Happy New Year! As we turn the page and close out 2024, and look forward to 2025, I hope that this new year brings you improved health, good, meaningful relationships and true joy.

As I look back on 2024, it actually leads me to think about the last 4 years. I was texting with a friend recently who’d asked me about my health and progress I was making with my new knee. I remarked that I was doing well and looking forward to, hopefully, a ‘normal’ healthy year in 2025. It’s truly remarkable(to me) all that has happened since January 1, 2020: back surgery, knee replacement on right knee, left knee replaced, kicked daughter out of the house, moved other daughter 800 miles from home, moved Joyce, Noah and me out of state, had major issues with business partner and eventually sold my half of the business, wrote my 1st book. Whew! Now, I know, compared to others, my ‘issues’ have been minor, but they have been something else for me. Through it all, God has made me a better man, father, husband, friend, son, brother and follower. Enough of that, lets’ look and move forward.

As you may recall from my blog on January 1st last year, I’m not a big resolutions guy. I’d rather look at things I’d like to add that will make me better, AND things I’d like to remove…that’ll make me better. Pro tip: IF you do make resolutions, the best way to achieve your goal is to start at the end. You must tell yourself, and think, like you’ve already achieved your stated goal. It looks something like this: your goal is to lose 20 pounds. You write down(yes, I’m old fashioned) that you LOST 20 pounds. in order to do this, the things you DID were…..fill in the blank. It’s kinda like event planning: start at the end and work backwards to the beginning.

For me, I will improve have improved health by walking and riding my bike, playing golf and going to yoga class, and strength training. I will have improved mental health by strengthening relationships and by giving of myself to others through volunteerism and mentorship. I will be a better husband by creating more meaningful time with Joyce while helping us grow in our relationship with Christ. I will be a better father by growing into a different role as listener, advisor and teacher as my kids grow into adulthood.

What about you? How will you grow? What areas do you want to improve? How will you give? Yes, give. When you give, you grow. I firmly believe this. So, for 2025, give, grow, love and improve.

Be well,

Jeff

Good morning…and happy Festivus to you and yours. Be fore we move on, “I’ve got a lot of problems with you people!” Not really, just channeling my inner Mr. Costanza from Seinfeld.

As Christmas day draws closer and closer, the anticipation continues to build. Times become even MORE stressful. Cookies, cake and grandmas favorite desert recipes to make. Last minute shopping and gift buying to be completed. Perhaps you haven’t finished-or started-decorating your home. Lots to be done, for sure.

Let’s talk about those gifts. The title for today is “the 2nd best gift”. As a believer and follower of my savior, Jesus Christ, i know what the best gift is: His incomparable grace and love that he has for each one of us. The perfect gift. We just need to accept it. What about the next best gift? When I ask that question, where does your mind take you? Perhaps that favorite toy you picked out of the Sears Wish Book?(if you know, you know). A favorite Christmas memory? Here, I’ll share one with from my childhood(sorry mom if this embarrasses you): back in the day, as me and my sister and brother were growing up, we were quite stealth about finding our “hidden” Christmas gifts and opening them, if they were wrapped. We were quite careful to put the wrapping paper back just so, hoping mom would never know the difference. Well, one year she DID know the difference. Gifts for us 3 kids had non names on them, only numbers. See, her way of combating our little plan was to devise one of her own: she would simply m=number the wrapped gifts, then tell us which numbers belonged to each of us on Christmas morning. Great plan…except she forgot which numbers belonged to which kid. So, we ended up with some pretty interesting gifts! We all still laugh about THAT Christmas to this day.

Now, what about that 2nd best gift? What is it? Well, I’m here to tell that it’s YOU! You are the best gift you can give to someone. You’re smile, a loving and caring heart. Your generosity. Your friendliness towards each other and, towards a complete stranger, THAT is the next best gift. It’s not things that people crave and need, its heart. Giving of yourself to someone else is the ultimate win-win proposition. So, as we approach the big day, remember to give yourself to someone else. Your love, your compassion and tender heart, even your awards-winning smile, is all someone else needs.

Merry Christmas!

Jeff

Good morning my dear friends. I hope this blog finds you well.

Today will be a bit all over the place. Stick with me here.

As most of you know I had knee replacement surgery of my left knee back on November 27th, the day before Thanksgiving. I was prepared. This wasn’t “my 1st rodeo.” Hard to believe that this wasn’t my 3rd major surgery in the last 4 years. My 2nd knee replacement. Hey, all that’s left is my right hip and I’ll be “4-square”: both knees and both hips! Oh, think I’m joking, ‘its’ coming. Decent amount of arthritis is already in that joint. Party time! lol!

