Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 21st.Today is Winter Solstice – the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.For thousands of years, humans have marked this astronomical event. Ancient peoples built monuments aligned to the solstice sun – Stonehenge, Newgrange, Machu Picchu. They understood something profound: today marks a turning point. After tonight, each day grows longer. Light returns.Winter Solstice reminds us that darkness isn't permanent. It peaks, then recedes. The sun reaches its lowest point in the sky, then begins its climb back. Starting tomorrow, we gain seconds, then minutes of daylight. Slowly but inevitably, light wins.Victor Hugo captured the promise of the solstice when he wrote:

"Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise."Hugo's words aren't just poetic. They're physical truth.No matter how dark it gets, morning comes. The earth keeps spinning. The sun keeps rising. This isn't hope or optimism – it's astronomy. It's certainty.The solstice teaches us this lesson in real time. Tonight is literally the darkest night of the year. Maximum darkness. Peak cold and shadow. And yet, embedded in this darkest moment is the seed of return. Tomorrow, light begins growing again.That's the pattern in nature and in life. The darkest moment often precedes the turn. When things feel most hopeless, when winter feels endless, that's often exactly when light begins its return.Hugo understood that darkness is never the end of the story. It's just a chapter. Night gives way to dawn. Winter gives way to spring. The turn always comes.Today, honor the turning. Notice that after tonight, days grow longer. Light returns.If you're in a dark season, remember the solstice pattern. Darkness peaks, then recedes. The turn is coming, even if you can't see it yet.Tomorrow, watch the sunrise. Know that you're witnessing the return of light. Not just today, but every day from now until summer.Because Hugo was right. The darkest night will end. The sun will rise. That's not hope. That's certainty. That's solstice.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 20th.Today is Go Caroling Day. Gather friends. Walk the neighborhood. And sing.This is something I've only ever seen happen once when I was a kid. Someone knocked on our door and we answered and a group of carolers sung a song for us... But I've seen this happen on TV a lot.
And that brings us to today's quote from an unknown author.A Swedish proverb says:"Those who wish to sing always find a song."Caroling proves this. You don't need perfect pitch. Don't need training. Just the wish to sing.The song finds you. Joy to the World. Silent Night. Oh Christmas Tree... Where there's willingness, there's music.So today, find your song. Go caroling if you can. Or just sing. Anywhere.The proverb's right. Wish it. Find it. Sing it.Simple as that.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 19th.Today is National Underdog Day. Celebrating everyone who's been counted out, overlooked, underestimated. Everyone loves to root for the underdog in the movies. And in real life it can be fun to be the underdog when you know that you have a chance to win!
And that brings us to todays quote from Malcolm Gladwell who once wrote:"The fact of being an underdog changes people in ways that we often fail to appreciate. It opens doors and creates opportunities and enlightens and permits things that might otherwise have seemed unthinkable."Gladwell's right. Being the underdog isn't just disadvantage. It's transformation.When no one expects you to win, you're free to try everything. Nothing to lose. Everything to gain.Underdogs see opportunities others miss. They work angles the favorites ignore. Being underestimated opens doors that confidence keeps closed.Today, embrace your underdog status. Whatever it is. Wherever you're counted out.Use it. Let it change you. Let it open doors. Let it permit the unthinkable.Because Gladwell's right. Underdogs have advantages favorites never see.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 18th.Today is Bake Cookies Day – perfectly timed for the holiday season when kitchens fill with the sweet smell of butter, sugar, and possibility.December is peak cookie season. Families dust off grandmother's recipes. Kids press shapes into dough. Neighbors exchange tins of homemade treats. The simple act of baking cookies becomes ritual, tradition, and gift all at once.What makes Bake Cookies Day special isn't complexity. You don't need fancy equipment or culinary training. Just flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and a willingness to get your hands messy. Cookies are democracy in dessert form – accessible to anyone willing to try.Irish novelist Marian Keyes captured the deeper magic of baking when she wrote:"Baking makes me focus. On weighing the sugar. On sieving the flour. I find it calming and rewarding because, in fairness, it is sort of magic - you start off with all this disparate stuff, such as butter and eggs, and what you end up with is so totally different. And also