Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! – Dr. Seuss

Since today is Meaghan’s birthday it seemed appropriate to share one of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes from “The Birthday Book.”

Birthdays are a great chance to celebrate all of the great things that make someone special.

For those of you who don’t know, Meaghan is the MOST special.

Being married to Meaghan is one of the best things to ever happen to me and her birthday is a great reminder of just how lucky I am.

In the hope of not turning this into an email about the many reasons that Meaghan is the coolest I’ll share a lesson I’ve learned from hanging around her for all these years.

Loving her makes me want to do and be better.

Part of the reason love is so powerful is that we are motivated to move beyond ourselves.

Seek this out in your life.

Make it a point to look for love. To look for more opportunities to love others.

It’s out there. I’m convinced of it.

Looking for it is the first step.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Already found love? Pour into it. Turn it up to 11.

If you don’t have anything nice to say….you’re not thinking hard enough. – Kid President

Great idea.

This idea works in many areas of our lives.

If you can’t think of something positive about your day….you’re not thinking hard enough.

If you can’t think of something fun to do….you’re not thinking hard enough.

If you can’t think of something nice about yourself….you’re not thinking hard enough.

If you can’t think of something nice to do…you’re not thinking hard enough.

If you can’t think of a reason to laugh…you’re not thinking hard enough.

Keep searching for the reason behind what you want for your life.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

To me this quote is even more appropriate in our time than in von Goethe’s.

We are a Google search away from most any information we want.

We can even find deeper knowledge and deeper truths much easier than in time’s past.

We are even more willing.

We have seen the evils of the past and (in general) are more willing to set a better path for the future.

The hard parts are the little moments.

The little moments when we choose to do the unselfish thing.

The little moments when we forgive.

The little moments when we forgo our due in lieu of another.

The little moments when we seek first to understand.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply.

Willing is not enough; we must do.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. – Martin Luther King Jr.

This is one of my favorite quotes.

Not only because of the truth and inspiration we can gain from it, but also because of the example set by the person who said it.

Imagine living in that time, amidst all of that tension and strife, and having the strength of character to tell people to sweep streets as if they were sweeping the streets of heaven.

His audience was quite literally living through hell on earth and he inspired them to be and do their best in every scenario.

This message seems particularly appropriate this election and political season.

Take this message to heart today (and every day).

Do your best with what is in front of you.

Love and serve those around you with all you’ve got.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/B4JCehDOy54

Just because this one will put a smile on your face.

Challenge for the day – keep that smile going.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. – Marissa Mayer

We are 12 days into the new year.

Does it all feel a little routine still?

If you aren’t doing something you don’t know how to do (or haven’t ever done), then maybe you need to add something.

Make sure that you are uncomfortable. If not every day, at least once a week.

Embrace the moments of being uncomfortable.

Push through it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." – Babe Ruth

One of the interesting things about baseball is the amount of failure involved.

It is a sport uniquely filled with more failures than home runs.

It’s a great life lesson to watch though. The players take all of the mistakes and failures and find a way to be positive and to get the most out of the hits they do get.

Think about this in your life.

What could you do to get back at it after a small set back?

What can you do to get the most out of the small victories?

All too often we beat ourselves up over the small failures and turn them into mountains while ignoring the wins.

Celebrate your wins.

Move on from the mistakes.

Make it a great day.

Jake

EB – Clothes, mom? I told you no clothes on my birthday. – Rowen Barnlund

JD – Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water. W. C. Fields

MS – If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. – John 15:7

JW* – Let us endeavor to live so that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry. – Mark Twain

JR – You got the right toys, just swap kids. – Jason Roush

Mark Twain is always good for a sarcastic quote that has some truth to it.

What if our goal in life was to serve and treat others in a way that will make even the undertaker sorry to see us gone?

We choose each day between our selfish desires and serving others and their desires.

We can (and should, in my opinion) choose to love and serve first.

We can choose a life that will make even the undertaker sorry when it is over.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.” – Jim Rohn

Just because the new year has you motivated, doesn’t guarantee success.

We must seek out wisdom as we endeavor to find the path to success.

Take a look at your goals for this year.

Is there a book you could read that would help?

Is there a person you could meet or ask to get more information?

Is there a blog or website you could read regularly to give you some instruction?

Is there a group you could join?

Use your motivation wisely. There’s no sense in running off wildly, only to find out later you have run oft in the wrong direction.

Make it a great day.

Jake

It’s never too late to start over. If you weren’t happy with yesterday, try something different today! Don’t stay stuck. Do better.

This was on a meme that actually got my attention.

It’s a great reminder at the beginning of a new year.

Even if you have totally failed at your goals for the year already, start over!

Just try something different today.

You’re worth it.

Make it a great day.

Jake