The hardest thing about knee replacement surgery is the rehab. The physical therapy. When Joyce and I met with the orthopedic surgeons PA and reviewed the x-rays of my left knee, I wanted to throw up in my mouth. I saw those images and knew, immediately, what they meant. Yuk! However, the next hardest thing with this surgery is SLEEP. Well, how about lack of sleep. Hence the title for the blog. I really can’t explain it. Same thing happened 2 years ago when i had my right knee replaced. Couldn’t sleep. There would be mornings that Joyce would wake up and walk into the living room and there I would be. Wide awake, watching tv. Up all night . Same thing is happening this go around. This time, however is a bit better. I AM sleeping. I usually get about 4 hours per night. Problem is that I usually am wide awake by 4am. Today I was wake at 3:30. Again, yuk!

I really don’t have an answer. perhaps it is due to all of the different meds I need to take post-surgery? Who knows. Just roll with it. Oh, and I am not the best at taking an afternoon nap. Again, yuk.

So, what does one do when you are wide awake at 3:30, almost every day? You let your mind run wild with all kinds thoughts, of course. Family, future, trips I’d like to take, what’s for breakfast?, what’s for dinner?! lol! It’s totally random. I also think about friends. I think about you. A good majority of you who read this blog(and, thank you for doing so) I have been friends for quite a long time. Either through business, or kids activities, church or charity work, most of you are friends. I am so blessed that God placed me in a career where I could use the skills He gave me(yes, the gift of gab) to build relationships and help others. What a blessing!

I’ll end todays randomness with this: I’ll be in receivers mode for, most likely, another 6 weeks. if you have a minute, text me. Give me a call. I’d love to hear from you, just NOT at 4am. Ha ha!

Be well,

Jeff

Didn’t think you’d hear from me so soon, did ‘ya? Well, I’m not going to let a little pesky ‘ol knee replacement keep me away. Nope.

As most of you know, I had total knee replacement surgery, on my left knee, back on Wednesday. Surgery was a success and my orthopedic surgeon-shout out to Dr. Nick Greco-was really pleased. Now that it is a few days post-surgery, I can tell you the struggle is real. The nerve block that was used on my left leg is long gone. Can you say pain? Yep, pain. Sleeping is a joke. Last night, for example, was my best night: fell asleep at 7:45. Slept til 1:15am. Up until 4am. Fell asleep until just before 7am. Crazy. NOTHING is routine right now. For someone who enjoys routine and schedule, that’s out the window right now. There is no routine. No “normal”.

How about you? Are you struggling with something? How do you deal with it? Me, I talk. I pray. Communication is the key, I feel. If you need someone to talk to, I am here for you.

Now, “what does this have to do with being thankful”, you might ask?” Well, the victory is in the process. All of the rewards and growth comes in going through the process. For me, I want me active life back. Riding my bike, walking for exercise, playing golf, and going to yoga class. But these things are the rewards of going through the process. The process is the work. I KNOW that physical therapy is going to be so painful and hurt. However, going through that pain and hard work is where I will grow and it will get me to where I want to be. So, I am thankful for the struggles I am currently having. I am thankful for the intense pain I know I will encounter with physical therapy. What are you thankful for? Be thankful for the process.

Oh, and I am so thankful for you!

Be well,

Jeff

Good morning! It’s a cold, fall morning here in central Ohio. Fall? Yes, it’s still fall, even though the temperature might tell us it feels like winter.

We just had our 1st snowfall of the season earlier this week. I took Sheldon out for a walk with the light snow falling on both of us. it WAS cold…and beautiful. It got me to thinking about snowflakes. If you look closely, they are quite the design. No two are alike. Just like you and me. We are all beautiful, a unique design by our creator. God created snowflakes to be beautiful, unique, inspiring and magical. just like you and me. Each one of us is unique. Each one of us is beautiful. And don’t forget this: each one of us was created, by God himself. So, the next time it snows, look at hose little snowflakes and smile.

Question; is it stuffing or dressing for you? Which do you prefer? Me, I MUCH prefer stuffing. Yes, the “stuff” that you bake INSIDE of the bird. It is soooo much better, in my opinion. What about you? What is your preference? Oh, one more question: Do you put paprika on those deviled eggs?(asking for a friend, or several family members 😆).

