We put up the basketball hoop in the yard this summer. I was expecting the kids to have some fun, but I wasn’t expecting to have fun myself.
Playing a game is a great way to engage your brain and body in a different way.
Get out and do something this weekend.
Play a game, go for a run, or just a walk around the block.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Found this email I sent last year. Watching Bagger Vance again the last few days reminded me of it….
Rannulph Junuh: You really love this game, don’t you?
Hardy Greaves: It’s the greatest game there is.
Rannulph Junuh: You really think so?
Hardy Greaves: Ask anybody. It’s fun. It’s hard and you stand out there on that green, green grass, and it’s just you and the ball and there ain’t nobody to beat up on but yourself; just like Mister Newnan keeps hittin’ himself with the golf club every time he gets angry. He’s broken his toe three times on account of it. It’s the only game I know that you can call a penalty on yourself, if you’re honest, which most people are. There just ain’t no other game like it.
This back and forth from “The Legend of Bagger Vance” is one of my favorites.
I’ve tried to play a little more golf this summer and it’s been a great reminder of the value of doing something fun (and difficult).
Golf is a great place to practice and live out some great life lessons….
You can hit a great shot, but end up in a poor spot – life’s not fair.
Your score and your integrity matter.
Green grass, fresh air and trees blowing in the wind are good for the soul.
Life is best when done with good friends.
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
Two short phrases were stuck in my head as I thought about Labor Day – “labor of love” and “labor as if you were doing it for the Lord”.
Both were a reminder about how our attitude towards something can really make the difference.
It’s easy to see work and labor as negatives.
It’s easy to do our work as if it didn’t matter and was merely something we had to do.
But it can be more than that.
We can labor as if we were doing it for the Lord.
We can labor out of love.
As we all get back to work today, let’s do our best to work with a different attitude. Let’s work for and towards something higher and more noble.
Make it a great day.
Jake
I asked Maggie for a song to send out and she picked this one. Seems appropriate given that she just started the cross country season.
Watching Maggie word hard every day in practice has been a good reminder that improvement and success require real effort.
Let’s all get to applying some real effort today!
Make it a great day.
Jake
This video is one I think about a lot. I know it is a little longer than usual, but it is worth watching.
This video is Les Brown’s story of getting into the radio business. Through telling this story, Les make’s one of my favorite points. “You’ve got to be hungry” is something that goes through my head at least a couple of times a week.
Think about your life and what you really want to accomplish. Are you hungry to accomplish your goals? Do you take no for answer? Would you work at a job for no pay just to get to your long term goal?
Want to make more money this year…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry!
Want to become a better father/spouse/friend……You’ve Got to Be Hungry!
Want to learn more…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry!
Want to lose weight…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry! (Sorry about the bad pun on that one, couldn’t resist).
When you are needing a little pick me up, just think of Les’s booming voice in your head.
Want to just watch TV instead of picking up a book? Hear Les….You’ve Got to Be Hungry!
Want to eat a bowl of ice cream before bed? Les booms…..You’ve Got to Be Hungry!
Want to take it easy today instead of giving your best? Focus on his voice….You’ve Got to Be Hungry!
Think about your goals and what you are hungry to accomplish. Get started on them today. If you are hungry, then it can’t wait until tomorrow.
Jake
"Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is poverty. Ignorance is devastation. Ignorance is tragedy. Ignorance is illness. It all stems from ignorance." — Jim Rohn
We are all ignorant in that we don’t know everything, but if we continue to be, we can expect what Jim Rohn describes.
While we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over not knowing, we should also never stop our search for knowledge and information to lead us out of our ignorance.
We choose our ignorance.
But we must choose wisely.
For example, it might be wise to be ignorant of the latest happenings on the latest hot TV show while being ignorant of important areas regarding your health might not be so wise.
Choosing ignorance in the important areas of life is a recipe for disaster.
Seek out knowledge and wisdom about what is important to you.
Be ok with not understanding that which is not.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Good questions outrank easy answers. – Paul Samuelson
Wise people ask wise questions.
So much of finding and pursuing the right goals in life is asking the right questions to start.
What would a wise person do?
What is standing in my way?
Why not?
What does love require of me?
What would grandpa do?
What would make him/her feel loved?
What would Jesus do?
Why does Jake ask so many questions?
Ask yourself some smart questions today.
Make it a great day.
Jake
One of the biggest lessons I have learned through sending these emails for so long is the lesson of momentum.
Once you get momentum with something it can carry you along when you don’t feel like pushing.
When I don’t feel particularly positive or upbeat, I have the momentum of these daily emails to put something positive into my day.
My advice is to seize the moment to begin to build momentum.
When you are in a great mood and the weather is nice, start that new routine of walking around the block.
When you get that bonus and have a few extra dollars, start that momentum of investing.
And then embrace it when you need to.
Let the momentum carry you through that bad day.
Make it a great day.
Jake
This was Annie’s suggestion for a toe tapper this morning.
Everything is better when we stick together.
Life is better together, in relationship with those we love.
Remember to tell someone today that your life is better because they are in it.
Make it a great day.
Jake
Practical Steps for Friendship, Unity and Intimacy in Your Marriage
The Daily Attitude Email 