You're Not Stuck

✨ In this episode, You’re not Stuck—you’re in a habit you forgot you built.

One bad moment can ruin your day, but one habit can change your life. In this episode of On the Fly, discover how small, daily actions can rewire your mindset, replace negativity with possibilities, and even lift the people around you.

Your 7-day challenge starts now.

You’re Not Stuck—You’re Just in a Habit.

Yes, a single bad moment, a rough headline, or a tense conversation can throw off your entire day. Before you know it, your thoughts are spinning in a hamster wheel of frustration and negativity.

Here’s the reality: you don’t have to stay on that wheel. The secret isn’t a lightning bolt of motivation—it’s something quieter but far more powerful: habit.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” – Aristotle.

Mindset doesn’t change through grand gestures—it changes through small, repeatable actions.

Your brain is constantly building pathways—tiny roads that become freeways the more you travel them. Keep focusing on what’s wrong, and you’ll pave a superhighway to frustration. But start focusing on what’s right? You’re building a whole new road.

For me, that “new superhighway” began with a simple ritual: every morning, I’d find one inspiring quote or idea. At first, it was just my personal "Thought for the Day." Over time, that habit became this podcast, On the Fly.

The purpose is still the same—give you (and me) something positive to anchor the day.

Ditch the Excuse-ology

Every day, we get to choose:

You can be an “Excuse-ologist”—an expert at talking yourself out of change.
Or take one small action that nudges your mind in a better direction.

This isn’t about pretending life is perfect. It’s about training your mind to look for possibilities and hope, even when things get messy.

“We become what we think about—but the thinking is up to us.” – Earl Nightingale.

Your 7-Day Challenge – Right now, you have more power to spread positivity than any generation before us. Yes, social media can be a mess—but it can also be a megaphone for encouragement. Let’s use it for good.

So, here’s your challenge:

For the next seven days, each morning, find one positive quote, one uplifting thought, or one beautiful image that sparks something in you.

Then—share it with one person. A friend. A coworker. A family member. Someone who might need it more than they’ll admit.

After a week, notice the shift—not just in your mindset, but maybe in theirs too. Then come back to On the Fly and tell me what happened.

Today’s starting thought:

“He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let’s build that habit—together.

I'm Patrick Ball. Stay curious, ask questions. See you next time.

Comments

Anonymous said…

You’re a positive influencer

August 16, 2025 at 7:36 AM

The Compass of Cuba: Mom

🎄 Preview of this week's On the Fly blog: A Holiday Tribute to Mom. As the holidays hustle with pixels and beeps, the world scrolls along in a smartphone-y sleep. I log off for a moment—just one little minute— To breathe in the past and to sit myself in it. My mind doesn’t wander to faraway places, Or trips full of tickets and new airport faces. Instead, it drifts backward, as memories do, to Cuba, Illinois, where the best moments grew. To a home full of warmth, in the wintry Midwest, Where my mother—dear “Marcie”—put love to the test. With a smile that could melt the most frigid of dawns, and hugs that hung on you like shivering fawns. She came from La Rochelle in France, brave and bright, Across oceans and war shadows, into new light. A town full of strangers soon felt like her own, And her courage built up the foundation of home. “Oh yes, we know Marcie!” the locals would say— “It's Doc Ball’s French lady! She brightens the day!” She cleaned, and she cooked, and sh...

Feeling Human Again

In this episode, The Unexpected Thankfulness of Feeling Human Again I’ll be honest with you: My triumphant return from France was not the glamorous homecoming I had imagined. No graceful glide back into routine. No cinematic jet-setter moment where I lift my suitcase off the carousel and wink at life like we’re old pals. Instead? I came home and immediately launched into a two-week performance piece titled The Great American Couch Collapse. My days blurred together in a haze of soup, hot tea, tissues, and desperate negotiations with the universe for just one nostril—one!—to function properly. The living room sofa became my emotional support furniture. And any creative idea that dared tiptoe into my congested brain was gently shown the exit with a firm but courteous, “Not today, friend. Try again later.” When life hits the pause button like that—when you’re exhausted, sick, and mentally unplugged—how do you find your spark again? Somehow, today, I felt it. A tiny shift. A clearing of th...

Patience: the Only First-Class Ticket

In this episode, Patience: the Only First-Class Ticket They say travel broadens the mind. After eight days sailing the Rhône with 140 fellow luxury vacationers, I can confirm it also tests patience , calf strength, buffet strategy, and one's tolerance for people furious that France insists on being French. Don't get me wrong—I adored this trip. The river shimmered like liquid optimism. The villages looked hand-painted. The pastries could negotiate world peace. But somewhere between Ship Horn Hello and Bon Voyage, we'd inadvertently boarded a floating behavioral research study disguised as a holiday. Our ship was less a cruise and more a ferry for the Sailors of Status. Some passengers approached relaxation like yogis. Others treated leisure like a final exam with extra credit. I came to believe certain luxury watches emit ultrasonic signals that only their owners can detect. A frequency calibrated to trigger rapid movement toward any line forming for any reason. I saw more ...

Up the Rhône

Up the Rhône by Patrick Ball We booked a fine cruise up the Rhône — what a treat! With iPhones, lanyards, and schedules so neat. They promised us peace and a mind that would mend, But each calm beginning had chores at the end! "Now breakfast at seven! At eight, take the view!" At nine, there's a lecture on ' What Tourists Do!' At noon, there's a tasting (you must love the cheese), Then hurry to nap time — as corporate decrees! I followed that plan till my patience ran dry. The Rhône softly chuckled, "Oh my, oh my, my! You've missed half my sparkles, my ripples, my tone— You're busy pretending you've peacefully grown!" So I fired my planner and banished my clock. I tossed my agenda right off the dock! I let the wind tickle my schedule away, and drifted through hours that danced where they may. I chatted with swans, had no notion of when, I'd nibble, or nap, or go roaming again. No Wi-Fi! No meetings! No planning! No fuss! Just me and ...

On The Fly

Search This Blog