Jeremy Cockrell - Realtor

This photo was taken at Mount Everest Base Camp. Everyone was lining up to get pictures with Everest in the background, and our guide pulled us aside and said very clearly, don’t take pictures with flags. He told us the year before someone did that and their passport was blacklisted for visiting China.

I noticed this rock with a Chinese flag painted on it and figured, well, I guess this is the one flag you’re allowed to stand in front of. So I took the picture.

It got me thinking about something I don’t think people always realize. Governments can be messed up. Corporations can be messed up. There are real problems everywhere. But the amount of time we spend in the U.S. focusing on what we think we’re not allowed to do sometimes blinds us to how much freedom we actually have.

Here, you can hold up any flag you want. People protest with other countries’ flags all the time. Nothing happens. You can criticize the president. You can say something unpopular. And if something does go sideways, you can get counsel, fight it, and win.

I’m not saying we don’t have problems or that people should stop pointing them out. I just think sometimes the ratio is off. If you spend the majority of your time focused on what you dislike or what you think is holding you back, you miss how much latitude you actually have to live, speak, and move freely here.

Meal prep

If I were God and I wanted you to know that you could reach your goals and your vision for your future self, I would tell you this:

“I created you with purpose, resilience, and a spark of greatness. The vision in your heart is not random; it’s a whisper from Me, a glimpse of the life you’re meant to live. You already have everything you need within you to succeed—your unique talents, your courage, and the power to grow through challenges.

The path won’t always be easy, but it is designed to refine you, not defeat you. Every obstacle is an opportunity to build the strength and wisdom you’ll need for the next step. Trust the process. Take one bold step at a time, even when you can’t see the whole way forward.

Remember, I walk with you. You’re never alone. When fear creeps in, when doubt weighs you down, lean on Me. I will give you clarity and peace. Hold onto faith—faith in Me, faith in your vision, and faith in yourself.

Stay consistent. Stay humble. Stay open to My guidance. You are capable of more than you can imagine. What I’ve placed in your heart will come to pass, as long as you keep moving forward. The future you desire is already yours; it’s just waiting for you to claim it.”

What’s your next bold step?

Running 12 hours is not hard. Expensive groceries are not hard.

Wheelchairs are hard. Starving is hard.

Nobody is coming to save you. Plenty of people will help you though.

Better to quit complaining and blaming.