“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” – Winston Churchill

Distractions. They are a fact of life.

How many times in a day do you catch yourself thinking "what was I doing?"

Like most things in life, learning how to focus your efforts is a discipline, learned over time.

Decide to work on that discipline today.

Pick a period of time and focus on the most important to do on your list.

It might be 5 minutes or it might be 5 hours, but pick a time and stick with it.

And then do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And I think you get the idea after that.

Make it a great day.

Jake ​

“When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is a great description of our fears.

A scary looking man with a fake beard that immediately becomes a farce when confronted.

Think about what is holding you back from reaching your goals.

What are you afraid of?

Afraid of failure?

Afraid someone might laugh at you?

Afraid someone won’t like you anymore?

Afraid of losing control?

Afraid that it might actually work?

Take the first step today. Take the step through your fears.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. It’s choosing what is right over what is fun, fast or easy. It’s choosing to practice your values rather than simply professing them. – Brene Brown

Meaghan found this quote and shared with me the other day.

It’s a great thought for these difficult times.

We’re all going to have plenty of chances to life a life of integrity over the next few months.

What will you choose?

Make it a great day.

Jake

This daily attitude from a while back seemed appropriate as we’re experiencing this new normal. Don’t let a week of neglect creep in to some important area of your life.

A week of neglect could cost you a year of repair. – Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn often talks about maintaining the important values in our lives. This short quote is an important reminder of what it could cost you.

A week of neglect of your marriage could cost you a year of repair.

A week of neglect of your integrity could cost you a year of repair.

A week of neglect of your attitude could cost you a year of repair.

The week equals one year part isn’t important. Five minutes of neglect could ruin a marriage.

This is why knowing your priorities and sticking to them is so important.

Imagine having a really nice car but a marriage that is falling apart.

Imagine being super fit but having no friends.

Imagine having millions of dollars but a poor attitude (not going to have any fun with that money).

Don’t neglect that which is most important to you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/Z6VrKro8djw

And I’m on my way

I don’t know where I’m going

I’m on my way

I’m taking my time

But I don’t know where

Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona

I’m sure we could all relate to those lines….

Make it a great day.

Jake

Our current struggles and difficulties remind me of some of the war stories I’ve read over the years.

I found this old daily attitude email I thought was worth sharing again.

“We are little flames poorly sheltered by frail walls against the storm of dissolution and madness, in which we flicker and sometimes almost go out…we creep in upon ourselves and with big eyes stare into the night…and thus we wait for morning.”

― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

“They are more to me than life, these voices, they are more than motherliness and more than fear; they are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere: they are the voices of my comrades.”

― Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

I’ve been reading “All Quiet on the Western Front” lately (probably time for a break from the war stories). It’s difficult reading.

These two quotes reminded me of the book.

One showing the madness that is war.

One showing the unique bonds forged in battle.

I’m not sure about you, but I have a hard time with the whole “maturity and not complaining” thing.

It’s all too easy to complain and moan about some small inconvenience in my life instead of being the mature, accountable, adult I should be.

But books like this tend to sober me up pretty well.

I’ve got it pretty good compared to a rat infested trench a hundred yards or so away from people shooting at me with machine guns and trying to drop shells on my head…..for months.

And those are the lucky ones….the unlucky ones are injured or dead.

And those are just the soldiers (thank God for soldiers).

What about the single mothers?

What about the cancer patients?

What about those with meaningful struggles of all kinds?

I’m thankful for the stories of real struggles shared over the years. They put my little problems into perspective.

Ending my little pity parties doesn’t seem quite noble enough an end for stories such as these, though, right?

In the end, I (and hopefully this is a we and I’m not the only one, if it’s just me, somebody tell me quick) must honor the sacrifices and struggles of others by doing our best to leave this place better than we found it. To make a difference for others through service with love.

Make it a great day.

Jake

When coaches or parents make consistency their foundation, everyone around them becomes more comfortable and every around them has an opportunity to grow. – John Wooden

This quote is aimed at helping parents and coaches, but I believe it applies to all relationships.

When we are consistent in how we interact with someone, they know what to expect. When they know what to expect, trust can grow. And trust is the foundation of a healthy relationship.

Maybe to take that metaphor further, consistency is the bricks or blocks that build that foundation of trust.

Think about a foundation built out of inconsistently sized and shaped bricks. Might not want to build a home on that one.

As you think about the relationships and life you want to build, think about the size and shape of those bricks of consistency.

Are you consistently honest or deceitful?

Are you consistently wise or foolish?

Are you consistently productive or lazy?

Are you consistently caring or selfish?

Those things we do consistently form the foundation on which everything else is built.

What kind of foundation are you building?

Make it a great day.

Jake

"God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. You are as much alone with him as if you were the only being he had ever created." – CS Lewis – “Mere Christianity” (1952)

I liked this quote because it reminded me of what Rick Warren says.

He pictures God sitting at the end of our bed every morning saying “I can’t wait until he/she gets up. I can’t wait to see what they do today.”

To me, the best part of this is exactly what CS Lewis is talking about.

We are all equal.

We are all wonderfully and uniquely created.

Having this attitude frees us to be so much better to each other and ourselves.

To have more patience when things go wrong.

To expect the best from each and every one of us.

To not get so mad when the best doesn’t come.

When thinking about this I try to start at home. I imagine myself sitting on the end of the bed waiting for Meaghan to wake up, thinking that I can’t wait to see what she will do today. I imagine the same thing for the kids.

I try to expand that circle throughout the day. Co workers, customers, vendors, waiters, drivers, cashiers, anyone that comes across my path.

I fall far short of having this attitude all the time (like CS Lewis says….it requires infinite attention, which I don’t have), but the more I can do it, the better my day goes.

Try it out today. Even if just for one person.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"The Shortcut to Contentment"

Comparison drops you at the dead-end of discontentment every single time. Whether you come out on top and feel guilty, or don’t measure up and feel short-changed, comparison always leaves you dissatisfied.

But there’s a secret to overcoming it: gratitude. The shortcut to contentment is thanking God, and it works no matter which side of comparison you’re on.

How? It’s an instant perspective adjustment. When comparison makes you feel short-changed, gratitude can shift your focus to all the blessings you do have. And when you’ve been blessed with a lot, thanking God puts you in the humble posture needed to use those gifts well.

Comparison is out to steal your contentment. But the habit of expressing gratitude is an easy way out of its trap. – Andy Stanley

Comparison is such a dangerous road to travel. Andy’s suggestion above is that the road is too narrow and isn’t worth the trip.

He suggests we skip it and instead take the road of gratitude.

We all have something to be thankful for.

In our darkest hour, there is a light shining somewhere.

Something to maybe add to Andy’s suggestion about being thankful. Tell someone.

Tell someone today that you are thankful for them, or even just tell them something you are thankful for.

Just tell someone.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/c6rP-YP4c5I

I wanna try even though I could fail

I won’t give up, no I won’t give in

Till I reach the end

And then I’ll start again

No I won’t leave

I wanna try everything

I wanna try even though I could fail

I don’t know about you, but I fail. A lot.

In my old age, I am trying hard to see this as a positive.

It’s only when we let comfort and the status quo take over that we really fail.

We can’t experience the great things in life without trying new things and putting ourselves out there.

Sure, it can be painful. And nobody likes to fail.

But it’s worth it.

Growth and positive momentum requires failure.

What’s something new you could try this weekend?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Looking for something to try….how about dancing?

https://youtu.be/ru0K8uYEZWw