Heading home from Dallas later today and figured I would send out a good song about “home”.
No matter how good of trip you have, how long you have been away or where “home” is, it is always great to be heading home.
Home is one of those places that is easy to take for granted.
To complain about a little.
To wish away.
But a little time away always leaves me wishing to be back.
Make it a point to enjoy “home” today.
Make it a great day.
Jake
I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that. – Gillian Anderson
What a great reminder.
Every minute that passes is an opportunity to improve your day.
We choose.
We get to pick.
For me, it’s hard to get this one right 100% of the time. I have come to accept that my goal is just to work to increase the percentages.
To make small improvements each day to the ratio of positive to negative.
To remember to look at each moment as that opportunity to do better.
You may be on the other side of this one, with it all figured out. If so, maybe take the opportunity to help someone around you to improve their day.
You could probably help someone out even if you didn’t have it all figured out. Probably worth a shot.
Make it a great day.
Jake
We in this country, in this generation, are — by destiny rather than choice — the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility — that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint — and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” That must always be our goal — and the righteousness of our cause must always underlie our strength. For as was written long ago: “except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
While in Dallas this time I wanted to make sure it made it to see the Texas Book Depository and the scene of that fateful event.
Near the museum they had the excerpt above. It was intended to be part of a speech the President was to give later that same day.
His words seem just as powerful today as I am sure they would have during that time.
We are tasked with a great responsibility.
To protect and build upon the progress of previous generations. To take the sacrifices made by others and turn them into a better and brighter future.
Words like these are a great reminder.
That we have something to work toward. That what we do matters and adds to an already great legacy.
Be inspired as you go about your day today.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway. – Mary Kay Ash
Every time I fly somewhere I spend at least a few minutes mesmerized by the whole thing.
A big giant airplane made of metal full of people. And not just one, but a whole system involving flying thousands of airplanes and millions of people. Every day.
Maybe it is just that I don’t really fly that often, but it always amazes me.
It makes me think of all that we are capable of that we haven’t even tried yet.
So many people would have thought our current system of flying from place to place unthinkable not that long ago.
What else is out there that we are going to be doing next?
What impossible feat is going to be commonplace a hundred years from now?
What are you capable of that you haven’t even thought of yet?
Make it a great day.
Jake
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. – Ernest Hemingway
Am I getting better or getting worse?
Was today an improvement or a setback?
Improvement or decline?
Imagine the power of asking yourself these questions versus comparing yourself to your neighbors.
I especially like the simplicity of this.
We can make things overly complicated when we seek out what others have, when we seek to live the lives of others.
Instead, pursuing our better self each and every day brings with it clarity and simplicity.
Let’s all get better today.
Make it a great day.
Jake
I think the point of this one is to wonder where the dreams have gone once you wake up in the morning.
Most of us have experienced that. Wondering where our dreams have gone.
Wondering if we should stop dreaming of big things, fun things.
Wondering if we should just give up, move on or accept things as they are.
Of course not. We should get up and get started on making them real.
We should listen to a happy upbeat song and go to work on building our dreams.
What dream have you given up on?
Make it a great day.
Jake
Yesterday, I wrote about blooming where you are planted.
I think there is a second half to that.
You are not a tree.
You can in fact move from where you are planted. You can change your location whenever you choose.
The funny thing is, I think this doesn’t contradict the “bloom where you are planted” idea at all. It enhances it.
It adds to the blooming where you are planted when you are choosing to do it.
It adds to the moving when you are moving so you can bloom even more.
This is one of those hard areas that require wisdom and maturity to know when to change and when to do the best with where you are.
Jim Rohn talks about the seasons of life. I think it fits well here.
His advice on changing things up is to at least stick it out for the season.
Stay where you are and do the best with what you have, at least for a season.
Only you will know when it is right to move on or when the season is over. If you always make this decision on where you think you can do the most good, you will get it right most of the time.
Add to your life by doing the best with what you have and sticking it out, at least through the end of the season, changing when the time is right.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Bloom where you are planted.
I heard this on a podcast recently and liked the idea.
To me, blooming means serving. The more you serve, the more you bloom as a person.
So, the challenge for you today is: how can you serve more today?
Is there a teammate that could use a helping hand?
Are there dirty dishes in the sink at home?
Does one of your kids need a little extra attention?
Is there a customer who needs a little more love?
I’m sure it won’t take long to think of an example, but that is just the first step.
Do it. Get started.
Make it a great day.
Jake
For some reason, I am on a reading plan lately that consists of mostly books written by Navy SEALs.
Not sure how it started, but it has been a lot of interesting reading.
The most important thing is how grateful I am that there are people like that. People willing to go to such extremes for our safety and our country. I know I couldn’t, but I am glad they do.
The second biggest lesson though is about grit.
One of the biggest things about them is they just flat out never give up. When things are bad, and then get even worse, and then it rains, and then something else goes wrong….guess what? They just keep going.
There is so much power in always taking the next step.
And you don’t have to be a Navy SEAL to take the next step.
When you eat too many cookies at lunch and blow your diet, you can take the next step.
When you blew your budget on an impulse item, you can take the next step.
When you made a mistake in your choice of words with your spouse, you can take the next step.
When you just fell back into that old bad habit, you can take the next step.
You can always take the next step. Right. Now.
Make it a great day.
Jake
The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which mean never losing your enthusiasm. – Aldous Huxley
Maggie turns 9 today.
This may just be a dad’s viewpoint, but she is the most enthusiastic kid in the whole world.
This quote above represents my wish for her (and for everyone else for that matter). That no matter what else transpires, she never lose this enthusiasm for life.
Whether she is rich or poor, cool or dorky, tall or short, skinny or fat….none of that will matter if she can keep her current enthusiastic attitude.
Many times Maggie has been my reminder to enjoy life. To smile and have fun.
Be like Maggie today. Turn up the enthusiasm and the fun.
Make it a great day.
Jake
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