Well, its almost go time for surgery. Mr. Roboto is scheduled for surgery at 7am on next Wednesday, the 27th-that means Joyce and i will be up at 3:45AM to get ready and be at that hospital at 5am. Whew! Surgery prep is in its last stages. Now that I am in a 5-6 day window, that means no ibuprofen, no taking my fish oil supplement and daily showers in a special soap. Other than that, we are done prepping. I have had x-rays, EKG, urinalysis and given9 or 10 vials of blood. Cortisone shots. Boy, it’s been a process, and that’s just the prep. Now, this may sound odd to you, but I can’t wait to get my new knee. Yes, I DO remember how hard the recovery was just 23 months ago when I had my right knee replaced. Hard? That’s putting it mildly. the physical therapy and rehab is no joke. I distinctly remember my therapist, Nick, telling me that it’s “my job to bring you to “almost’ tears each time you’re here”. Progress. Move forward. Setbacks and step ups. Where have I heard that before? Lol!

Lastly, as you know, I love thanksgiving week. This year it will be different with the surgery and all. However, it will be JUST BEAUTIFUL.❤️

Be well,

Jeff

Hello my peoples. How the heck are ‘ya?! Me, I’m shuffling along.

It’s been a heck of week these past 3 days.(IYKYK). Colonoscopy prep on Monday AND Tuesday morning. Colonoscopy Tuesday morning. Pre-surgery testing this morning: EKG, 9 tubes of blood and urinalysis. X-rays of neck and spine. That’s enough. Like I said, what a week. Lol!

Surgery. My knee replacement surgery is 3 weeks from today. It’s a weird feeling, knowing that a part of your body, that you were born with, is only going to be in your body for 21 more days, then gone forever. Weird. Oh well. Play the hand you’re dealt and move on down the road. Be positive. That’s the road I’ve chosen. hoe about you? You on that same road with me?

Spare parts. The other day I was joking with Joyce that when I said that when my days are done, I’m going to have a lot of titanium parts in me to me removed. Sell it! All joking aside, it got me to thinking about that term: spare parts. It goes without saying that since the pandemic the number of folks facing anxiety, depression and similar issues has greatly increased. Some of this(my opinion) is due to isolationism and loneliness. Feeling unwanted, like a “spare part.” There are no spare parts. ALL of us are needed and we need each other. All are valuable. Just a little kindness can go a long way. A smile, a wave, a kind word, “hello”. You never know, just may be the thing someone needs to hear.😊❤️

Forgiveness. I recently had to come to grips with this topic. When you’ve been hurt, deeply, it can be hard to forgive. Definitely hard to forget. Forgiveness isn’t for the person that “did you wrong”, it’s for you/me. For my heart. I’m so thankful I have a wise wife who reminded me of this last week. Forgive. Move on with life. Ok to not forget, just no grudges. I know, this is a hard one.

Lastly, which holiday do you prefer: Thanksgiving or Christmas, and why? For me it’s Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas. The birth of my savior, Jesus Christ. It is wonderful. Thanksgiving is just sooo nice. AN entire week of chill. No pressure. Family, food, movies and…naps! So, what about you? Which do you prefer?

Thanks for letting me go on, and on. I appreciate all of you. 😊

Be well,

Jeff

This past Saturday marked an interesting anniversary for me. No, not mine and Joyce’s wedding anniversary, that was back on the 16th-31 beautiful years, I might add. No, this was a different kind of anniversary.

As many of you know, I was severely injured in a horrific car wreck my junior year of college. Here’s the short version: Jeff gets run off the road on his way home one Saturday night. Jeff gets out of car to crawl for help. Jeff gets run over and drug by a pickup truck. Jeff is in hospital over 1 month. Jeff survives and learns to walk again. Cue the credits. Beautiful ending.

Like many things and situations in our lives, it’s just not that simple. Not that clean. You see, after that wreck a transformation took place. I changed. God changed me. He used other people to help change my heart. My outlook on life. HE saved me. I gave my life to Him. Again, cue the credits? Nope.

Life doesn’t work like that. We are a work in progress. I celebrate-quietly-the anniversary of my car wreck. Not to say ‘look at me and what I’ve done.” No, but, rather, to say, “look what Jesus has done for me.”

I am no one special. I have been blessed. been given the gift of life. Twice. I firmly believe that. So, I want to make the most of life by giving. By helping others, which can be done in numerous ways. Be compassionate. I have said before that I would happily go out into the road and get down on all fours(recreating my accident) and get run over again, if it would have the same positive affect on my life as it did then. No doubt.

So, there you have it. A little more insight to your friend, here. October 19, 1985. One of my favorite days of the year.

Be well,

Jeff

Happy Wednesday my friends. Hoping this blog post finds you cozy, warm and well, especially now that those chilly fall mornings have arrived.

Last summer I purchased a new pair of prescription sunglasses. The brand is “Revo”. They tout themselves as making the best lens on earth. I REALLY like these sunglasses. And i do love the lens. Is it the best on earth? Totally up for debate.

