Just stop! Take a moment to think before you act so that you are in control of yourself, your emotions and your responses. It is easy to justify unpleasant or rude behavior with excuses of being tired, overworked, or stressed. Sometimes we take out the irritations of the moment or the day on our family, children, co-workers, or even the family pet. What is the emotional tone of your family or your life? Is it harsh, cold, unforgiving, withdrawn, or warm, loving, open and embracing?

Take time each day to build and generate new verbal and non-verbal responses that will allow you to build your capacity to be a gentler, kinder, more compassionate, peaceful and loving person. This is a skill set that takes intentional rehearsal and practice ~ just like playing sports or working out. If you find yourself acting often out of irritation, anger, or even rage, reflect on what excuse you use to make someone else the brunt of your bad attitude or worse ~ your bad behavior. Decide that no excuse is worth the cost of emotional venting in public or in private ~ especially on those you love. Do the hard work and the heart work to hold yourself to a higher standard. Raise the bar on yourself, your attitude and your behavior!! You have something special! You have GREATNESS within you!

Les Brown

Such an important concept. Retraining ourselves and our words when we have gotten into negative patterns.

We are the sum of our habits, both good and bad.

Make it a great day.

Jake

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

Khalil Gibran

In honor of Labor Day I went searching for quotes on work. Found a whole bunch of good ones but wanted to share the two above.

It reminded me of my two favorite things about work.

First, that any work that serves a fellow human being is work worth doing. There is dignity and honor in service. And most jobs are fundamentally about serving others, otherwise they wouldn’t exist.

The difference between a good job and a bad job? The person doing the job’s attitude.

Second, “work is love made visible”.

Whether we are showing love for our family, our God, our co-workers or our customers, we can show love for others by doing our best at work.

Again, this is a matter of choice.

We can choose to work as if working for those we love or we can choose to drag ourselves into “that place” again.

For a place we spend so much time at, our decision on how to view work is an important part of happiness.

Make it a great (work)day.

Jake

EB – Crap, I gotta go. I have a 10 o’clock across town.

JM – You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! – The Doctor

JW – Goonies never say die.

JD – Don’t major in minor things. – Jim Rohn

School starting again has reminded of the Jim Rohn quote above.

So many go through life majoring in minoring things.

They get an A in TV but an F in Spirituality.

They get an A in Technology but an F in Health.

They get an A in Checking Your Phone Every 5 Minutes but an F in Relationships.

They get an A in Random Trivia but an F in Economics.

As you look at your life, is there an area where you are spending major time but shouldn’t be?

What is your major? What are you doing the best at?

Jim goes on to say that if you want to end up with anything of value, you can’t spend all your time on Minor things.

Make it a great day.

Jake

http://youtu.be/XE2fnYpwrng

It’s been a little warm lately so I went in search of a song in honor of the heat.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech from Martin Luther King Jr.

Here is the full text below.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream Speech

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

I have had a few clear nights lately that made we want to dig up and resend this previous daily attitude email:

This one definitely falls into the category of “Jake’s miscellaneous thoughts on life”. I apologize ahead of time for a little bit of rambling in this one.

Every night I take the dog out to heed nature’s call. On the clear nights I find myself staring up into the sky and the same couple of thoughts keep popping into my head.

First, as I stare into the great abyss I think of how small I really am in relation to the universe and that I am one of millions of people at that very moment staring into the same sky. I think of the great men and women of history and how they must have stared at the sky and felt small at some point as well.

My second thought is of how interesting it is that while I feel at one moment small and insignificant, I know in my heart that I capable of great things. I know that WE are capable of great things at Mavidea. I know that despite our seeming insignificance at times, we can and will conquer whatever portion of this world we want to. I know that God put me here to be the best Jake I can be and that we all came together at Mavidea to become the best we can be as a company.

My thoughts usually then drift into thankfulness. Thankfulness for a wonderful family, a nice house, a great country and a great group of people to go and conquer the world with every day.

Next time it is a clear night spend a minute looking at the stars. Think of how small, great and thankful you are. Think of all the things that could be.

Wake up the next morning ready to make your dreams come true.

Jake

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” – Mark Twain

Our own Mr. Woodman had this quote in his new eBook he is working on (he is SOOOOOOOOOO cool).

It reminded of an important lesson. At some point we have to get smart enough to know when someone or some other philosophy is trying to fool us by not using the right words.

Jim Rohn talks about good habits as being like “an apple a day” and the bad habits we are tempted by as “a Hershey bar a day”.

He says we have to be smart enough to not fall for the “Hershey bar a day” plan for healthiness.

In the same way, we must challenge some of our current habits and thoughts that depend on some of the “right” or “wrong” words we are using.

We must challenge those negative thoughts that creep in.

We must challenge those negative patterns that have developed.

And while I am sure I am drifting far from Mr. Twain’s original thoughts, I think his point applies. We must choose carefully the words we use with ourselves and others.

You don’t want to spend your whole life planning and wishing for lightning (and wondering why all these flashy little bugs are coming around) only to find out you have been wishing and hoping for lightning bugs the whole time.

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger. – CS Lewis

I found this quote as well when I was reading quotes on pride last week.

Is there an area of your life where you are too proud to turn to someone for help?

Weight gotten a little out of control….

Credit card debt piling up….

A bad habit you need to kick….

A relationship you need to work on….

An “I’m sorry…” that needs to be said….

Or the other side of the equation, an area where you have had success but pride is keeping you from seeing impending failure?

Either way, we need to be humble enough to seek out help. To search for continual improvement.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – Don’t begin the day until it is finished on paper. – Jim Rohn

JM – Alons y Alonso. – From the Doctor (10th)

JW – Plan the work, work the plan and the plan will work.

EB – The more you teach, the more you sell.

The more you sell the more you learn.

The more you learn the more you earn.

The more you earn the more you give.

The more you give the more you live. – Lynn Hinderaker

MCD – I like to look at myself while I work on myself. – Jim Gaffigan

There is a lot of power in visualizing your day/week/time before it is spent. Seeing your plan for your day puts clarity around your priorities and shows you a path to accomplishing your goals.

We all have the same 24 hours every day, the difference between success and failure is how we use it.

If we let the day happen to us we are leaving our futures to chance and to someone else’s plan for our lives. And as Jim Rohn says “What do they have planned for you…..not much.”

Make it a great day.

Jake

http://youtu.be/LHcP4MWABGY

This song is one of my wife’s favorites.

I have had several conversations lately related to the subject of pride. Difficult conversations as people struggle with what it means to be proud.

I have always thought of taking pride in your work and doing a good job as a virtue. An important element of doing a good job.

That is, I did, until I read some challenging words from CS Lewis several years ago that turned my thoughts on this subject on their head.

I’m still not sure if I have a feeling on what is “right” in this area.

CS Lewis says it this way “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man…it is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.”

Pride tends to be a self-centered feeling and humility a feeling of selflessness.

I have begun to wonder if pride is a bit of emotional “fool’s gold”. Fooling us into feeling better in the short term but not in the long run.

It looks and feels good on the surface but underneath it is rotten, full of holes and doesn’t support our long term health and happiness.

For me, being proud is still a struggle. I tell my kids and wife I am proud of them all the time…..

Hopefully someone on the list has found the answer to this conundrum for me and can just send me the answer…..

At the very least I have hopefully provoked some thought.

Make it a great day.

Jake