Author: jakedavis1910

Daily Attitude Email 01 19 23

Meaghan’s birthday today!

Not quite sure how she pulls it off, but she sure does get more wonderful each year.

I sure got the better end of the deal when she agreed to marry me over 20 years ago.

One of my favorite words to describe what’s so great about Meaghan is grace.

I once heard someone describe grace as the gift of giving others better than what they deserve.

Meaghan does this everyday with her husband, children and those around her.

She is forgiving, kind and caring even when it isn’t warranted or deserved.

Because she is that kind of person.

I take inspiration from this all the time and hope it can do the same for you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 18 23

Resending this previous post in honor of Martin Luther King Day on Monday.

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well’. – Martin Luther King Jr.

This is one of my favorite quotes.

Not only because of the truth and inspiration we can gain from it, but also because of the example set by the person who said it.

Imagine living in that time, amidst all of that tension and strife, and having the strength of character to tell people to sweep streets as if they were sweeping the streets of heaven.

His audience was quite literally living through hell on earth and he inspired them to be and do their best in every scenario.

This message seems particularly appropriate this election and political season.

Take this message to heart today (and every day).

Do your best with what is in front of you.

Love and serve those around you with all you’ve got.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 17 23

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

To think of love in a time when so many chose hate is a great example of what made Martin Luther King Jr such a great leader.

At a time when life wasn’t fair and he had every reason to hate his fellow man – he had the wisdom to know it wasn’t worth it – for him.

The cost of storing up hatred in our hearts (even when it is warranted and justified) isn’t worth it.

Whether it’s because someone cut you off in traffic or you are being beaten and mistreated because of the color of your skin – hate isn’t worth it.

We may not (and hopefully never will) face so stark a choice, but hate can creep in if we let it.

It isn’t worth it!

Take it from someone who would know.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 16 23

Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. – Garrison Keillor

The Bible talks of rejoicing and being thankful in all circumstances.

It’s easy to forget though.

To get caught up in the day to day happenings and whether they happened the way we wanted them to or not.

It’s not the happenings though.

It’s a choice we make.

To focus on the good.

To find purpose and meaning in the bad.

To choose joy and thankfulness in the face of everything.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 12 23

In the Bible it says the meek shall inherit the earth.

It’s hard not to bristle a little when you hear that.

We hear words like meek and humble and think of the perennial doormat that doesn’t think enough of themself to stand up for what they believe in.

I went in search of something around the topic of humility and found this short excerpt:

One of the most powerful prayers in the midst of suffering I have read was uncovered from the horrors of Ravensbruck concentration camp. Ravensbruck was a concentration camp built in 1939 for women. Over 90,000 women and children perished in Ravensbruck, murdered by the Nazis. Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote The Hiding Place, was imprisoned there too. The prayer, found in the clothing of a dead child, says:

O Lord, remember not only the men and woman of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us: Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

I think that is the kind of behavior the Bible is talking about.

The kind of humility and meekness it takes to write something like that is hard to imagine.

It’s easy to read something like this and feel bad. Hard to live up to those kind of standards, so why even try?

Why try? Prayers like this one are proof that better is out there. We are capable of amazing things.

Use this as inspiration to get started on your own amazing thing.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 11 23

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. – Eleanor Roosevelt

So much of the good we seek in life falls into this category – by-product.

No matter how we grab on, it slips through our fingers.

When we focus elsewhere it creeps up on us.

If you’re having trouble, this might be why.

I think the next step is to find someone or read about someone who has found what you are looking for and (thoughtfully) copy what they are doing.

You’ll find things like….discipline, generosity, grace, patience, humility, etc.

Probably all the hard stuff.

I’ve decided that means I’m probably on the right track and it’s time to get to work.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 10 23

The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism. – Norman Vincent Peale

Maturity Moment for Jake – this one hit a little too close to home.

Praise is a good thing and we could all use more of it.

Criticism is a good thing and we could all use more of it.

Not sure about you, but I know which one I prefer.

This quote was a good reminder though….I could be praising myself right over a cliff.

Wisdom must be applied when dealing with power and both criticism and praise are powerful motivators.

Are you seeking out feedback? Not just the feedback you want to hear? Not only from the people that will say good things?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 01 09 23

https://youtu.be/Yr7Wkz7W7Vs

In this video by Tony Robbins, he asks “what kinds of questions are you asking yourself?”

Are you asking yourself questions like:

Why am I so fat?

Why don’t I have any friends?

When am I going to get it together?

Instead, you must learn to ask yourself positive questions. Questions that allow you to take responsibility for your actions and lead to action in a positive direction.

What can I do today to lose weight?

What can I do today to create a new relationship?

What book can I read to learn to get more organized?

We must learn to ask ourselves the right questions if we are to find the answers we are searching for.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Friday Morning Toe Tapper

https://youtu.be/Jay_-l6NaC8

One last Christmas song in honor of the Mavidea/Maxlider party tonight.

Also, here is a daily attitude email from a few years ago when we had our last Christmas party.

Every year at the Christmas party I make it a point to find a moment or two to step back from it all and just observe.

Every year I see the same thing.

I see smiles.

I hear laughter.

I feel the love in the room.

I remember that this is what it is all about. I remember not to worry or overthink it. I remember that we are getting the big things right.

I find my wife and go back to her side remembering that I am the luckiest guy in the world.

Thank you for being a part of that. I can’t imagine it without each and every one of you.

Merry Christmas.

Jake