Thomas J. Esper

The best things in life are the people we love, the places we've been, and the memories we've made along the way. - Unknown Author

Becoming wealthy requires you to make a living, becoming rich requires you to make a life.

𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗦 The Starbucks on University Way in Seattle — one of the most progressive zip codes in America — just delivered a case study that no business school could write better. Workers went on strike. Three months in, they had to end it because they couldn't afford to keep going without a paycheck. Then Starbucks announced the store is closing April 5th. And the workers who went on strike were told they are not eligible to transfer to other locations. So to recap: they struck, they lost income for three months, the store is closing, and they don't get to move to another Starbucks. This is what happens when the bumper sticker meets the spreadsheet. Striking workers don't get paid. Stores that aren't profitable get closed. Corporations don't reward disruption with promotions. These are not novel concepts — they are how employment has functioned for the entire history of employment. Seattle has spent years electing politicians who treat basic economics like an opinion. The workers at this location were presumably raised in that same ideological environment. The idea that you can withhold labor indefinitely and the business simply waits patiently for you to return is a fantasy — and an expensive one. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀.

5 Things to quit right now:

First we were told that we should approve the lottery because that money would help fix our public education system and roads. Then we were told that we should raise the sales tax from 4% to 6% because we needed that money for education and to fix the roads. Then we were told that we should approve casino gambling because that money would you guessed it go to education and fix the roads. And then we raised the gas tax and vehicle registration to fix the roads. Then we were told that we should legalize marijuana and use that revenue for education and fixing the roads. And now after all of this and the fact that our education system is one of the worst in the nation and our roads are even worse than that. Our politicians have decided to raise our gas tax even more again to fix the roads. And now they want a state income tax. ENOUGH OF THE LIES AND BULL SHIT. When the Law doesn’t apply to the lawmakers you’re being ruled. When corrupt politicians start to go to jail, we can start trusting the government again. And If you enter politics with debt and leave a multi-millionaire, you didn’t serve the people – you looted them.

Gratitude is the key to happiness 🙏🏻✝️

Sound advice.

2/24 🤔’s on travel day to AZ 🌵🏜️ The true measure of success in life is how many other lives you made better. Almost nothing you worry about today will matter in a hundred years. Think carefully about what you can focus on today. Choose tasks that will actually make a positive difference to your children, your family, your friends and all their children. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. - George Bernard Shaw It is not what we get. But who we become, what we contribute... that gives meaning to our lives. - Tony Robbins