Good morning from New York City. What I’m noodling this morning is something I scribbled down during a recent workshop I took. I am a big note taker. Oftentimes, I can’t even read my own writing. I know that about myself, so I put lots of stars around things when I want to be sure to go back to them.

When I stumbled upon this one this morning, I thought to myself ‘wow, that sentence is like the magic key to life. It pretty much captures everything I think and believe.’ Yet at the same time it’s something you have to do over and over and over again. Okay, you ready? Here’s the magic formula: layer positive emotion over clear intention. Let me say that again. Layer positive emotion over clear intention. That will for sure be one of the few sentences that frame the front page of my new notebook. I don’t know about you, but I take my new notebooks very seriously, and the first few pages are always important notes to myself.

It’s funny because I’m always sad when I have to change notebooks, and as I’m preparing my new notebook, I always go back and I re-read everything. I make circles, I star things, and I bring some notes forward into my new notebook. Then I of course go back to look at the messages I wrote to myself at the beginning. This one – layer positive emotion over clear intention – feels perfect for my new notebook.

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