Habits and Success in Life

 

Your Future Success Is Hidden in Your Daily Habits

Not just financial success—life success.

Success doesn’t just happen. It’s not luck, a single big break, or a perfect moment falling out of the sky. The kind of success that matters—peace, purpose, strong relationships, spiritual depth, and even financial stability—is built day by day.

And it’s built by your habits.

I heard it years ago—probably from Mike Murdock—but I’ve said it my own way ever since:

Your future success is hidden in your daily habits.

The Life You’re Living Is the One You’re Building

The truth is, most of us aren’t stuck because we lack talent or opportunity. We’re stuck because our habits aren’t aligned with where we say we want to go.

Big change doesn’t come from doing something massive once. It comes from doing the right things over and over—even when they seem small.

Ask yourself:

• How do I start my mornings?
• What do I feed my mind and spirit each day?
• Do my words bring life or just add noise?
• Am I present with the people I love, or always rushing to the next thing?

You can’t live one way and expect a different result. The life you want starts with the habits you choose.

Habits Are a Choice—So Choose Well

You don’t accidentally form great habits. You choose them. You show up for them. And the good news is, they don’t have to be complicated to be life-changing.

Here are a few simple ones I’ve committed to:

✔️ Choose to have a great day. Doesn’t mean every day is great—but I can choose my mindset going in.

✔️ Choose the right words. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Speak life—even to yourself.

✔️ Choose to make someone else’s day better. A kind word, a smile, a moment of attention—it costs little but means a lot.

✔️ And a bonus habit? Knock out the toughest or most important task first. It sets the tone and builds momentum.

These are small, but they make a big difference. Stack enough good choices, and you’ll find yourself walking in the direction of the life God’s called you to live.

Don’t Overcomplicate It

You don’t need to reinvent your whole life overnight. Start small. Pick one habit that moves you closer to who you want to be—who God made you to be. Give it 30 days. Be consistent. Let it take root.

Then stack another one.

Because the truth is:

You don’t drift into a meaningful life.

You build it—intentionally, habit by habit.

So what are your daily habits saying about your future?

If you don’t like the answer, the good news is—you can start changing it today.

Why the Beatitudes Matter More Than We Realize

The Ten Commandments are foundational to Christian. No doubt about that. They laid out God’s moral law, clear directions about how to live, how to honor God, and how to treat others. Don’t steal. Don’t kill. Honor your father and mother. Boundaries, rules, protection. They were given to set a people apart and show what righteousness looked like under the old covenant.

But here’s what I’ve been thinking about. As New Testament believers, is that where our focus should stay? Are the Ten Commandments the highest expression of how we’re supposed to live?

I don’t think so.

When Jesus began His public ministry, He didn’t start by reciting the Ten Commandments. His first major teaching was the Sermon on the Mount, and at the heart of it are the Beatitudes. These were His first public words of teaching, and that tells us something. These words mattered deeply to Him and they should matter deeply to us.

The Beatitudes don’t just tell us what to do or not do. They show us what kind of person a follower of Christ becomes:

Poor in spirit - humble before God

Mourners - those who grieve over sin and brokenness

Meek - gentle, not self-asserting

Hungry and thirsty for righteousness - always seeking what’s right in God’s eyes

Merciful - quick to forgive and show compassion

Pure in heart - not divided, but sincere and focused on God

Peacemakers - those who bring reconciliation

Persecuted for righteousness - those who stand firm no matter the cost. 

The Ten Commandments say: Don’t murder. The Beatitudes say: Be meek and merciful.

The Ten Commandments say: Don’t bear false witness. The Beatitudes say: Be pure in heart.

It’s not that the commandments don’t matter, they do. But the Beatitudes take us beyond external rules and show us what it looks like when God transforms the heart. When we let the Spirit work in us, we naturally fulfill the law, not out of duty, but because of who we are. It’s written on our hearts according to the scriptures. 

So yes—the Beatitudes deserve our reflection. They’re not just moral guidelines. They’re the first words Jesus chose to speak publicly, and they show us the kind of life that pleases God.

Hair, Clothes, Words—And What They Might Be Saying

 

Respect isn’t about agreement—it’s about awareness.

I’ve lived long enough to know not to judge a book by its cover. But I’ve also learned the cover does say something. 

