Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. – Melody Beattie

Thanks to the substitute Emailer while I was out last week. It is always great to see what other people write.

I found this quote and thought it captured the feelings I had when coming home from our trip.

We had a great trip to Arizona. It was warm and we got to spend time with great friends.

It was kind of funny when I realized that I was actually happy to be heading home to Illinois and the freezing temps.

It was the “home” part that got me.

I was thankful to be going home to our house.

I was thankful to get see our dog.

I was thankful to get back to work with my fellow Mavideans.

What do you have to be thankful for?

Make it a great day.

Jake

EB* – I’m at an age when my back goes out more than I do.- Phyllis Diller

JD – Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open. – James Dewar

JW – Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. – Leonardo DaVinci

MS – Education without values, is useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. – CS Lewis

The CS Lewis quote is a great illustration of why values are so important.

If we don’t know what is important and what is of value, it is easy to throw it all away in pursuit of something invaluable.

As you learn and grow, challenge yourself to measure what you learn against your own value system.

Make it a great weekend.

Jake

http://youtu.be/Pu8KFlfzk3Y

What’s love got to do with it? Everything.

Meaghan wrote 1 Corinthians 4-8 on the chalkboard at home:

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

Most of us have heard this some time at a wedding. And these are some great sentiments for a wedding.

And it goes for more than just marriage(s).

Love is something we should feel for our fellow human beings all the time.

Being a parent has really opened my eyes on this one.

Each person you meet is someone’s little boy or girl, no matter their age.

If only we could see each other through the lens of a loving parent.

A loving parent that can’t wait for the little ones to wake up.

A loving parent that would love to hug or snuggle a little.

A loving parent that will see the errors and mistakes but focus on the accomplishments and achievements instead.

I don’t know about you, but looking at those I interact with through those eyes might just change my day for the better.

Make it a great day.

Jake

If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person. ― Fred Rogers

What a great sentiment from a man that impacted so many lives.

Every day we have opportunities to leave a little bit of ourselves in each small encounter we have with others.

Our interaction with a waiter or waitress.

A conversation with a colleague.

Dinner with those we care about.

Each one presents an opportunity to leave a positive impact on those we interact with.

Each is an opportunity to leverage our chance for importance with those we touch.

Seize these opportunities.

Make the most of them.

Turn a short conversation into a positive, lasting impact.

Create a smile on the face of that person on the other end.

Do it for what it will make of you. Do it because being selfless and thinking of others first actually makes you happier and healthier. Do it because you only get one chance at each interaction and you don’t want to live life having lost those opportunities.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Still looking for volunteers to send the daily attitude emails next week while I am out Monday-Thursday.

The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you’re the pilot.

Saw this clever little saying on a church sign the other day and really liked it.

Think of yourself as the pilot. What does a pilot do to be successful?

A pilot does a pre-flight check.

Are you doing a daily/weekly/monthly/annual check in to make sure everything is ready to go to get you where you want to go at the end of the trip?

A pilot changes the flight plan constantly in response to wind, weather, etc. but doesn’t change the destination.

Are you making adjustments along the way while keeping your eyes on your long term goals?

A pilot is constantly watching the gauges.

Are you watching the important indicators in your life to make sure everything is going well?

A pilot embraces risk while minimizing it. They are flying through the air in a huge chunk of metal, but double checks every safety feature before doing so.

Are you taking calculated and managed risks to get the most out of your time on this planet?

You are the pilot of your life. Time to start acting like it. (See what I did there….I am so clever.)

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – I am going to be out of the office next Monday-Thursday and would love to have some volunteers to send out the daily attitude email while I am gone. Just email me to let me know if you are interested and what day you would like to send one.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all”

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed”.

I’ll keep it simple today.

Which one are you feeding?

Make it a great day.

Jake

In honor of the Super Bowl, I went in search of an inspiring story from the Super Bowl.

One player showed up time and time again: Derrick Coleman Jr.

He is the first legally deaf player in the NFL, which is amazing in its own right.

What’s more amazing is the story of an unlikely relationship between him and a set of deaf twins.

Here is a link to the complete story:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1945325-derrick-colemans-letter-from-new-jersey-girl-enhances-inspiring-journey

Spend the couple of minutes to read the story and be inspired by someone tough enough to overcome obstacles and caring enough to change the lives of two little girls.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – All violence begins with disconnection.

JW – It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. – Sir Edmund Hillary

EB – Remarkable visions and genuine insights are always met with resistance. – Seth Godin

MS – What saves a man is to take a step, then another step. – CS Lewis

This short quote above came from an article Meaghan posted on FaceBox. (http://momastery.com/blog/2014/01/30/share-schools/)

The article tells of a brilliant system a teacher devised for determining which kids were getting disconnected from the others and needed a little help.

The story hits a chord that is core to all of us: we need to feel loved and to love others.

One of my favorite quotes is “a baby is born with a need to be loved and never outgrows it”.

This article was a great reminder of that fundamental truth.

So, what to do about it?

The same thing this teacher from the article has done. Look for those needing help and give it. Stand up to the bullies and up for those being bullied.

For us as adults, I think we can make it even simpler than that.

Treat each person as you would like to be treated. Give them the love, respect and honor you think everyone deserves.

Let’s get started.

Make it a great weekend.

Jake

http://youtu.be/lEsPhTbJhuo

Saw this on the Best of Jimmy Fallon Late Night the other day and had to send it out as a toe tapper.

When I see things like this I can’t help but marvel at the talent that others possess.

It’s awe inspiring that they can take a bunch of little kids instruments and make cool music.

And we all have some version of that inside of us.

Each of us was uniquely endowed with some talent or ability to positively impact this world.

Our job is to find it and follow it.

Some are glamorous and make people famous and rich.

Some are less glamorous and make people humble and grateful.

Either way, follow your path. Do the best with what you have been given. Be the best you possible.

Make it a great Friday.

Jake

You is important.

That last line from yesterday has really stuck with me since sending it out.

Everyone has an innate need to feel important. To feel that they matter.

In this deep need lies tremendous opportunity.

First, an opportunity to positively influence others. Think about it. All you have to do is make them feel important. Make them feel like they matter.

Second, an opportunity to realize our own importance. As far as I know, there is only one of you. In this very fact lies your importance.

There was only you created in a way to serve others the way you can.

There was only you created to love your spouse the way you can.

There was only you created to parent your children.

You. And that’s it.

Seems to me that you were intended for great things.

Make it a great day.

Jake