Today I would like to share some little nuggets of wisdom to brighten your day. 

A few months ago, I listened to a podcast that I enjoy greatly called “How to Money (link to their website here.) On this day, they had a guest on that really resonated with me. Normally this podcast focuses on finances, investing, budgeting tips, etc. (among many other topics- I would highly recommend checking it out!) The hosts are really fun to listen to and seem like great guys. They also always drink and review a different craft beer on every episode, which I always find really fun. 

In this episode, they interviewed a guy nicknamed “5 am Joel”. You can listen to the episode here: Episode with 5 am Joel (as a note, he is Australian and has a great accent!)

I had never heard of this 5 am Joel before, but the podcast notes indicated they would be discussing the benefits of early morning wake ups and how this has impacted Joel’s career, life and overall well being. Upon listening to the episode, I learned that Joel is just a regular guy who became very involved in the financial world and built a career out of it, specifically the financial independence movement, investing and real estate. He is a writer as well about the topic and apparently likes to wake up at 5 am! This peaked my interest, since I also really like to wake up early and feel there are a lot of benefits to be had from it. 

He explains in the episode how years ago he began sending an email list out at 5 am every single day when he woke up with a little “pick me up” type message- a reflection, anecdote, funny story, inspirational quote or piece of advice. People liked his messages, and his email list grew. 

I found the episode very interesting, especially the part where he talked about how his own parents really shaped his knowledge and financial identity growing up. They used some “tough love” on him, and as a parent I found it very eye-opening. I visited his website, read some articles and ended up subscribing to his email list! 

Since January, I have been reading his short daily emails each morning and have been saving the ones that really move me in some way. 

So today, I would like to share 5 of my favorites. They are all very brief- some just a sentence or two- but I think they are great reminders for everyone! 

I also would like to mention that Joel just seems like a genuinely nice guy. I responded recently to one of his emails for the first time ever to let him know that I thought it was an especially fantastic tip that day, and he actually replied to my message immediately! In my email I had mentioned that I had just started a blog and had found his advice very timely that day; he replied back and earnestly asked for my blog’s web address, checked it out, read some posts and then wrote back with some specific praise about it! He also shared a few pieces of advice. 

Considering that my little blog is certainly nothing special on a grander scheme, and I’m sure he is a very busy guy, I was blown away by his kindness and encouragement. He certainly didn’t need to go out of his way to do that for me and it really made an impact. 

Below are links to copies of 5 different “5 a.m. emails” on his website. If you enjoy these, definitely consider subscribing to his email list! I have had a lot of fun reading them and they always start my day off on the right foot. 

You can find his website here: 5amjoel.com where you can sign up for the email list, if you’d like. 

Have a great day!! 

Work Harder

It Takes Time

Spending Your Minutes

Virtue of Thankfulness

30,000 Days

Daily Gratitude:
Today I am grateful for kind people. I am grateful for people who take the extra second to lift someone else up in a small way, even when there’s nothing in it for them! I’m grateful for people who encourage others, take an interest in others and want the best for others. These small actions can have a bigger impact on a person than anyone realizes. I can recall times in my life when a single comment from someone changed my whole perspective on something or a small act of unexpected kindness completely turned my week around. 

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou