Greg Proffit's Musings

So much to savor, so little time…get savoring!

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Alternate International Competitions — Gold Medals Aren't Everything

Alternate International Competitions — Gold Medals Aren’t Everything

Photo by Bill Jelen on Unsplash The Tokyo Olympic Games have provided a pastime for many of us recently. We’ve watched with feelings of awe and pride as our nation’s athletes have competed for gold and glory. The hype surrounding this quadrennial event makes it understandable if some of you have become distracted from alternate international competitions. This little piece should help bring you…

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Think Of Covid As Secondhand Smoke — Are You The Burning Cigarette?

Think Of Covid As Secondhand Smoke — Are You The Burning Cigarette? #covid #liberty #freedom #selfishness #getvaxxed #maskup

Photo by Pascal Meier on Unsplash In June my girlfriend and I took a much needed vacation to New Smyrna Beach, FL. It was our first vacation and first real, prolonged exposure to strangers and crowds in public since the onset of Covid-19 in February 2020. We had a fantastic week except for one unfortunate episode. It is metaphorical to the Covid response exhibited by some people who act as if…

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You Are The Salt of The Earth… Not, The MSG

You Are The Salt of The Earth… Not, The MSG

Shutterstock Image licensed to Author Some Christians believe there is a biblical mandate to be involved in politics because they are to be the salt of the earth. They have not well considered the meaning of the verse or the phrase as used historically. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except…

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Writing At The Red-Line — A 140 Day Streak, 200 Posts, and 50 Articles in 30 Days

Writing At The Red-Line — A 140 Day Streak, 200 Posts, and 50 Articles in 30 Days

Shutterstock Image licensed to Author I’ve now posted over 200 articles, essays, and stories now on both my personal blog and on Medium. The majority have come in a 140 day streak, still continuing, during which I’ve published at least one piece daily. (The last 50 published articles coming in a 30 day span.)  By keeping this streak alive and publishing this many articles I’ve been probing for…

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If Your Kids Ask Your Opinion — Then You've Been A Good Parent

If Your Kids Ask Your Opinion — Then You’ve Been A Good Parent

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash # 98 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Parent so your kids seek your advice;  If your kids ask your opinion, you have been a good parent. As the father of 7, five girls and two boys, I think I’m qualified to speak on this. My kids range from 34 to 17 as of this writing, all born of the same mother. Parents reading this don’t have to be told how challenging the…

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You Can Sip Tequila — How to Savor and Enjoy It Without Training Wheels

You Can Sip Tequila — How to Savor and Enjoy It Without Training Wheels

Photo by Garreth Paul on Unsplash # 26 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Tequila can be sipped, savored, and enjoyed like a fine scotch or bourbon if you get an Añejo. Save the blancos and reposados for mixing. When I was coming of legal drinking age, tequila meant shots, usually with a salt and a wedge of lime. Bartenders refer to these accompaniments to a tequila shot as “training wheels” or…

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You Should Never Pay For Top-Shelf Liquor In A Mixed Drink

You Should Never Pay For Top-Shelf Liquor In A Mixed Drink

Photo by Mathew Benoit on Unsplash # 25 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Never pay for top shelf liquor in a mixed drink. You’re only going to taste the mix, anyway. Use house (well) liquor for any mixed drink. Every bar or restaurant that serves mixed drinks will advertise cocktails that feature high-end, top-shelf liquors. But those high-end, higher priced liquors are wasted in a mixed drink,…

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Do The Hardest Thing First — Always Be Working Toward Easier

Do The Hardest Thing First — Always Be Working Toward Easier #productivity #timemanagement #lifeadvice #lifelessons

Shutterstock image licensed by Author # 96 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Do the hardest thing first. Move the heaviest thing first is like it. Always be working towards easier. “Eat a live frog every morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” ~Mark Twain Here is a link to a fellow Medium writer,Saimadhu Polamuri’s, book review on the business productivity tome, Eat…

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Do Not Borrow Problems Not Yours To Solve

Do Not Borrow Problems Not Yours To Solve #busybody #nosy #problemsolving

Photo by Olav Ahrens Røtne on Unsplash # 97 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Do not borrow problems not yours to solve. Life will give you enough to do. Do you know what the biggest problem facing most people is? Their biggest problem is that they don’t know what their biggest problem is. Maybe this is you. We all know people who make it their life’s work to stick their nose into other people’s…

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Why You Should Be Motivated By Hope

Why You Should Be Motivated By Hope #motivators #psychology #hopes #fears

Photo by Don Pinnock on Unsplash # 94 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: As much as lies within you, be motivated by hope more than by fear.  For your entire life, two great underlying motivators have debated and fought over all your decisions — hope of gain and fear of loss. These two combatants, working in opposition, have driven you to do, or not do, to opt for, or against, every choice having…

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There Is A Grand Canyon Between You and Jesus

There Is A Grand Canyon Between You and Jesus #Jesus #WatchmanNee #Christianity #truth

Photo by Christine Roy on Unsplash # 35 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: There is a Grand Canyon between you on your best day and Jesus on his worst. Being “Christlike” is a fallacy. Genuine Christianity has never been about imitation or method acting. A Grand Canyon of Difference Take honest inventory of your spiritual life, and you’ll realize there is a Grand Canyon between you and Jesus. Even…

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Don't Let The Love Of God Hit You In The Back

Don't Let The Love Of God Hit You In The Back #God #love #Christian #Bible #Scripture

Photo by Eleni Bellou on Unsplash # 34 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: The love of God is like light from the Sun. If you turn your back on the Sun, the light will hit you in the back. I’m writing so you don’t let the Love of God hit you in the back. In the Bible, or Christian scriptures, there are many references to the love of God. Here is a listing of some of the more well know of them.…

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Just Because You've Read About It Doesn't Mean You Know About It

Just Because You’ve Read About It Doesn’t Mean You Know About It

Photo by Kelcy Gatson on Unsplash # 24 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Reading about something is not the same as doing something. Reading a story about Paris is not the same as actually visiting Paris. This applies to every aspect of reading. As valuable as it is, it is no substitute for experience. The intended audience for this tip is the ardent, imaginative reader. Your mind can trick you…

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How Music Affects Your Emotions Directly

How Music Affects Your Emotions Directly

Photo by Jens Thekkeveettil on Unsplash # 23 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Music bypasses your thoughts to affect your emotions directly. It is unique among art forms for this quality as far as I’ve discovered. Take care then, what you are inviting to stir your emotions. Music affects emotions and brain responses in emotional centers regardless of lyrical content, or whether the pieces are…

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The Magic of Ritual & Why You Should Buy A Burr Coffee Grinder—With a Childhood Story Added to Boot

The Magic of Ritual & Why You Should Buy A Burr Coffee Grinder—With a Childhood Story Added to Boot

KitchenAid burr grinder like mine. (Image from KitchenAid website) # 15 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Buy yourself a good burr coffee grinder when you can afford one. This is the one I’ve used for 20+ years. Use whole beans. You’re welcome. My first encounter with coffee I’ve been a coffee drinker since I was little—maybe 4 years old. I remember being at a family gathering at my maternal…

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Take It From A Snob—You Should Drink Coffee Fresh

Take It From A Snob—You Should Drink Coffee Fresh

Ocrakoke Coffee at Cape Hatteras. Yes, I bought a mug. (Photo by Author) # 14 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: Drink coffee fresh. Preferably within 20 minutes after brewing. A brewmaster once told me that after 20 minutes, coffee’s chemistry changes, turning it into something else. As an addendum to this tip: don’t serve old coffee to a guest in your home. Make a fresh pot, or offer them something…

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If You Want To Dance, You Have To Pay The Piper—And Other Sacred Verses Of My Youth

If You Want To Dance, You Have To Pay The Piper—And Other Sacred Verses Of My Youth

Photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash # 93 on my 99 Life Tips–A List is: If you want to dance, you have to pay the piper. This advice is from my uncle. He said it so often that it is now enshrined in my life’s accepted canon.  This sacred tidbit is 1 Kurt 1:1. It stands beside other canonized wisdom I received as a kid from those more wise than I. My granddaddy, Leo, used to say things…

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