“I told her that sometimes thinking about small things keeps your mind off big ones." – “If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska" by Heather Lende –

Heather Lende is an obituary writer in a small town in Alaska. She has learned a lot of life lessons from this experience and shares them in her book.

This short quote stuck out to me as one of those lessons. Life is a balancing acting between future and vision oriented thinking and planning and day to day management.

Sometimes thinking about the small things in life keep us from worrying about the big ones.

Sometimes enjoying today is all you really need to focus on.

Today, focus on enjoying the small things.

Enjoy that hug or kiss from your spouse on the way out the door.

Enjoy that cup of coffee.

Enjoy all the great little things throughout your day.

Make it a great day.

Jake

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need. – Vernon Howard

We have the power to shape what we want.

We can shape our desires and wishes so that they will create the results we would like to see.

We can learn to desire exercise more than junk food.

We can cultivate a deeper interest in books than TV.

We can grow to want the success of others before our own.

We choose what we want.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Well done is better than well said. – Benjamin Franklin

Great reminder to start off the week.

Get something done today.

Pick one important thing off your list and get it all the way done.

And then do it again.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/6bWyhj7siEY

I figured I would send this one out the Friday after we got back from Disney.

My goal is to get this stuck in your head.

My hope is that at least 10 times today “what a wonderful day” runs through your head.

If we can get our minds conditioned to continually think positively about our day, our life will begin to change.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – A woman’s mind is cleaner than a man’s: She changes it more often. Oliver Herford

JR – Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity. And I’m not sure about the universe. – Albert Einstein

JW – Dammit, Warmbir. – Sergeant Keener

EB – The only limits, as always, are those of vision. – James Broughton

MS – The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. – Psalms 23:1

If the only limits are those of vision, what should we do if we wish for a better life?

Increase our vision.

Stop and think about your life and your goals. How might you increase your vision?

What book could you read?

Who might you talk to?

What new perspective could you take?

The resources are out there, we just need to look for them.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. William James

Being mindful of your thoughts is an important practice for us all to get better at.

We experience a lot more anxiety, worry and stress than we really need to because of thought patterns that have developed.

If we can be mindful of those thought patterns and replace them with something positive we can be less stressed, less worried and experience less anxiety.

I’m sure this isn’t revolutionary news for all of you, but we all need to be reminded of the obvious every once in a while.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"Let no one or anything stand between you and the difficult task, let nothing deny you this rich chance to gain strength by adversity, confidence by mastery, and success by deserving it. Do it better each time. Do it better than anyone else can do it." – Harlow H. Curtice

What if we could look at the difficulties in our lives as opportunities?

Think about what is going on in your life.

Is there something you are staying away from because it seems too difficult?

Is there something you are falling short on because you aren’t giving it your all with a positive attitude?

Think a little differently and you’ll get different results.

Make it a great day.

Jake

It is not our abilities that make us what we are, it is our choices. – Albus Dumbledore

As part of the experience of going to Harry Potter World on vacation we had to watch some of the movies to prepare.

This line stood out.

We are all born with and have cultivated certain abilities and talents.

Some of us are off the charts talent-wise.

Some of us are more in the middle of the pack.

Some of us are behind the curve a little.

What really governs our success is how we apply those talents through the choices we make.

Are we disciplined?

Are we kind?

Are we of service to others?

Are we loving those around us?

Our choices make the difference.

Make it a great day.

Jakeu

Laughter is an instant vacation. – Milton Berle

Usually at some point during a vacation I realize that I should be doing more “vacation stuff” all the time.

This quote really sums it up well.

We can go on an instant vacation any time we want. Just laugh and have fun.

As we go about our typical work days we tend to allow ourselves to get stuck in the routine of it all.

Change it up.

Take a vacation from the routine.

Do something simple today to take a vacation from the normal.

Take a different route into work.

Order something you normally wouldn’t for lunch.

Spend a few extra minutes outside.

Stay up late.

Go to bed early.

Change it up.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Thank you to those that wrote daily attitude emails last week. They were awesome.

Better Together by Jack Johnson.

Lyrics are:

“Love is the answer.

At least for most of the questions in my heart.

Like ‘Why are we here?’ and ‘Where do we go?’,

And ‘How come it’s so hard?’

It’s not always easy,

And sometimes life can be deceiving

I’ll tell you one thing:

It’s always better when we’re together”

Together as a family, as a couple, as friends, as a team, as a congregation, as a community… Life is always better when we’re together.

Susie Vigil

Zoo Keeper

Mavidea

Office: 309-829-2000 x819

Toll Free: 888-898-8960

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