America’s National Churchill Museum | Winston Churchill’s Do Your Worst; We’ll Do Our Best Speech

This is a Winston Churchill speech that is particularly poignant on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Two quotes in particular stood out to me:

“But there was one thing about which there was never any doubt. The courage, the unconquerable grit and stamina of our people, showed itself from the very outset. Without that all would have failed. Upon that rock, all stood unshakable.”

In the face of all the evils of the world we must have faith and belief that courage, grit and stamina from those on the side of good will win out. No matter the test, no matter the difficulty, that which is good and worthy will prevail.

“You do your worst – and we will do our best.”

When faced with the evils of the world it can be tempting to lower ourselves to those standards. Instead we need to raise ours.

The best way for us to honor those who have fallen and those who have sacrificed is to do and be our best. Others have given up their lives that we may have the opportunity to exercise this freedom. Don’t let it slip by.

Make it a great day.

Jake

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. – Henry David Thoreau

Challenging quote alert…

It’s so easy to get distracted and focused on all the little trivial things in our lives while ignoring the root cause.

We let selfishness, greed, laziness, and anger win out while we try to keep up with the Joneses.

We argue with others about political differences and complain on Facebox about all the losers.

We shop and spend and adorn ourselves while ignoring a hole in our hearts.

We hack at the branches of the injustices of the world and ignore the root in our own hearts (and of those we care about).

What can you do today to hack at the selfishness in your life?

What can you do today to hack at the consumption obsession?

Let’s get to work on tackling the right end of the problem.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – You’re pretty great. You are one of a kind that was built for doing and becoming the best version of you. You’re probably much further down the path of working on the right end of the problem than me and I’d love to hear how you did it.

It is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are. It does not matter that we will not reach our ultimate goal. The effort itself yields its own reward. – Gene Roddenberry

It’s always been a struggle for me to enjoy the journey and not to focus mostly on one task after another.

I forget to celebrate the wins. To dissect the losses. To enjoy the process.

A consistent theme in a lot of the books and podcasts has been the idea of mindfulness. Of being present.

I try to do this through taking a deep breath or by focusing my attention on others.

I try to pray for those around me. To wish them well and to hope for the best for them.

I don’t always remember and I’ve still got a long way to go.

I’d love to hear what works for you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love. – Voltaire

Burn. That one stung a little.

It’s hard to accept how blind we can be to our own faults and idiosyncrasies.

Something happens and we say “why didn’t I see that coming?”. The answer probably lies in our inability to see our own faults.

We set up all these defense mechanisms to protect ourselves from others and we end up blinded by them.

Not sure that I’ve figured out a solution but a couple of quick suggestions:

Journal – write it out. Your thoughts and feelings in writing will help illuminate the situation.

Ask someone you trust. They know. Trust me, they know.

Pray. The Bible talks a lot about the Holy Spirit and it’s role in guiding us and leading us away from our own selfish desires.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/JW5UEW2kYvc?si=SEVROppY6_K5qMSl

Country music has never been my thing.

But these emails aren’t about what I like.

I’m 46 years old and I still have to (constantly) remind myself that life isn’t about me.

It isn’t about me or what I want. It isn’t about how comfortable I am or how can I best avoid being uncomfortable.

It’s about how I can best impact others and help them get what they want.

It’s about pointing people to Christ as the true source of what they want out of life.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. – Thomas A. Edison

Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out. – Iris Murdoch

Don’t let your shoes get worn out!

Don’t miss out on those opportunities!

Action is key.

Make it a great day.

Jake

A few years ago, Tony Robbins posted the following on the FaceBox:

“Labor Day here in America is a celebration of the incredible tapestry woven by our efforts. When we give our labor, we’re giving a piece of ourselves, a reflection of our passion, creativity, and boundless joy.

Labor is the embodiment of LOVE in action. When we infuse it with purpose, our daily tasks become expressions of our highest selves. Whether you’re healing, creating, teaching, building, or nurturing, remember that your labor shapes the WORLD around you.

As we mark this day, let’s view each undertaking as an opportunity to serve, contribute, and make a difference. Your labor is your legacy, and it has the power to create a ripple of impact that echoes across generations.

Wherever you find yourself today, take a moment to ask: How can you infuse your daily work with joy and fulfillment? How does your labor contribute to the bigger picture of contribution and service to life? How does your labor stand as a gift to others?”

Great thoughts on how we contribute to each other through our labor (of love).

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/Y66j_BUCBMY?si=CFpwaraIpmiCW1uf

When Oliver was little, if we were doing something fun – he’d yell out “this is the best day of my life!”

As we get older, it’s easy to lose that kind of enthusiasm.

To find fault in what we’re doing, how we’re doing or who we’re doing it with.

To compare ourselves to others and feel less than or not good enough.

OR….we could swim against the stream….

To find joy in what we’re doing, how we’re doing or who we’re doing it with.

To have empathy for others and serve with love wherever possible.

Make it a great day (or maybe even the best day of your life?).

Jake

Below is the prayer of Oscar Romero.

I particularly liked these few lines towards the end:

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an

opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

So much of our fretting and worrying come from trying to control our fate and to do more than our “step along the way”.

I hope that each of you find peace today as you go about your day. The peace of knowing that the Lord will take care of the rest.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The Prayer of Oscar Romero –

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent

enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of

saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.

No prayer fully expresses our faith.

No confession brings perfection.

No pastoral visit brings wholeness.

No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.

No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.

We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.

This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an

opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master

builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. – Anne Frank

One of the great things about books and history is that we get to see what’s possible.

We get words like these from Anne Frank. Someone who lived through terrible atrocities and some of the worst evil in history.

And what does she focus on – the beauty that still remains.

Our challenges don’t really compare to being a jew in Nazi Germany, but we still face them.

We still have the choice to make – focus on the misery or the beauty.

Both are available to us.

Make it a great day.

Jake