Mind the Gap and Buy Dirt

This week I’m sharing an amazing song that puts things in perspective and a fantastic book that might change your perspective significantly. I’m also throwing in some great quotes to ponder. 

What I am Listening To

This is new for Three Action Thursday, a first: a song recommendation!  Check out the music video for Buy Dirt by Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan. I have enjoyed the simplicity of this song. It really pushes away all the craziness of the world and focuses you on the foundational basics of happiness. Here are the lyrics for those who don’t like country music:

A few days before he turned 80
He was sittin’ out back in a rocker
He said, “What you been up to lately?”
I told him, “Chasing a dollar”
And in between sips of coffee
He poured this wisdom out
Said, “If you want my two cents on making a dollar count
Buy dirt
Find the one you can’t live without
Get a ring, let your knee hit the ground
Do what you love but call it work
And throw a little money in the plate at church
Send your prayers up and your roots down deep
Add a few limbs to your family tree
And watch their pencil marks
And the grass in the yard all grow up”
‘Cause the truth about it is
It all goes by real quick
You can’t buy happiness
But you can buy dirt
Before you get caught on that ladder
Let me tell you what it’s all about
Find you a few things that matter
That you can put a fence around
And then he laid it out
Buy dirt
Find the one you can’t live without
Get a ring, let your knee hit the ground
Do what you love but call it work
And throw a little money in the plate at church
Send your prayers up and your roots down deep
And add a few limbs to your family tree
And watch their pencil marks
And the grass in the yard all grow up
‘Cause the truth about it is
It all goes by real quick
You can’t buy happiness
But you can buy dirt
You can buy dirt
And thank the good Lord for it
‘Cause He ain’t makin’ any more of it
So buy dirt
Find the one you can’t live without
Get a ring, let your knee hit the ground
Do what you love but call it work
And throw a little money in the plate at church
Send your prayers up and your roots down deep
Add a few limbs to your family tree
And watch their pencil marks
And the grass in the yard all grow up
‘Cause the truth about it is
It all goes by real quick
You can’t buy happiness
But you can buy dirt

What I am Reading/Listening To

The Gap and the Gain: The High Achievers’ Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success by Dan Sullivan, Dr. Benjamin Hardy

 “The way to measure your progress is backward against where you started, not against your ideal.” —Dan Sullivan  

The premise behind the book is that you should not measure yourself against an ideal (future you) the authors call that “the gap”, but rather you should measure yourself against where you started (past you) and that is called “the gain”.

Simple premise but the book provides a ton of real-world examples from career-building to parenting. It also shows how to operate day to day in “the gain” versus the never good enough/unattainable happiness of “the gap”.

Quotes I am Pondering

A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive. 

~ Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer

I love the story of Sir Winston Churchill who, during his last years, and though failing and feeble, stood up to address a group of university students and said: “I have just one thing to say to you:  Never give up. Never, never give up. Never, never, never give up.”  He sat down to a standing ovation.

The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. 

~ Stephen R. Covey, author, motivational speaker