Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. – Charlotte Bronte

Short reminder for today.

Life is too short to spend on the wrong things.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds. – John F. Kennedy

This feels true more and more as I get older.

As I look back it’s clear that my blind spots were bigger than I could have imagined.

It’s hard sometimes not to see the ignorance and give up on the pursuit of knowledge.

To resign myself to the fate of never really understanding enough to make the decisions I’d like to make.

Instead I’m working to be more thankful. Thankful for loved ones, friends and colleagues that are able to look past my ignorance and blindness and love me anyway. Thankful for the opportunity to grow and do better.

I’m also thankful for friends who are willing to show and tell me when those blind spots are there. To point out where maybe (just maybe) I’ve made a poor decision or appear to be heading in the wrong direction.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Resending this daily attitude email from a little over 10 years ago….

Saturday night I had the unique (at least for me) experience of going to a Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney concert at Soldier Field.

I am not much of a country music fan, so I spent much of the time people and crowd watching.

It is amazing what happens when you get tens of thousands of people in one place together. It is even more amazing when you get the majority of those people to sing and dance along to a song.

There was a lot of power in all those people and their collective voices and actions.

It was a great reminder of just what we can do if we work together as human beings.

A positively focused group of people can accomplish amazing things.

I am glad to be part of a great group here at Mavidea.

Make it a great week.

Jake The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

https://youtu.be/R9ncBUcInTM

Good day for some sunshine.

Summer feels like it is officially here.

Time to do all the summer stuff and enjoy some sunshine.

We were built to enjoy the sunshine and be outside.

Enjoy the summer!

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Started watching the new Lord of the Rings show with Maggie and it reminded me of this email from a few years ago….

“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.’ – Gandalf

I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” – Bilbo

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Maggie has been reading “The Hobbit” lately. I went in search of a good quote and this exchange stuck out as a key part of the narrative.

Bilbo lives in comfort. He has set himself and his home up for a life without problems.

But it is only when he goes out in search of adventure that he is able to change the world.

JRR Tolkien did a great job of making an important point in this series of books:

Even the smallest person can change the world if he is pure of heart if that person has the courage to step out of his comfort zone.

You may feel small and insignificant.

You may have a home and life set up for comfort.

You may look at an adventure as a nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable thing that may make you late for dinner.

Only when you have the courage to step out of your comfort zone do you begin to change the world.

Major important point – you were created to make a difference in this world, don’t get so comfortable you miss out on it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” – he Mark 9:42 ESV

Other translations I think have the words as whoever causes a little one to stumble…

I think of this verse often. When the Bible says you would be better off having a large stone tied around your neck and flung into the ocean my ears perk up. Probably something to avoid.

We all have the opportunity to influence those around us (and the little ones around even more so) and taking the Bible encourages us to take this responsibility seriously.

The consequences are serious.

The opportunity to make a difference is meaningful.

The reason the work of self improvement, self discipline, goal setting, etc. is worth it is that we can do a better job of serving those in our lives. We should bring our best to the relationships that matter the most. To those we influence the most.

The choice is yours.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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“What’s done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about what has passed.” – Aslan from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”

I was watching this movie recently and heard these lines and they really stuck out to me.

In the movie, Edmund’s character had just made it back after committing an act of treachery. Aslan gave him a “talking to” and then told everyone else the lines above.

We all need someone who can give us the stern talking to when we’ve stepped out of line.

But that isn’t what really stuck out to me.

What stuck out to me in particular was the idea of letting the past be the past. No need to talk about it again.

From both perspectives.

If we are the one needing forgiveness, to let things go and move forward. Not to dwell on our mistakes but to learn from them and move forward.

If we are the ones forgiving, to not bring it up again. To let our loved ones grow and move forward from their past.

Let go of past transgressions. What’s done is done. No need to speak of it again.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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https://youtu.be/KUBQZ0vRvjE

Memorial Day weekend. A time when we memorialize those that lost their lives in service to our country.

America isn’t perfect, but to some brave souls, it’s worth fighting and dying for.

Your freedom and opportunity was worth protecting.

Freedom is what we have to show for their sacrifice.

It’s up to us to make the most of it.

To make that sacrifice worth while.

A sobering thought.

Make it a great day.

JAke

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It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love. – Voltaire

That one sure stings a little. Maybe hits a little too close to home. Maybe I’m the only one?

As I get older my selective blindness has become more and more clear. I’m not good enough to pick it out ahead of time, all the time, but I sure can tell that I’m not seeing the whole picture.

I convince myself that my ideas are good.

The stuff I want is necessary.

That my desires and wants are best for everybody.

That I have everyone’s best interests at heart.

That I’ll do better with the diet and exercise tomorrow.

That a few more minutes of TV won’t hurt.

What are you blind to? Who in your life might better see things as they are? Who might serve as an accountability partner?

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – When you see me doing any of these things – please call me out!

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“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

In order to find, we must look.

We must actively work towards finding what we desire for our lives.

It doesn’t just come to us.

We must find the relevant information.

We must ask others who might know where it is.

What are you looking for?

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.