Author: jakedavis1910

The Phrase That Pays

MS – The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become. – Gisele Bundchen

JD – Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. – Arthur Ashe

BAD – Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public. – Dr. Cornel West

JW – Whas up Questlove? – Tracy Jordan

EB – I pity the foo that mess wit me…..Mr. T

Action. This one word sums up the Arthur Ashe quote pretty well.

A powerful truth of life is that those who take positive actions every day are the same ones that end up on the positive side of ledger in life.

What do you have going on in your life that could use some positive action?

Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 7 10 14

Special thanks to BethAnne, Ron and Brian for stepping in while I was out on vacation. It’s always great to read what others write while I am out.

Being on vacation reminded me of this quote from Jim Rohn:

“I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.”

What if we planned on building our happiness into our everyday work AND our vacation?

Rest and relaxation certainly serve their purpose. Renewing our mind and body through rest is an important part of testing and stretching our limits.

Are you planning your life as well as you are planning your next vacation?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email – Stand In

When I think about my attitude, or what motivates me, or what inspires me, it’s often something as simple as a single sentence.

For the past couple of years, when I come across a quote that makes me go “oh yea”… I save it.

As you can imagine, I now have a rather lengthy list. As I read through the list, it’s easy for me to see patterns and similarities. It comes as no surprise that the patterns I see closely match my personal core values.

So here is my “rather lengthy list” of quotes that has improved my attitude, motivated and inspired me.

If there are any that make you go “oh yea,” send me an email and let me know.

Thanks for letting me share.

Brian

"There are two kinds of pains in life. The pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Take your pick." – Coach Don Meyer

"Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught." – J.C. Watts

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." – Diana Spencer

"Complacency is the last hurdle standing between any team and its potential greatness." – Pat Riley

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." – Albert Schweitzer

"Vision without execution is hallucination" – Thomas Edison

"Character isn’t inherited. One builds it daily by the way one thinks and acts, thought by thought, action by action." – Helen Gahagan Douglas

"Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results." – George S. Patton, US Army General

"I learned that if you want to make it bad enough, no matter how bad it is, you can make it." – Gale Sayers

"Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." – Lou Holtz

"You learn far more from negative leadership than positive leadership. Because you learn how not to do it." – Norman Schwarzkopf

"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it." – Norman Schwarzkopf

"It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle." – Norman Schwarzkopf

"The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in battle." – Norman Schwarzkopf

"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy." – Norman Schwarzkopf

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." – Jackie Robinson

"Leaders aren’t born, they are made. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal which is worthwhile." – Vince Lombardi

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." – Vincent van Gogh

"Consider the rights of others before your own feelings and the feelings of others before your own rights." – John Wooden

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." – Vince Lombardi

"Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit." – Vince Lombardi

"You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do." – Henry Ford

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging." – Hank Aaron

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." – Vincent Van Gogh

"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t." – Margaret Thatcher

“You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things; you lead people.” – Grace Hopper, Admiral US Navy

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish." – Sam Walton

"Learn to smile at every situation. See it as an opportunity to prove your strength and ability." – Joe Brown

"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." – Mark Twain

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." – Plato

"You never go wrong listening to people." – Jarrett Payton

"You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." – John Wooden

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill

"Be more concerned with what you can do for others than what others can do for you. You’ll be surprised at the results." – John Wooden

"Confidence sells – people believe in those who believe in themselves. No one wants to be stuck in a room with other people who feel like they don’t deserve to be there. Stop wondering if you’re good enough. Know you are, and start acting like it." – Simon Black

"The secret is to work less as individuals and more as a team. As a coach, I play not my eleven best, but my best eleven." – Knute Rockne

"I have never known a really successful man who deep in his heart did not understand the grind, the discipline it takes to win." – Vince Lombardi

"Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life." – John Wooden

"When you’re riding, only the race in which you’re riding is important." – Bill Shoemaker

"You discipline those under your supervision to correct, to help, to improve, not to punish." – John Wooden

"Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize." – American Educator, Elizabeth Harrison

"No one has ever become poor by giving." – Anne Frank

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." – John Quincy Adams

"Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it." – Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?"" – Brian Tracy

"You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want." – Zig Ziglar

"The true test of a person’s character is how they treat the people in life that they don’t need." – Lee Corso

"I’ve never learned anything while I was talking." – Larry King

"Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared." – Eddie Rickenbacker

"If a friend is in trouble, don’t annoy him asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it." – American Novelist, E.W. Howe

"To make a difference in someone’s life tomorrow, I need courage today" – Brian O’Shaughnessy, CEO of ITConnexx and all around awesome guy

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." – Oscar Wilde

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." – Winston Churchill

"What counts can’t always be counted; what can be counted doesn’t always count." – Albert Einstein

"It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do." – Molière Playwright

"Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" – Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." – William James Philosopher

"A champion is someone who gets up when they can’t." – Jack Dempsey Professional Boxer

"Being considerate of others will take you further in life than a college degree." – Author, Marian Wright Edelman

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." – Greek Writer of Fables, Aesop

"Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him." – Booker T. Washington Educator

"Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying “Make me feel important.” Never forget this message when working with people -Mary Kay Ash

"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." – Naguib Mahfouz Film Writer

"This is the first test of a gentleman: his respect for those who can be of no possible value to him." – William Lyon Phelps Author

"The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity."- Ulysses S. Grant

"Contrary to the cliché, genuinely nice guys most often finish first or very near it." – Malcolm S. Forbes Publisher

"When you’re part of a team, you stand up for your teammates. Your loyalty is to them. You protect them through good and bad, because they’d do the same for you." – Yogi Berra

"A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large." – Henry Ford

***We’ve moved! Please update your records with my new contact information.***

Brian O’Shaughnessy

CEO

ITConnexx, Inc.

313 Main Ave.

De Pere, WI 54115

Direct – (920) 857-3208

Mobile – (920) 366-6204

Website – www.itconnexx.com

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/oshaughnessyb

Facebook – www.facebook.com/boshaughnessy

Facebook – www.facebook.com/itconnexx

Thursday Morning Toe Tapper

Happy Birthday, Beautiful America!

This is no ordinary song about America, and surprisingly, it’s not even a country song.

(It’s a Dave toe-tapper.)

The lyrics and video are a great reminder not to lose our faith in this sometimes troubled nation.

I love the message of how beautiful America is, has been, and always will be. The spirit that lies in diversity of people and culture, the different landscapes and cityscapes, and the freedom to enjoy it all, are what make her that way.

"Stay Beautiful, Baby.
Stay American, Baby."

A happy and safe 4th to you!

http://youtu.be/wU8SbHTVavA

Meaghan

Daily Attitude Email 7 2 14

Up next on my list of great things about America – our Armed Forces.

In the US, the Armed Forces are populated by a group of dedicated volunteers.

The fact that they are volunteers puts them in a unique category. They put others and their country in front of their needs.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to these special volunteers who put their lives on the line for the rest of us.

What does this mean to the rest of us?

It creates an opportunity for us.

An opportunity to show our gratitude, to be sure.

But also an opportunity to honor the sacrifice of those special volunteers.

We can honor their sacrifice by making the most of it.

Making the most of our freedoms by becoming the best we can be in service to others.

How can you serve others today in a way that honors the sacrifices of our troops?

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Still looking for volunteers for writing the daily attitude email next week. Specifically, I need a volunteer for Tuesday and Wednesday. ​

Daily Attitude Email 7 1 14

I once heard a comedian say that his dad complained about America and how it didn’t have it’s own culture. About how all the different cultures lived together but kept some or all of their original heritage.

The comedians punch line was: "Dad, that is their culture."

In America we have a unique opportunity as we live and work with those from different cultures.

We can embrace others and their unique view on the world.

Whether you call it a salad bowl or a melting pot, America is a better dish with all the flavors.

You have a unique part in this process. To bring the best of yourself and your culture to the table.

By being our best every day, we add to the richness and greatness of American culture.

The best results come from the best ingredients, let’s embrace being the best we can be. ​

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Still looking for volunteers to send the daily attitude emails next week while I am out. Send me a note if you want to volunteer.

Daily Attitude Email 6 30 14

With the Fourth of July on Friday, I thought I would write this week’s emails about what is great about America.

The first thing I thought of was that America is what we make of it.

We choose whether or not to participate in the political rhetoric or to make meaningful progress with our neighbors even when we disagree.

We choose whether or not to think more or less of those in or out power or to love rich and poor alike.

We choose whether or not to live off of the work of others or to apply ourselves and blaze our own trail.

And the list could go on and on….

As you think about what it means to be an American this week, think of that ideal citizen….and then start working to become that person.

The best place to make a difference is in the mirror.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I will be on vacation starting on Thursday and will be out through next Thursday. Any volunteers to send out the daily attitude email while I am gone? ​

The Phrase That Pays

JD – Goals are like a magnet – they pull. And the stronger they are, the more purposeful they are, the bigger they are, the more unique they are, the stronger they pull. – Jim Rohn

BAD – Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

MS – Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. – Albert Einstein

JW – When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire. – Unknown

EB – Whatever you are, be a good one. – Abraham Lincoln

How hard are your goals pulling you every day?

Do you wake up with a burning desire to make progress towards them?

When you have a moment alone do you immediately feel yourself pulled to make progress?

Setting a clear, exciting and dramatic goal should give you clarity and vitality throughout your day.

If you aren’t feeling that clarity and vitality, maybe you need to up the ante with your goals.

Spend a few minutes reviewing your goals list this weekend and find a goal to turn up the heat on. Then get after it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Friday Morning Toe Tapper

This was recently sent to me and I thought that most of us could probably use a dose of reality about making our lives more simple.

We all have a choice when it comes to the stuff that is in our lives.

If it doesn’t add to your life, maybe you need to get rid of it.

Don’t let others or impulse decisions decide for you how much of your life you are investing in stuff you don’t need.

Make it a great day.

Jake ​