"Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile." – Wilfred Grenfell

Hopefully this quote gives you some motivation to go get it today.

Each day we have the opportunity to do something worthwhile.

Each day we have the opportunity to serve and love others in a meaningful way.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JW – Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. – Albert Einstein

MS* – Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. – Albert Einstein

EB* – A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. – Albert Einstein

JD – When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity. – Albert Einstein

Reading and hearing Einstein quotes reminds me of how much we have to learn from the generations before us.

Really smart people tried hard to translate what they learned to us through books, plays, poems, songs, novels, etc.

It’s our choice whether to seek it out and use it or to miss it all together.

Random idea for the day.

If you are struggling with something, find the oldest book or material on that subject you can find and read it.

Seek out the older wisdom.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier. – Mother Teresa

Great quote and a simple idea today.

Look to create happiness as you go through your day today.

Leave others feeling loved and appreciated.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.’ – Gandalf

I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” – Bilbo

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Maggie has been reading “The Hobbit” lately. I went in search of a good quote and this exchange stuck out as a key part of the narrative.

Bilbo lives in comfort. He has set himself and his home up for a life without problems.

But it is only when he goes out in search of adventure that he is able to change the world.

JRR Tolkien did a great job of making an important point in this series of books:

Even the smallest person can change the world if he is pure of heart if that person has the courage to step out of his comfort zone.

You may feel small and insignificant.

You may have a home and life set up for comfort.

You may look at an adventure as a nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable thing that may make you late for dinner.

Only when you have the courage to step out of your comfort zone do you begin to change the world.

Major important point – you were created to make a difference in this world, don’t get so comfortable you miss out on it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. – Victor Hugo

The positive benefits of laughing are well documented.

We all know that our day is better when we laugh more.

But somehow we let ourselves forget this when our schedules get tight.

We let hours and days go by without laughing enough.

We let stress and anxiety rule the day.

The reminder for today is to take a deep breath….and laugh.

Make a dumb joke.

Watch a funny YouTuber.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/sSRlQPD6Xiw

Today is Veteran’s Day and yesterday was the Marine Corp’s birthday.

Veteran’s Day and the other holidays celebrating our military took on a whole new light for me a few years ago when a cousin of mine enlisted in the Marines.

I think about it all the time. I pray for him all the time. I hope for his safety both physically and mentally.

What our troops have done and are doing is wonderful and amazing.

We are so lucky to have them protecting and serving our country.

We have a lot to be thankful for.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Love lights more fires than hate extinguishes. – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

This quote reminds me of my “51% theory”. The basic idea is that no matter what, at a bare minimum, the world is always at least 51% good, so good will always win out.

Same thing here.

No matter how much hate tries to extinguish the good that is created by love, it can’t keep up. Love always wins in the long run.

How does this help us?

First, as a reminder that we shouldn’t worry too much. Just like how gravity causes all things to fall, love wins just as reliably.

Second, get busy lighting fires. Now that we know love is going to win, let’s hop on the winning side and try to run up the score.

Lastly, anywhere you see hate at work, get in there with some love to get things going again.

Not that you need them, but just to get you started here are a few ideas that might be worth trying:

Post something that you are thankful for on the FaceBox.

Smile. Then smile some more.

Hugs!

Tell someone you love them.

Pray for a stranger.

Volunteer for something.

Help a coworker with their work.

Call somebody you haven’t spoken to in a while.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD- You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child. Dr. Seuss

JW* – Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities. Dr. Seuss

MS* – Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. Dr. Seuss

EB* – Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! Dr. Seuss

I forgot to grab a quote from everyone in our meeting so I got to make one up for Mike, Erik and Jamie.

I am lucky enough to have a 7 year who lives at my house and is learning to read and like to read Dr. Seuss books.

It certainly makes me happy to hear that sweet little verse reading the silly and insightful words that Dr. Seuss came up with all those years ago.

The world needs more silly.

My hope for you for today is that some silly finds it way in. That you get to laugh and smile and forget about all of the serious grown up stuff for at least a couple of minutes.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. – Albert Camus

Well, the election is over. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Election day in the US is a great reminder of just how lucky we are.

We have a tremendous opportunity to be better each day.

What are you doing with that chance?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Every child needs someone in their life who is irrationally positive about them.

I heard this on a podcast on parenting I was listening to yesterday and it stuck with me.

The interesting thing about being a parent and reading or learning about parenting is that virtually all of the advice is just as useful when interacting with adults.

Everyone needs someone who is irrationally positive about them.

Someone who believes nothing but the best about them.

Someone who thinks they are awesome.

Someone who is pulling for them.

Someone who is praying for them.

Make it a point today to find someone to be irrationally positive about.

Tell them how great they are.

Encourage them to stick with it.

Show them that you believe in them.

And then do it again tomorrow.

If you don’t have someone in your life like this, I want to know about it. My challenge to you is to let someone know. Let someone take that role in your life. I am 100% certain that person can be found, we just need to look.

Make it a great day.

Jake