to create your own definition of what love and marriage and partnership looks like.  And that, whatever that definition is, that you will commit to protecting your definition because it may not be the world’s definition.  It may not be your parents’ definition or the church’s definition or whatever, but you’ve got to be willing to protect your definition so that you can have a bond that lasts throughout time;

11881.  Three mandatory questions you should ask your partner before marriage to make sure that his/her answers are in alignment with yours.  And, if they’re not, then you should probably reconsider being in the relationship.  1.  Making sure that you have a shared expression of faith not even just a shared faith, but what does this expression look like for you?  How does it show up in your world?  Because everybody who believes in God isn’t trying to live a life of light, love, goodness, conviction and humility so making sure you have a shared expression.  It’s not just the same beliefs, it’s the same shared expression of the belief.  2.  What is the most traumatic experience you’ve had in your life and how does the residue of that experience show up in your presence?  3.  What brings you joy?  This world is tough.  And I want to know the secret to putting a smile on your face when the world’s trying to wipe it off;

11882.  Demerara sugar is a raw sugar extracted form sugarcane.  It is minimally processed so it has a golden-brown color and large grains that give a crunchy texture;

11883.  Demerara sugar originated from the British colony of Demerara now called Guyana;

11884.  Demerara sugar has flavors of molasses and toffee with hints of subtle caramel;

11885.  The term, “grog,” comes from the nickname, “Old Grog,” given to the 18^th-century English admiral Edward Vernon.  Vernon ordered that rum be diluted with water for the health of his sailors and the sailors nicknamed the mixture “grog.” . . . It’s also why you’re “groggy” when you’re hungover;

11886.  The British Navy’s “open vat” rum blending system involved pouring rum into large, interconnected vats allowing it to mature and blend for up to two years.  The vats were never completely emptied, but rather topped off with new rum, creating a solera-like system where decades-old rum was part of the blend.  This process continued for over 150 years until the rum ration was abolished in 1970;

11887.  Black Tot Rum (BlackTot.com) has the last of the British Navy’s blended rum in its spirits;

11888.  Apparently, without chill filtration, fatty acid esters will make liquor hazy if the alcohol content goes below 46.5 A(lcohol )B(y )V(olume). . . . You can get rid of the haze by (simply) shaking the bottle;

11889.  I can say I’ve drank British Navy rum;

11890.  The hamburgers at McDonald’s have gotten smaller;

11891.  (Italian) tomato pie is pizza without the cheese;

11892.  Red wine doesn’t go with (mini) cupcakes;

11893.  I can (now) say (that) someone has written me a poem;

11894.  “The Play That Goes Wrong” is pretty funny;

11895.  I can say I witnessed Alexander Ovechkin’s first hat trick (and the 32^nd of his career) against the (Edmonton) Oilers( live on Sunday, February 23, 2025);

11896.  Rachael Yamagata is from Arlington, Virginia;

11897.  Apparently, Rachael Yamagata is a tequila fan;

11898.  Taylor Swift might have stolen the (song) lyric, “And I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to,” in (2012’s) “All Too Well” from Matt Nathanson.  He wrote, “And I’ll forget about you long enough to forget why I need to” (in 2003) for (his song) “I Saw;”

11899.  People will always: 1.  Misinterpret you; 2.  Project their fears onto you; and 3.  Form opinions based on incomplete information.  And that’s not your problem.  In the end?  It doesn’t matter: 1.  Someone idolizes you?  Cool.  Doesn’t change who you are; and 2.  Someone despises you?  Also cool.  Still doesn’t change who you are.  Because at the end of the day, you’re just you.  And that’s all you ever need to be;

11900.  I never thought I’d see (much less like) a musical/play about corn, but “Shucked” is pretty funny;

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11801.  According to Owen( Cook), he sees happiness in my eyes . . . and that I should take a dance or improv class;

11802.  I can say I’ve gamed/gone out with Owen( Cook);

11803.  You can love a person wholly without having to love all of him/her;

11804.  The notion of unconditional love is a myth.  Adult love lives in the realm of ambivalence, which means that relational ambivalence is part and parcel of all our relationships.  We have it with our parents, our siblings, our friends, which means that we continuously have to integrate contradictory feelings and thoughts between love and hate, between excitement and fear, between envy and contempt, between boredom and aliveness.  It’s, you continuously negotiating these contradictions, that ambivalence and living with that ambivalence is actually a sign of maturity rather than continuously evaluating;

11805.  The idea that you will be accepted unconditionally is a dream we have for our parents when we are babies.  It’s not part of adult love;

11806.  How do we set ourselves up for the best relationship(s) upfront?  There is no “one and only,” there is one person that you choose at a certain moment in time.  And with that person, you try to create the most beautiful relationship you can, but you could have done it with others.  Timing is involved.  Lots of things are involved.  But there is no “one and only;”

