http://youtu.be/Fe93CLbHjxQ

Happy Halloween!

Make it a great day.

Jake

When you squeeze an orange you get orange juice because that’s what’s inside. The very same principle is true about you. When someone (or some circumstance) squeezes you – puts pressure on you – what comes out is what’s inside. And if you don’t like what’s inside you can change it by changing your thoughts. – Dr. Wayne Dyer

Have you ever looked back on a situation with wonder trying to figure out why you said or did something?

Maybe what he is explaining above is why.

Somewhere, somehow we let negative thoughts creep in and take over in a certain area and then they come out later in an unexpected way.

It’s like a garden.

Plant positive thoughts and ideas and you reap positive results when it’s time to squeeze the oranges.

Plant negative thoughts and ideas and you reap negative results when it’s time to squeeze the oranges.

Let’s get planting.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit; and the choice is yours.” ~ Tom Hopkins

What a challenging quote.

Take an honest stock.

Which habit have you chosen?

What percent of your time do you think of as happy time?

What percent of your time do you think of as miserable?

For most of the people I know, it isn’t a matter of being all miserable or all happy. It is about upping the percentages.

And those percentages are determined by our daily habits. And small tweaks to those habits can make a difference in our percentages.

Think about a small change to make to up the percent of your day that is happy. Then do it. Get started. Like, right now.

Make it a great day.

Jake

JD- Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." – Thomas A. Edison

JW – It’s a ruckus. It always is.

EB – Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the rangers, but don’t never lie to a ranger or office

MS – Don’t forget nothing.

BAD – Nine-tenths of education is encouragement. – Anatole France

EB and MS’s quotes come the rules of ranging from the Army Rangers.

Mike shared some of them with us.

http://www.goarmy.com/ranger/heritage/rodgers-orders.html

Enjoy.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Courage, dear heart. – CS Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I have recently been re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis.

The line above really struck me.

To set the scene a little, this line comes in when they are on the island of nightmares and everyone is facing their worst fears. One of the main characters hears this as a whisper in her ear.

It made me think just how powerful three words could be.

Imagine this the next time you are troubled, worried or things just aren’t going your way: a whisper in your ear that simply says "courage, dear heart."

Make it a great day.

Jake

“You’re extraordinary, Ramona”

The Ramona and Beezus movie is a favorite at our house. At the end, one of the adult characters look’s Ramona in the face and tells her she is extraordinary.

What a powerful concept to impress on a child. You are extraordinary.

It’s as true for you as was for Ramona in the movie. You are extraordinary.

No matter what happens today, don’t forget it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. – Psalm 141:3

I really liked the mental picture on this one.

The picture of the words we say (and think) going in and out of a door. And then a guard standing there.

Now, picture the guard…

Is he asleep?

Fat, drunk and stupid?

Or

Always vigilant?

Standing firm?

This verse is a great reminder that we must be careful with the words we use and the way we say them.

Words have power. They have so much power the writer of this Psalm was asking God to watch over the doorway.

Make it a point to choose great words today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

BAD – If 50 million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.― Anatole France

JD – Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everybody else. – Margaret Mead

JW* – Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. – Mark Twain

MS – We are what we believe we are. – CS Lewis

EB – Jjjjjjjjjjjjjjuuuuuuuuuuuusssssssssttttttttt a bit outside. – Bob Uecker

I found the quote from Margaret Mead and it summed up something I think about a lot.

Life is about adding value to those around us. Only when we lose our life in service to others do we gain it back (and more) in the important things (family, love, happiness, etc.).

I wonder if part of the reason this is true is the fact that we are all unique.

And my uniqueness is no better or worse than your uniqueness.

The uniqueness of someone doesn’t show up in their stuff, their bank account or how they look.

It shows up when they uniquely apply it in service to others.

That’s when the magic happens.

You are unique. Uniquely gifted to serve others in a very specific way. Seek it out. Find it. Hold on to it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

We recently watched the final season of “How I Met Your Mother” on the Netflix. In the final episode, Ted says “love is what we do best.”

When we love someone and put their needs before ours, we are also at our best.

When we allow love to crush our selfish desires and ego, we are at our best.

We are all born with a need to be loved and never outgrow it.

We all are born with the capacity for extraordinary love and need only find the proper outlets.

Think about what this means in your life right now.

Who deserves your best?

Tell someone you love them today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

BAD – I’m the least competitive person I know. – Brandon Raper

JW – I can smell colors. That’s how wide awake I am. – Brandon Raper

MS* – Fibbage. More, more more!!!!!!!!!! – Brandon Raper

EB – I had coffee this morning and I hate coffee. Coffee is the worst. I can still taste it in my mouth. – Brandon Raper

JD – Pizza – Brandon Raper

Yesterday, Brandon had the misfortune of interrupting our leadership team meeting.

That promptly inspired us to send out our favorite Brandon quotes.

Enjoy.

Jake