"Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is poverty. Ignorance is devastation. Ignorance is tragedy. Ignorance is illness. It all stems from ignorance." — Jim Rohn

As a follow up to yesterday’s email about how we are all ignorant in our way, I thought I would follow up with this quite from Jim Rohn.

We are all ignorant, but if we continue to be, we can expect what Jim Rohn describes.

While we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over not knowing, we should also never stop our search for knowledge and information to lead us out of our ignorance.

We choose our ignorance.

But we must choose wisely.

Choosing ignorance in the important areas of life is a recipe for disaster.

Seek out knowledge and wisdom about what is important to you.

Be ok with not understanding that which is not.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects. – Will Rogers

I really like simple ideas like this that illustrate how our thinking might be flawed.

Beating yourself up because you didn’t know something, maybe it’s time to realize that you are/were just ignorant on that subject.

Really struggling with something, maybe you are ignorant now and some learning and growth are required.

Dealing with someone who just “doesn’t seem to get it”, maybe they are ignorant of a few important facts that would make all the difference.

We tend to judge ourselves and others a little harshly in this area. Expecting ourselves and others to not be ignorant.

Recognize where you don’t know.

Recognize that others don’t know.

Plan for it.

Take care of it.

Move around it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Last night was Oliver’s very first tball practice.

We laughed and cheered while Oliver and the rest of the little boys ran around and played catch.

I was thinking about it afterwards and thought there might be a good life lesson in there for the rest of us.

When a child first does anything (walk, play tball, etc.) we cheer them on as they learn and grow.

We don’t correct their mistakes, we cheer on their efforts.

But when we look at ourselves, we tend to be a little harder on ourselves.

We try something new and criticize ourselves for not doing it right.

We get to work on a new habit but give up as soon as we have a bad day.

What if instead we took the same perspective we did towards tball?

We cheered on the efforts and the fun.

We corrected and coached, but gently.

We encouraged ourselves and others on the same journey.

Let’s try to be a little more kid like in our approach to growth and learning.

Make it a great day.

Jake

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. – Anne Frank

Great way to start a Monday – with the reminder that we don’t need to wait to start making things happen. We can start right now.

This day, this week, this month can be your new beginning, the time you really poured it on.

The world changes when we do.

Change begins when we do.

Let’s get started.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/pWp6kkz-pnQ

Simple reminder this morning.

Don’t give up.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action. – Frank Tibolt

It’s easy to fall into the trap of waiting around for something else to come along and get us started.

It’s easy to tell ourselves “I’ll get started when…”

We wait around for the perfect day or the inspiration we think will give us the motivation to get over the top.

What if we had it all backwards?

What if our job was to just take some kind of action first?

What kind of small, concrete action can you take today?

Whatever your long term goal is, there is some small, incremental step that can be taken today.

Don’t wait. Get started.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We aim above the mark to hit the mark. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Set your sights high.

Les Brown suggests taking all of your current goals and doubling them.

Why?

Because even if you miss, you will be much further ahead.

And you will start the process of learning to believe that better is possible for you.

You will have setbacks.

Things won’t go quite according to plan.

Aiming high ensures that you will still get somewhere great.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

This CS Lewis quote was in a book I read recently and it reminded me of an important choice we all must make each day.

I don’t know about you, but this quote reminds me of the importance of stepping out towards love each and every day.

Stepping into vulnerability isn’t easy.

Having a broken heart isn’t fun.

The price we pay for love is high.

But it’s worth it.

And the other options are even worse.

When you read this quote, what does it mean to you?

Whatever it inspires or reminds you to do, do it today. Don’t let the sun go down without having stepped forward towards love.

Make it a great day.

Jake

I read an article the other day that had the idea of shortening your resolutions to a month.

Instead of trying to do something permanent or for the whole year or…..fill in the blank, just focus on a month.

Don’t worry about permanent or even what will happen after the end of the month, just commit to one month.

Is there anything that has been lingering on your list?

Something that’s made it on the New Year’s resolution list a couple of years in a row?

Find a small step forward in that direction and commit to making progress for the month.

Commit to tracking all your expenses for the month.

Commit to writing down every single piece of food you eat.

Commit to waking up 30 minutes earlier.

Commit to 10 minutes of reading time.

Make something up that works for you and the commit to it. Just for the month of May.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/slldMEPvUqA

How about that video?

The beat goes on.

Time and life goes on.

When we take a step back and look at the bigger picture we realize that we only have today to make a difference.

Enjoy today.

Do the most you can with it.

Make it a great day.

Jake