"The Shortcut to Contentment"

Comparison drops you at the dead-end of discontentment every single time. Whether you come out on top and feel guilty, or don’t measure up and feel short-changed, comparison always leaves you dissatisfied.

But there’s a secret to overcoming it: gratitude. The shortcut to contentment is thanking God, and it works no matter which side of comparison you’re on.

How? It’s an instant perspective adjustment. When comparison makes you feel short-changed, gratitude can shift your focus to all the blessings you do have. And when you’ve been blessed with a lot, thanking God puts you in the humble posture needed to use those gifts well.

Comparison is out to steal your contentment. But the habit of expressing gratitude is an easy way out of its trap. – Andy Stanley

Comparison is such a dangerous road to travel. Andy’s suggestion above is that the road is too narrow and isn’t worth the trip.

He suggests we skip it and instead take the road of gratitude.

We all have something to be thankful for.

In our darkest hour, there is a light shining somewhere.

Something to maybe add to Andy’s suggestion about being thankful. Tell someone.

Tell someone today that you are thankful for them, or even just tell them something you are thankful for.

Just tell someone.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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There is no influence like the influence of habit. – Gilbert Parker

Like the drip drip of water that eventually cuts through mountains as a raging river – habits can have massive effects.

I also try to think of habits as little changes you can make that make a difference over time.

From no exercise to exercise.

From candy to fruit.

From TV to books.

From cheeseburgers to salads.

Not much changes when you do it once. But do it everyday. Consistently. Over years. And it’ll make a big difference.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Patience is the companion of wisdom. – Saint Augustine

A key component of wisdom and maturity is learning to be patient.

Patient with others.

Patient with ourselves.

Patient with life and its happenings.

So much of what we worry and fret over tends to take care of itself – given some time.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” – Dr. Seuss from “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”

This book from Dr. Seuss is a staple to hand out on graduation day.

It goes through a series of life lessons in a whimsical, Dr. Seuss kind of way.

Sometimes it’ll go your way. Sometimes it won’t.

Sometimes you’ll be alone. Sometimes you’ll be so full of love you think you might explode.

Graduation is a sign post in life here in America. A point in which children start the upward climb to adulting.

As parents, we mourn the loss of the childhood years and worry a little about the perils of adulthood facing our precious little ones.

But it’s also a day filled with hope. The kids all starting out on the journey up the mountain. So much is possible for them.

And for most of them – in this blessed place we call America – are going to make some pretty good progress up that mountain. A lot of amazing is going to come from the little high school in Downs that Maggie graduated from yesterday.

We can take this same spirit with us this week. Good things are waiting if we’re willing to do the work.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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https://youtu.be/1yYV9-KoSUM?si=xh8o-8VKl5e0b4yj

Graduation weekend for Maggie. Big day for our special Maggie.

A time to reminisce and look at all her old pictures and to look forward and talk about college and making her own way in the world.

Commencement speeches tend to be filled with advice for graduates.

They’ll never ask me to give one but I’ve always thought my main message would be to go forward in service with love.

All the learning and growth isn’t so that we can go on and focus on ourselves.

It’s so that we can be of the most service. So that we can offer our special gifts to others – sacrificially.

It’s a lesson for all of us to remember. It’s not about us – it’s about how much love and service we can offer to others.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy. – Saadi

I listened to a podcast where an author was explaining that statistically the 40s were a down period in most people’s lives. He pictured happiness as a smile. Going from high to lower to higher again.

His reasoning was that most people are doing the hard stuff during their 40s.

Raising kids.

Taking on more responsibility at work and in their career.

Managing real and meaningful relationships.

Dealing with the additional financial responsibility that comes along with all of the above.

But his real point was – it’s worth it. Only by working diligently and thoughtfully through all of the challenges does happiness appear on the other side of it.

Even if you’re not in your 40s, have patience. Work through the difficulty to get to the good stuff.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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He who angers you conquers you. – Elizabeth Kenny

It’s all too easy to let other’s opinions and actions conquer us.

To let our minutes, hours and days slip by while we wonder why they thought, did or said a certain thing.

We are at our best when we are thinking of others so this trap is “fool’s gold” as it looks and sometimes feels like the thing that is best.

The Bible talks about the idea of “renewing our minds” – our Father in heaven wants us to think like He thinks.

And when He thinks of others – He loves them. He loves them as if they were the only one.

In this way the opposite of this quote is also true – He who loves you conquers you. We should want to be conquered by love.

In this change of perspective we get what we want. To be loved and accepted.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Been thinking about teamwork more and more lately….here’s a daily attitude email from a few years ago with some good thoughts on teamwork.

A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group — that’s teamwork.

The star of the team is the team. ‘We’ supersedes ‘me.

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.

We don’t have to be superstars or win championships…. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it.

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.

John Wooden – quotes on teamwork.

Maggie and I have been watching Hoosiers as we’ve started another high school basketball season at our house.

It’s a classic story of the small town under dog team that puts it all together for a magical season.

A group of individuals learn to put the team first and to believe in each other.

For some reason – we were made to work together towards goals. We are at our best when we are giving our best to others in pursuit of something important.

What would it look like at Mavidea/Maxlider if we all leaned into this a little bit more?

What have been some of the moments when we’ve done this best?

What should we be doing to cultivate this more?

Make it a great day.

Jake

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Mother’s Day yesterday had me thinking about this idea from a previous daily attitude email from a few years ago.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. – Psalms 139:13-14

Something I am more and more amazed by as I get older is just how unique each of us.

Somehow we were all made differently.

These verses really get to that point. Imagine each of us being knit together in our own unique way.

This realization can create confidence for each of us. Realizing that we were made for a specific and special purpose should allow us to have an unshakable confidence in ourselves. After all, the entire universe came together to create us, individually and on purpose.

This realization also creates an extreme amount of responsibility for each of us. If we are uniquely made, so is everyone else. This creates responsibility in us because once we realize this, we are now responsible for treating them that way. We should treat everyone as if they were fearfully and wonderfully made.

The world is full of wonderful creations. We can choose to embrace this and be inspired.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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https://youtu.be/CevxZvSJLk8?si=jsCPZiv3Bqbj_0SK

Maggie got me sucked into watching American Idol with her the other day.

Katy Perry and the other judges actually struck me as mostly positive. Using their position and their experience to help someone else “make it” in the music business.

Part of life is using our position to help others on their journey.

We all have an opportunity to help someone else work towards their dream.

Make it a great day.

Jake

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