It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius

When I look back at my life and goals unmet, it is usually because I got impatient at some point. I either tried to force it or I just gave up because it was taking too long.

The longer term perspective is hard to keep when we want to reach our goals as soon as possible.

It’s hard to have the disciplined focus to stick with something even when progress is slow.

The other important element of this is getting started.

If something is going to take a while, better get started today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. – Mark Twain

BAD – Ask yourself if you are happy and you cease to be so. – John Stuart Mills

JW – Tomorrow’s battle is won during today’s practice. – Samurai maxim

EB – It’s on like donkey kong.

MS – [Trust is] the foundational principle that holds all relationships. – Stephen Covey

Since I am naturally a planner and over-thinker, I love quotes like the Samurai maxim Jamie shared.

We all can choose between preparing to succeed and preparing to fail each day.

It’s not the easiest of choices, but it is ours.

What to do and when can be found in books, through a mentor or on YouTube these days.

It’s the choice to give our best to today’s practice that makes all the difference.

What do you need more practice with?

Make it a great day.

Jake

I recently read an article about what the author called “the Law of Least Effort”.

In it, the author described how nature goes about things in the easiest way possible. Plants grow towards the area of least resistance. Wind and water flow through the areas of least resistance.

The author then found three areas for us to apply this concept in our lives:

First, we must accept things as they are. We could spin our wheels all day wishing that circumstances were different, but they aren’t. Instead, we must spend our efforts focused on what we can do with what we are presented with.

Second, we must take responsibility for the way things are. It is actually less effort to accept responsibility than to search for excuses and pass out blame.

Lastly, we must not be defensive. We should not spend our time defending our actions or answering every critic.

This short little least was a great reminder of how much effort we might be expending that isn’t moving us towards our goals.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Link to article:

http://www.chopra.com/community/daily-inspiration

When I think of Memorial Day, I am reminded of the famous letter that Abraham Lincoln wrote to Mrs. Bixby (below).

I can’t see how it could be said better in so few words.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Dear Madam,–

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,

A. Lincoln

https://youtu.be/z0rxydSolwU

Last weekend, we walked to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. My wife’s cousin lost his battle with this terrible disease a little over 5 years ago.

This song shows the battle of one young man and reminds us to make the most of our lives.

Diseases like Cystic Fibrosis are a reminder that life is brief even at the longest and we need to make the most of it.

You are looking towards a long weekend, make the most of it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. – Joseph Addison

Annie has been learning to read and loves to practice reading books. Maggie walks around with a book in her hand, reading all the time.

It has been so great to watch them grow into a love of reading. It’s easy to forget that love of reading that many of us first had when we read those first great books that we loved.

Where are you in your reading journey?

When was the last time you did some exercise for your mind?

If it has been a while, find something you would like to read and do it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JW – “For every dark night, there’s a bright day after that, so no matter how hard it gets keep your head up, stick your chest out and handle it.” – Unknown

JD – Chicks love scars on your face. – Mike Somers

BAD – "It is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar." – Anais Nin

EB* – Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings. – Robert Bloch

MS – True friends know, accept, love, serve, and celebrate one another. -Bill Hybles

It’s always darkest before the dawn.

We all have moments when things seem a little dark. When we are groping, reaching toward something we can’t see yet.

A place where it seems like things will never change or get better.

I’m sure I don’t understand how we get there or why it works like this, but it does.

But there is always sunshine coming. If you are looking for it and moving towards it.

If you are in the dark, keep moving. You will see the sun before you know it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain. – Joseph Campbell

This quote create a great mental picture to me. A spark of joy leading to a consuming fire that burns out all the pain.

Focusing on the joy in our life allows us to slowly but surely crowd out the negative and the painful.

Not that it will ever go away completely, just that it will seem so small and insignificant compared to the joy.

Focus on one small (or large) joy today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

At the beginning of the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance” the narrator says “God is happiest when his children are at play.”

Yesterday, I had the good fortune to play in a charity golf outing with some good friends.

We had fun playing.

We were built for both play and work.

It’s easy as an adult to get stuck in work mode. To get stuck focused on all the tasks and stuff that needs to be done.

But we need to make some time to play.

Play with your kids.

Play with your friends.

Play with your spouse.

Make the time to have fun and do something that isn’t a task.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/RFm5FY7UKM4

This video shows the remarkable journey of a dog that fights his way through learning to walk.

What stuck with me most about this video was the process.

It wasn’t just a couple of days or weeks, but years that it took for this process to work.

It wasn’t quick and continual progress, but long and filled with setbacks.

Sometimes the miracle process of change is slow and gradual. One step after another. You just have to keep taking them.

Make it a great day.

Jake