“But on Christmas Eve this year, I can say to you that, at last, we may look forward into the future with real, substantial confidence that, however great the cost, peace on earth, goodwill toward men can be and will be realized and ensured,” Roosevelt said in his radio address , reaching Ladd Field via Fairbanks’s KFAR radio. “This year I can say that. Last year, I could not do more than express a hope.”“American boys are fighting today in snow-covered mountains, in malarial jungles, on blazing deserts,” he said near the end of the address. “They are fighting on the far stretches of the sea and above the clouds, and fighting for the thing for which they struggle.” – "81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska’s Frozen Wilderness" by Brian Murphy

Saturday was Pearl Harbor Day.

It’s a day to remember an important moment in American history.

It’s also a day to remember that there are still troops fighting for us in “snow-covered mountains, in malarial jungles, on blazing deserts”.

Let’s remember those who have served and those who are serving.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/MyA1zKBUhxM

Nothing says Irish Christmas like the Wren in the Furze….(don’t ask me what it all means).

Whatever your favorite Christmas song – play it today.

Get yourself in the Christmas spirit.

Merry Christmas.

Jake

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." – CS Lewis

Love is a central theme of the Christmas season.

We are reminded of the importance of the loving relationships in our lives and are inspired to love mankind in a way that seems to elude use the rest of the year.

CS Lewis has some great thoughts on the subject of love and this quote is a great reminder.

Love isn’t a feeling – it’s an action.

Either in how we think about and consider someone or better yet in what we do and say in response to those consistent and steady wishes for a loved one’s ultimate good.

Feed the flames of these thoughts and actions that Christmas inspires.

Keep it up through the New Year and on to next year.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I was in Ireland a couple weeks ago… Throughout every day, Deb and I talked about how nice, friendly and helpful everyone was.

On day 9 it hit me…. The people of Ireland treat people how people should be treated. It was so refreshing.

They’ve found a way to live like every day is Christmas. So it’s possible and helped me step up my game.

Thanks for the reminder and thanks for your dedication to help us all improve.

Happy Tuesday.

B

Brian O’Shaughnessy sent that note to me yesterday in response to the email about starting Christmas early by being a little nicer to everyone.

I’ve always thought of “hospitality” as the Irish people’s super power and his note about how they “treat people how they should be treated” stuck out to me.

What if we were supposed to be this nice all year long and not just on Christmas?

What if generosity was an every day thing?

What if kindness became a minimum expectation?

My trips to Ireland showed me (and Brian) what that might look like….and it looked pretty good.

Being nicer and more hospitable seemed to make the Irish people I interacted with more happy, more full of joy.

They didn’t seem to be getting the short end of the stick….

Reflect on your interactions over the year. Is there room for more niceness? Is it worth taking a chance on moving forward?

Merry Christmas.

Jake

PS – Thanks to Brian for being a consistent supporter of me and these emails. He’s been on the list a long time and has every reason to tune me out and move on to reading something better but consistently finds time to encourage me with a nice note here and there.

My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that? – Bob Hope

Idea for the day – start Christmas early.

Don’t wait another day to say thank you.

Don’t wait another day to say I love you.

Don’t wait another day to hug somebody.

Go ahead and get started. Spread some love and joy.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.” ―Henry Ward Beecher

It’s the start of the last month of the year.

Time to look at your 2019 goals and make the last push to get a few more items checked off the list.

Don’t let excuses creep in.

Don’t delay until next year.

Don’t let December come and go without letting go of the excuses and finishing what you set out to accomplish.

Make it a great day.

Jake

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share. – W. Clement Stone

Being thankful is a great place to start because it reminds us that we have something to give.

We weren’t put on this earth to just consume all that we can and be thankful along the way. We were made to give.

If you are thankful for all the love in your life, show it and share it.

If you are lucky enough to have a little extra money, give it away.

If you have some free time, find a place to volunteer.

There are many ways we can share this holiday season.

A great place to start is that list you think of over Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. As you think of what you are thankful for, take a moment to think of a way to share whatever it is you are thinking about.

Our real opportunity to change this place forever lies in our ability to share and give the best of ourselves with others.

What are you going to share?

Make it a great day.

Jake

I Receive ALL of Life with Thanksgiving –

I have gratitude for EVERYTHING

that has ever occurred to bring me to this moment.

I give thanks for the joys and the sufferings,

the moments of peace and the flashes of anger,

the compassion and the indifference,

the roar of my courage and the cold sweat of my fear.

I accept gratefully the entirety of my past and my present life.

– Jonathan Lockwood Huie

It takes a very mature person to be thankful for ALL of life, I know I have lots of room for improvement here.

I won’t challenge us all to immediately become thankful for everything, but maybe we could take a step in that direction.

As you think about what you are thankful for this year, challenge yourself to go beyond your usual answers.

Family, friends, faith, home, etc. are all great and worthy of our thanks, but let’s add to the list this year.

Maybe even find a challenge or struggle to be thankful for.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. – William Arthur Ward

Being thankful is the beginning of a better and more full life.

When we are thankful for what we have we transform our attitude and prepare ourselves for more of the same.

Think of an area of your life where you want to see a change.

Find something in that area to be thankful for.

Maybe an example would help.

Let’s say you wanted to save some money.

First, be thankful for whatever money you do have.

Treat that little bit as if it were a blessing.

And then you will have the attitude it will take to start adding more.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/NOa5UOHdwnc

Figured we should end the week with a funky thank you right before Thanksgiving week.

“Thank you for letting me be myself.”

I sure am thankful for the people in my life that do this for me.

I know that “myself” has a lot of room for improvement but some of you love me anyway.

We all have people in our lives like this.

Don’t forget to tell them you are thankful for their love and appreciation.

Make it a great day.

Jake