The whole idea of sunglasses, or regular, daily wear glasses-even reading glasses-got me to thinking about how we see the world. A couple of weeks ago, Noah and I took our annual guys trip. We had a wonderful time and go to do, and see some of our favorite things while visiting some new attractions. Spend a week(a day, for that matter) with a person with autism and you will see the world through a completely different lens. For Noah, he tends to see things in a much simpler way than you or I may. He also tends to see the sheer beauty in things that “my lens’ simply does not see at all.

What about you and me? What does our lens see in our busy, everyday lives? I think, the more important questions is this: what DON’T we see? WHO don’t we see? Changing your lens and, thus, changing HOW you’re looking at things will also(at least it should) change how you’re looking at”for” things.

I encourage all of us to change our lens. Take a moment each day to try and see the world differently. It’s a beautiful place.

Be well,

Jeff

Happy Friday friends! I hope this blog post finds you happy, healthy and doing well.😊

Future self. What thoughts come to mind when you see these words. A dear friend of mine(full disclosure, he’s also a client), Jim, is always referring to his “future self.” Jim and usually meet for coffee once a month and he will give me a check to deposit into his investment account. In the memo section of his check he will write the two words: future self. I asked Jim about this and he told he’s always working for “future Jim.”

I’d never thought about this until Jim and I started our monthly coffee meetings a few years ago. It makes sense. Let’s look at it another way. There’s a real estate agent I follow on YouTube and social media. Ryan. Ryan is always saying that he is working for Ryan 5 years from now. That, 5 years from now, “future Ryan” is going to look back and say, “what have you done for me?” Again, it makes sense.

So, what’s the point, Jeff? The point is this: what are you working TOWARDS? Who do you want to be in 5 years? What do you want your life to look like in 5 years? Do you remember the old saying about goal setting? I think it goes something like this: “goals that are not written down are just wishes.” This is true. However, I prefer to say, “you WILL BE, 5 years from the now, the sum of the work you are doing now.

So, who do you want to be? What do you want life to look like for you? For your family? Dream it. Plan for it. Work for it. As the realtor, Ryan, also says, ‘take care of the work, and it will take care of you.” Do the work. Future you will thank you for it.

Be well friends,

Jeff

Good morning friends. I hope your weekend is off to a good start. As I sit here writing this, I am currently(shocker!) sitting in the Starbucks on Tremont Road drinking my usual cold brew concoction. It’s sooo good.

I’ve been writing this blog now for almost 9 months. I started back at the beginning of this year. A question you may have had(but were afraid to ask) is “why”? Well kids, just like a wise teacher once told you, “there are no dumb questions”. At least, that’s what she told my class. I digress.

WHY. The answer is simple: release and connection. Many of you will remember that last year I wrote my 1st book(hint!) and it was published last May. It was very therapeutic. Hard to write, emotionally. Very real. Made me feel vulnerable. Yet, for all of these, what could be perceived as negative feelings, it helped ME. It was a release. So much of that book was like re-opening a deep wound, but again, it was therapeutic. there was healing. Now, to the blog.

After the release of my book, Set Backs & Step Ups-you can find it online at BarnesandNoble.com (shameless plug), I felt like I had more to give. Or at least, had more that needed to be released. I floated the blog idea with a dear friend or two(you know who you are) and they encouraged with the word “definitely”. So, in January I began Moving Through Life with Jeff. It has bee wonderful. I publish a new blog roughly every 2 weeks and post it to my FaceBook page. I also text it to many of you. Small favor request here: if you receive it as a text from me, PLEASE hit the subscribe button. This way, each time I do publish anew blog it will come straight to your email inbox. Your subscribing will be greatly appreciated!

MORE. That’s what I’ve been told by numerous people: we want more. Don’t stop. So, I write. Just so you know, there is NO secret sauce to what I write. It’s just whatever is on my heart and mind at the at time. Most of it is personal, based on what I am going through and what I observe in everyday life. Real. Raw. Truth. Pain. Joy. All of these emanations wrapped up into one person…me.

One last thing:CONNECTION. I said that connection was one of the reasons I write. It connects me with you. So many of you I’ve known for years; 10, 20 and some even 30 or more. Many of you have been clients along my career and our friendship has grown. It’s not just a advsor/client relationship. Genuine friends. This blog helps me stay connected to you. I live out of state now and, even though I get back to “the valley” about every 2 weeks, I still miss you. More than you know. I’ve said it before, pick up the phone and give me a call. I’d love to hear your voice.😊-and I’ll do the same. Connection with others, it’s what life is all about.

There you have it. My why. So, I’ll keep writing as long as you keep reading.

Be well,

Jeff