"Whoever renders service to many puts himself in line for greatness– great wealth, great return, great satisfaction, great reputation, and great joy."

“Service is the measure of greatness; it always has been true; it is true today, and it always will be true, that he is greatest who does the most of good. Nearly all of our controversies and combats grow out of the fact that we are trying to get something from each other–there will be peace when our aim is to do something for each other. The human measure of a human life is its income; the divine measure of a life is its outgo, its overflow–its contribution to the welfare of all.” ~ William Jennings Bryan

My favorite line from this quote: the divine measure of a life is its outgo.

What a powerful thought.

The ultimate measure of our lives is the service we have rendered for others.

Make it a great day.

Jake

All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others. ~ Danny Thomas

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

He who has the desire to keep his life will have it taken from him, and he who gives up his life because of me will have it given back to him. Matthew 10:39

Continuing on with the theme of service today.

Today’s quotes are a reminder of one of the great paradoxes of life. Only by giving up our own desires in service to others we are able to find that which we desire.

In serving others we find out what we are really made for.

When we serve others we are able to see what is really important and can then order and prioritize our lives differently.

Make it a great day of service.

Jake

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This was next on the list of quotes on service.

This quote covers so much and says a lot already, so I will keep it brief.

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.”

What a great definition of service. Making life easier for others.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – The next best thing to being wise one-self is to live in a circle of those who are. – C.S. Lewis

KJ – You have everything you need to build something far bigger than yourself. – Seth Godin

JW – The bamboo which bends in stronger than the oak which resists. —Japanese Proverb

EB – I’m going to miss Kim being here every day! – Wise Man

JM – What do a bicycle and Viagra have in common?

Before you ask JM for the answer to that question you have to agree not to sue…..

I love the idea behind the Seth Godin quote above.

Begin today with what you have to build the future you want.

You have everything you need.

You don’t need to wait for this or that or the other in order to get started.

Move forward. Start right now.

Make it a great weekend.

Jake

http://youtu.be/TP4nEfJGX7M

Had to send this one out this morning in honor of the extra cool morning we are having.

When it is really cold like this in the winter or really hot in the summer I try to focus on one thing.

I am reminded that I am alive and healthy and can feel the discomfort associated with each.

The temporary discomfort reminds me of just how lucky I am to live in comfort the rest of the time.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a months, get married. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, serve others.” ~ Chinese proverb

Happiness for a lifetime. Sounds pretty good, huh?

Our search for a lifetime of happiness is often sidetracked by all the shiny objects in our lives.

Newer, cooler stuff.

The newest, coolest gadget.

Money.

Our favorite TV show.

None of this is bad in and of itself. It all just needs a little perspective

This quote puts it all into perspective.

What if we focused on serving others instead?

We can build our own happiness brick by brick. One act of service for others at a time.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“Doing nothing for others is the undoing of one’s self. We must be purposely kind and generous, or we miss the best part of existence. The heart that goes out of itself gets large and full of joy. This is the great secret of the inner life. We do ourselves the most good doing something for others.” ~ Horace Mann

This quote encompasses a lot of the important parts of service.

First, service is core to being a human being. Not doing service for others is the undoing of part of your essence.

Next, we must purposeful about service. We must seek out opportunities to serve others.

Only by extending beyond our own selfish desires and wants can we grow to our full potential.

And in the end, we do ourselves the most good by doing something good for others.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“The purpose of life is not to win. The purpose of life is to grow and to share. When you come to look back on all that you have done in life, you will get more satisfaction from the pleasure you have brought into other people’s lives than you will from the times that you outdid and defeated them.” ~ Harold Kushner

Last week we announced our purpose here at Mavidea: to have fun serving others.

Coincidentally I recently read a blog post by John Maxwell with is favorite quotes on service.

So, I am going to share his quotes and my thoughts on each one over the next week or so.

Really liked this one to start out with.

We are too often tempted to look at the relationships in our lives as win-lose scenarios where we are either the victor or the victim.

Instead we should look at the relationships in our lives as opportunities to serve. In this service we will find the pleasure he speaks of in this quote.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Last up in the list of Jim Rohn principles to live by: don’t ever stop in your pursuit of a legacy.

Maybe another way to put this is “it’s never too late to start building or add to your legacy.”

No matter our age, we can make a change and add to our legacy.

Make it a great day.

Jake