Today is little Oliver’s second birthday. Hard to believe our third child is already two.

There are so many thoughts and lessons little Oliver is teaching me that I could share, but one sticks out as I think about it.

Enthusiasm makes the difference.

Like his sisters, Oliver is full of enthusiasm.

Whether he is saying “Ay yike it” or “Ay love peas!”, he constantly is enthusiastic about whatever he and we have going on.

His enthusiasm is contagious. Many nights at dinner you can hear the rest of us repeating him and his excitement for whatever is going on.

Today, let’s all seek out some enthusiasm for whatever it is that we are doing. Whether it be eating peas or just spending time with our loved ones, let’s do it with enthusiasm.

Make it a great day.

Jake

BAD – What fills the eye fills the heart. – Irish Proverb

EB – Word. – Fresh Prince of Bel Air

JW – This is gonna take crackerjack timing, Wang. – Jack Burton

MS – [Faith] is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods. -C.S. Lewis

JD – It’s easy to halve the potato where there’s love. – Irish Proverb

What fills your eye?

What a powerful and challenging question. Our eyes and what we see has such a powerful impact on us. One we likely don’t even understand completely.

What kinds of movies do you watch?

What kind of TV shows do you watch?

Magazines, books, etc.?

But this isn’t a guilt trip, it’s a reminder.

You control what gets put in front of you.

If you want different thoughts and actions moving forward, then maybe you could consider changing what fills your eyes.

There is so much wonder and beauty in the world, make it a point to take it in.

And spring time is a great time to get outside and take it in. Enjoy the change in colors and all the growth around us.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is a great example of one of the best things about the Irish – their hospitality.

On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone gets to be Irish. Everyone can participate in celebrating their heritage.

Hospitality is so wonderful because it starts from being unselfish and thinking of others first.

Remember today to celebrate and show some Irish hospitality to those around you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions" – Oliver Wendall Holmes, Jr.

Each day we are reshaping our mind through the experiences we are creating and our attitude towards them.

Each day represents a point of no return, we can never be the same as we were before this day.

Each day is an opportunity to begin anew this process of shaping and reshaping. Of molding ourselves and our lives into whatever we want them to be.

Are you molding and shaping with a purpose? Or are you just letting the day go the molding and shaping to just happen?

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/bS6B8zC2CNI

Another sunny song to keep this spring weather coming (hopefully).

Nothing important to say, just a reminder to take some time to enjoy the warmth and sun.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Nil desperandum – never despair.

This was the rallying cry for Captain De Long in a book I am reading that tells the story of his attempt at reaching the North Pole.

For some reason I have ended up reading several survivor type stories over last year, and this theme runs through them all.

Hope is the difference.

Never give up hope.

Is there an area in your life where you have given up hope?

Where you have given in?

Rekindle that hope. Dream about the future. Picture yourself having met your goals. Picture the new you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“If you try new things they might taste good.” (In a sing-songy voice) – Daniel Tiger

Daniel Tiger is a favorite kids show around the Davis house. Each episode has a catchy little song/phrase to teach a lesson.

This particular lesson gets repeated a lot around our house.

It’s kind of stuck in my head and has morphed into a challenge to try some new things.

What is something new that you should try?

What is something you have always wanted to try?

What is something you thought you would never try?

Challenge yourself to try something new today. Think of something small. If that goes well (or even if it doesn’t) try something else new.

If you want to create a new you, you are doing to have to do things you never do. And the sooner you get started, the sooner you will start seeing results.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – Super hero! Awesome! – Oliver Davis (wearing a super hero mask around the house)

EB – Daddy, I want no chocolate broncos. I want blue mustangs. –

JW – Dad, can we go ice fishin’? – Ethan Warmbir

MS* – I love peas! – Oliver Davis

BAD – I found it out in my brain. – Elly Sherlock

Today’s quotes all came from the little kids in our lives that infuse humor and vitality into our lives.

As I mentioned in the daily attitude email this morning, kids really do have some lessons to teach us in our lives.

This is another of life’s double-edge swords – we must grow up and mature while keeping some of the childlike wonderment and enthusiasm.

A great example for me lately has been playing basketball again. After not playing for close to 15 years, it has so much fun to play again.

I had forgotten to have fun doing things like that. I had let go of that part of my childlikeness.

Your thing might not be basketball.

It might be playing video games.

It might be swimming.

It might be reading.

It might be riding your bike.

It might be riding on a roller coaster.

Challenge yourself to find an activity that makes you feel like a kid again. And add a little bit of it to your schedule.

Still pay the mortgage, take care of the car, and grow as a mature, responsible adult, but squeeze in a little kid time too.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“See da moon?”

Somehow, all the Davis kids picked this one up from their mom. We will be driving down the road at night and they will say “see da moon?”

They have all done this from an early age and with no prompting.

When Oliver started doing this recently, it reminded me of one of the great things about having kids – their sense of wonderment.

Where I might not even notice the moon and the stars they will be amazed by it.

They can be a great reminder to stop and be amazed by life. There are a lot of amazing things going on at any given moment, we just have to slow down and pay attention enough to notice them.

Make it a point to enjoy this amazing day.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Helen Keller

To imagine someone both deaf and blind having this thought is humbling.

What a great mental image – the sunshine always on your face. The warmth and light always in front of you.

It can be helpful to be able to close our eyes and picture something like this. To change our thought patterns so that they focus on the positive warmth and sun.

Next time you are stressed or hurried or frustrated, close your eyes picture the sun on your face.

Take a deep breath and take it in.

Hopefully that helps.

Make it a great day.

Jake