11807.  There is no soulmate.  Soulmate is God.  You can think that you have a soulmate connection with someone, that you have a deep, deep meeting of the minds, of the souls, of the heart, of the bodies.  But it’s a metaphor.  It’s not a person.  It’s the quality of an experience that feels like soulmates.  There is no unconditional love.  We live with ambivalence in our deepest love relationships.  There are things we like and things we don’t and things they like about us and things they don’t.  And moments they can’t be without us.  And moments where they wish, on occasion, they could be away from us.  That’s normal;

11808.  Distance is very important in a relationship.  Every relationship straddles freedom and commitment.  Togetherness and separateness.  Connection and independence.  In every relationship, there is often one person who is more inclined to the connection and one person who is more inclined for the separateness.  One person is more afraid of losing the other and one person is more afraid of losing him/herself.  One person is more in touch with the fear of abandonment and one person is more in touch with the fear of suffocation.  We all have both.  But we organize our relationship in which one of us will take on the role of this duality.  So we need connection and we need distance.  We need the things that are joint and together and we need the things that are separate.  The separateness doesn’t mean that there is deadness in the relationship.  So when you ask how long can we be apart, it depends on what you do with the space in between.  If you keep the space in between alive when you are away;

11809.  The University of Virginia sits on plantation land that belonged to James Monroe;

11810.  James Monroe was one of the founding board members of the University of Virginia;

11811.  When his presidency ended, James Monroe lived/resided at Monroe Hill now included in the grounds of the University of Virginia;

11812.  James Madison was the second rector of the University of Virginia.  He was appointed in 1826 after the death of Thomas Jefferson;

11813.  The thing about people who mean everything they say; they thing everyone else does too;

11814.  I can say I’ve been to a reception at a Smithsonian museum(, specifically “An Evening with President Jim Ryan” at the National Museum of American History);

11815.  If you take a sip of coffee and have to sneeze, the coffee’s going straight out of your nose;

11816.  Life hack: Salad (especially with a protein) makes a good filler for a burrito, sandwich or wrap;

11817.  If you have a craving for prime rib, on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, the Light Horse Restaurant & Bar (TheLightHorseRestaurant.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria has a $20.00, (16 oz.) prime rib special;

11818.  “Kirk” is “church” in Scottish/northern English;

11819.  If a restaurant does not have good bread don’t bother with the cake;

11820.  You need to make your own tartar sauce to be considered a high-end seafood restaurant;

11821.  Dogs can eat acai in small quantities; however, acai contains theobromine, the same ingredient in dark chocolate that causes chocolate poisoning;

11822.  If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it;

11823.  If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no;

11824.  If you don’t step forward, you’ll stay in the same place;

11825.  Apparently, dogs should not eat pumpkin pie.  Pumpkin pie is high in sugar and fat, which can upset a dog’s stomach, especially for small dogs.  Pumpkin pie contains seasonings like nutmeg, which can be toxic to dogs.  Pumpkin pie filling also contains condensed milk, which can upset a dog’s stomach;

11826.  Turbinado (sugar) is a type of sugar that still contains some of its natural molasses, giving it its brown-blond color and light caramel flavor;

11827.  Rotary engines do not have (any) pistons;

11828.  Gillian Welch says her heart soars when someone cheers for the banjo;

11829.  David Rawlings believes no one would ever steal a banjo;

11830.  Meghan (Wallen) really likes icing.  She said she’ll eat the icing off doughnuts and cakes and leave the rest;

11831.  Relationships matter.  Some have a shelf life and others grow through your entire life;

11832.  What we hold in, holds us back;

11833.  What we are afraid to face minimizes our future;

11834.  It takes work, but it doesn’t have to be a grind.  Work ethic is part of the equation, but leads to burnout without clarity and collaboration;

11835.  Don’t let one thing define you: how you look, the size of your house, your car, your awards or accolades.  Those things don’t bring sustained happiness especially if you are trying to prove something to someone else.  Trying to prove something to someone else may be motivating initially, but it leads to bitterness and anger, fed by a feeling of lack, of scarcity;

11836.  Stay open.  Listen to your intuition.  Ask for support.  Ask better questions, more questions.  Not learned, but learning.  Not educated, but educating.  Not arrived, but present . . . in the moment;

11837.  I can say I’ve made out in the backseat of a car( specifically a Jaguar F-Pace);

11838.  The wrong philosophy combined with hard work limits impact.  It is a grind.  There is a reward, but it is limited;

11839.  If you want to play an exponential game, focus on value.  Add more value.  Grow your value;

11840.  Who helps you to see your potential?  What is holding you back from living your potential and turning it into profit?  Is it a bad partnership?  Procrastination?  Lack of mentors?  Lack of a community?  Scarcity?

