Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge. – William Shakespeare

I looked up the definition of mercy and found this – Mercy is the compassionate treatment of those in distress, especially when it is within one’s power to punish or harm them. The word “mercy” derives from the medieval Latin merced or merces, which means "price paid." It has the connotation of forgiveness, benevolence and kindness.

We’ve all been shown mercy at one point or another in our lives.

Showing mercy to others is something to practice.

In our interactions with our family, friends, coworkers and customers we have the opportunity to practice small moments of mercy daily.

To be compassionate and consider the “price paid” when we are owed something that isn’t given.

We practice the small stuff in case we are ever in a position to be merciful with something bigger. So that in that moment we have the opportunity to be noble.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Couldn’t write an email about mercy without calling out the great mercy shown to us through Christ. We’ve been given the opportunity to live with him forever in heaven when we should be destined for hell. The price has been paid.

Try to be like the turtle – at ease in your own shell. – Bill Copeland

One of the balancing acts in life is learning to love yourself without thinking too much of yourself.

Internal self talk like – I’m not good enough, I’m too fat, I’m too dumb, nobody likes me, I don’t measure up, etc. do us more harm than good.

We can spiral ourselves into trouble simply by thinking those thoughts.

We must learn to be at ease in our own shell while striving to become the best version of ourselves.

SO THAT – we can be of service to others in love.

No so that we can feel better or be more comfortable or take it easy or not take responsibility for our actions.

Our end goal is humility and service, not pride and comfort.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/VcjzHMhBtf0

Don’t stop believing.

We all reach a point with our goals and vision of the future where we are tempted to stop believing in our picture of the future.

Don’t.

Keep picturing that better future.

Write it down (again if you need to).

Rekindle those feelings you first had when you set the goal.

Get your mind back into that state of mind you had when first had when you were fired up and just getting started.

Make it a great day.

Jake

A “what if” questions that I try to ask myself….

What if it isn’t all about me?

What if the others aren’t thinking, judging, analyzing everything I do?

What if everyone else didn’t notice that I’m too ugly, smelly, dumb, smart, sweaty, left my fly open?

What if my role is to help and support those around me instead of the other way around?

What could I do to help if I wasn’t so worried about myself?

What if my life’s purpose was to serve others with love?

What if I trained myself to think of others first?

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Sorry to everyone for every time I’ve been too self-centered to ask myself these questions before our interactions. This idea is a continuous struggle that I get wrong more than right.

“When they have really learned to love their neighbours as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbours.” – C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Meaghan and I listened to The Screwtape Letters on the way to Tennessee yesterday (I know….I sound like so much fun on a road trip).

It’s often spouted as advice to focus on self love and to love yourself first.

CS Lewis suggests something different. Learn to love others first.

In doing so we learn our own value and create space to love ourselves.

If your struggling, maybe a good place to start.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all. – Eleanor Roosevelt

No risk, no reward. A truth of life that we can’t escape.

We get to decide what kind of person we want to be – do we want to care and risk vulnerability or not care and live with distance between us and others.

Sometimes distance is wise. Sometimes vulnerability is the way to do.

We have to choose. We don’t get to sit on the fence.

Choose wisely.

Make it a great day.

Jake

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way. – Walter Hagen

This is a great quote from a golfer.

Golf is a game of short bursts of intense concentration followed by lots of opportunities to complain or worry about the shot or enjoy the scenery.

In my old age I appreciate more and more the shortness of life.

We really aren’t here that long. We must choose wisely how we spend each day.

We must make the most of it – without hurrying or worrying.

Not easy, but worth it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/2h82Wevk11s

No bad days.

Sounds like a pretty good plan to me.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – Couldn’t resist sending out the cute video version of this song so please ignore the cursing….couldn’t find the clean version with the same video.

Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. – Charles Dudley Warner

I thought this one was pretty funny….

We do tend to spend a lot of our time in life talking and worrying about things over which we have no control.

Next time you are tempted to complain or become anxious over the uncontrollables in life, think twice.

Think of this funny quote.

If you are not (or can’t) do anything about it, stop worrying and complaining. Start planning and doing the hard work to turn it into a positive.

Make it a great day.

Jake

All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. – Ellen Glasgow

Jim Rohn talks about how growth and achievement are upstream.

Life on this planet is one of atrophy – things naturally break down over time.

It only gets better when we do.

Make it a great day.

Jake