We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle

I have been listening to a great audiobook about habits and wanted to share one of the key points from the book.

A key concept in the book is what the author calls keystone habits. Keystone habits are those habits that lead to other good habits.

As an example, the author talks about how exercise can be a keystone habit. People who exercise tend to eat less, smoke less, drink less and exhibit more self control.

As we look to become more excellent, we can look for keystone habits that will lead to other good habits.

Spend some time today thinking about what that might look for you in your life.

Is it exercise?

Is it creating a budget each month?

Is it keeping a food journal?

Is it reading instead of watching TV?

Make it a point to search for the keystone habits in your life. Begin implementing them and see if you can start the process of building a better habit loop in your life.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Helen Keller

For those of you that don’t know, Meaghan and I are blessed with two of the most joyful children in the world (I might be a little partial on this one).

On Sunday, Maggie and I sat down for a minute to watch a little football. We stopped on the Green Bay and St. Louis game. Maggie immediately decided to cheer for the Packers because they were already winning (she’s smart like her mom, but apparently not as much of a Bears fan as her mom).

A minute later I heard a "whoohoo!" from the other room. Maggie came into the kitchen and said "I cheered just that once for the St. Louis team. I didn’t want them to feel bad that we weren’t cheering them on."

All of this was said while jumping, skipping and smiling her way to the kitchen and back.

In that moment I got a little glimpse of true joy. Forget about who is winning or losing, let’s just cheer because it is fun to cheer.

So, why did I share this little story and the quote above in a daily attitude email?

Just to brag on our little Maggie and Annie? No, but that was a pleasant side effect.

The point was to remind us. Remind all of us of that joy of childhood. To remind us of how good for our souls a little joy is. Remind us that with joy we can "form an invincible host against difficulties".

Make it a great day.

Jake

Bonus thought for us "God people" that get this email. All of this reminded me of one of my favorite little pick me up thoughts:

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

“No one else “makes us angry.” We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude.” — Jim Rohn

We alone control our attitude and whether or not we stay positive.

We control whether that driver in front of us makes us angry.

We control whether or not we take that sarcastic comment and make it into more than it was.

We control whether or not our kids and their enthusiasm frustrate us or fascinate us.

Our attitude is the only thing we control, might as well make it a good one.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JM – I especially like how you turn into a giant rage monster. T. Stark

KJ – Happiness is not something you postpone for the future, it is something you design for the present. Jim Rohn

Eb- It was your cousin’s idea.

JS – Whaaah?

JW – Life is like a 10 speed bicycle – most of us have gears we never use. Charles Schultz (creator of the Peanuts)

JD – Many hands make light work. anonymous

I have been thinking of the “many hands make light work” quote a lot lately as we look at moving our office furniture around here at Mavidea.

Without the help of everyone the list of tasks almost seems insurmountable.

With the help of everyone it will be a week with some inconveniences.

The great thing about being involved with such a great group of people is that I get to see the truth to this quote every day. We accomplish mountains of work every day. Because we are working together.

Make it a great weekend.

Jake

http://youtu.be/4LF2HaXf58g

Heard this one in a movie the other day and for some reason I immediately pictured a couple of you tapping your toes to this on a Friday morning.

Make it a great Friday.

Jake

Are there McNuggets in heaven?

I thought about this the other night when Maggie was talking about eating her favorite foods in heaven.

I wondered to myself if there are or aren’t unhealthy foods, etc. in heaven.

Then I wondered if maybe heaven is no longer desiring McNuggets (or those other foods that might be bad for us).

We could speculate all day long about what is or isn’t in heaven or whether or not heaven even exists, but for today’s email I wanted to focus on the second half of my thought.

What if we could remove the desire for those bad habits in our lives?

What if we could remove the desire for those bad food choices?

What if we could remove the desire to feel more important than others?

What if we could remove the desire to always win an argument?

What if we could remove the desire to watch TV instead of exercise?

If we remove the motivation to make a choice that isn’t in our best interest this makes making the right choice so much easier.

Today, let’s take a new look at some of the choices we make and see if there isn’t a better way to look at them.

Make it a great day.

Jake

A friend of mine posted the following on FaceBox this morning and since I didn’t watch the debates I asked if I could share it as the daily attitude email today.

“After watching the debate last night, it confirmed to me that regardless of who we elect to the White House it will not change who we are and what we become.

I find politics fascinating, but we are in charge of how we treat people, how we handle our finances, how we teach our children, how we help others, how we take the steps to grow and improve our lives, and what ultimately what legacy we will leave when we are gone.

No president has that control or ever will. I respect the office and its importance, but always remember that our personal actions will have much more significance than what any politician ever promises us.”

Brent Kelly

Thanks Brent for the wonderful thoughts and for allowing me to share with everyone.

Make it a great day.

Jake

He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. – Matthew 5:45

I heard this verse yesterday and for some reason I saw it in a different light.

I used to always think this was a verse that explained “why do good things happen to bad people?” With “bad people” being people other than me, of course.

I realized yesterday that maybe I should look at it more as a reminder to count my blessings.

Despite myself and all the poor choices I have made, a lot of good things have happened to me in my life.

And I suspect you are in much the same situation. The sun and the rain (and rain in a positive in this context) come down for all of us, whether we deserve it or not.

Let’s take the time to be thankful for those good things that have happened in our lives.

Make it a great day.

Jake

First, thanks to all the guest daily attitude emailers. I always look forward to the emails that get sent out while I am away. I am very blessed to be around such a talented and creative group of people.

“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; I have also learned from experience that the greater the part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances” – Martha Washington

Dispositions and circumstances. This seems to be a recurring theme throughout all of the “positive propaganda” I have read.

Our disposition and attitude determine our happiness, not our circumstances.

I think it is a recurring theme because it is something most of us struggle with. We struggle with the balance between facing the reality of our situation and whining and complaining about it.

And that is why I think we all need reminders. We have the opportunity every day to put on a positive disposition no matter the circumstances.

Let’s take advantage of that opportunity today.

Make it a great day.

Jake