Happiness is having a younger brother who is taller than you.

Today is my brother’s 41st birthday so I went in search of an inspirational “brother” quote and found a bunch of super sappy ones and then this random one that doesn’t really make sense, but is true in our case so I figured it was better than something corny about being best friends forever.

It has been a tremendous blessing in my life to have Bill as my brother.

Jim Rohn describes our family units as “the inner circle” and that as long as this inner circle is ok we can take on any challenge.

Bill’s always been a part of that for me. Meaghan and the kids have always been the “they’ll love me if even if it all went bad”, but Uncle Bill has been my “he’ll take good care of me when the zombies take over” person.

What’s the point, Jake?

The point is two fold:

1. Don’t forget to take care of your inner circle. Take special care of those people and those relationships.
2. Get somebody in your inner circle that is well prepared for the zombie apocalypse. It’s really not worth to get all prepared yourself, but you should definitely know somebody who thinks it is.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Here’s a daily attitude from a few years back…

That’s all I needed to hear. It turns out that gratitude from a single grandchild trumps the ridicule of any number of critics. With this in mind, I now pass on my granddaughter’s (and my own) thanks to today’s guardians—from front-line leathernecks, to keyboard warriors—who all deserve kudos. All play an important role in keeping us safe. So, thanks to all of you heroes out there who, when the call to serve came, eagerly answered, “You can count on me!”

We do, every single day. – Kerry Patterson

With Memorial Day weekend this weekend I got a newsletter email with the lines above at the end.

That last line really stuck out.

We do, every single day.

We count on those in the armed forces, every day.

We count on them in ways we will never understand.

They give to us in ways we will never be able to repay.

Maybe I’m just getting sappy in my old age, but with each holiday that passes to remember or celebrate those who serve I become more and more aware of just how lucky most of us are.

Evil does exist. And there are men and women who stand between us and that evil.

They do so and continue to do so despite the fact that it comes at an enormous personal cost.

I doubt any of them are thinking of Jake Davis and his little family in Chenoa, IL, but they go out there for us, every day. They do the same for you.

I think it is more than being thankful, though.

To be sure, we should be thankful.

But we should do more than that. We should make the most of the opportunity they have given us. The freedom to choose our path in this world.

We have been given a tremendous gift, not to use it wisely would be unfortunate.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/WaGoIhSlWUQ

More of a slow tapper this morning.

I’ve pasted the lyrics below. She expresses a deep need that each of us possess – the need to be held on to in spite of all of our imperfection.

Most of us (all?) need someone to be there in spite of how awesome we were or were not today.

Since we can’t control the actions of others, we can really only take a couple of different courses of action in response to this need.

Be (or become) the kind of person someone will want to hold on to.

Be (or become) that person for others.

Be thankful for those that have treated us that way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

When the best of me is barely breathin’
When I’m not somebody I believe in
Hold on to me
When I miss the light the night has stolen
When I’m slammin’ all the doors You’ve opened
Hold on to me
Hold on to me
Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You
When I let go, hold me again
When I don’t feel like I’m worth defending
When I’m tired of all my pretending
Hold on to me
When I start to break in desperation
Underneath the weight of expectation
Hold on to me
Hold on to me
Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You (I’ll hold on)
When I am sure I have reached the end
Hold on to me when I forget I need You (I’ll hold on)
When I let go, hold me again
I could rest here in Your arms forever
‘Cause I know nobody loves me better
Hold on to me
Hold on to me

“Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” – Khalil Gibran

Challenge!

Work with love today. Allow yourself to be filled with joy as your work.

Work can and will be better when done with love.

The Bible suggests we do our work “as if we are working for the Lord”, work being love made visible is saying the same thing.

This is a choice for us to make. The hard stuff and difficulties of work will still be there. It’s not an excuse to quit and sit at the temple gates and beg, it’s a challenge to bring our best.

We bring and do our best when our work is infused with purpose. And (maybe?) there’s no greater purpose than love.

What would change in your work day if it was filled with love?

What would change in your interactions if they were filled with love?

What would love made visible look like for you?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Here’s a daily attitude email from 2012 (I’ve been sending this a long time…).

I am reading a book about the simple rules for living that John Wesley. He was a pastor and went around starting churches.

He laid down a few simple rules in order to keep those that were converted from becoming “more of a child of the devil” after their conversion than they were beforehand.

He realized that no matter how profound a conversion they had made when becoming a Christian, there was more to make real change in someone’s life than a single moment, no matter how profound.

He realized that change required discipline. So much discipline in fact that his movement became known as Methodism because of how methodical he was in everything he did.

