Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other. – Euripides

Love allows us to ignore the selfish side of ourselves and think of someone else first.

So much of life and our important relationships relies on this simple truth.

Today, do something special to let someone know that you are thinking of them first.

Make it a great day.

Jake

There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met. – William Butler Yeats

This quote reminds me of all the possibilities that exist for us.

The next stranger we meet could be a new friend. A relationship that blossoms and grows into something truly special.

If we keep our eyes and hearts open, anything is possible.

Is there something you need to be more open to today?

Is your heart open or your guard up?

Make it a great day.

Jake

It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is from the top. – Arnold Bennett

Our goals and dreams are at the top. They require effort and climbing.

It’s easier not to do the work of climbing the hill.

But the view is from the top.

Keep climbing.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspiration and expectation." – Jack Nicklaus

Challenge yourself to raise your aspirations. Dream bigger.

Challenge your expectations of yourself. Don’t let yourself get away with anything but your best.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/84GEk4RUY3s

“Keep it real”. “Be yourself”.

Great advice, kind of.

We all need to embrace our uniqueness and individuality. We were all created with a special plan and purpose.

But the other side of this seems to be avoiding change.

If you are a jerk, you probably shouldn’t try to “keep it real” or “be yourself”; you should probably work hard to change.

We all need to seek out the clarity of self to know the difference.

To know when to embrace our uniqueness and when to change.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – You play ball like a girl.

JW* – You’re killing me Smalls.

MS* – Just stand out there and stick your glove in the air. I’ll take care of it.

EB* – You call that pitching? This is baseball! Not tennis!

Since we forgot to get quotes from everyone in our meeting, I figured I would send everyone some of the best quotes from “The Sandlot”.

Simple silly lines that make a meaningful story about growing up entertaining and fun to watch.

Life’s full of the silly and fun stuff that we all say to make each other laugh.

Keep it up.

Pour it on.

Make the lives around better by being a little silly and making someone laugh.

Make it a great day.

Jake

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop

Never forget that being kind always pays off.

Be kind to everyone who crosses your path today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Another great life lesson from “The Sandlot” is that you have to go outside to make friends.

At the beginning of the movie the main character’s mom tells him that she wants him to get outside and get into trouble (but not too much).

We all need to get outside in order to accomplish our goals and dreams.

Both metaphorically and literally.

Outside of our comfort zone in order to grow as a person.

Outside of the comfort of home in order to grow our view of the world.

This thought may be even more important in our time than it was for the character in the movie. We have even more opportunity to spend our time inside our comfort zone and comfortable space than others have in the past.

Getting past this layer of insulation from the outside world is essential to becoming all that we were meant to be. We were meant for so much more.

What is one way that you can “go outside” today?

What can you do to change your perspective and grow past where you currently are?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Next up in the list of lessons learned from “The Sandlot” – face your fears.

Eventually, Benny decides to face his fear and go in and get the ball back.

Maybe your fears aren’t as seemingly dramatic and life threatening as “The Beast”, but they are probably holding you back just the same.

Maybe you are afraid of what people will think of you.

Maybe you are afraid you will fail.

Maybe you are afraid of having to ask for help.

If your goals and dreams are big enough, they are worth facing your fears.

Concentrate on why it is worth it and then go for it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Don’t overthink it and keep trying.

Another lesson from the article with the top 11 lessons learned from “The Sandlot”.

At first the main character has a really hard time learning how to play baseball. There are several hilarious scenes while he overthinks the mechanics of throwing and catching a baseball.

But he keeps trying.

And eventually quits overthinking it.

And it gets a lot easier.

As adults, we tend to let overthinking and worrying keep us from doing something challenging and new.

We think ourselves right out of it. Or even worse, we think ourselves right out of enjoying something new.

The challenge is to try something new and keep trying without all of the overthinking.

Make it a great day.

Jake