https://youtu.be/BA9bOvKbLu0

Mr. Cluney shared this song in response to yesterday’s email about the “The Arena” quote.

Today is a great day to get in it – to take the risk of being in relationship with our fellow imperfect human beings.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

This quote is part of the central idea of “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown, in which she shares her idea that daring greatly by being vulnerable is the key to living a wholehearted life.

What pops into your head when you read this quote?

A conversation you need to have with someone?

A bad habit that needs to be kicked to the curb?

A new habit that needs your focus?

Find a way to dare greatly today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Last week I was lucky enough to get to go out to SEMA with the Maxlider crew.

The team built a super cool 4 door Bronco that placed in the top 3 for trucks in the Battle of the Builders competition (it’s kind of a big deal).

Every time I’m lucky enough to be around “great work” I am reminded of this bible verse:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. Colossians 3:23-24

Doing great work requires working heartily.

Working heartily requires a certain amount of motivation.

Working for the Lord seems pretty motivating to me.

The team did something exceptional in building that Bronco. They came together and use their skills and talents to create something unique and meaningful and they were recognized by their peers as such.

And this is all wonderful and good.

What about the rest of us though?

Those whose talents and job duties lie in an area that doesn’t generate as much buzz and TV coverage?

Whatever we do – do it heartily – as if for the Lord – because there is an even bigger reward waiting for us.

Give it all you got today.

Work hard.

Do great work.

You’re worth it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny. CS Lewis

Many of the stories of successful people also include a period of hardship.

Many have escaped abusive situations and used these difficulties to drive them forward.

I once heard Condoleeza Rice say "It is a privilege to struggle."

Struggle and difficulty are common to all of us. We may not have the same degree or difficulty, but we all have experienced difficulty.

Through our struggles and strife we able to relate with our fellow men and women who experience the same.

Just as struggle and difficulty are common, so is the antidote.

Inside of each of us is the capability to dream and then create a new future for ourselves. One that is away from our current struggles and hardships. One that is away from the current pain.

Encourage and grab on to those dreams of yours. Start working to make them a reality. Begin to let go of the struggles and hardship.

And make it a great day.

Jak

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. – Albert Camus

In “Man’s Search for Meaning” Viktor Frankl has the idea that the Statue of Liberty (representing freedom) should have a twin on the West Coast – a statue of responsibility.

Freedom is not only a chance to be better, it is an offering to accept the responsibility inherent in making the most of our freedom.

Today is Veteran’s Day. A day to remember who paid for our freedoms.

I’ve read quite a few books from members of our military over the last few years.

Each time I am inspired to make the most of the freedom they have bought for me.

Even the most heroic and well-meaning soldiers from the stories seem to struggle with coming back and realizing that so many have chosen to squander their great gifts.

Our biggest tribute to the armed forces is a life well lived.

A life spent enjoying the responsibilities of the freedom so dearly bought for us.

Make the most of your chance to be better.

Embrace the responsibility of making the most of your freedom.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/dJDvS0LFbfE

For some reason this song and National Lampoon’s Vacation pop into my head every time I’ve been out to Vegas.

It’s a reminder of all the little inconveniences and difficulties associated with travelling.

It’s also a reminder to take it all in and enjoy it along the way to make all those little things worth it.

Life requires a certain amount of getting outside of our comfort zone in order to get to something good.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it. – Chinese proverb

As I get older, this one seems more and more true.

Anything of value requires work.

The work of self-discipline.

The work of building good habits.

The work of stopping bad habits.

The work of putting others before yourself.

It isn’t easy, and that’s why it’s worth it.

Let’s get to work!

Make it a great day.

Jake

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Psalm 139:14

I f I (JCD) were to draw a caricature of an adult experiencing a lifelong crisis of confidence, I would depict a bowed, weary traveler. Over his shoulder, I would place the end of a mile‐long chain attached to tons of garbage. Inscribed on each piece of junk would be the details of some humiliation–a failure, a rejection, an embarrassment from the past. The traveler could let go of the chain, but he is convinced that he must drag that heavy load throughout life.

The above came from email list I am on.

I really liked this mental picture as a reminder that we can let go of all the junk holding us back.

We really don’t have to beat ourselves up over all the dumb stuff we’ve done in the past.

We really don’t have to beat ourselves up over the weight we’ve gained.

We really don’t have to beat ourselves up over the money we’ve wasted.

We should do something about all of those things. Move forward. With reckless abandon and confidence.

Make it a great day.

Jake

If you would be loved, love, and be loveable. – Benjamin Franklin

Simple, straightforward advice from Mr. Franklin on this one.

We all desired to be loved.

In order to be loved we should love others.

In order to be loved we should endeavor to become loveable.

Start working in this direction. Today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

A favorite move at the Davis house is “Night at the Museum”. In it they tell the Sacajawea story.

They talked about all the hardships and the enormous scope of their journey.

I think if we could ask someone like that from history what they were thinking about as they completed their epic journey or surmounted impossible odds the answer would interesting in its simplicity.

They would probably say things like:

I said I was going to do it, so I just didn’t quit.

Going forward just seemed better than quitting.

I didn’t really think about it at the time, we were having so much fun.

It seemed like something worth trying.

What they say maybe betrays part of what can hold us back from time to time. We make things too complicated. We try to climb the whole mountain in one day. We quit.

Whatever is on your goal list for this year, make a simple commitment today. Take the next step. However small that might be. However imperfect it feels. Just keep going.

Make it a great day.

Jake