I have been reading a book lately called "Thou Shall Prosper".

The book is written by a Rabbi and is about why he thinks the Jewish people have done well with money over time in relation to other groups.

The book includes many of the daily attitude email concepts that I send out, but my favorite one so far builds on the service theme over the last couple of emails.

The author writes that the Jewish people believe in what he calls the "nobility of business."

Their belief that there is something noble in delivering a product or service to others in a way that allows you and your company to thrive and make profits is not only ok, but is in fact honorable.

Part of the reason that he believes that this is true is that the only way to run a profitable business is by serving customers the right way. Only by humbling ourselves and realizing that life is about service can a business truly succeed in the long run.

And this belief system is part of what helps Jewish businesses succeed.

And it has been part of what has made Mavidea successful to this point.

Our customer first attitude and willingness to serve is a large part of who we are as a company.

There is nobility in serving our customers and each other. Every day you are doing something noble.

How we spend our days is worthwhile. Serving others is worthwhile.

Jake

From: Jake Davis
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 6:20 AM
To: MavideaAll
Subject: Daily Attitude Email 4 4 11

I thought I would go with a theme for this week’s emails (I know…I am so creative).

Jim Rohn talks about life by using the analogy of the four seasons so I thought I would send an email with my summary of what he says on each.

Here is the link to the first of 4 short youtube videos about this subject.

Jim starts by explaining that we can’t change the seasons of life. We can only change our response to the seasons.

Jim says “Learn how to handle the winters, they always come right after fall”

Jim goes on to say that there are all kind of winters.

The winter when you can’t figure it out.

The winter when it all goes smash.

Economic winters, social winters.

The winter when your heart is smashed into a thousand pieces.

No matter what kind of winter you may or may not be experiencing at any given point, it is important to remember that we all face winters in our life.

Jim says “When it was winter, I used to wish it was summer.” But then he realized that winter served it own purpose.

Winter is a time to do three things.

Get stronger. Get wiser. Get better.

This part about handling the winters of life is probably my favorite of the four seasons and his explanation of them. I think it made the most sense to me because I used to (at least I am trying to make it used to) complain about the winters in IL and think that wasn’t any good that came of the winter time.

Jim’s explanation of winter gave me a different perspective. We need to use winter as a time to get stronger, wiser, and better. It is a time to hone our skills so that we can take advantage of the next season…..spring.

I know some of you skip the YouTube clips when I send them out. I would highly recommend listening to this series. This is one of the most powerful concepts that Jim explains and is something I think about all the time.

Jake

As you may or may not know, Erik and Bridget had the baby yesterday (Rowen Zane Barnlund, 12:56pm, 6lbs 14oz).

So, first of all, congrats to EB and BB. Hopefully the whole family is doing well and is quickly recovering so that they can return home.

When I heard the news, i thought of an earlier email I wrote about miracles (http://www.mavidea.com/archives/2010/11/15/miracles/), and thought that I would expand on it a little bit.

Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.

CS Lewis

When I think of babies, miracle is the first word that pops into my head. For those of you who haven’t experienced it, being there for the birth of a child is the most amazing thing in the world (at the least the most amazing thing I have been a part of yet).

It is a moment where you can’t help but realize why it is called the “miracle of life”.

And I think the CS Lewis quote is particularly applicable in this case. Every child born is a retelling in small letters of several stories written in letters too large for some of us to see.

It is the story of the love between two parents that is made deeper and even more unbreakable through the birth of their child.

It is the story of parents and their love for their children and their deep desire for a better life/world for the next generation.

It is the story of the inherent goodness that God places inside of each and every one of us.

It is the story of the uniqueness that each of us has, even at birth. They take finger prints and foot prints right away that prove it.

It is the story of the miracle of medicine and all the staff at the hospital that are selfless in their efforts to make sure that everything goes well.

Remember today all of those little miracles (and the many more) and think of the even bigger stories being told throughout our lives.

And don’t forget to say congrats to Erik and Bridget.

We are blessed to have them and baby Rowen as part of the Mavidea family.

Jake

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 hear 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

Today is another “Jakeism”. This one is a fairly recent addition to my random sayings.

During several conversations with people about the hard work involved in making the changes suggested in these emails, I said to them:

You’re worth it.

Think about that. YOU. ARE. WORTH IT. Whatever hard work it will take to make you happy, you are worth it. You are worth the time it will take to make the changes necessary to meet your goals.

Want to lose weight? You are worth it.

Want to read more and learn more? You are worth it.

Want to be happy? You are worth it.

Want to become a better father/husband/wife/friend? You are worth it (and so are your loved ones).

And when you do meet your goal, embrace it. Enjoy yourself and the fruits of your labor. You’re worth it.

I have realized a couple of other things as I thought about this.

I am worth it. For some reason, these happy/attitude pills look a lot easier to swallow when I am handing them out to others. I too need to spend time and focus on the concepts mentioned in these emails and I am worth the results that will come out on the other side.

I have also learned that we are worth it. Mavidea as a collective is worth whatever hard work and effort is needed to accomplish our goals. We are worth pushing a little harder, making that extra call, going the extra mile for the customer, and encouraging each other along the way.

This next part might sound a little corny, but I suggest every one try it.

At some point today, look in the mirror and say out loud, “I am worth it”.

Because you are and there is no better time to get started on making your dreams come true than today.

Jake

Today is another “Jakeism”. This one is a fairly recent addition to my random sayings.

During several conversations with people about the hard work involved in making the changes suggested in these emails, I said to them:

You’re worth it.

Think about that. YOU. ARE. WORTH IT. Whatever hard work it will take to make you happy, you are worth it. You are worth the time it will take to make the changes necessary to meet your goals.

Want to lose weight? You are worth it.

Want to read more and learn more? You are worth it.

Want to be happy? You are worth it.

Want to become a better father/husband/wife/friend? You are worth it (and so are your loved ones).

And when you do meet your goal, embrace it. Enjoy yourself and the fruits of your labor. You’re worth it.

I have realized a couple of other things as I thought about this.

I am worth it. For some reason, these happy/attitude pills look a lot easier to swallow when I am handing them out to others. I too need to spend time and focus on the concepts mentioned in these emails and I am worth the results that will come out on the other side.

I have also learned that we are worth it. Mavidea as a collective is worth whatever hard work and effort is needed to accomplish our goals. We are worth pushing a little harder, making that extra call, going the extra mile for the customer, and encouraging each other along the way.

This next part might sound a little corny, but I suggest every one try it.

At some point today, look in the mirror and say out loud, “I am worth it”.

Because you are and there is no better time to get started on making your dreams come true than today.

Jake