https://youtu.be/gte3BoXKwP0

It’s been such a nice week here in Central IL.

The sun has been shining.

There hasn’t been much rain.

It hasn’t been too hot.

Enjoy some sunshine!

Make it a great day.

Jake

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. – Henry David Thoreau

Challenging quote alert…

It’s so easy to get distracted and focused on all the little trivial things in our lives while ignoring the root cause.

We let selfishness, greed, laziness, and anger win out while we try to keep up with the Joneses.

We argue with others about political differences and complain on Facebox about all the losers.

We shop and spend and adorn ourselves while ignoring a hole in our hearts.

We hack at the branches of the injustices of the world and ignore the root in our own hearts (and of those we care about).

What can you do today to hack at the selfishness in your life?

What can you do today to hack at the consumption obsession?

Let’s get to work on tackling the right end of the problem.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – You’re pretty great. You are one of a kind that was built for doing and becoming the best version of you. You’re probably much further down the path of working on the right end of the problem than me and I’d love to hear how you did it.

Nothing surely is as potent as a law that may not be disobeyed. It has the force of the water drop that hollows the stone. A small dainty task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules. – Anthony Trollope

Small, simple disciplines, repeated every day.

Like the consistent drip of water against stone.

The force is undeniable and unstoppable.

And we have in our power the ability to create these small habits and disciplines in our life.

Grab the opportunity to use this power in your life.

Make it a great day.

Jake

If you count all your assets you always show a profit. – Wilson Mizner

Life can be difficult, confusing, and heartbreaking.

It’s not easy and wasn’t meant to be.

But there’s always something to be thankful for.

If you make it a habit of counting up all of these, you will always show a profit.

Start day by making the list. Count up some good stuff.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom. – Hannah Arendt

Forgive and forget all the times you’ve fallen short of your goals.

Get started new today.

Learn the lesson if there was one, but move on with renewed enthusiasm and vigor.

It’s a brand new day!

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/n95A6G9IxlM

Maggie and I have been working our way through the Marvel movies and she’s liked the soundtrack for both of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

We were made to be moved by music.

What moves you?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. – Mahatma Gandhi

A major cause of anxiety is in not living up to our ideals and potential.

We are happiest when our thoughts, actions and words line up with the best in us.

An interesting side effect of living in a time and place where we can have everything we want is the anxiety produced when we don’t follow through and get it.

A potential solution is in simplicity.

When we simplify what we want and are motivated by it, we follow through.

We are able to line up our thoughts, actions and words better when there aren’t so many distractions to try to line up with.

So, for this week, what is your happiness thought?

What can you do to simplify and line up your life for happiness?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Give yourself time to be sad, frustrated and angry. Give yourself time to heal, accept and to grow. Time doesn’t erase anything, but it can provide you with enough space to be able to breathe again. And then one day you wake up and your heart has a little bit of sunshine in it. – Jessica Jensen

Jim Rohn talks about how life needs all the musical notes.

The high notes and the low notes.

Only high notes sounds a little funny.

Only low sounds funny too.

Mix them together and you get something magical.

Finding our way through all of the highs and lows while keeping our head up is an art unto itself.

Keep your head up today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that. – Gillian Anderson

What a great reminder.

Every minute that passes is an opportunity to improve your day.

We choose.

We get to pick.

For me, it’s hard to get this one right 100% of the time. I have come to accept that my goal is just to work to increase the percentages.

To make small improvements each day to the ratio of positive to negative.

To remember to look at each moment as that opportunity to do better.

You may be on the other side of this one, with it all figured out. If so, maybe take the opportunity to help someone around you to improve their day.

You could probably help someone out even if you didn’t have it all figured out. Probably worth a shot.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. – George Bernard Shaw

The Olympics have been a great reminder that it is fun to play.

We were designed to enjoy play and to have fun.

What could you do today to have fun?

What is something you could introduce into your life to get more playtime in?

Make it a great day.

Jake