"How could it be so?"

"It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!"

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn’t come from a store."

"Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!"

I got to read “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” to the kids the other night.

As usual, the lines above stuck out to me.

I know I have sent them out before, but I also know I can use the reminder.

We can choose our attitude about Christmas.

We can choose to be cynical or we can choose to believe in the magic.

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

Monday mornings are a great time to start off with a reminder to take action….now.

We don’t need to wait any longer. It’s time to start making an impact.

Pick something small today to do to make an impact and do it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/6lPw9hkk3II

This is Meaghan’s new favorite Christmas song. Although I think she is partial to the Target commercial:

http://youtu.be/0VspN8fwoR4

Target + Meaghan = BFFs 4 EVA

It’s a marshmallow world in the winter,

When the snow comes to cover the ground,

It’s the time for play, it’s a whipped cream day,

I wait for it all year round

Get out and play.

Do something fun – outside.

Don’t let yourself get too wrapped up in the going from place to place and getting all of the stuff together to miss out on being outside.

It’s a magical season, even without the snow on the ground yet.

Make it a great day.

Jake

"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction." – John F. Kennedy

This quote reminds me of the saying “spinning your wheels”.

Purpose and direction allow for the solid footing that allows us to gain traction and make forward progress.

I’m sure this isn’t news to anyone at this stage in your life.

Today, revisit your purpose if you have one written down. If you don’t, start seeking one. Set some time aside to find it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves. – Eric Sevareid

I’m sure everyone is tiring of my reminders of the virtues of selflessness, but I couldn’t resist this Christmas quote when I saw it.

Every Christmas, there is some moment along the way where the idea of being selfless really sticks with me.

Whether it is a bell ringer at Wal Mart or a sermon at church or a moment of selflessness from one of the kids.

I hope this quote and email can be a simple reminder for each of you today.

A reminder to think of others first.

To do and be your best, for others.

To serve others.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD – Either move or be moved. – Ezra Pound

EB – Is it a stink bug?

JW – Get that bug off the table!

MS* – Do you need me to take care of that bug for you?

Obviously Erik brought a bug into the meeting today….

I really liked this quote from Ezra Pound.

One simple truth – everything is always moving and changing. You can choose to either move or you will be moved.

Too often we allow ourselves to be swept downstream. To move along with the crowd or just taking the easy way out.

But we can choose to be the mover.

We can choose to take action.

Make it a great day.

Jake

You can’t hide from your own beliefs. What you believe in colors every thought you have and action you take, and has a profound effect on who you become. Likes and dislikes, opinions of other people, career choices, and even the food you eat are all by-products of your beliefs. If your beliefs are working for you, then you should be hugely successful, peaceful and content. It will all come naturally. If that sounds like a pipe dream, then perhaps your beliefs need to be challenged. In fact, when is the last time you examined and earnestly challenged the core beliefs you hold dear in your life? Typically this only happens when we hit a wall and everything clatters to a halt. You push the same cherished buttons on the control panel but the machine continues to sputter and break down. It’s within these moments you are most open to examining new beliefs. – Mark Divine, The Unbeatable Mind

I read this paragraph and thought it was a great reminder of how important our attitudes and beliefs are and the importance of examining and cultivating them.

I don’t know about you, but I would much rather examine them now, instead of waiting for the “machine to break” as he describes above.

Take a moment today to examine some of your core beliefs.

Ask yourself the tough questions about what you believe.

Do you believe in yourself?

Do you believe in the good in others?

Do you believe that you can be happy no matter what happens?

Do you believe that success and happiness are out there waiting for you?

Make it a great day.

Jake

To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift. – Steve Prefontaine

Still not sure how it happened, but this year I have read a few books about the military and their experiences serving our country.

Two lessons in particular stick out in my mind as I think about how those experiences apply to us.

First, we have it pretty good.

Right now there are many soldiers and others enduring something uncomfortable in order to protect us. Right now they are cold or wet or in pain or just plain missing home.

Thinking about this really puts my “problems” into perspective. All the complaints and worries don’t really compare to what someone else is experiencing in order to protect me so maybe I shouldn’t worry so much.

Second, we have an obligation.

Because their sacrifice is so great, we owe them.

We owe them respect and honor when they return (and especially if they don’t).

But I think our greatest obligation to them is do and be our best. We must be worth fighting for. Worth dying for.

A country full of whiners and complainers sure would make that sacrifice seem pointless.

A country full of believers and achievers, hopers and dreamers would be worth any sacrifice.

Make it a great day.

Jake

https://youtu.be/9Fjik78LapA

Step into Christmas!

Lean into the whole thing.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas. – Dale Evans Rogers

Quotes like this remind me of the ideal of Christmas.

As we get older and we have a chance to get more cynical about Christmas, ideals like this almost seem a little hokey.

But as I get older, I am working to embrace more hokey ideals into my life.

At Christmas, we get to celebrate love in action as this quote says.

We get to focus on our loved ones instead of ourselves.

We get a definite date on the calendar to point at where we can take a break from worrying about and thinking about ourselves.

Maybe this is a little hokey, but I am in.

Let’s not stop at the gifts and gift giving though.

Think about what the others in your life appreciate and give them more of that.

Maybe it’s quality time.

Maybe it’s a kind word.

Maybe it’s something you could do for them.

Maybe it’s a hug.

Think about them. Think about what they would like. Take action.

Make it a great day.

Jake