Ralph Waldo Emerson - Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

Welcome to the Daily Quote – a podcast designed to kickstart your day in a positive way. I'm your host, Andrew McGivern, for August 31st.Today is National Eat Outside Day, celebrating the simple pleasure of dining under the open sky. Friends, fresh air, and good food are the focus of National Eat Outside Day every year on August 31. Whether it's a picnic in the park, dinner on your deck, or lunch at a sidewalk café, there's something magical about breaking bread in the great outdoors.

As we stand on the threshold between summer and autumn, this holiday reminds us to savor these last warm days. There's a reason restaurants charge extra for patio seating – food simply tastes better when accompanied by a gentle breeze and natural light.Today's quote comes from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American philosopher and poet, who said:

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."At first glance, you might wonder what blazing new trails has to do with eating outside. But think about it – every time we choose to step away from our typical indoor routines, we're creating our own small adventure.

Emerson understood that life's richest experiences often happen when we venture beyond our comfort zones. And isn't that exactly what National Eat Outside Day encourages? Instead of following the predictable path to our kitchen table or office cafeteria, we're invited to forge a different trail – to a park bench, a garden, or even just our front steps.

For some people National Eat Outside Day is a big deal... but for us it is every day that isn't raining (and too cold). Yeah, we always eat outside if we can. We always have and that is a little strange to some people. When we lived downtown we had a tiny balcony that could just fit a small table and two chairs and we were out there every day for breakfast and dinner. And later when we had a covered deck we at out there all the time. And now we do the same in our backyard dining area under a pergola with a Wisteria vine and patio lights. We love it...I mean why would you eat inside anyway...But back to the quote...

Emerson's wisdom applies to the smallest choices in our lives. When we eat outside, we're not just changing our location – we're choosing presence over productivity, experience over efficiency. We're leaving a little trail that says, "Here's someone who chose to slow down and pay attention to the world around them."

So today, as we celebrate National Eat Outside Day, I encourage you to follow Emerson's advice. Don't just take the convenient path to your usual eating spot. Step outside – literally. Pack a lunch for the park, grab coffee for the garden, or simply move dinner to the patio.Create your own small trail of mindful moments. Because sometimes the most meaningful adventures begin with something as simple as deciding to eat your breakfast on the front porch instead of at the kitchen table.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.