Meaghan and I went to my 20th high school reunion over the weekend (further confirmation that this getting old thing is actually happening to me, too).

In the girl scouts, Maggie learned a corny little poem that I couldn’t help but remember on a night like that.

Make new friends, but keep the old

One is silver and the other is gold.

Seeing old friends is such a great reminder of all the old memories and fun that was had.

It is amazing how quickly the awkwardness of not having seen each other for 10+ years fades and your able to have a good time together.

Life is full of changes.

We move.

We change jobs.

We graduate and move and get a job.

And these changes usually involve some changes in the friends that you spend the majority of your time with.

Saturday was a reminder for me that even though life and things change, you can still keep the old friends and they are like gold.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/YDu93pdyBDE

Good to be alive.

Here’s hoping we can all keep that simple perspective today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Humility

We often look at it as though humility is to downplay our accomplishments, ignore our virtues, etc. Some take this to an extreme by continually reminding themselves of their unworthiness in an attempt to keep themselves ‘humble’.

But this is not humility.

Humility is a state of total honesty with oneself. It is not a mentality of worthlessness. Christ was humble, but he also outright proclaimed that he was the son of God. In no way did he see himself as worthless, or unworthy. From this we can learn that it is possible to be humble and still acknowledge your virtues.

Pride and Self Loathing are two sides of the same coin in that they are both fueled by dishonesty.

Pride is ignoring your faults and magnifying your virtues.

Self-Loathing is ignoring your virtues and magnifying your faults.

Humility is acknowledging and accepting both in their true measure.

Only from this place of honesty can you move forward and be the best version of yourself.

Michael Cluney

Some people don’t do well because they don’t feel well. – Jim Rohn

In order to live a great life we need to take care of ourselves.

We will have nothing to give if we don’t fill ourselves up and take care of ourselves.

Take an honest assessment of how you feel most days.

If you don’t feel well, maybe that’s why you aren’t doing as well as you could.

Time to make a change.

Make it a great day.

Jake

What am I not doing that would be easy to do? – Jim Rohn

I was watching a Jim Rohn seminar and he asked this simple question.

Sometimes we make self-improvement harder than it needs to be.

We complicate things and get impatient and want all the results now.

Maybe instead we could ask ourselves the simple question: what am I not doing that would be easy to do?

Take a walk around the block.

Eat an apple.

Read for 5 minutes.

Exercise for 5 minutes.

I’m sure you can think of something.

Try it today. Do one simple thing that easy to do.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“But what manner of use would it be ploughing through that darkness?’ asked Drinian.

Use?’ replied Reepicheep. ‘Use, Captain?’ If you mean by filling our bellies or our purses, I confess it will be no use at all. So far as I know we did not set sail to look for things useful but to seek honour and adventures. And here is as great an adventure as I have ever heard of, and here, if we turn back, no little impeachment of all our honours.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"

We spend an inordinate amount of time trying to find the “use” in things in our lives.

We make the mistake of thinking that events and the stuff of our lives must be of “use”.

If we can just remember that life is a journey (an adventure, even), it helps put things into perspective.

If life is a journey, we don’t have to know the meaning of every little event.

If life is a journey, we don’t have to know what’s going to happen next.

If life is a journey, we can make it through any short-term valley, mountain or river.

Enjoy the journey.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/mzDVaKRApcg

This song reminded me of two things.

First, how thankful I am for those in my life who love me.

Second, that I desire to be the kind of person who lifts up those around me.

Consider this your friendly Friday reminder to be thankful for your loved ones and to look for opportunities to lift up those around you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Life is a long lesson in humility. – James M. Barrie

A large part of maturity is gained through humility.

As we seek to become a better version of ourselves and to be the best we can be, we bump up again and again against humility.

Only when we take an honest, humble look at ourselves and our role in this world can we begin to maximize it.

We all have the same 24 hours a day.

We all seek love and to love.

We are all out of control of much more than we are in control of.

When we can get ourselves into this simple and basic mindset we can begin to do the best with what we have been given.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The day after.

Each time a holiday or big event happens, there is a day after.

Each time we are given the opportunity to remember and build on the good memories of yesterday.

We can build on the gratefulness and contentment we felt yesterday.

We can build on the togetherness and friendships we felt yesterday.

We can build towards more of the same.

Make the most of your day after.

Jake

"For you have been called to live in freedom. Use your freedom to serve one another in love." – Galatians 5:13

The freedom that we celebrate on the 4th of July is really just an opportunity.

An opportunity to do something with our freedoms.

An opportunity to make the world better.

An opportunity to serve one another in love.

Have a great 4th.

Spend time with friends and family.

Spend time serving one another in love.

Make it a great day.

Jake