11841.  Labor does not equal wealth.  You can work hard and not get ahead at the rate of inflation.  Or you can scrimp to save money only to have it lost to inflation as well.  Value equals wealth.  How you create it, how you store it, and how you understand it.  Value is the key;

11842.  Wealth is in the in between.  In between our ears certainly.  But also in between the events, the busyness that robs wealth.  Wealth happens in the moments and space of life.  In fun.  In fulfillment.  In freedom.  Freedom of choice.  Freedom of time.  Freedom to live where you want.  Freedom to work with who you want, when you want.  Freedom to provide, to create and to take a trip without feeling (or worrying about) the financial effects;

11843.  Some people step from moment to moment, event to event, with the inconvenience and effort draining life.  Doing too much on their own to save money at the expense of time and energy.  However, those with resources can focus on efficiency and become more effective.  The wealthiest people have more support.  This creates leverage of their greatest gifts and value.  The team matters.  Those who have a great team have earned ways to focus on the most productive things.  And for the truly wealthy, this means finding time to enjoy life along the way.  (Some just do more work even though they rarely, if ever, enjoy the fruits of their labor);

11844.  Some of the richest people rarely have a free moment or time for themselves because it is all about more.  They work to fill a void from earlier years with money, accolades and net worth.  Hoping to have respect or prove themselves or relieve their pain.  But this doesn’t mean they are fulfilled.  From the outside, it may seem this way.  But when it is only about more, more can destroy relationships, diminishes and discounts wins and drowns out the special things that money cannot buy;

11845.  As Coco Chanel famously said, “The best things in life are free, the second best are very, very expensive;”

11846.  You can earn money, but you can also earn happiness and the path may not always align;

11847.  When money becomes the reason or excuse for not having time, for not being present, for providing money over memories . . . when it becomes profits over people or a relentless pursuit at the expense of love, we lose.  The good news, it isn’t an either/or;

11848.  Money follows value.  It chases value.  Money doesn’t give a shit about effort.  Effort isn’t the key or determining factor;

11849.  Thinking is hard work.  Hiring people and developing skills can be difficult, but not as difficult as doing everything yourself.  The intelligent adage of smart work and hard work, but not hard and isolated work.  Collaboration is the key to value, to prosperity.  Scarcity and the consumer condition confuses people, causing them to think labor or time equal money;

11850.  The hustle culture spouts that we must sacrifice (family, memories, love) to have more money.  Again, there are those who earn it by giving up all other areas of life, but that isn’t required.  It will hold you back;

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11751.  Every new skill, every business breakthrough, every personal transformation, all reside in that gap between who you were and who you could become not in the space of exhaustion and overwhelm;

11752.  Reframe your relationship with discomfort as you progress through the year.  See it not as an obstacle, but as a signpost pointing toward your next level of growth.  Your future more resilient, more successful, more fulfilled, self is waiting on the other side of that discomfort;

11753.  Embrace the challenge.  Trust in your ability to grow.  And, remember, discomfort isn’t just part of the journey, it’s often the purest sign you’re on the right path;

11754.  The most successful people don’t just tolerate discomfort.  They actively seek it out.  They’ve learned to turn discomfort into their superpower;

11755.  3 strategies to transform discomfort into a continued springboard for success: 1.  Reframe Your Perspective: Instead of seeing discomfort as something to avoid, start viewing it as a signal that you’re on the right track.  When you feel that familiar twinge of unease or anxiety, smile.  It means you’re pushing your boundaries and growing; 2.  Practice Intentional Discomfort: Don’t wait for discomfort to find you.  Seek it out in small, manageable doses.  Take on a challenging project.  Have that difficult conversation.  Learn a new skill.  By regularly stepping out of your comfort zone, you’re building your resilience muscle; and 3.  Reflect and Celebrate: After each bout of discomfort, take a moment to reflect.  What did you learn?  How did you grow?  Celebrate these small victories.  They’re the building blocks of your future success;

11756.  Your adult self understands the value of this process.  But your child or teen might still resist.  That’s okay.  Acknowledge those parts of yourself then gently remind them of the growth that awaits on the other side of discomfort;

11757.  I can say I’ve seen Scott Bakula (i.e., Sam Beckett from “Quantum Leap”, Jonathan Archer from “Star Trek: Enterprise” and Dwayne Pride from “NCIS: New Orleans”) perform live( as Abraham Lincoln);

11758.  Abraham Lincoln served in the state militia during the Black Haw War, but saw no combat;

11759.  Abraham Lincoln served as the postmaster for New Salem;

11760.  Abraham Lincoln was not a member of any organized religion, but he did (read and) believe in the Bible;

11761.  I am very much a visual learner.  I need to see examples.  I don’t understand as well from hearing things and being lectured to;

