Dear reader and subscriber,

It’s been a minute since I’ve done this whole newsletter thing, so please be gentle while we work out the kinks together. I appreciate any and all feedback - good, bad, ugly, and everything in between. I promise I’ll still love you.

On Cloud Nine is 5 short snippets of content to make your day just a little brighter.

Cheers to the virgin edition of On Cloud Nine.

Let’s do it, yo.

1. Find stable ground

Imagine the various areas of your life (health, money, work, etc.) as blocks to stand on.

How strong are each of their foundations? Do you think you could stand on them and maintain your balance? How about if you had to climb a 50-foot ladder rested on those same blocks? Standing still is one thing, navigating life and its various challenges is another. You’re at quite the disadvantage if you’re trying to operate from unsteady ground.

Ideally, all of your blocks have a sturdy foundation because you’ll need to rely on the strength of various blocks at different times to stay afloat.

For example, you’ve probably heard what happens if you put all your eggs into the ‘money’ and ‘work’ baskets. Sure, you’d be rich on paper, but in reality, you might have poor health and a buttload of “friends” with no real, deep connections.

Sooner or later, each of your blocks will be tested, which is when you’ll find out how strong of a foundation you’ve truly built. Life doesn’t give a damn about your lies and the way you project yourself - it eventually brings out the truth. Always.

That’s why stability in all areas is not an option. It’s a necessity. It reduces your volatility to life’s challenges and gives you the chance to succeed.

Do a quick assessment of each of your blocks. I’m guessing you probably already know which ones need improvement.

What can you do today to strengthen your foundation? 

Health - Go for a run

Money - Say ‘no’ to buying something you don’t really need

Work - Write down 3 things you want to accomplish. Get them done.

Relationships - Text a friend or family member and tell them you love and appreciate them.

Spiritual - Meditate for 5 minutes, or say a prayer

Fun - Watch a funny show on Netflix

Obviously, one action - one brick - won’t be enough to sure up your foundation, but with each passing day, the extra bricks you lay make it stronger and turns you into a better, more resilient human.

2. New Jersey and Texas are joining forces

The other week, I happened to be driving through Oklahoma and Tennessee and witnessed the chaos caused by the winter storms that swept through a hefty chunk of the continental US. As you may or may not know, Texas was hit especially hard, which led to unprecedented demand on the power grid and devastated indoor plumbing systems.

In short, it was a bad week to own the utility spaces on the Monopoly board.

But in every bit of darkness, there’s a light that shines, and this one was cast by a New Jersey plumber who drove himself, his wife, and their 2-year-old son 22 hours to Texas to help fix homes with burst pipes and other plumbing issues.

Meanwhile, I struggle to drive 5 minutes up the road to Publix when I need food to cook for dinner. 

3. Meme of the week

People on Reddit are so gosh darn clever.

4. Quote to think about

“I’d rather have an experienced ‘C’ than an ignorant ‘A’ in life.” - Matthew McConaughey

5. A book worth checking out

Just finished listening to the audiobook version of “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. I 100% can’t recommend it enough to anyone looking for motivation to do more in life while simultaneously wanting to feel like a lazy sack of shit. In all seriousness, the book was awesome - David’s stories were mind-blowing and inspiring.

My three biggest takeaways:

• The 40% percent rule (worth Googling)

• After action reports (AARs) - a tool used by the military to recap an event, mission, etc. They help you to better understand what went right, what you did wrong, what you can improve upon, and how you can re-strategize for the future

• You can do pretty much anything you set your mind to, once you break free of your own preconceived limitations

That’s all for this week’s newsletter. Hope you enjoyed it!

Best,

Jason Gutierrez