“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

A mentor of mine used to say "If you’re going to kill time, you might as well work it to death".

Time passes at the same rate for all of us.

Whether you are the President of the United States or sitting on your couch eating Cheetos and watching re-runs (are re-runs still a thing?).

We get to choose what to do with that time.

Are we pursuing our goals and dreams?

Are we scrolling passively while others chase theirs?

Are we buying into the lie that it isn’t worth it to work hard?

Get going. Who cares how long it will take. Just stick with it and don’t quit.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Well begun is half done. – Aristotle

It’s easy to give up or lose steam on a project or plan if we haven’t made any progress or begun well.

The beginning is a great time for a little extra care and attention.

Write it out. Make a plan. Schedule some time. Get off to a good start.

Sometimes this work when you are stuck on something. Just start over. Begin again but do it better this time.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Resending this daily attitude email from a few years ago as a reminder to myself – it’s not about me!

The Ancient One : It’s precisely what’s kept you from greatness. Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all.

Dr. Stephen Strange : Which is?

The Ancient One : It’s not about you!

I caught this line when watching Dr. Strange with Maggie the other night.

What a tough life lesson to learn – it’s not about you.

The sooner we learn this and make our peace with it, the better off we’ll be.

Life is not about us or our comfort.

Life is about service to others with love.

Not to get something in return but to become something in the process.

Our pride and our fear hold us back. We want to be in control and to make sure it turns out great – for us. When we let go and begin to pour ourselves out – every day – we begin to experience true joy and peace.

Where are you holding back giving and service to protect yourself?

Where are you letting fear and pride hold you back?

Find some small ways today to decrease pride and fear and add more service and love.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – This was probably much easier to write than it will be to read. It’s a real struggle for all of us. But it’s worth it.

There is no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the windows of opportunity for ideas to flow your way. – Jim Rohn
Reminder – you have a lot to be thankful for.
Developing a habit of gratitude is a great step towards getting what you want out of life.
Be thankful today!
Make it a great day.
Jake

https://youtu.be/W-TE_Ys4iwM?si=heiSS1KLre4aYMhs

One good thing about the start of another school year is the clear distinction from one period to the next.

Like the ending of one chapter and the beginning of the next.

Time marches on. It’s helpful to have markers along the way to show you are making progress.

This goes for kindergartners and grown ups.

Since most of us are past the school stage of life we need to set our mile markers along the way.

Whether they are goals or just simple traditions at home to mark the changing of the seasons they show us whether we have grown or atrophied, succeeded or failed.

We are made for meaning and progress. Set yourself a direction and move towards it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears. – Marcus Aurelius

Some things in life I think of as “fool’s gold” – this quote hits on one of them.

Spending our time identifying whose fault it is and how they have not done right by us is fool’s gold.

It’s easy to find fault. To judge. To see how someone has wronged us.

We can focus on this and find plenty of material – there is no shortage of shortcomings.

If we can let it go though, we find out that it wasn’t really worth worrying about in the first place.

It all disappears. Fool’s gold. No real value after all that.

Make it a great day.

Jake

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. – Maya Angelou

This feels like some solid dad advice.

Stop complaining.

Either do something about it or change your attitude about it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage. – The Hobbit

Tolkien did such a great job in this series of painting the picture of these epic battles of good and evil – all decided by the actions of a few people of genuine character.

Most of the battles between good and evil are fought in our day to day lives.

In traffic. Getting everyone out the door and to school on time. Customers that don’t listen. Coworkers who aren’t the person we’d like them to be.

All opportunities to choose good over evil. To move towards better instead of worse.

This is an opportunity, not a curse. We can and do effect the outcomes. We make a difference.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up. – Paul Valery

It’s easy to get stuck in the dreaming phase. Scrolling through the socials, looking at what other people have and wishing you had it.

You can have it – but first you have to wake up.

Wake up and decide if that dream is worth pursuing.

Wake up to where you are right now and how you got there.

Wake up to the work and dedication it will take to get there.

Wake up to the stuff you’ll have to let go of to move from where you are now to that new reality.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/Lw4nvg8S7Nk?si=SUulw3ljDyx2nLpQ

Marky Mark for a fun start to your Friday!

Some in the positive attitude literature focus in on the idea of vibrations and other ideas of "the universe" and how it interacts with us and our goals.

I think they are mostly right, but it doesn’t work quite how some describe it.

Will a vision board or a mantra or a positive affirmation create a reality that you desire? Not quite. But they don’t hurt.

We sow what we reap. If we put good stuff out there and into our minds and bodies, good stuff will come out. Does that mean we’re in total control – not really. We get to pick the general direction and have faith that it’ll all turn out, but there are no guarantees.

I wonder if the trick is in where we focus – on ourselves or on others. The more we focus on the best for others the closer we get to what we truly desire.

Make it a great day.

Jake