“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Martin Luther King Jr.

One of the persistent themes that flows throughout speeches and quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. was that of service.

He seemed to understand that service to others was part of the path to prosperity that he and the people he led were seeking.

Think about the situation though.

They were persecuted, belittled, beaten and mistreated in every way possible. It would have been difficult to live in that environment and have your thoughts be focused on serving others.

But he knew that love and service would win out. He knew that the only way to rise above it all was to be better than their oppressors.

As we think about Martin Luther King Jr. let’s remember to focus on service to others regardless of our current circumstances. It is the sure path to victory and happiness in the long run.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Helen Keller

We have a choice. We can choose to spend most of our time facing the sunshine.

One of my favorite ideas from Jim Rohn is that we “go the direction we are faced”.

We move towards what we are looking at and for.

So, if we choose to face the sunshine, we will head towards it.

As long as you don’t take this all the way and try to fly into the sun (that will end badly), we will end up better off.

As you begin your day today, which way are you facing?

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/BOuu88OwdK8

In honor of Meaghan’s birthday I figured I would send out a Beatle’s song and this one seemed appropriate.

Being married to Meaghan is a daily reminder of just how lucky I am.

I venture a guess that everyone who receives this email has someone in their life to be thankful for.

Make sure and tell them today how thankful you are.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Meaghan’s birthday is Saturday and I went looking through previous daily attitude emails about her and found this one:

No one is youer than you. – Dr. Seuss

Today is Meaghan’s birthday.

I remember the line above from “The Birthday Book” on Meaghan’s birthday every year.

For some reason, God sent me Meaghan (I can’t wait to ask him how I got so lucky).

And no one is more Meaghan than Meaghan.

Each of us has someone in our lives that has come about at the right time or in the right way.

In the way that only they could.

Today, be thankful for those that have and continue to impact your life.

Be thankful for they were uniquely made.

Be thankful they are in your life.

I know I am.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Happy Birthday, Meaghan!

"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

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. Lao Tzu

Jim Rohn talks about how you can’t change your destination (where you’re going to end up) overnight, but you can change your direction (setting you on a path towards a new destination).

And a change in direction is so much easier to contemplate than a complete overhaul.

Think about your goals for the year.

Think about the direction they are taking you.

Do you need to make any adjustments?

What are some small changes in direction that will get you heading in the right direction?

Make it a great day.

Jake

I sent this after our Christmas party a few years ago and thought I was appropriate to send again after our Christmas party last week.

Every year at the Christmas party I make it a point to find a moment or two to step back from it all and just observe.

Every year I see the same thing.

I see smiles.

I hear laughter.

I feel the love in the room.

I remember that this is what it is all about. I remember not to worry or overthink it. I remember that we are getting the big things right.

I find my wife and go back to her side remembering that I am the luckiest guy in the world.

Thank you for being a part of that. I can’t imagine it without each and every one of you.

Merry Christmas.

Jake

https://youtu.be/mW3Wp7SH3JI

This song reminds me of something I say a lot (that I probably stole from my dad) – “it’s all going to work out in the end.”

I don’t know how and I’m not sure when, but I’m sure of it.

One of the biggest lessons that has come from thinking of this over the years is that when it does “work out in the end” it is always different than I thought and more times than not, it’s better.

We have a desire to know and control our future.

We worry.

We fret.

We’re filled with anxiety.

And it all works out in the end.

Something I pray and hope for frequently is peace.

Life’s too short to spend it filled with anxiety and worry.

As you begin the new year, I encourage you to seek out peace. To be the kind of person that brings and shares peace everywhere you go.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Last night was Ron’s retirement reception.

Another first for Mavidea – having someone who has been involved for so long and in such a meaningful way moving on towards “retirement”.

Every time we have an event like this I try to step for a few minutes and take it all in.

Events like this put things into perspective for me.

Yeah, we aren’t perfect.

Yeah, we’ve got a lot of work to do.

Yeah, the goals seem a little out of reach sometimes.

Even so – we do really have something special going on.

The relationships and work that we do does have meaning.

We do make a difference.

I saw it all in the smiling faces.

I heard it in the laughter.

It’s there and it’s real.

And it’s something to be proud of. Something for all of us to be proud of.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Will Durant

I heard an author yesterday talking about habits. She used the example of brushing our teeth.

In comparison to your other goals, how does brushing your teeth compare?

Do you make compromises with yourself? I’ll brush my teeth today, but not tomorrow (gotta give my teeth a chance to breath – that was for the Gaffigan fans).

Do you come up with reasons to put it off? I’ll brush my teeth tomorrow, but today I’m going to take it easy.

Do you rationalize away the need to brush your teeth? Carpe diem! Life’s too short for petty little stuff, who has time to brush their teeth!

All of our excuses and rationalizing seem pretty lame when compared to brushing our teeth.

Changing our perspective sometimes help us realize that we’ve been fooling ourselves.

From the perspective of teeth brushing –

How do you feel about your reasons for not eating well?

How do you feel about your reasons for not exercising?

How do you feel about your reasons for not saving money?

It’s the same thing. The excuses are just as lame and weak.

If this struck a cord – do something about it.

Make it a great day.

Jake