Daily Attitude Email 6 14 12

Today is Meaghan and I’s tenth anniversary.

Hard to believe that she has put up with me for the last ten years. In thinking about what to write today I figured that someone who can stay married to me for ten years has a few things to teach us about attitude.

So, in honor of our tenth anniversary, here are 10 things about Meaghan that might help us with our own attitudes.

1. Be creative. Meaghan loves to create things and gets joy from it.

2. Have a good sense of humor. She still makes me laugh (and even laughs at some of the things I say).

3. Put family first. As a stay at home mom, she does this every day.

4. Enjoy the small treats of life. Whether it be an ice cream cone with the kids or a special dinner made for someone’s birthday, learn to enjoy “the small stuff”.

5. Embrace God in your life.

6. Enjoy the outdoors. Nature is such a wonderful part of the world, enjoy it.

7. Grow something. She loves to work around the yard growing things.

8. Grow yourself. She is committed to reading, studying and doing other things to become a better mom, wife and person.

9. Be generous. Be generous with your time and your money.

10. Be humble. She will most likely have mixed feelings about this list, but that is just another great thing about Meaghan.

I could go on and on, but these are just a few that I thought I would share this morning.

Thank you for a great 10 years, Meaghan. Here’s to another 10.

I put Meaghan’s email address in the cc line for anyone that would like to send her some consolation of some kind for being stuck with me.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 6 13 12

http://youtu.be/WoaktW-Lu38

Pretty sure I have sent this out before, but I thought of it yesterday and thought I should share.

I know…extra corny, but kind of a catchy tune.

Funny how sometimes a simple, goofy song or line from a movie can hit on something important.

Always look on the bright side of life.

My gauge for deciding whether or not there is wisdom in something like this is “how hard is it?”

That is why I think this one has merit.

Simple AND hard to do…..must be something there.

I don’t about you, but I am looking forward to having this one stuck in my head all day.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – I am not quite so dense that I don’t realize that their might just be a little bit of “tongue in cheek” involved here, but I choose to “always look on the bright of life.”

Daily Attitude Email 6 11 12

Last weekend, Meaghan and I took a short trip for our anniversary.

I was reminded of this clip from one of my favorite all time movies.

http://youtu.be/0duuCiSYsL4

While this idea was born of desperation, there is some merit in it.

Take a vacation from your problems.

Let’s all decide to take a week off from the little worries of life that hold us back.

Let’s take a vacation this week.

A vacation from our worries.

A vacation from bad communication patterns.

A vacation from self doubt.

A vacation from whatever is holding you back.

As I get a little older (and maybe a little wiser) I am realizing more and more what vacations aren’t.

Vacations aren’t an excuse to skip your diet.

Vacations aren’t an excuse not to work out.

Vacations aren’t an excuse for laziness.

Vacations aren’t a time for selfishness.

Let’s all make a commitment this week to take a vacation from our problems. Let’s refocus on what is important in our lives and make the most of our time.

Make it a great vacation week.

Jake

Friday Morning Toe Tapper

Jake asked me on Wednesday to send out the Friday Morning Toe Tapper this week. I was delighted… and honored…. And I peed a little on the rug (it happens when the doorbell rings, too). But, once I started thinking about what song to select…. I realized there were SO many to choose from.

I thought about picking someone we know… Nothing gets you moving on a Friday morning like a good Knuckle Sandwich with onions, pickles, and some Maxlider. But that’s been done and I wanted something original. So, I thought about sending out a video of Krypter warning us about the Zombie Apocalypse, but the only version I could find without excessive profanity would’ve had our resident musicians and sound technicians grumbling about the audio quality and using words like ambience, acoustic, and depth.

And then it hit me. I recently read Who Moved My Cheese? and it really resonated with me. If you haven’t read the book, you absolutely must. It is short. REALLY short. Like I-read-it-in-30-minutes short. And yet the length (or lack thereof) in no way lessens the message. In fact, the simplicity of the story is part of its charm. If you have read it, you know it is a story about handling change.

I realized I was not the character in the book that I wanted to be. Fortunately, I realized this just as I finished reading a book teaching me how to solve that exact problem. So, I tied my running shoes around my neck and decided to embrace “new cheese.” And that (finally) brings me to today’s toe tapper. This video shows scenes from a movie that features this song. I selected it for two reasons:

1. Because it is a great movie. It certainly has content that is not approved for all audiences, but it’s a fun romp nonetheless.

2. Because it was one of the only YouTube videos of this song that didn’t put the artist’s name in huge letters in the title.

Go ahead and start the video now (if you haven’t already):

As you listen to the singer, let me tell you that this guy ran through the maze while envisioning new cheese. In fact, he could see new cheese so clearly in his mind that, when he found it, it was WAY better than his old cheese. What am I talking about? This singer is Kenny Rogers.

Yes… that Kenny Rogers.

This is 1967 Kenny Rogers (the song, not the picture), 12 years before he sang The Gambler, a song that was such a hit that they let him play the lead role in the movie that was made from it.