11762.  Alexa Landestoy, Al Koken and Rachel Nichols look different in person than they do on television;

11763.  Nicklas Backstrom said, when he first came to the (Washington) Capitals, he, Mike Green, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin used to hang out a lot outside of the (ice hockey) rink;

11764.  Alexander Ovechkin says he doesn’t remember anything that happened when the (Washington) Capitals won the Stanley Cup;

11765.  Besides family events, Alexander Ovechkin said winning the Stanley Cup was the best feeling ever;

11766.  Apparently, Alexander Ovechkin isn’t superstitious about touching the Stanley Cup;

11767.  According to Stephan Jenkins(, the lead singer for “Third Eye Blind”), Alex LeCavalier (the bassist for “Third Eye Blind”) is a huge hockey fan;

11768.  According to Steve(n) Oleksy(, the former Washington Capitals forward), he’d rather play at Capital One Arena than Little Caesars Arena and he’s from Detroit(, Michigan);

11769.  I can say I’ve seen been at a bar (specifically District E) with Troy Brouwer, Eric Fehr, Rod Langway, Steve(n) Oleksy, Jeff Schultz, David Steckel and 20-some (Washington) Capitals alumni;

11770.  Chicken and waffles is messy arena food.  I’m talking about you, maple syrup;

11771.  It stands to reason, then, that to be witty, we need to be unconventional and unexpected in how we use language;

11772.  The comic triple surprises people because where they might expect a list to contain only 1 sentiment, the comic triple contains 2 and the 2 sentiments couldn’t be more different;

11773.  (Rebecca is right,) the smoked, creamy, chicken salad sandwich at Sweet Fire Donna’s in (Old Town) Alexandria is better with bacon;

11774.  Journaling provides the opportunity to learn new lessons from old experiences.  Reading your old journal entries is a bit like reading a great book for a second time.  You pick up on new sentences and see the past in a different way.  Only this time, you are re-reading the story of your life;

11775.  Journaling sharpens your memory.  Time will change your face without you noticing, but it will also change your thoughts without you realizing it.  Our beliefs shift slowly as we gain experience and journal entries have the ability to freeze your thoughts in time.  Seeing an old picture of yourself can be interesting because it reminds you of what you looked like, but reading an old journal entry can be even more surprising because it reminds you of how you thought;

11776.  Journaling motivates you to make the most of each day.  There is something about knowing that your day will be recorded that makes you want to make at least one good choice before the sun sets;

11777.  Journaling provides proof of your progress.  Writing down one sentence about what went well today gives you something powerful to look at when you’re feeling down.  When you have a bad day, it can be easy to forget how much progress you have made.  But with a journal, it’s easier to keep a sense of perspective.  One glance at your previous entries and you have proof of how much you have grown over the months and years;

11778.  Being authentic doesn’t always guarantee connection.  In fact, if you’re not careful, your authenticity might not resonate with others and, then you’re left feeling misunderstood;

11779.  It’s not just about being yourself; it’s about making sure that your authenticity is relatable.  That’s where the magic happens.  When you can express yourself in a way that’s true to who you are, but also resonates with the person/people you’re talking to, you create a powerful, genuine connection.  But there’s a balance to it.  You can’t compromise who you are to please others; that’s just people-pleasing.  At the same time, you can’t be completely oblivious to the vibe or context of the situation;

11780.  Not everyone will vibe with your energy and that’s okay!  It’s not a reflection of your worth, it just means that connection wasn’t meant to be.  The real win is staying true to yourself without bending over backwards to fit in;

11781.  Remember: Authenticity + Relatability = Connection;

11782.  If you learn to use adversity right, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn’t have gone any other way;

11783.  At least 15 people in this world love you in some way;

11784.  A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone even if they don’t like you;

11785.  Every night, someone thinks about you before they go to sleep;

11786.  You mean the world to someone;

11787.  If not for you, someone may not be living;

11788.  You are special and unique;

11789.  Have trust sooner or later you will get what you wish for or something better;

11790.  When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it;

11791.  When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a hard look; you most likely turned your back on the world and the people who love and care for you;

11792.  Someone that you don’t even know exists loves you;

11793.  Always remember the compliments you received.  Forget about the rude remarks;

11794.  Always tell someone how you feel about them; you will feel much better when they know and you’ll both be happy;

11795.  If you have a great friend, take the time to let her/him know that s/he’s great;

11796.  Fear of abandonment disappears once you stop abandoning yourself;

11797.  Apparently, the players from the DC Power Football Club (of the USL Super League) go to Decades in D.C. for Halloween;

11798.  Apparently, a woman isn’t gay even though she started dating a woman a couple of months ago;

11799.  According to Adelaide Gay(, the goalkeeper for the DC Power Football Club), a lot of professional female soccer players date women;

11800.  I can say I’ve “hit on” the DC Power Football Club team;