https://youtu.be/LiILUT_Px84

Having kids is a unique experience.

Some moments you feel so young. And some moments you feel so old.

A piece of advice once given to me was to make sure and spend some time each week with someone under 5 (and someone over 70).

It hasn’t been that hard for me to accomplish since we have some little kids living at our house (although they are getting on past 5….).

If I can keep a good attitude about it, they sure do teach me a lot.

Simple things, like:

It’s fun to run fast.

It’s fun to make funny noises.

It’s fun to play outside.

It’s fun to be silly.

Make it a point today to do something you would have only done when you were younger.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"To create more positive results in your life, replace ‘if only’ with ‘next time’." — Author Unknown

Imagine doing this in your life.

Instead of fretting or worrying about all of the ways things didn’t go your way or that you fell short, you thought about all the ways you were going to make it different next time.

Think about something you have failed at in the past.

Now think about what you can do different this time.

And then get started. Keep thinking “next time” every time you stumble.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not laughed. – Nicolas Chamfort

What a great reminder to make sure and laugh every day.

As you would expect, this is another area of life where it is even better to give than to receive.

Make someone laugh today.

Make an effort to brighten someone else’s day with a joke or a funny story (or I guess you could fall down or get injured in some way, but I wouldn’t recommend that).

Make it a great day.

Jake

Yesterday was a big training day for our two newest Mavidea sales reps.

As I was thinking about what success would look like for them, it added up in my mind. I figured “success” would take approximately 12,500 calls.

There are two ways to look at that:

1. That’s too many, why even start.

2. That sure is a lot, I better get started.

Are any of the goals on your list like this?

It seems so big, so you don’t even get started.

That’s too much weight to lose.

That’s too much money to save.

That’s too much time to invest.

Each day is an opportunity to move towards success. To decide that we are going to move forward despite the many steps we still have to go.

Take some steps forward today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

What worries you masters you. – John Locke

What a powerful and simple thought.

Think about worries you; now think of that thing as your master.

Any time that worries pops up, think of this short little quote and begin to change your thought patterns.

Create a new master.

Genrosity, courage, love, kindness. Let these thoughts master you and your actions.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/xo1VInw-SKc

Sometimes you need to be willing to fight.

But mostly with yourself.

You have to be willing to fight your desire to be comfortable.

You have to be willing to fight your desires to continue that bad habit.

You have to be willing to fight your desire to give up on that new habit.

You have to be willing to fight for your future today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it. – Dumbledore

Mr. Roush shared this quote with me and I wanted to pass it on.

Our words do have some magic in them.

In Harry Potter words have literal magic and create explosions, transformations and other impactful changes.

In our world their magic isn’t quite so obvious and immediate most of the time, but the effects are just as powerful.

Watch what words you choose. Both with yourself and with others.

Pay attention to the results you are creating through the words you choose.

If you want to see different results, begin choosing different words.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/gHGNqifB2do

This video is a bit funky, but the message from Les Brown is a good one.

The line that struck me was “declare all-out war on the rut that you are in”.

Sometimes the only way forward from where you are is a period of all-out effort. A period where you pull out all the stops.

Is there something that’s been nagging at you for a long time that needs that kind of attention?

Have you been stuck in a rut and unable to quit that bad habit or start that new one?

If so, get started today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt

MS – In proportion as man rises in the intellectual scale, does he give prominence to mental and moral enjoyments in conjunction with his daily meals. -H Clay Trumbull

EB – Yeah, thanks for being a team player.

JW – For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. – James 3:16

JR* – Love is the greatest refreshment in life. – Pablo Picasso

What if we enjoyed our intellectual and personal growth as much as we did our meals?

Jim Rohn says “Miss a meal, but don’t miss a book!”

I’ve always been a curious fellow and always looking to grow and learn, but I don’t know that I’ve ever missed a meal….

Maybe we don’t need to miss a meal.

Maybe if we could just desire learning and growth as we do that next meal.

I encourage you to find something inspirational and challenging enough to read that you look forward to it in this way.

And then share that with all of us.

If you’ve already had a similar experience with a book, send everyone the title to jumpstart them on their way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We must replace the fear of the unknown with curiosity about the future.

I think our tendency is to look at all of the what if’s of life through a risk-reducing /risk-averse mindset.

To start, maybe removing all of our fears is unrealistic. Maybe we just add in some curiosity.

Think about those situations where you have some apprehension about the future.

Now add in a little curiosity. A little bit of “I can’t wait to see how this goes….”

Each day and each new challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow if we are curious or stand back and fret if we are fearful.

Be a little more curious today.

Make it a great day.

Jake