Blue hair. Tattoos. A sharp suit. A flannel shirt and boots.   Whether we admit it or not, appearance sends a signal. So does the way we speak, the words we choose, and how we carry ourselves. It’s all part of how we show up in the world.

Some folks see someone with bright pink hair and immediately start making assumptions. Others see a guy in a three-piece suit and write him off as arrogant or uptight.

Both are wrong.

Because here’s the truth:

Hair color doesn’t make you unstable. Wardrobe doesn’t make you shallow. And slang doesn’t make you stupid.

But it does tell us something—if we’re paying attention.

Here’s What I’ve Learned:

Hair, wardrobe, and language are like billboards.

They’re ways people express identity, values, experiences, creativity, or culture. If it’s different from your norm, don’t let it trigger you.

As someone who’s worked with all kinds of people—business leaders, blue-collar workers, the homeless, and strangers—I’ve learned it’s best to take note of the signals people give off. Learn what they mean so you’re not caught off guard.

It’s easy to judge what we don’t understand. But when you take the time to see where someone’s coming from—what shaped them, what they’ve walked through—you start to see the bigger picture. And with that understanding comes wisdom.

You stop reacting and start responding.

You don’t just see the action—you hear the story behind it.

Understanding doesn’t mean agreeing with everything someone does. But it gives you the wisdom to handle it better.

It’s hard to hate up close.

Once you know their “why,” you see the person—not just the presentation.

That’s where connection starts.

And maybe even mutual respect.

But Here’s the Catch…

It goes both ways.

Respect isn’t just something traditional folks need to show toward people who look or think differently.

It’s something people who look or think differently need to offer right back.

If I don’t make assumptions about your hair or lifestyle, don’t make assumptions about my values or beliefs. If I speak to you with kindness, speak back with the same.

If we really want a society that welcomes differences, we’ve all got to check our attitudes—no matter what we’re wearing or how we style our hair.

Final Thought:

You don’t have to compromise who you are to be kind.

You don’t have to agree to be respectful.

And you don’t have to prove anything—just be decent.

If more of us lived that way, we’d spend less time offended…

And a whole lot more time actually making a difference.

Automation Must Pay Up” — The Fix for a System No One Wants to Touch

 

Social Security was never meant to be a savings account. It’s a pay-as-you-go system. That means today’s workers fund today’s retirees—not from a pile of money with their name on it, but from payroll taxes deducted in real time.

And that only works if people are working.

For decades, we made it work because the labor force was strong. But something changed—and we’re still pretending it didn’t.

Today, benefits are paid in today’s dollars—not what someone paid in.

So when the system has fewer workers paying in and more retirees drawing out, the math stops working.

Let me lay it out:

1. Baby Boomers are retiring fast
2. Fewer young people are entering the workforce
3. Automation is replacing jobs at scale
We outsourced entire industries overseas

That last one gets ignored in the news cycle, but NAFTA, CAFTA, and the offshoring movement gutted the American manufacturing base and stripped millions of payroll contributors from the system.

Now add in robots, AI, and automation replacing retail clerks, cashiers, warehouse workers, and even administrative roles—jobs that once paid into Social Security—and the problem compounds.

Here’s the truth:

No workers = No FICA tax = No benefits.

It’s captured in the above meme:

Morpheus (the voice of truth), sad Wojak (the displaced worker), and a cold, unfeeling checkout machine replacing a person. The message?

“Automation Must Pay Up.”

That’s my proposal. Simple. Clear. Fair.

If a machine or AI system replaces a worker, the company using it should pay what that worker would’ve paid in payroll taxes.

This isn’t about punishing innovation. It’s about saving a system that depends on labor force participation. You want automation? Fine. But don’t strip the foundation out from under Social Security and pretend it’ll just fix itself.

And here’s the part that frustrates me most:

No one in Washington is thinking beyond the next election—or the next 10,000 points on the Dow.

They kick the can. They pass the buck. And they smile for the cameras while the numbers collapse behind the curtain.

But this isn’t politics.

It’s not fearmongering.

It’s math.

And if we don’t address it, our kids and grandkids won’t see the benefits we were promised.

So I’ll say it again:

Automation must pay up.

If you’ve got a better solution, I’m all ears. But if you’re still pretending this system is fine—you’re part of the problem.