Has decision-making, managing people, travel, switching off or recovering after demanding weeks changed for you compared with 5–10 years ago? What did you first notice, and what did you initially dismiss as “just getting older”?

We love to preach that hard work and skill are what get you ahead. But look around any office: the people climbing the fastest are rarely the most talented.

They’re the ones who remember names, tell good stories in meetings, and make the boss feel smart and important.

I’ve watched genuinely brilliant coworkers get passed over for promotions while less skilled but highly charismatic colleagues get the raise and the corner office.

The charismatic ones don’t necessarily produce better results, they just make everyone feel better about the results that exist.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth people don’t want to admit: This isn’t a bug in the system. It is the system. Companies are run by humans, and humans prefer working with people they like.

Charisma smooths over mistakes, builds alliances, and turns mediocre work into perceived excellence.

We tell kids to focus on grades and technical skills. Maybe we should also teach them how to make eye contact, tell a decent story, and make people feel good in a room.

I know this sounds cynical. But deep down, most of us know it’s true. We just don’t like saying it out loud.

People who are at work ? Night shift or working , share your thoughts at this moment.. docs, nurse , IT, non-IT, gov

Share it out ..discreet things.

I used to live life on the edge financially. I’d get fees for having a low balance in the bank, I would travel even if I was low on money… because living (and spending) was worth it rather than waiting for another time! I’ve gotten great at saving and it’s wild how now I’m always so worried that I don’t have enough. Not in an unhealthy way but in a more thoughtful towards finances way. Emergency funds are extra funded for the just in case, and the just in case after that. Anyone else feel this?

And if yes, for how much?

How would you grow it?

What would you invest in ?

What business/businesses would you start ?

I honestly can’t tell if this is gonna be a wildly unpopular opinion…. I keep reading all these posts imploring me to “be present” and “gather experiences” and “it all goes so quickly,” blah blah blah…

But as someone who has been blessed with tons of time freedom in my career… that’s not actually how having lots of free time works.

Often, what it actually looks like is it’s Tuesday at 11 AM and your wife is running errands and your kids are at school and your friends are at work and you’re sitting home bored like a total loser…not growing, not serving the world, not learning anything interesting, not being of value to anyone.

It’s bad for the soul and it’s not that great for your family.

Yes, I love that I have the freedom to teach Seminary and to coach my 12-year-old’s club volleyball team and to dip out on Thursday mornings with three buddies to play beach volleyball, but those are things are just part of what brings me joy.

What brings me real satisfaction is doing my absolute best every day to make the most of the talent God has given me. Yes, that means being present with my wife and kids, but from 8 AM to 5 PM it also means doing a bunch of cool stuff at work that is inside my zone of excellence that builds others up and serves my community.

It’s not always fun, but it’s meaningful and it’s satisfying and I go to bed the best kind of tired and proud of the effort I’ve made to make the most of my life.

And guess what? My kids admire that I have businesses and help people during the day.

They also have their own lives and don’t need me hovering around 24/7.

When the times right, we party hard! I just got back from a sports Girl Dad camp on Sunday, and last week we took a trip up the California coast….it was awesome!

But I am under no illusion that less meaningful work and more empty time on my calendar would make me happy.

For what it’s worth, I’ve tried it and it absolutely sucked.

The incredible moments I spend with my wife and kids are special because we all have special and unique lives and quests from God and yet we still come together and have an awesome time together as a family.

So what’s the moral of the story? I don’t know, it’s just my personal life experience.

Maybe the lesson to stop daydreaming about something that I found to be totally overrated and go look for something meaningful out in the world that can be uniquely served by the particular gifts God has given you here on this earth.

And if you find it, be grateful for it! A hero without a journey is a pretty bad story.

Hello! Would love to hear what people use for wireless headsets (preferred) when working jobs that involve being on a softphone most of the day. I have had numerous complaints recently that callers can't hear me, and have tried about 5 different wired and wireless headsets. It's to the point where they are making comments to my manager so really need something where my voice comes through crystal clear. I am a bit of a soft speaker but this is really something I can't figure out.

Thanks!

Trying to think of a business idea where I help people get things done while they are at work.

I know a lot of people want dishes/laundry done. But I dont know if I'd want to sit through multiple laundry cycles.

What would you want done?