And the same holds true for you and whatever goals you have set for yourself.

Ever felt like you were completely on fire about something and then you didn’t follow through?

Ever sign up for a diet with complete zeal and gusto, only to fall back to your old ways all too quickly?

Ever make great plans for writing that book or even just reading one of the ones on the shelf at the office only to flip on the TV instead?

Most real change in life requires discipline. Real discipline.

Just getting started on the book, let’s hope it inspires me to have enough discipline to at least finish.

Make it a great day.

Jake

For those of you who missed it, on Sunday afternoon Phil Mickleson became the oldest winner of a major championship in the history of golf.

It was an amazing last few holes to watch. And the golf was pretty good too….

It was amazing to watch because of the story and the fans.

Phil Mickleson has essentially played professional golf his entire adult life. He’s played in hundreds of tournaments and has won more than his fair share.

What was he doing every time the camera got in close? Taking deep breaths and calming himself down. Working to control the same nerves that plague most (all?) of us when dealing with a high-pressure situation.

Then on national TV with about a gazillion fans waiting around for the trophy ceremony, what was he doing? Calling his wife to tell her he loves her and that he’ll be home tonight. I bet they are both still laughing about that conversation today. It was a great reminder that even in the midst of a history-making day on the golf course the most important thing he could do was to call his wife.

The best part though was watching the fans. Thousands of people cheering for one man as he rewrote the history books. Each shot resulted in a roar from the crowd. They rushed in so close on the last hole that several fans got manhandled by security just to try and calm the whole situation down.

After a year plus of COVID news, election angst, and economic woes it was a moment that reminded me of the human capacity for joy and community. We were built for community. We have been imbued with the ability to experience joy.

It was a great moment in golf history, made even better by being a part of an important moment in human history. And made even better for me because I got to watch it with Meaghan and the kiddos.

Make it a great day.

Jake

No one is guaranteed tomorrow.

As I get older this phrase comes out of my mouth more and more often.

Life is short. Today is the only day you get for sure.

The real trick is dealing with this reality.

Finding joy today while setting yourself and others up for an even better tomorrow.

This is one of those “tricks” to living a great life.

Knowing that today could be your last isn’t an excuse to skip the workout, eat all the junk food, and run up your credit cards.

We still need to eat well, be wise with our money and take care of our bodies.

We just need to find a way to do all that with joy in our hearts and purpose in our souls.

What can you do today to add more joy and purpose to your life?

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/rcnsao7Y0gk

I’m a believer.

I’m a believer that things can and will get better.

I’m a believer that love wins out in the end.

I’m a believer that selflessness beats selfishness.

I’m a believer that life is best when given away.

I’m a believer that hard work, grit and persistence pays off.

I’m a believer in smiling a lot.

I’m a believer that humility creates peace for the humble.

I’m a believer that God has a special plan for each and every one of us.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – I’m sure we would all love to hear some of your “I’m a believer” ideas….send them out today when you get a chance.

Nothing makes one feel so strong as a call for help. – Pope Paul VI

A lesson I continue to learn in my old age – no one does it alone, all of us will need help at some point.

When I’m being mature and wise (rarely) I think of my need for help as an opportunity to serve for the other person.

They have an opportunity to feel strong and useful.

An opportunity to become something bigger through service.

The Bible tells us to love others and that when we help “the least of these” we are doing God’s work on Earth.

Be that opportunity for someone – ask for help.

Ask for advice.

Borrow that cup of sugar from the neighbor.

We are not meant to live through this life on an island, managing life’s challenges through grit and self-determination. We are meant to work together.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Don’t read this wrong….grit and self-determination are great. It’s just that they aren’t the whole picture. Take care of yourself. Build skills and stamina in order to be of better service to others. Just don’t forget to ask for help along the way.

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. – Peter Ustinov

Two great ideas about love in one quote.

Endless forgiveness. An insatiable ability to forgive and think the best of the other person.

A habit of tenderly looking at the other. A day by day, hour by hour tenderness and kindness towards the other person.

In the Bible, the call to love others is everywhere.

God asks us to love our neighbors, our enemies, our husband, our wives……the list is pretty long (I think He didn’t want to leave us any wiggle room).

It’s easy to fall into the “yeah, but….” trap.

Yeah, but he’s mean to me.

Yeah, but he’s a liar.

Yeah, but she’s being unfair.

Yeah, but you don’t know what he did.

We have all kinds of qualifiers to add to a pretty clear directive to love.

Be tender hearted today.

Practice some forgiveness today.

Make it a great day.

Jake