A couple of photos from my first day in Santa Barbara.

Ran 6+ miles to scope out the town, and spent time with Erin and I's nephew (and his parents who we somehow didn't get a picture with yesterday).

One of the topics that came to my mind yesterday was the fact that all of us as human beings, we innately see "problems" in our life, or the lives around us.

Then, we go on social media, or turn on the news, and all we hear about are problems. Then we have those outlets fighting over marketing to us which problem we should care about most.

Are these really "problems" that impact us though?

And is "problem" even the right word or state of mind that we should be in?

Here is a personal example:

Erin and I like to live an adventurous lifestyle. Always on the move, doing new things, meeting new people, THRIVING ON LIFE. And we have voiced to others that we someday hope to have a little family of our own to continue this lifestyle with. To which some have given us pushback saying that bringing kids into the picture would be a "problem" for the life we wish to live.

Yet, we don't view it that way at all. Yes we believe it will bring greater challenges than we face now, but it is far from a problem.

And this is a challenge I am very much looking forward to having in my life in the future.

Here is thing, nobody wants to bring "problems" into their lives, yet millions of people love "challenges."

See what I did there with that mindset shift?

When all you see are problems, your life becomes one big problem.

Yet, when you love to challenge yourself, whether it be going on a run, learning a new language, pursuing a new career path... life becomes a lot more colorful and fun.

Every day becomes a new day to fulfill your mission to conquer new challenges.

Challenges that...

Make you better.

Make your family better.

Make your community better.

Make your entire world better.

My ask of you right now is to do an audit of your life, and define the "problems" you think/thought you have/had.

And switch the problem into a CHALLENGE that you can overcome.

Then as you move forward in this crazy thing we call life... choose to see more challenges, rather than adding to the people who are complaining about more problems.

#thriveon

CJ

p.s. today I am grateful for the present moment. Life is good.