delicious."Keyes understands that baking is transformation. You begin with separate ingredients that seem to have nothing in common. Flour. Butter. Sugar. Eggs. Ordinary things, unremarkable on their own.But combine them with attention and care, add heat and time, and suddenly you have cookies. The disparate becomes unified. The ordinary becomes special. That's not just chemistry – that's magic.The magic isn't just in the result. It's in the process. Measuring flour forces you to slow down. Creaming butter requires patience. Watching cookies bake demands presence. In a distracted world, baking creates focus. Your hands are busy, so your mind can settle.Keyes also notes that baking is "calming and rewarding." It's one of the few activities that consistently delivers satisfaction. You put in effort, and you get tangible results that taste delicious. That's rare. Most of life's challenges don't resolve so cleanly or taste so good.Cookie baking reminds us that transformation is possible. Separate things can become something greater. Ordinary ingredients can create extraordinary joy.Today is Bake Cookies Day but yesterday my daughter baked chocolate chip cookies. They are soooo good. I ate one still warm with melt in your mouth deliciousness. And I'm looking forward to more of their signature Christmas sugar cookies. These girls make AWESOME sugar cookies. I'm normally not the biggest fan of sugar cookies but my daughters work some magic to make the most delicious cookies ever.So today, bake cookies. Choose a simple recipe. Don't overthink it.Notice what Keyes describes – how the separate ingredients transform. How your mind focuses on measuring and mixing. How disparate stuff becomes something delicious.Share the cookies. Or don't. The gift isn't just in the eating. It's in the making. In remembering that transformation is possible, that magic is real, and that sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to bake.Because Keyes is right. You start with butter and eggs and end with something totally different. And also delicious.That's magic worth celebrating.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 17th.Today is National Maple Syrup Day – celebrating nature's sweetest gift and the patience required to create it.Real maple syrup is liquid gold, distilled from the sap of sugar maple trees. The process is ancient, dating back thousands of years to indigenous peoples who discovered how to collect and boil down sap into syrup long before European settlers arrived.Making maple syrup requires patience and timing. Trees must be at least 30-40 years old before they can be tapped. Sap flows only during a narrow window in late winter and early spring when nights freeze but days warm above 40 degrees. And here's the remarkable part: it takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of syrup. Forty to one.That ratio alone teaches us something about transformation. Something watery and unremarkable becomes concentrated sweetness through time, heat, and human effort.Botanist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer, in her book Braiding Sweetgrass, wrote beautifully about this relationship:"The responsibility does not lie with the maples alone. The other half belongs to us: we participate in its transformation. It is our work, and our gratitude, that distills the sweetness."Kimmerer's insight is profound. The maple tree provides the sap, but that's not maple syrup. The tree gives us raw material, potential sweetness. We have to do our part.We tap the trees. We collect the sap. We tend the fire. We watch the boil. We know when to stop. The transformation from watery sap to amber syrup doesn't happen without human participation, patience, and care.But notice the second part of Kimmerer's quote – gratitude. She's saying that gratitude is essential to the process. We're not just extracting a resource. We're entering into relationship. The maple gives. We receive with thanks. We work to transform the gift. That cycle of giving, receiving, and transforming with gratitude – that's what distills the sweetness.This applies far beyond maple syrup. Every good thing in our lives is part maple, part us. Talent is raw sap until we develop it through practice. Relationships are potential until we invest time and care. Opportunities are just sap until we do something with them.The sweetness comes from participation, work, and gratitude.Today, think about what raw sap you've been given. What potential sits in your life, waiting for your participation to transform it?Maybe it's a talent you haven't developed. A relationship you haven't nurtured. An opportunity you haven't fully seized. An idea you haven't acted on.The tree has given you the sap. Now do your part. Tend the fire. Watch the transformation. Participate with gratitude.Because Kimmerer is right. The sweetness doesn't distill itself. It needs your work. Your attention. Your gratitude.The maples have done their part. The rest is up to you.