For some reason, I am on a reading plan lately that consists of mostly books written by Navy SEALs.

Not sure how it started, but it has been a lot of interesting reading.

The most important thing is how grateful I am that there are people like that. People willing to go to such extremes for our safety and our country. I know I couldn’t, but I am glad they do.

The second biggest lesson though is about grit.

One of the biggest things about them is they just flat out never give up. When things are bad, and then get even worse, and then it rains, and then something else goes wrong….guess what? They just keep going.

There is so much power in always taking the next step.

And you don’t have to be a Navy SEAL to take the next step.

When you eat too many cookies at lunch and blow your diet, you can take the next step.

When you blew your budget on an impulse item, you can take the next step.

When you made a mistake in your choice of words with your spouse, you can take the next step.

When you just fell back into that old bad habit, you can take the next step.

You can always take the next step. Right. Now.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which mean never losing your enthusiasm. – Aldous Huxley

Maggie turns 9 today.

This may just be a dad’s viewpoint, but she is the most enthusiastic kid in the whole world.

This quote above represents my wish for her (and for everyone else for that matter). That no matter what else transpires, she never lose this enthusiasm for life.

Whether she is rich or poor, cool or dorky, tall or short, skinny or fat….none of that will matter if she can keep her current enthusiastic attitude.

Many times Maggie has been my reminder to enjoy life. To smile and have fun.

Be like Maggie today. Turn up the enthusiasm and the fun.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/5XcKBmdfpWs

We were working our way through some old Styx songs on YouTuber last night and came across this video and I couldn’t resist sending it out.

Too much time on my hands….does that describe you?

Most of us struggle with time management in some form or another.

What can you do today to use your time more wisely?

Make it a great day.

Jake

“I’ve started to look at life differently. When you’re thanking God for every little you – every meal, every time you wake up, every time you take a sip of water – you can’t help but be more thankful for life itself, for the unlikely and miraculous fact that you exist at all.” ― A.J. Jacobs

Yesterday was a great day to practice gratitude.

Watching everyone get ready for the open house and then watching as everything went well, the words “thank you” popped into my head a lot.

And once you get started on being thankful, it’s hard not to be thankful for all the other blessings in our lives.

Thank you for all you have done for us.

Whether you are a current employee who went above and beyond yesterday, a family member who supports us from the sideline, or a cheering fan in the stands, we couldn’t have done it without you.

We are so lucky to have your support.

Make it a great day.

Jake

EB – Let’s go. – Erik Barnlund

JD – All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. – Charles M. Schulz

JW – I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. Romans 16:17

MS – It is not that a child is to be denied what he wants, merely for the sake of the denial itself; but it is that a child ought not to have what he wants merely because he wants it. -H Clay Trumbull

Mike has been reading and learning about parenting from H Clay Trumbull and has shared a few interesting insights.

I think this one applies to all of us. We ought not have what we want merely because we want it.

Have you ever wanted something but not done anything about it? Just kind of sat back hoping it would happen. Maybe even complaining a little about not having it yet.

I know I have.

There are all kinds of books about how to get what we want. How to get what we want really isn’t that much of a secret.

It’s whether or not we will do what it takes to obtain our desires.

Think of something from your “want” list. Take some small action toward it today.

Put the first dollar aside.

Buy the groceries that will start the process.

Take that first walk around the block.

Pray that first prayer asking for help and guidance.

Get started.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Today’s the big day. We are having our open house/ribbon cutting/Chamber event this evening.

The office will be a bee hive of activity all day. From those keeping the clients happy to those of us trying to get everything ready for the event.

While this event will be exciting and inspiring and worthy of a positive attitude, I think I learned another good self-improvement lesson.

Setting a deadline or timeline to reach your goals is really helpful.

Even more helpful is making that timeline or deadline one that is very public and involves a whole team of people with that same deadline.

We did a great job moving in and slowly but surely made progress in finishing up the place over the last few months, but I think we have done more in the last 2 weeks.

Think about a big goal of yours.

How could you get some other people on your team?

How could you set an event with those people as your deadline?

Make it a great day.

Jake

It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you are not. – Unknown

Often we are our own worst enemies. We build thought patterns and beliefs about ourselves that simply aren’t true.

I’m too old…

I’m too fat….

I’ll never be able to….

I don’t have enough discipline to…

I don’t have the willpower to…

We think we are someone we aren’t. We think we aren’t capable, when we are.

Pick one of these recurring thought patterns in your life and start to change it, today.

Just start by correcting yourself any time it pops up. Replace the negative with a positive. See the results you desire.

Try this for a week and see if it helps.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Today is a big day at Mavidea. We are adding three new Mavideans into the fold.

Taylor, Stephanie and Shelby all begin their Mavidea journey today.

As the years go by and I get a little grayer (and hopefully a little wiser) I am trying to not miss days like today. It is too easy to hustle through a busy day and forget to recognize the moment it represented.

Years from now we will be telling stories, joking around or just reminiscing about something one of these three did (or is doing), and if I don’t pay attention tomorrow I will miss how it all got started.

Maybe I am just getting sentimental in my old age, but I want to make sure I remember at least a little bit of it.

Hopefully this will serve as a reminder to all of us to live in the moment a little more. To take mental snapshots along the way (along with a few real pics) and not miss a thing.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/-NMph943tsw

This year I have seen quite a few FaceBox posts showing how that day’s date was the same date from the movie that they had traveled into the future.

The posts usually complain that we aren’t driving flying cars or the Cubs still haven’t won or some other detail about how the “future” hasn’t turned out as predicted.

Predicting the future is a risky business, but they did get some things right.

Themes like good vs evil are still there.

Bullies still try to take from those weaker than them.

Love still drives us to do things we didn’t think we could do.

Taking a chance can still lead to amazing results.

What do you think your future will be like?

Make it a great day.

Jake

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt

Yesterday’s quote prompted Mr. O’Shaughnessy to send me a note saying that it reminded him of the excerpt above.

So, today is another reminder.

Get going. Get in the arena.

Get some blood, sweat and dust on your face.

Strive valiantly.

Show great enthusiasm.

Spend yourself in pursuit of a worthy cause.

Make it a great day.

Jake