We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. – Herman Melville

Life is not about me.

Life is not about me.

Life is not about me.

Or you…sorry.

If only I could finally train myself to think this thought all day every day. To permanently and triumphantly conquer that selfish part of me that creeps in all too easily.

Like life, this email also isn’t only about me.

Where could you live this out better in your life?

Where could you be less selfish?

Where could be more connected?

Whatever came to mind, take some kind of action to move towards better.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Someone posted this video on the Insta the other day and it reminded me of this Father’s Day Daily Attitude Email from a few years ago.

http://youtu.be/t2G8KVzTwfw

This is one of my favorite father-son moments from sports.

Derek Redmond is running the race of his life, on the grand stage of his sport and the unthinkable happens: he pulls a muscle and can’t finish the race.

As he hobbles along, trying to just cross the finish line his dad comes running out from the stands and helps him across the finish line.

Imagine what is going through his mind.

I can’t believe this happened.

I’ve wasted so many hours and years training.

I failed.

And then comes this loving gesture from his dad.

His dad swoops in and puts his arm around him and helps him across the finish line.

Together, they showed that sports are more than just winning and losing. More than an injury at the worst possible time. It was about the love of a father for his son.

I have been very blessed to have a father and father-in-law who have shown me this same love. I work to show my kids this same love every day.

Maybe we all can’t be fathers who run out on the track during the Olympics.

But we can all be that person to run in and put our arm around someone and show that we are there for them in their moment of pain and weakness.

We can be strong for someone we love.

We can inspire others to love and serve one another.

We all will struggle at one point or another. My sincerest hope is that we will all also have someone in our lives to run in, put their arm around us and help us across the finish line.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/NiGbr9Sqz1M

Andre sent this over to me this week with a note saying it might be a good toe tapper.

It’s one of my favorite things to get ideas for these emails.

I imagine everyone who reads this as a little community and when I get to send something one of you likes out to the others it is a way of making new connections in ways that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

When you are old like me life seems to be more and more connected.

How you treat people matters and adds up in the end.

How you eat matters and adds up (literally) in the end.

How you spend or invest your money and adds up (literally…two in a row) in the end.

What you share with others matters and adds up in the end.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Thanks to all of you who have shared ideas for and written daily attitude emails over the years, you’re the best!

Organization removes obstacles.

Listening to the podcast about the lady who lost her sight and this point from her really struck me.

She explained how she realized this after being blind. Everything having (and being in) its place becomes very important when you can’t see while you are walking around the house.

If it wasn’t, you would spend all your time carefully bumping into things and adjusting back to where you were trying to go.

I think this is how our brains work with all the clutter, stuff and to dos that are unorganized in our lives.

Without a place for everything and everything in its place we stumble from thing to thing, never picking up the head of steam we need to break through those barriers in our lives.

Is there an area of your life where more organization could make the difference?

All the stuff of life getting in the way of your life?

Email running your day for you?

Is today the day you are going to start the change that gets you over the hump?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Childhood is a short season. – Helen Hayes

With the kids home for the summer, this quote is a great reminder for me.

The same goes for other areas of life….

Being newlyweds is a short season.

Being empty nesters is a short season.

Being new at your job is a short season.

Being the seasoned team member is a short season.

Having kids at home is a short season.

Life sure does seem to move quickly. Before you know it you wake up and your 42 years old….

Make the most of it. Don’t let worry and anxiety steal another day. Take care of yourself so you can increase the chances of having more days.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Choose your love, Love your choice. – Thomas S. Monson

Sorry to continue on with the “Meaghan is the best” love fest, but another important lesson learned in the last 19 years is that of choosing love.

I’m sure there have been many days when it would have been easier for Meaghan to choose something other than love.

I’m sure there have been many days I didn’t deserve it.

But it was there. She made the choice.

It’s not always easy, but it is always the right one.

Make that choice today in your relationships.

Ask “What does love require of me?” and then make the choice to do it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“Grace is something you can never get but can only be given. There’s no way to earn it or deserve it or bring about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks.” – Frederick Buechner

Today marks Meaghan and I’s 19th wedding anniversary.

We’re getting up in years enough that sometimes people will ask questions along the “how’d you do it?” line of thinking.

While I’m busy pondering and over-analyzing things Meaghan usually answers with some form of “grace”.

Thinking the best of the other person even when they don’t deserve it.

It is great advice for all of our relationships and interpersonal interactions – from the waitress to our spouse our lives will be more full of joy if we choose to respond with grace as frequently as possible.

Grace is a great area to practice giving and generosity. The more you give and the more generous you are the more joy you will experience. It’s not an equation I can document or fully explain, but I’m convinced it is just how life works on this planet.

Thank you to Meaghan for being a great example in my life of showing grace (maybe it is because I give her so much practice?).

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/cJqjlFGZxtE

The best thing about the summer is all the beautiful mornings.

Spend a few minutes outside in the morning.

Sit outside with your cup of coffee.

Go for a walk.

Go for a run.

Take up smoking (just seeing if you’re paying attention).

Make it a great day.

Jake

First week of summer break at the Davis house this week, this email from a few years back reminded me again that school is never really out.

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