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 16th.Today is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day – a deliciously absurd celebration that encourages you to dip literally anything in chocolate.The origins of this holiday remain delightfully mysterious, but the concept is simple: if it exists, you can cover it in chocolate. Strawberries? Classic. Pretzels? Delicious. Bacon? Surprisingly good. Pickles? Don't knock it until you've tried it.This day celebrates chocolate's remarkable ability to improve nearly everything it touches. It's not about sophistication or culinary rules. It's about playful experimentation and the universal truth that chocolate makes things better.National Chocolate Covered Anything Day is permission to be creative, indulgent, and maybe a little ridiculous with your food choices.Author Joanne Harris, who wrote the novel Chocolat, captured the essence of chocolate when she said:"Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive."Harris understands that chocolate mirrors life itself – complex, contradictory, and completely worth savoring.Chocolate is both simple and complicated. On one level, it's just happiness in edible form. Pure pleasure. Straightforward joy. But look closer and you find layers – bitter notes balancing sweet ones, smooth textures giving way to rough, dark complexity hiding beneath milk chocolate simplicity.That's what makes National Chocolate Covered Anything Day so perfect. You take something ordinary – a banana, a potato chip, a marshmallow – and cover it in chocolate. Suddenly, something simple becomes more interesting. The chocolate adds depth, contrast, complexity.Life works the same way. Our experiences layer on top of each other. The bitter moments make the sweet ones sweeter. The difficult times add depth to the easy ones. Like chocolate, life is richer because it contains both – bitter and sweet, simple and tortuous, all alive.Harris knew that chocolate isn't just food. It's metaphor. It's comfort. It's everything we feel, wrapped up in something we can taste.Today, cover something in chocolate. Find something unexpected – bacon, strawberries, graham crackers, popcorn, whatever calls to you. Melt some chocolate and experiment.But also think about Harris's wisdom. Life, like chocolate, contains both bitter and sweet. The complexity is what makes it alive. The contrast is what makes it worth experiencing.Embrace both. Savor the sweetness when it comes. Appreciate how the bitter moments add depth. Let the layers build into something richer than simplicity could ever be.Because National Chocolate Covered Anything Day reminds us: sometimes the best things happen when we layer experiences on top of each other, letting them combine into something unexpected and wonderful.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 15th.
Today is International Tea Day – a global celebration of the world's most consumed beverage after water.Tea has been cultivated for over 5,000 years, originating in China and eventually spreading across the world through trade routes and colonization. Today, tea is grown in over 50 countries and consumed in virtually every culture on Earth. Whether it's green tea in Japan, chai in India, mint tea in Morocco, or English breakfast in Britain, tea crosses all borders.But tea is more than a drink. It's ceremony in Japan. It's hospitality in the Middle East. It's a pause button in Britain. Across cultures, tea creates a moment to stop, breathe, and connect – with yourself, with others, with the present moment.Chinese philosopher and inventor Lin Yutang captured tea's deeper purpose when he wrote:"There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life."Yutang understood that tea does something unique. Coffee energizes. Alcohol loosens. But tea? Tea quiets.Making tea requires patience. You boil water. You steep leaves. You wait. In a world of instant everything, tea demands you slow down. Then, when you finally drink it, the warmth, the ritual, the flavor – they all encourage contemplation.Tea creates space for thought. Not anxious, racing thought. Quiet contemplation. The kind where you notice things. Where problems seem smaller. Where clarity emerges.Every tea culture understands this. The Japanese tea ceremony isn't about the tea – it's about presence, mindfulness, awareness. British afternoon tea isn't about hunger – it's about creating a civilized pause in the day. Moroccan mint tea isn't about refreshment – it's about welcoming strangers and making them family.Tea, in its nature, slows us down and asks us to pay attention to life while we're living it.Today, make tea. Not coffee. Not in a rush. Tea.Boil the water. Choose your leaves. Steep them properly. Then sit down and drink it without your phone, without distractions, without multitasking.Let the tea do what Yutang says it does – lead you into quiet contemplation. Think about your life. Not anxiously. Quietly. What matters? What doesn't? What needs attention? What needs to be released?Give yourself that gift. Tea isn't just a beverage. It's a doorway to presence.