It is what it is.

This is something I think and say pretty frequently.

It’s one of those that can either be wise or just lazy.

It can be the wisdom of understanding that you can’t fight the laws of nature, but instead need to work with them.

Or it can be the excuse to do nothing.

Something I have been trying to add to make sure I am not making up excuses is:

It is what it is until I change who I am.

When it comes to anything changeable in our lives, the change has to begin inside ourselves. It all begins with change our heart and our attitudes.

The best part of this is that it can begin now. The hard part is that it is hard work to change our heart and our attitudes.

Is there something in your life where you are accepting how things are, but really need to begin a change yourself?

Make it a great day.

Jake

No man was ever wise by chance. – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I believe this to be true for other virtues as well.

We can’t simply wonder through life, hoping to become wiser, more courageous, kinder and better as a person.

It requires diligent study and practice.

We must read the books.

We must take the notes.

We must practice.

As usual, this is a reminder. I am sure you all already know this, but I hope this reminder prompts you to either get started or keep going on your self improvement journey.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/RwlhUcSGqgs

Back to school day at the Davis house, so I thought I would start everyone’s Monday off with a little Kid President.

As usual, he mix goofy and smart into this video pretty well.

I particularly like the question – what are you teaching the world?

Whether you like it or not, you are teaching others something.

Our choices, attitudes and thoughts show through for others to learn from as we go about our day.

Jim Rohn uses the words “behold” and “beware” a lot in his speeches, and I think it fits here too.

Behold all of the good things being taught around us and by us.

Beware all of the negative being taught and shown around us.

Make today a day of positive teaching.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/DHG5-GxI_Es

Back to school, really old school style.

We got to stop by ISU’s campus yesterday to pick up something for Meaghan and it was a great reminder of all the excitement that comes with a new school year.

One of the best things about school is all the starting and finishing. Constantly beginning something new.

Look around your life right now.

Are there some things where the time is up and you need to move on?

Are there a few things you need to get started?

Make it a great day.

Jake

A week of neglect could cost you a year of repair. – Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn often talks about maintaining the important values in our lives. This short quote is an important reminder of what it could cost you.

A week of neglect of your marriage could cost you a year of repair.

A week of neglect of your integrity could cost you a year of repair.

A week of neglect of your attitude could cost you a year of repair.

The week equals one year part isn’t important. Five minutes of neglect could ruin a marriage.

This is why knowing your priorities and sticking to them is so important.

Imagine having a really nice car but a marriage that is falling apart.

Imagine being super fit but having no friends.

Imagine having millions of dollars but a poor attitude (not going to have any fun with that money).

Don’t neglect that which is most important to you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

EB – Parenting tip: "You need to learn how to twerk." – Jeff Shelton

JD – A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience. – Elbert Hubbard

JW – Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but delight in airing their own opinions. – Proverbs 18:1

MS – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that winneth souls is wise. – Proverbs 11:30

The Jeff Shelton quote came from a lunch we had this week.

The Mavidea Dads took our newest Mavidea Dad (Mike) out to lunch to celebrate his becoming a father.

While Jeff’s genuinely brilliant piece of advice is really important. It wasn’t the most important lesson of the day.

The most important lesson of the day for me was to take the time and celebrate with each other.

Make the time to mark the important moments in the lives of those who are important to you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month." – Theodore Roosevelt

I liked this quote because it was one of those where you laugh a little and then realize it is true.

We are responsible for most of the trouble in our lives.

It is one of those hard truths that requires humility and maturity to see in our lives.

I think this is also one of those things where we can choose to fight it or accept it.

We can spend our time blaming others and looking outside or we can accept responsibility and begin to make changes inside.

They both take the same amount of effort, but the difference in results is staggering.

That is where this quote and idea turn positive.

We get to choose.

Responsibility and growth through maturity and humility or continued frustration and poor results.

You choose.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Last night Maggie picked one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books, “Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are”.

Here is the quote to start the book:

“When I was quite young and quite small for my size, I met an old man in the Desert of Drize. And he sang me a song I will never forget, at least, well, I haven’t forgotten it yet. He sat in a terribly prickly place, but he sang with a sunny sweet smile on his face…”

“When you think things are bad, when you feel sour and blue, when you start to get mad… You should do what I do! Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky! Some people are much more…Oh, ever so much more…Oh, muchly much-much more unlucky than you!”

The book is another classic example of Dr. Seuss. Only by being absurd and entertaining can he so pointedly remind us all that we are truly lucky.

No matter how bad you may think you have it at any given point, you are truly lucky.

But this isn’t an exercise in sending everyone on a guilt trip…..

When I am reminded of how lucky I am, I become more motivated to do something with it. I become even more focused on using what I have in order to make the biggest difference I can in the lives of others.

For whatever reason, we are the lucky ones. It is our job to do something about it. It is our job to help others move into the lucky column.

More people in this world fall into the lucky column than the unlucky one. All we have to do is find the unlucky ones and help them move to the lucky side.

And if you would like to hear the whole book (which I highly recommend), here is a link to hear John Cleese reading it:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcuw5p_did-i-ever-tell-you-how-lucky-you-a_fun

Make it a great day.

Jake

In “No Hero” a former Navy SEAL tells the story of his training in climbing.

He had an innate fear of heights and so he struggled with this portion of his training. At one point he found himself “frozen” on the side of a mountain, unable to make any progress.

His instructor climbed up to him and told him to “focus on your three foot world”.

Meaning to focus on the part that he could control.

Not the height, not the mountain, not the clouds; just his hand and foot holds and moving up the mountain.

The author then explains that he used that idea many times during his training and various deployments.

Any situation where we felt out of control, he would institute the “three foot world” and focus on what he could control.

Often times we get distracted by things outside our three foot world.

We let fear keep us from moving forward, one step at a time.

Just take the next step. Today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/9yRme0C2pmI

I’m guessing about 90% of you won’t care for this song, but wanted to change it up a bit.

Confidence is such a hard thing to get wrong.

Songs like this one take it a little too far and can show how you could turn people off by being too confident.

But confidence is also a good thing.

Not the “I’m better than others” confidence.

The kind of confidence that says “I’ve got a lot of room for improvement, there are a lot of people better than me, but why not me?”

We are all loved.

We are all miracles.

We are all uniquely made.

We should have the confidence that comes with that and the humility of knowing that everyone else has it too.

Be confident today. You are special and unique, don’t be afraid to let that show.

Make it a great day.

Jake