Today is my grandfather’s funeral. In thinking about him, I was reminded of this email I sent a few years ago when my grandmother passed (his wife). The same holds true for him in many ways.

“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” —Shannon L. Alder

My grandmother passed away on Saturday and today is the funeral.

She was a very unassuming person to have left such a great legacy.

In one of Andy Stanley’s podcasts he says something like “Your legacy might not be what you do, but who you raise.”

My grandmother was a homemaker and never even got her driver’s license, but she left a tremendous legacy.

Not that we are perfect, but she helped create a family legacy that will endure and continue to grow.

Each new generation has been touched and influenced by her love and caring.

This is your opportunity as well.

To leave this world better than you found it.

You may not even be the one that accomplishes great things (although I certainly hope you do). Your legacy may be a subtler one, like that of my grandmother.

But it will be something. Each and every day is an opportunity to make an impact and grow your legacy, don’t let them slip past you.

Make it a great day.

Jake

2 22 22 on a Tuesday!

It’s always funny to me when things like this line up.

It makes an ordinary day into a special day.

The kids do something special at school.

Restaurants and stores have specials.

I’m not that great at celebrating so I can always use the reminder.

Make it a little extra today.

Jake

In honor of President’s Day, I thought I would resend this past daily attitude email:

Jim Rohn has a speech entitled “I am a wealthy man because….”

One of the reasons he considered himself wealthy was his heritage.

President’s Day is today and it reminded me of the wealthy heritage we enjoy.

We enjoy the fruits of hundreds of years of great men and women working on our behalf. They have put the infrastructure in place for us to live and enjoy our lives the way we do.

They fought wars we don’t have to fight.

They fought evil we don’t have to face.

They stood for something we now get to stand on.

We will also have our battles to fight, our evil to face and we must choose something to stand for. But we get to do so from a position of strength because of our past.

Today is a great day to be thankful for our heritage and our presidents.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/R4rpG-dipYA

For some reason this one has been stuck in my head all week.

It’s funny and sad at the same time.

Sometimes we get confused enough to believe it’s true – that being popular is what matters. That are lives should be set up to chase the trends and happenings of the day.

Don’t be fooled!

The real things that matter are timeless and true regardless of their popularity.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny. – James Allen

The law of reaping and sowing actually means you reap more than you sow. Every time.

Maybe it is the overly analytical part of me, but I really like it when you can take a simple truth like this and dissect it more like James Allen did in the quote above.

In Earl Nightingale’s “Strangest Secret” he makes the point that our minds are built for growing thoughts so we must be careful what we plant. Our minds are like fertile soil that will grow a weed as readily as a beautiful flower.

Plant worries of ill health and your mind will build those up until you are actually ill.

Plant thoughts of wealth and happiness and your mind will build that reality around you.

Plant thoughts of want and need and before you know it you will be behind on your bills.

The law of the harvest works in all areas of our lives, but the starting point is usually in our own thoughts.

Make a conscious effort today to be careful of what you are planting.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Looking for something positive to plant today, here are a few of Jake’s suggestions, please feel free to share some of your own.

Norman Vincent Peale’s books – in particular “The Power of Positive Thinking”

Dale Carnegie’s “How to Stop Worrying” and “How to Win Friends and Influence People”

Listen to Jim Rohn’s “Art of Exceptional Living”

These are just a couple that have had a major impact on me, I would love to hear what has made an impact on you.

Yesterday’s email ended with the recommendation to use wisdom in deciding which season you are in and what to do about it.

How do we obtain wisdom?

Seek it.

Don’t have experience in something? Seek out someone who does.

Not sure about all the facts? Find and read the books.

Not sure where to get started? Google it.

Andy Stanley recommends asking ourselves – What would a wise person do?

Once you start finding information – start filtering it through that question – what would a wise person do? If you’re not sure what a wise person would do – ask one. Don’t know any wise people – seek them out. They are all over the history books and in books like the Bible.

If you seek, you will find.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – For those of us who are Christians – this is why a daily walk with the Holy Spirit is so important. The closer you are to having the Holy Spirit abiding in you, the closer you are to having wisdom live in you and your actions.

There are years that ask questions and years that answer. – Zora Neale Hurston

Life is full of different seasons.

Some are long, some are short.

Some go well.

Some go sideways.

Some require reserve and patience.

Some require massive and immediate action.

Some years ask questions, some years have answers.

These platitudes are easy to repeat and may even seem wise.

Real wisdom is knowing the difference. Knowing yourself. Knowing what to do next. Knowing who to ask if you don’t know.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Resending last year’s daily attitude email from Valentine’s Day.

Lauren Daigle – You Say (Official Music Video)

Monday morning slow tapper to remind you of something after Valentine’s Day – God loves you.

He loves you so very much.

He’s counted every hair on your head.

He’s got the whole universe in His hands and He thinks about you all the time.

He’s excited when you do well. His heart breaks when you miss the mark. He loves you the same either way.

He created this whole big thing we call life just to love you.

Not sure who needed to hear this today, but I’m sure it was at least one of you (or maybe I’m the one who really needs these emails…..)

The world can be dark and scary. People can and will hurt your feelings and leave you feeling unloved.

God won’t.

He never stops loving each and every one of us.

He and His love are enough.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – As I get older I’ve become convinced this should be my first wish if I were ever granted 3 wishes or the fame and fortune to make a major impact on the world – that each and every person knows (really knows) that God loves them. I believe so much would change for the better if we could all get this idea stuck in our hearts and heads.

https://youtu.be/8O6GCHz7lMA

Super Bowl Shuffle – this should get you prepped and ready for Super Bowl weekend.

Every year when we watch the Super Bowl I think about how many other people are watching it at the same time.

We create this shared, collective experience with so many people every year.

There is something very powerful about shared experiences. The power comes in the combination of the number of people, the intensity of the experience and the depth of the relationships.

We were made to seek out powerful shared experiences – from the embrace of a loved one to the packed concert – we are moved by these experiences.

So what?

I encourage all of us to seek these out and create more – on purpose and with purpose. Use these opportunities to deepen important relationships and to build new ones.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. – Carl Jung

The hardest part of parenting might just be the realization that they are acting just how you trained them to….whether you meant to or not.

It’s so very tempting to get irritated by those around us who fall short of our expectations.

To declare their sins and shortcomings to be personal character flaws that require our disdain and correction.

It’s also very tempting to be hard on ourselves. Heaping disappointment on ourselves for our own perceived sins and shortcomings.

I’d like to suggest that there should be a balance here.

Forgiveness and grace for the sins and shortcomings.

Distance and disconnect from those people and habits that cause too much damage and despair.

Where should the line be drawn?

Well, that’s up to you. Choose wisely.

Make it a great day.

Jake