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 14th.Today is Monkey Day – an international celebration of our primate cousins.Created in 2000 by art students Casey Sorrow and Eric Millikin at Michigan State University, Monkey Day started as a joke scribbled on a friend's calendar. But this playful holiday has evolved into a serious platform for primate conservation awareness.Today, Monkey Day is celebrated in zoos, sanctuaries, and classrooms worldwide. It's supported by primatologists, environmental activists, and animal rights organizations. The playful spirit remains – people dress in monkey costumes, create primate-themed art, and share monkey memes. But beneath the fun lies an urgent message: over half of the world's 262 monkey species are threatened with extinction.Monkey Day reminds us that our closest relatives in the animal kingdom need our help.Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, who spent over 60 years studying chimpanzees, captured the essence of conservation when she said:"Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help."Goodall's simple progression reveals how change happens. Understanding comes first. Not assumptions or stereotypes, but real knowledge. She spent years observing chimpanzees, learning their behaviors, recognizing their intelligence and emotions.That understanding led to caring. Once she saw chimpanzees as individuals with personalities, families, and feelings, she couldn't look away. Understanding transformed indifference into connection.And caring naturally leads to helping. When you truly care about something, action becomes inevitable. Goodall founded institutes, changed laws, and spent decades advocating for primate protection.Monkey Day follows this same progression. Learn about monkeys. Understand them. Care about them. Help protect them.The holiday works because it makes understanding accessible. You don't need a PhD to celebrate Monkey Day. You just need curiosity. Watch a documentary. Visit a sanctuary. Read about a species. That understanding plants seeds of caring, which grow into action.Today, celebrate Monkey Day by following Goodall's wisdom.First, understand. Learn about a monkey species. Read about their habitats, behaviors, threats. YouTube has incredible primate documentaries. Five minutes of watching will change how you see these animals.Second, let yourself care. Don't distance yourself from the problem. Feel the connection to these intelligent, playful, social creatures who share 98% of our DNA.Third, help. Support reputable primate sanctuaries. Donate. Spread awareness. Make choices that protect their habitats. Even small actions matter.Because Goodall was right. The progression from understanding to helping is natural. We just need to take that first step.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 13th.Today is National Cocoa Day – celebrating the rich, warm beverage that has been bringing comfort to cold hands and weary souls for centuries.Hot cocoa dates back over 5,000 years to ancient Mesoamerica, where the Mayans and Aztecs consumed it as a bitter, spicy drink far different from the sweet version we know today. They believed chocolate had divine properties and even used cacao beans as currency.When Spanish explorers brought cocoa to Europe in the 16th century, sugar was added, transforming it into the sweet, comforting drink that spread across the continent. By the 19th century, hot cocoa had become a winter staple – the perfect antidote to cold weather and difficult days.Today, whether you prefer it with marshmallows, whipped cream, or plain, hot cocoa remains one of life's simplest pleasures.Swiss philosopher Henri Frederic Amiel captured something beautiful about warmth and comfort when he wrote:"Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time."Amiel's comparison is perfect. Love, like hot chocolate, has that initial shock – the intensity, the heat, the way it catches you off guard. You think you're ready for it, but that first moment still surprises you.But here's what makes both love and hot chocolate remarkable – the lasting warmth. Long after that first sip, you feel it spreading through you. Your fingers warm up. Your chest feels lighter. The chill that had settled in your bones slowly melts away.Love works the same way. The initial rush might fade, but the warmth remains. It settles into something steady and sustaining. It keeps you warm long after that first surprise, through cold days and difficult seasons.Hot cocoa is comfort in its most concentrated form – sweet, warm, exactly what you need when the world feels cold. It's love you can hold in your hands. It's warmth you can taste.Today, make hot cocoa. Not the instant kind – the real stuff. Take your time. Use good cocoa. Add a pinch of something special – cinnamon, vanilla, a dash of cayenne if you're feeling adventurous.Better yet, make it for someone else. Pour it into a real mug. Hand it to them warm.Because Amiel was right. Hot chocolate, like love, takes you by surprise and keeps you warm for a long time. In a cold world, that's something worth sharing.