Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.  

J. Calvin Coolidge,

30th President of the United States of America

In all the stories of success there is a moment when they decided to keep going.

Despite the odds and obstacles they pressed on.

I think the key to being able to press on is having big goals.

Big goals pull you through the problems you will inevitably face along the way.

Make sure you have big goals for yourself. Make sure it is big enough that you are almost embarrassed to say it out loud to your closest friend.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

I have never been hurt by what I have not said. – Calvin Coolidge

It’s better to say nothing at all if you don’t have anything nice to say.

Wise advice that I’m sure all of us heard at one point from our parents when we were little.

What if that means that you don’t get to make your point?

What if the other guy/political party/FaceBox poster is saying really dumb stuff?

What if that is all you can think of?

I don’t have an easy answers other than to look in the mirror. You control your thoughts and your actions. You get to pick whether or not something nice comes out or something else.

Choose wisely.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident. – Francesco Guicciardini

If you aren’t already doing this – I’d recommend developing the habit of tithing.

The basic concept from the Bible is that they would set aside the first 10th of their income and that was for God.

The “trick” with the system is that God doesn’t need the money or the stuff. It’s about building a discipline of being generous.

Not so that you can have nine tenths of what you would have had.

It is so that you can have a better life. So that you will be blessed. Not in a one for one kind of way. Not in a I get more stuff than I would have had kind of way.

But better. Not immediately or on demand. In a way that isn’t evident.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

https://youtu.be/wTSLRbm8L9E

The 4th of July is a great reminder of all the great things about this great country we live in.

We have been given much and in exchange much is expected of us.

Embrace these expectations.

Embrace all of the possibilities that come with your freedom.

Embrace the opportunity to do and be your best.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

This 4th of July I couldn’t help but think of Viktor Frankl’s idea of a “State of Responsibility” on the West Coast and this daily attitude email from a few years ago.

Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better. – Albert Camus

In “Man’s Search for Meaning” Viktor Frankl has the idea that the Statue of Liberty (representing freedom) should have a twin on the West Coast – a statue of responsibility.

Freedom is not only a chance to be better, it is an offering to accept the responsibility inherent in making the most of our freedom.

Today is Veteran’s Day. A day to remember who paid for our freedoms.

I’ve read quite a few books from members of our military over the last few years.

Each time I am inspired to make the most of the freedom they have bought for me.

Even the most heroic and well-meaning soldiers from the stories seem to struggle with coming back and realizing that so many have chosen to squander their great gifts.

Our biggest tribute to the armed forces is a life well lived.

A life spent enjoying the responsibilities of the freedom so dearly bought for us.

Make the most of your chance to be better.

Embrace the responsibility of making the most of your freedom.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. – Mark Twain

This is one of life’s mysteries – sometimes in order to get what you want you have to take the first step and do the same for another.

If you wish to be loved – be loving.

In order to receive – start giving.

If you wish to learn – teach.

It’s not perfect and doesn’t work all the time. But it’s a great place to start if you are stuck.

Make it a great day.

Jake

PS – it’s also an area that requires discernment. We are not supposed to risk ourselves for those who would harm us.

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

The return we reap from generous actions is not always evident. – Francesco Guicciardini

The law of sowing and reaping is fundamental to our experience.

The hard part about it is that the sowing and reaping don’t always happen close enough to each to be obvious.

We could spend our lives living generously and not ever see the results.

Faith is required.

Faith that it will all be worth it in the end.

Faith that will all work for the best.

Faith that ideas like love, generosity, hope, and patience will win out.

Make up your mind to be faithful in your generosity (and love, etc.).

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

https://youtu.be/AKec3LTILRU?si=ugWtXEx8_NJ9zBIN

Planning to head out this afternoon for the combo White Sox game/Jordan Davis concert.

I’m really not a country music fan or even a big fan of concerts, but it’s always an interesting experience being in a big crowd like that.

The vibe really does effect everyone and so many people syncing up in that way is amazing to watch.

One of my many questions when I (God willing) get to Heaven will be some version of “how interconnected were we all?” I’m expecting the answer to be some version of “more than you realized.”

We are all in this together. We are not alone.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

Education is the movement from darkness to light. – Allan Bloom

I like this word picture. Darkness to light.

We are all ignorant in some way. We are blind to the truth or the facts or the whole situation or whatever.

We can be educated though.

We can be shown the light. We can study and learn. We can build relationships with others that provide light.

Make it a great day.

Jake

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.

Control.

It seems to me that one of the odd paradoxes of life is our ability to control nothing and everything at the same time.

We have no control over all the external things in our lives, yet we have complete control over ourselves and our attitude and this attitude is what attracts and brings about the external environment we desire.

I suppose that life is a balancing act between mastery of our own mind and letting the rest of life happen.

Below is a list of “to let go’s” that I found when searching for a topic for today. Maybe one of them will inspire you to let go of something that is holding you back.

Make it a great week.

Jake

To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off, it’s the realization that I can’t control another.

To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it’s to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To let go is not to be protective, it’s to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to criticize, or regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can do.

To let go is to fear less, and to love more.

The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient specified in message only. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the sender. If you received this message by mistake, please reply to this message and follow with its deletion, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future.