I’ve been a member of TYT for a little less than a year, but have been listening for a few years. I find TYT to be the only place to get fair and balanced news and I tell others about TYT any time the topic of news comes up. Anyway…
I love the #teamjoy segments you do on Tuesdays. I rarely can listen live so I usually listen the next morning. I wanted to chime in about Team Joy…
I learned to count cards in blackjack. Card counters chase positive expected value any time they play. The game is not about the short-term wins you might get, but about making decisions with positive expectations so that in the long run, the value you have extracted is actual positive gains. I have taken this as my mantra in life. Life is not about the short-term gains you might get, but about making decisions that have positive expected value in your life in the long run.
For example, my wife and I have custody of our 10-year-old nephew and have for about 4 years. When I knew we would be taking the role of his parents, I decided to take it very seriously. I saw that he emulates absolutely everything I do and say so I set out to be an exceptional human being. I got sober, lost 100 lbs, and am careful how I interact with others in his presence. I always put him first. We do jiu jitsu together, watch a movie every night (he chooses this over playing on his electronics and I love it), he has travelled more at 10 than I every did until I was a grown adult, and he is in accelerated math with A’s and B’s all around. The positive expectation in the long run is that the time that I spend with him will help him grow into an amazing, productive member of society and THAT I will take over any short-term gain I might get by being an absent parent.
This has been a major source of joy in my life. I love this kid more every day and never knew what I was missing in my life until he came around. Keep up the good work TYT and I plan to be a member for the foreseeable future.
Oh my goodness, you have made my entire weekend. You and your wife are amazing! Parenting truly is a gift, and in your situation, it has worked out to be a gift for everyone involved. Thank you for sharing your story and reminding us all that short-term, easy fun has nothing on putting in the work for what actually matters in the long run. On a totally different topic, are you available to go to the casino this weekend? (Asking for a friend. )
Thank you for the kind words. He is a very cuddly kid. I’ve always heard that those things don’t last forever so enjoy it while you can. So we’ve absolutely soaked in all the love this kid sends our way and look forward to seeing him grow into an amazing human. He is the source of real joy in our lives.
And I’m always available to extract cash from the casinos!!
What a wonderful personal story. I’m so glad that it has worked out so well both for you and your nephew. I also have a 10-year-old kid (daughter), and like you said they’re very impressionable. It sounds like you’ve really made a difference in his life, and also he has in your and your wife’s life.
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