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 12th.Today is Gingerbread House Day – celebrating the delicious tradition of building edible architecture.Gingerbread has been around for centuries, but the tradition of making gingerbread houses specifically began in Germany in the early 1800s. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel," published in 1812, popularized the idea of houses made entirely of sweets – and bakers ran with it.Today, gingerbread house making is equal parts art project, engineering challenge, and delicious disaster. Walls collapse. Roofs slide off. Icing goes everywhere. But that's the point. You're not just building a structure – you're giving imagination a physical form, one gumdrop at a time.Albert Einstein understood the power of imagination. He said:"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."Einstein's quote captures exactly what happens when you build a gingerbread house.Logic tells you how structural engineering works. Imagination tells you to put a candy cane chimney on a cookie roof held together with frosting. Logic says this is impractical. Imagination says it's magnificent.Gingerbread houses are pure imagination made edible. They defy logic – these structures would never pass inspection in the real world. But they transport us somewhere better than logic ever could. To childhood. To wonder. To a place where houses can be made of cookies and decorated with dreams.Einstein, despite being one of history's greatest logical minds, understood that imagination is what actually moves us forward. His theory of relativity came from imagining riding on a beam of light – not from calculating in a straight line from A to B.Gingerbread houses teach the same lesson. The "correct" way to build might get you a stable structure. But imagination gets you a masterpiece covered in gumdrops.Today, build a gingerbread house. Or just imagine one. Let logic take the day off.Put doors on roofs. Stack candies in impossible ways. Create architecture that exists only in dreams and frosting.Because Einstein was right. Logic will get you from point A to point B. But imagination? Imagination will take you to a house made of cookies, and that's so much better.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 11th.Today is International Mountain Day – a United Nations observance celebrating the importance of mountains to life on Earth.Mountains cover 27% of the planet's land surface and provide freshwater to half of humanity. They're home to incredible biodiversity, unique cultures, and some of the world's most spectacular landscapes. But mountains are also fragile ecosystems, increasingly threatened by climate change, deforestation, and unsustainable tourism.International Mountain Day reminds us that mountains aren't just scenic backdrops. They're vital to our survival and deserve our protection.Photographer Ansel Adams, who spent his life capturing the Sierra Nevada, understood the power of mountains. He wrote:
"No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied – it speaks in silence to the very core of your being."Adams knew that mountains don't need words. They communicate directly, bypassing our intellect and speaking straight to something deeper.You can be the most educated, cultured, sophisticated person in the world. You can have advanced degrees and impressive credentials. You can know all the geological terms, understand plate tectonics, grasp the science of erosion.But when you stand before a mountain, none of that matters. The mountain doesn't care about your sophistication. It simply is – massive, ancient, undeniable. And something in you responds. Not your brain. Your core.That silence Adams describes is profound. Mountains don't shout. They don't need to. Their presence is enough. They've been standing for millions of years. They'll be standing long after we're gone. That perspective, that humbling sense of scale – it speaks to us whether we want to hear it or not.Today, honor mountains. If you can, go to one. Stand at its base. Look up. Let it speak its silent truth to your core.If mountains aren't nearby, find a photo. Really look at it. Not at the technical details or the beauty. Look at the mountain itself. Let it be what it is – ancient, undeniable, indifferent to everything except existence.Because Adams understood what mountains teach us: we're small, life is short, and there's something humbling and freeing about standing before something that cannot be denied.Listen to that silence. Let it speak.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 10th.Today is National Lager Day – celebrating the crisp, cold beer that brings people together.Lager is the world's most popular beer style, accounting for over 90% of global beer production. The name comes from the German word "lagern," meaning "to store," because these beers are fermented and stored at cold temperatures for weeks or months.But National Lager Day isn't really about fermentation temperatures or brewing techniques. It's about what happens when you pour two pints and push one across the table to a friend.
