https://youtu.be/ThHz9wlBeLU

Do you feel lucky, punk?

Well….you are.

You eat and live indoors.

You have people around you who love you.

You are really lucky to be you.

Embrace it.

Think of yourself as the luckiest person around.

Make it a great day.

Jake

One of my favorite mental images is one I heard about on a podcast from Rick Warren.

On the podcast, Rick describes God sitting on the end of the bed in the morning, looking at each and every one of us and saying “I can’t wait to see their face, to see what they are going to do today…”.

This image provides a lot of peace and positive energy for myself, to be sure.

But for me, this image is most helpful when thinking of others.

No matter who the person is and how good or bad I may deem them to be, God is sitting at the end of their bed each morning, looking for the best in them with love.

It’s easy to get frustrated with others. To get upset with those that don’t agree with you. To be disappointed with those that don’t meet your expectations.

I find it helps to think of these people as that quiet, sleeping bundle of potential seeking their own way in this world to be loved and to love.

When we can think of others in this light, we open ourselves up to look for the good in them.

We open ourselves up to love and be loved in a better way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into. – Wayne Dyer

I have been thinking about abundance more lately.

Hopefully this means I am tuning into it more.

In particular, what I’ve noticed is the crops here in Central Illinois.

The sheer magnitude of the abundance of corn and soybeans is truly amazing if you think about it.

So many are fed and nourished from the ground around us here in Central Illinois.

We truly live in an area and time of abundance.

Think abundantly. There is enough to go around. God wants amazing things for each and every one of his children.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Failure is not the enemy – fear is. – Carla Needleman

Great way of saying this simple truth.

Action and forward progress require failure.

It isn’t possible to move forward without failing along the way.

Failure is a part of the process.

Giving in to fear keeps us from engaging in the process.

What are you afraid of?

Is there some way to turn this around?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. – Dallas Willard

Thought this would be a good idea to start the week off.

Why is it that we choose such a hectic, hurried pace and attitude?

How can you eliminate some hurry and add some peace to your week?

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/dPKG1-3LXBs

Saw this song on a positive way to start your day list and liked the title….

Ready or not the day is starting.

Better get on it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The gain is not the having of children; it is the discovery of love and how to be loving. – Polly Berrien Berends

The gain in any relationship is not in having it but in the fruit of that good relationship.

We were made for relationship.

Good relationships bear fruit.

Want more fruit?

Be thankful for what you have.

Take responsibility for your portion, forget the rest.

Be on the lookout for new opportunities.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction. – Anne Frank

Satisfaction lies on the other side of work and discipline.

Want to be satisfied with your relationships? Work on them.

Want to be satisfied with your health? Work on it.

Want to be satisfied with your money? Work on it.

The Bible adds a good thought to this when it encourages us to work with joy, as if we are working for the Lord.

Work doesn’t have to be drudgery. It doesn’t have to be suffered through.

Some of my best memories are times when I was hard at work.

Get to work.

Make it a great day.

Jake

God doesn’t want anything from us, he wants things for us. – Andy Stanley

Andy said this in his latest podcast and it really stuck out to me.

Some of my best moments have been when I have gotten myself to have this attitude towards others.

When we can get ourselves to the point of not wanting something from those around us to wanting something for those people we are at our best.

I try to specifically do this in sales and negotiation situations.

I imagine the other person as another child of God’s and imagine what He wants for them and then I work to try to get them there.

Don’t read too much into this, it doesn’t take long in those conversations to get back to worrying about what I want or something else, but I’m working on it.

If you are already great at this, turn it up a notch today.

If you aren’t, try it in a couple of small interactions.

If you think I’m a little weird, thanks for reading any way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

What if someone would be blessed by what I have to share and they miss out because I hide it? ~ Holley Gerth

Making the world a better place requires taking a chance.

It requires putting yourself out there.

It works out most of the time, but not all of the time.

We aren’t guaranteed a win every time we step on the field.

We are guaranteed heartache and disappointment if we don’t.

Make a choice to step out and share what is special about you.

Make it a great day.

Jake