And, had he not embraced new cheese (in this case, country music), we would’ve missed out on more than 10 platinum albums, including such hits as:

Lady

Coward of the County

Islands in the Stream

Now, I’m no country music fan, but even I know all the words to The Gambler. (Well, at least to the first verse… I can fake the 2nd. Cut me some slack. I was 7 when that movie came out. It was cool.)

But, as the book also tells us, you should not embrace all change just for the sake of change. Not all change is good. I think we can all agree on that one!

Happy Friday!!!

The Swami

One phrase close

KJ: Happy Hour is this afternoon!

JS: Come on I’ll Have Another! Let’s see a Triple Crown!

EB: The difference between success and failure is often not who has the most money, or the best education: it’s motivation. As George Washington Carver once said, “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

JD: You are a perfect example of the inverse proportion between the size of a person’s mouth and the size of their brain.

JW: “How much can you possibly know about yourself if you’ve never had to fight for anything.”

JM: “Most great men and women are not perfectly rounded in their personalities, but are instead people whose one driving enthusiasm is so great it makes their faults seem insignificant.” – Charles A. Cerami

*Sent by Jamie Mathy as Jake was out of the office.

Daily Attitude Email 6 7 12

Yesterday was one of those days when I realize that I am not perfect. Far from it in fact.

Not that I ever really think I am. It was just one of those days when it really smacks you in the face.

Lucky for me, I read lots of little kid books to the girls.

In “Lilly’s Plastic Purple Purse” there is a line that I think of every time I have a day that reminds me of my imperfections.

The teacher in the book writes a note to Lilly that ends with the line “Today was a rough day, tomorrow will be a better one.”

Every time I have a day that reminds me of my imperfections, I remind myself of this.

No matter how things go (and overall things go REALLY well for me everyday) I can remind myself of that and get up the next day ready to tackle what lies ahead.

The other thing I think of is the fact that a bad day for me is a great day for the vast majority of the world’s population.

Not that I am that great, but it really is a truth that is hard to escape.

I am not in the hospital, I don’t have to worry about my next meal. I have a comfortable house, a loving wife, two great daughters and a great place to work (to name just a few of things that I have going for me).

So, remind yourself of these things when you have a day that doesn’t go the way you want it to.

Today might have been a rough day, but tomorrow will be better.

And, we all are truly fortunate in the grand scheme of things.

Make it a great day. And even if it isn’t, tomorrow will be a better one.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 6 6 12

Yesterday afternoon represented an interesting confluence of events.

I was on my way home from a great day on the golf course for the ISU Town and Gown Golf Outing and was listening to "Start With Why" by Simon Simenek.

I realized that maybe if I shared the "why" of why I like golf so much I might inspire others to understand the why of their particular hobby of choice.

So, here are my top couple of reasons why golf for me.

First, golf is hard. Really hard. Becoming really good at golf is a life long pursuit that you never quite figure out. I love a challenge and I love getting better at something incrementally.

Second, golf is outside. One of my favorite quotes that I am reminded of frequently is "God must be happiest when his children are at play." This reminds me of golf so much because golf is played outside on a big, green, lush field. Golf courses (to me) are a symbol of all the beauty that exists in nature and remind me to take those small moments we can find to drink it all in.

Golf is (generally) played with other people and is a great relationship builder. You can’t help but feel some comradery with your foursome as you play because you all face the same challenge, the course and your ability to manage it the best way possible for you and your skill set.

Last one on the list (for today, the list is much longer than this) is that golf is a game of focus. One of weak areas is being able to focus for long periods. Golf is a test of your ability to focus for brief instances, over and over again over a four or five hour period.

This email is not intended to convince you to run out and buy some clubs and take up golf as your new passion (although I would recommend it if you are looking for something). My intention is merely to illustrate that when you have a "why" for you hobby, you enjoy it much more.

In the same way, finding your "why" in life will lead to more happiness, better results and an overall happier life.

Spend some time thinking about they "why" in the things you do. Learn to embrace this important element of your life.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 6 5 12

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

(Isaiah 6:8 ESV)

I heard this verse in church on Sunday and wrote it down so I could share it with everyone.

Here I am. Send me.

Sometimes in life you just have to step forward and be the person saying “send me”.

You get to be the one to volunteer to take on the extra work.

You get to be the one to drive your friend to the airport.

You get to be the one to serve soup at the homeless shelter.

I originally wrote “you have to” at the beginning of all those sentences but replaced it with “you get to”. Funny how a little difference like that can change your perspective on something.

Taking action is a key to success. This verse reminded me that taking action in service to others is where it is at.

Make it a great day of service today.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 6 4 12

You can’t make progress without making decisions.

Jim Rohn

I know everyone was getting disappointed that I hadn’t sent out a Jim Rohn quote for a while. (If you need more Jim Rohn quotes, just "Like" his FaceBox page and you will get a couple of good ones everyday.)

One of the key elements of success is taking action. And you can’t take action without making some kind of decision.

What great thing is out there waiting for you to just make a decision to go for it?

My challenge for you all today is to find one thing that is waiting on a decision from you and make it. Move forward.

Jake

Additional/random thought. This line of thinking reminded me of one of my favorite sections from Dr. Seuss’s "Oh, The Places You’ll Go". I have cut and paste it below.

The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or the waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for the wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape

all that waiting and staying

You’ll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.