That brings us to todays quote from C.S. Lewis who understood this perfectly. He once wrote:"The sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal, or two friends talking over a pint of beer."Lewis spent many of his happiest hours with friends at the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, drinking beer and talking about everything from theology to poetry to complete nonsense. Those conversations shaped some of the greatest literature of the 20th century.But notice what Lewis is really saying. It's not the beer that's good. It's the two friends talking. The beer is just the excuse, the ritual, the thing that says "we're not in a hurry here. We're going to sit and actually be present with each other."Lager, with its clean, approachable flavor, is the perfect drink for this. It doesn't demand attention. It supports conversation. It's social by nature.Lewis knew that some of life's best moments happen in ordinary places – a pub, a table, two friends, and time to talk. That's not frivolous. That's essential.Today, raise a lager. Better yet, invite someone to share one with you.Not for any special occasion. Not to celebrate anything particular. Just to sit together. Talk. Laugh. Be present.Lewis was right. The sun looks down on nothing half so good as two friends talking over a pint of beer.So find your pub, your table, your friend. The lager is just the excuse. The friendship is the point.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 9th.Today is Christmas Card Day. Write one. Mail it. Connect. Christmas cards have been around for centuries so go buy some, make them yourself or get the kids to do it. There is no better time to get your Christmas Cards ready than Christmas Card Day.Grab some family pictures, write another letter... I know, I know it was just Letter Writing Day the other day but it wouldn't hurt to let your family and friends know what is going on in your life and include it with your Christmas Card.Enough of that... lets dive into today's quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. who once wrote:"There is no friend like an old friend who has shared our morning days, no greeting like his welcome, no homage like his praise."Holmes understood. Old friends matter. They saw you before. They know your story.A Christmas card to an old friend isn't just courtesy. It's remembering. It's saying: you still matter. We still matter.That greeting means everything.Today, write one card. To an old friend. Someone you miss. Someone who knew you when you were younger.Holmes was right. No greeting compares.So send it.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 8th.Today is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. Speak in old English. Wear futuristic clothes. Confuse everyone.
Today is a day to have fun and pretend you have the Flux Capacitor or the original time machine by HG Wells... which brings us to today's quote from H.G. Wells himself who once wrote:"We all have our time machines. Those that take us back are memories. Those that carry us forward are dreams."Wells understood that outside of science fiction... No device is needed.Memory is time travel. Close your eyes. You're ten again. You're there.Dreams? Future travel. You see tomorrow before it arrives.We're all time travelers. Every single day.You don't need the flux capacitor, the Tardis or anything else. Just your own memories and imagination.Today, time travel. Pick a memory. Go there fully. Or dream forward. Imagine tomorrow.Wells was right. You already have the machine.Use it.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 7th.Today is National Letter Writing Day. Pen. Paper. Your thoughts. Nothing else required.Before the invention of the telephone followed by the internet, email, smart phones, and social media... hand writing a letter was the only way to communicate with other people across physical distances.Today is all about going back to the art of sitting down and writing a letter by hand and sending it to someone.Which brings us to today's quote from Keanu Reeves who once said:

"Letters are something from you. It's a different kind of intention than writing an e-mail."Reeves gets it. Emails are efficient. Letters are intentional.You choose paper. Find a pen. Sit down. Think. Form words by hand.That takes time. That requires presence. That's the point.Today, write one letter. By hand. To anyone.Not an email. Not a text. A letter.Reeves is right. It's a different intention. And maybe a better one.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 6th.Today is Put on Your Own Shoes Day. Teaching kids independence, one lace at a time.
As an adult it sounds funny but when your trying to tie your laces for the first time it is a big deal. It's challenging and can be frustrating. The loop wraps around where and then what?And that brings us to today's quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson who once said:

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself."Emerson understood that no one else can tie your shoes. No one else can live your life.Self-reliance starts small. Tying laces. Making choices. Standing up.Peace comes from doing things yourself. Even small things. Especially small things.And when trouble comes your way only you can bring yourself peace. Nobody else can do it for you.So today, do something yourself. The thing you usually ask for help with.Not because help is bad. Because independence feels good.Emerson was right. Peace comes from within yourself. That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 5th.Today is National Bartender Day. Honoring the people who mix drinks and listen.Bartenders are known not just for their mixology skills but also for being a pseudo-psychologist. In other words they are good listeners.
