https://youtu.be/PO6Jt4M8ebs

Great song to send to someone that makes you happy.

We all have someone in our lives that needs to hear from us often how much they make us happy.

It’s easy to take them for granted.

Let them know!

Today!

Make it a great day.

Jake

I’ve been listening to a podcast of an interview of gentleman who was a Marine that fought in the Pacific during WWII. It reminded me of this email I sent a while back after watching a show on the same subject.

A while ago I watched the series “The Pacific”. The series was about the experience of a group of Marines during WWII.

At the end of the show they gave a brief “update” on each of the soldiers and their experiences after the war.

Next to one of the names it said “Sold cars for 46 years”.

That really struck me as an interestingly different experience than participating in WWII.

Think about it. You go from participating in one of the greatest battles and moments in human history (saving the world) to selling cars.

Not that selling cars is bad, I just have a hard time imagining waking up in the morning to that as compared to the significance that must have been felt at moments during war.

But as I thought about it, I wondered if there isn’t an interesting lesson in there somewhere.

Maybe the lesson is that the same kinds of things that led to success in WWII would allow someone to be successful and enjoy a life of selling cars.

Courage, integrity, responsibility, grit, humility, positivity.

Just some examples, but you can easily imagine how they would lead to success in whatever endeavor the possessor pursued.

Most of us are lucky enough to not have to test our character in the crucible of war.

Instead, we must test it in daily interactions with coworkers, our families and ourselves.

As I reflect on this whole picture, I am eternally grateful for those that have faced sterner tests on my behalf.

And I am inspired to do the best I can with the opportunity they have created for me to test myself against the smaller yardsticks I face each day.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I think the story below and this previous daily attitude email often.

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. – Matthew 6:26-34

Any time I feel the anxiousness creeping in, I try to remind myself of the verses above.

It’s so easy to fall into the trap of worrying.

Our minds appear to have a natural tendency towards worry and anxiety.

But I believe God has a different plan for us.

Promises like joy and peace are there for us if we can renew our mind and put the right thoughts in.

If you’re feeling a lot of anxiety lately, read these versions again. Maybe every day. Renew your mind with these timeless truths.

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

https://youtu.be/UTwgSw2qJ7Y

This seemed appropriate for leap day tomorrow.

Geronimo!

Make it a great day.

Jake

Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. – Will Rogers

I really like simple ideas like this that illustrate how our thinking might be flawed.

Beating yourself up because you didn’t know something, maybe it’s time to realize that you are/were just ignorant on that subject.

Really struggling with something, maybe you are ignorant now and some learning and growth are required.

Dealing with someone who just “doesn’t seem to get it”, maybe they are ignorant of a few important facts that would make all the difference.

We tend to judge ourselves and others a little harshly in this area. Expecting ourselves and others to not be ignorant.

Recognize where you don’t know.

Recognize that others don’t know.

Plan for it.

Take care of it.

Move around it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

In spite of unseasonable wind, snow

and unexpected weather of all sorts –

a gardener still plants.

And tends what they have planted …

believing that Spring will come.

– Mary Anne Radmacher

On a cold, snowy and blowy morning this quote seemed appropriate.

Faith. We all must take certain things with faith.

That spring will come.

That our efforts will pay off.

That if we keep it up it will be worth it.

It’s easy to lose faith in something.

Any time we work towards something bigger for our lives, we must work in faith.

Faith that it will all work out in the end.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Sounds like we have some winter coming. It reminds me of Jim Rohn and his explanation of winters as part of life’s natural flow.

https://youtu.be/QU333LmZ4CE

Jim starts by explaining that we can’t change the seasons of life. We can only change our response to the seasons.

Jim says “Learn how to handle the winters, they always come right after fall”

Jim goes on to say that there are all kind of winters.

The winter when you can’t figure it out.

The winter when it all goes smash.

Economic winters, social winters.

The winter when your heart is smashed into a thousand pieces.

No matter what kind of winter you may or may not be experiencing at any given point, it is important to remember that we all face winters in our life.

Jim says “When it was winter, I used to wish it was summer.” But then he realized that winter served its own purpose.

Winter is a time to do three things.

Get stronger. Get wiser. Get better.

This part about handling the winters of life is probably my favorite of the four seasons and his explanation of them. I think it made the most sense to me because I used to (at least I am trying to make it used to) complain about the winters in IL and think that wasn’t any good that came of the winter time.

Jim’s explanation of winter gave me a different perspective. We need to use winter as a time to get stronger, wiser, and better. It is a time to hone our skills so that we can take advantage of the next season…..spring.

Make it a great day.

Jake

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. – Lao Tzu

I once heard someone interviewed about meditation and she called it a “super power”.

Both mindfulness and meditation help us to understand how to calm and still our minds. To focus and harness the energy of our thoughts instead of allowing them to go in all directions.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not all that interested in getting the universe to surrender.

I’m not all that interested in having a super power.

I am in interested in things like: joy, peace, patience, self control, kindness, and goodness.

Each day is an opportunity to learn to train our minds to focus on the good.

To focus on being something better for those around us.

To use our joy, peace, patience, etc. to brighten the lives of those we encounter along life’s path.

To calm our minds and focus them on the real values of life.

Make it a great day.

Jake