“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

This is a great thought to remember this Christmas season.

It’s so easy to get caught up with running from place to place and buying thing after thing.

Sometimes we move so fast we don’t give ourselves a chance to be affected by the laughter and good humour of others.

There are so many reasons to smile and laugh, but we have to notice them.

We have to slow down enough to catch them from others.

This week is one of those weeks that is easy to let slip by without having letting a little joy in.

Make yourself laugh this week.

Watch that favorite Christmas movie.

Share a drink with someone.

Email a joke to a friend.

Do something to make yourself and others laugh.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Zoey: What do you get if you cross an iPad with a Christmas tree?

Johnny: I don’t know. What?

Zoey: A pineapple!

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." — Buddy the Elf

Last night was Oliver’s “Christmas program” where he did his best to sing loud for all to hear.

What if we all made it our goal today to spread Christmas cheer?

We don’t have to sing loud or buy extravagant gifts, we can be more subtle than that (if you want to sing loud, go for it; if you want to buy extravagant gifts, my address is….).

Be nicer than usual.

Smile more.

Hug somebody.

Call an old friend.

Text a new friend.

Send a thank you note.

Make it a point to seek out opportunities to make somebody’s day. I’m guessing if you do, your day won’t turn out too bad either.

Merry Christmas.

Jake

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6345511899748270080/

The ending in particular stood out to me:

To those of us who work hard every day for our families — no matter what we do or what we earn — let’s keep our heads high and support each other.

Lord knows we need it.

This struck me as a perfect reminder this holiday season.

No matter who we are, how much money we make, how successful we are perceived as being; we all could use a little support.

We need it. All of us.

Merry Christmas.

Jake

Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new. – Sammy Hagar

Yesterday was my birthday so I went in search of birthday quotes and this one stood out (Sammy Hagar is known for his wisdom).

I don’t know about you, but I love a fresh start.

If we looked at each birthday as a reminder that each day we begin anew, birthdays might be that much sweeter.

Take a fresh look at things today.

Make some small little tweak to start new on something.

And make it a great day.

Merry Christmas.

Jake

http://youtu.be/t_KI-mRyE_0

While I think this is a fun/funny Christmas song, it mostly reminds me of my favorite lines from that movie.

Here are the words spoken at the beginning:

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.

The video is here: http://youtu.be/PMScPVO4rLw.

Every time I watch that movie I am reminded of my favorite part of Christmas. Spending time with loved ones.

And when I think of those moments, I agree with the sentiment from the movie. Love is actually all around.

What can you do to look for the good this holiday season?

Merry Christmas.

Jake

Here’s an email from daily attitude email of Christmas past….

Officially one week out from Christmas today.

And since we still have small children at home, my favorite Christmas story is “The Grinch Whole Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss.

Here are my favorite few lines:

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn’t come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!"

Maybe I’m just a little bit of a sap, but I think that there is some magic to Christmas. And that it doesn’t come from a store.

As we make this last push towards Christmas, let’s focus on more than the packages, box and bags.

Merry Christmas.

Jake

https://youtu.be/suowe2czxcA

Thank you to Jamie W for sending me this, it made my day yesterday.

The Christmas story as told by kids (and acted out by adults).

Watch the video and let the kids, the laughter and Christmas brighten your mood today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” CS Lewis “Mere Christianity”

One of my favorite things about CS Lewis is ability to capture the ordinary struggle faced by all of us.

Writing these emails every day for so long has been an exercise in exactly this.

Each day is an exercise is illuminating one more thing that I could improve on.

Each day is a realization that I still have a long way to go.

But each day is also a reminder that it is worth it.

It’s worth it to work towards something meaningful.

It’s worth it to “try very hard to be good” (even when it seems a long way off).

We will all fall short of perfection in the end, but moving closer each day is the only way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the world seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses. – Taylor Caldwell

This is a great reminder before Christmas comes and goes.

You are not alone.

You are loved.

You are special.

Not in a way that makes you better than everyone else.

Not in a way that makes you just like everyone else.

You are loved and special in your own way. The way only you can be.

In the Christian faith, this is the reason got sent his son on that first Christmas. For you.

If that explanation of it doesn’t work for you, I can assure you that you aren’t alone, you are loved and you are special to someone.

Merry Christmas.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/MyA1zKBUhxM

This song is on the short list of Christmas songs that get played a lot at our house.

Part of the fun of Christmas (or any holiday) is pulling out some of your favorite songs associated with that time and reliving memories.

Reply to this today with some that are on your Christmas playlist.

Let’s create some new memories to celebrate into the future.

Make it a great day.

Jake