Which brings us to today's quote from bartending expert Harry Gordon Johnson who wrote:"The greatest accomplishment of a bartender lies in his ability to exactly suit his customer."Johnson understood. It's not about flashy tricks. It's about reading people. Knowing when to chat, when to stay quiet.Good bartenders don't just pour drinks. They match the moment. Strong when you need strength. Light when you need ease.They suit you. Exactly.
I actually used to be a bartender. And I learned this lesson pretty quick. I had been working weeknights because I liked having the weekends off but I switched shifts and started working the weekends. One of the other bartenders warned me about this jerk who always sits at the end of the bar, spends hundreds of dollars every Friday night and doesn't tip at all. Well sure enough at the end of the night, a big bill with a big ZERO in the tip line. So after a couple weeks of this one Friday I served him his drink and stuck around for bit. He spoke about his family and friends and some trouble his kids got into recently. For the rest of the night when I wasn't busy and he wasn't chatting with someone else, I'd step over and be a good conversationalist. Well at the end of the night after ordering a lot of drinks for himself and others there was huge tab with a 20% tip included. Wow... lesson learned. My job wasn't just making and serving good drinks. It was much more than that... for people who needed it. Some people who come into a bar by themselves and sit at the bar are looking for more than a drink. Others, that is all they want. And it was my job to exactly suit my customer.So next time you go for a drink. See how the bartender adapts to your personality. Maybe they're matching your mood before you say a word. Reading your needs. Suiting you exactly.Johnson was right. That's the art. That's the accomplishment.And that's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 4th.Today is National Cookie Day. Whether that's Chocolate chip, Sugar or Oatmeal Raison. They are all equally tasty today.
Now if you've been paying attention you may have noticed a lot of the holidays have been related to food recently. And while that is true, I'm not sure why I'm picking these... maybe because it is the holiday season and I'm eating my yummy treats than usual. Or it could just be a coincidence. Whatever the reason, lets jump right into today's quote from celebrity chef Sandra Lee who once said:"Cookies are the sweetest little bit of comfort food. They are very bite-sized and personal."Lee's right. Cookies are personal. Someone chose the recipe. Mixed the dough. Timed the bake.Each cookie is small. But the act of making them? That's big.Comfort comes in bite-sized pieces. My daughters have been making sugar cookies for Christmas for a few years. They are always good but this year they found a new recipe and OMG... they are the best sugar cookies I've ever tasted.Super good.So today... eat a cookie or two. Bake them yourself or pick them up at the local bakery. After all... it isn't National Cookie Day every day.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 3rd.Today is National Apple Pie Day. Warm. Cinnamon-sweet. And delicious. Apple pies are the ultimate comfort food and when paired with some vanilla ice cream it is even better.
This brings us to today's quote from Jane Austen who wrote:"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness."Austen understood. Happiness isn't always found in grand moments. Sometimes it's as simple as pie.Apple pie reminds us of home. Safety. Someone who cares enough to bake.Domestic happiness. The everyday kind. The kind that matters most.So today, find your apple pie. Bake one. Buy one. Remember one.Pay attention to domestic happiness. The ordinary kind.Austen was right. Pie matters.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm Andrew McGivern for December 2nd.Today is National Fritters Day. Deep-fried dough, filled with whatever you want. Apple. Corn. Zucchini. Pure comfort.
Doesn't sound like the healthiest food but they sure taste good. And even if we are on a strict healthy diet we all deserve a cheat day... right?Maybe today can be that day!Lets jump right into todays quote from food writer Laurie Colwin who once said:"A person cooking is a person giving. Even the simplest food is a gift."Fritters prove this. Nothing fancy. Just batter, heat, and whatever filling you have.But someone stood at a stove. Someone fried them. Someone gave them to someone else.That's the gift. Not perfection. But effort.Today, make something simple. Fritters, if you want. Or anything.Remember Colwin's truth: cooking is giving. Even simple food matters.Especially simple food.That's going to do it for today. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for now but I'll be back tomorrow. Same Pod time, same Pod Station - with another Daily Quote.