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Welcome to The Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I’m your host, Andrew McGivern, for December 22nd. Now, today is Mathematics Day, a day dedicated to celebrating al

l those equations and algorithms that help make sure your favorite snack company knows how many chips to short yoGalile

o Galileiu in every bag.

But before we dive into our quote of the day, let's remember how math has saved the day more than once in pop culture.

Remember in Good Will Hunting when

Matt Damon’s janitor character solved that chalkboard math problem and left a room full of stunned MIT students questioning their career paths?

Or how about in The Martian when Matt Damon calculated his way through space potatoes to survive on Mars? (again – is it just Matt Damon who loves math?)

No it isn't just Matt Damon... remember the Avengers? Tony Stark literally uses math to save New York City from turning into a crater by calculating trajectories, hacking alien tech, and creating a wormhole solution in real time.

And don't forget Die Hard with a Vengeance where John McClane and Zeus use math to solve a tricky water jug problem to stop a bomb from going off...

Math is the solution for everything and today’s quote comes from Galileo Galilei, who famously said:

Pretty poetic for a guy who probably had to explain to his neighbors why he kept staring at the sky all night with a telescope.

But let’s break this down: Galileo was saying that math isn’t just what’s on your final exam; it’s the very fabric of reality. Every leaf that falls, every star that twinkles, and even the angle at which your cat decides to smack your dog in the face – it’s all a carefully calculated cosmic equation. Of course, TV and movies have immortalized math as a tool for heroes and geniuses alike.

I have even more examples...

Take Breaking Bad, where Walter White used math (well chemistry, but there’s plenty of math in there) to become the most unassuming kingpin ever.

Or Numb3rs, where a mathematician helped solve crimes with equations that looked like something only a computer program would understand.

Sure, these shows stretch reality – most of us aren’t solving quadratic equations while making our morning coffee – but they remind us that math is powerful. Galileo might be on to something when he calls math “the language of the universe.”

If that’s true, then most of us are walking around with thick accents and a terrible vocabulary. And that’s okay.

On Mathematics Day, let’s appreciate the numbers for what they are: complex, sometimes annoying, but also the reason why your GPS doesn’t send you into a lake (but it could happen so pay attention while driving). So, here’s to the math wizards, the spreadsheet warriors, and the people who manage to tip correctly without a calculator.

Today, remember: even if you can’t do calculus, you’re still adding up to something amazing. You just listened to an episode of The Daily Quote. I'm Andrew McGivern signing off for today.

Thanks for joining me, and may your day be as perfectly calculated as Galileo’s take on

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Welcome to The Daily Quote—a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I’m your host, Andrew McGivern, for December 21st.

Today is Don't Make Your Bed Day...

And to be honest some days don't leave me much choice... like National Oat Muffin Day... really that was the best for that day!

But today there are so many great national holidays to celebrate—Short Girl Appreciation Day - I know some short girls that I definitely appreciate!, National Armagnac Day - this is medicament, National Crossword Puzzle Day - because working the brain is a good, and National Snowboard Day. Seriously, December 21st feels like the Swiss Army knife of holidays.

But the one that really caught my eye is Don’t Make Your Bed Day. Why that one? Well, let’s be honest—it’s a little rebellious, isn’t it? Plus, it’s like taking one of Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life and flipping it on its neatly folded head. Even Dr. Peterson himself might say, "Alright, just for today, go ahead—leave it unmade." But, as he’d also remind us, only today. So, let’s lean into this rare permission to let chaos reign—at least in your sheets.

And to complement this little holiday rebellion, I’ve picked a quote from Pablo Picasso that captures the spirit of taking life’s rules and bending them just a little.

Pablo Picasso once said...

What a perfect fit for Don’t Make Your Bed Day, right? Picasso’s advice feels like an invitation to embrace the idea that life’s rules—like making your bed—are tools, not handcuffs. Sure, order and structure have their place, but every now and then, stepping back to embrace a little imperfection can be its own form of art.

Think about it. Making your bed is symbolic of control and discipline, which are great—most of the time. But sometimes, leaving things messy can be a reminder that life isn’t perfect, and neither are you. And that’s okay. Maybe you don’t need to tuck in your sheets to prove to yourself you’ve got it together.

Today, you get to let your bed breathe. Throw off the metaphorical covers of perfectionism. Picasso would approve. After all, no masterpiece was ever created without a little creative chaos.

So, here’s your challenge today: Look at your bed, smile knowingly, and walk away. Channel your inner artist and embrace the mess—just for today. Tomorrow, you can grab the corners and smooth things out again.

And remember Picasso’s wisdom: The rules are there to serve you, not the other way around. Learn them, honor them, but every once in a while, don’t be afraid to break them—with style.

Thanks for joining me on The Daily Quote. I’m Andrew McGivern signing off for today, and I’ll see you tomorrow for more inspiration and a new holiday to celebrate. Until then, leave that bed unmade and have a great day anyway... and I'll see you tomorrow - same pod time, same pod station for another Daily Quote.

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Welcome to The Daily Quote—a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for December 20th. Did you know today is Games Day?

That’s right—a whole day to celebrate the fun, creativity, and sometimes competitive chaos of games. Whether it’s board games, video games, or even that game of charades that always devolves into an argument about what counts as “mime,” games are a powerful way to connect with others and even with yourself.

So, in honor of Games Day, I’ve chosen a quote from Bernard Suits, the philosopher behind The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia: - who once said...

Let’s break that down because, at first glance, it sounds like the exact thing your competitive sibling says when they beat you at Monopoly. But Suits is actually highlighting something profound here. Games are a microcosm of life—they’re all about the challenge.

Think about it: you willingly take on those “unnecessary obstacles” because they make life more engaging and meaningful. Whether it’s navigating a chessboard, solving a puzzle, or trying not to lose it when someone picks the blue shell in Mario Kart, games remind you that struggle isn’t always a bad thing. And this idea doesn’t just stop at games. How often in life do you take on “unnecessary obstacles” to grow, learn, or just have fun?

You didn’t have to bake a soufflé that one time, but you did—and it deflated faster than your confidence—but it was still a memorable experience. Life is richer when you embrace challenges, whether they’re inside the rules of a game or not.

So, today, whether you pick up a deck of cards, dust off your favorite board game, or finally tackle that side quest in your favorite RPG, remember: the obstacles are what make it fun. And who knows, maybe today’s game will teach you something about how to face the bigger challenges in life—with a bit of strategy, humor, and maybe just a touch of luck.

Thanks for spending some time with me today on The Daily Quote. I’ll be back tomorrow with more words to inspire and connect with you. Until then, may all your dice rolls be in your favor.

And I'll catch you tomorrow, same pod time, same pod station for another Daily Quote!