Daily Attitude Email 02 28 23

Faith is allowing ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see. – Martin Luther

In “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill he talked a lot about faith. He told the stories of Edison, Ford and others like them to illustrate that these success stories were born through extreme faith. They all latched on to a vision of the future and never lost faith that it would come to be reality.

The quote above reminded me of this because of his use of the word seized.

Many of the great success stories could be written using that description.

Henry Ford was seized by the idea of creating an affordable car.

Thomas Edison was seized by the idea of creating a light bulb.

The question for each of us is: What has seized me?

Are we seized by worry, jealousy, and fear?

Or are we seized by prosperity, contentment and joy?

We do not have to invent the next light bulb to be able to have faith in a big idea that will seize us and lead us to success and happiness.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 02 27 23

For some reason the story of the widow’s offering has been on my mind a lot lately. Reminded me of this daily attitude email.

The Widow’s Offering – Mark 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Listening to Jim Rohn again reminded me again of this story and this old daily attitude email about it.

An important component in life is the giving of ourselves in service to others.

It’s easy to get caught up in just the monetary aspect of the story. Maybe even feel bad because you haven’t given away all of the dollars you have earned.

And while I think that is an important element of the story, I believe that maybe a more important idea in today’s world is giving all of ourselves in service to others.

In service to our families.

In service to our church or favorite local charity.

In service to our clients.

In service to our teammates.

Make it a great day of service.

Jake

Friday Morning Toe Tapper

https://youtu.be/QJO3ROT-A4E

This was Maggie’s suggestion for a toe tapper.

I’m hopeful that it was a mature teenager moment of reflection on how we can all look differently at our insecurities.

Probably more likely that those One Direction guys are so “dreamy” (like all the cool kids say these days).

It’s easy to define our worth and beauty by the wrong standards.

To buy into marketing, trends and keeping up with the cool kids.

Instead of working on what’s inside and focusing on what our Heavenly Father sees in us.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 02 23 23

Yesterday’s email talked about being of service in the moment of need for our clients and those around us.

One of the hard parts of service is interacting with others in their moment of need.

Most of us aren’t quite the put together, got it all under control, emotionally mature person we pretend to be in front of others (maybe I’m the only one).

We get on the phone or in front of a service provider and sometimes we are not quite as nice as we should be (it happened to a guy once, I read it on the internet).

For me, being in need brings up feelings of insecurity and can lead to a hole in that self esteem balloon (it needs more air, not less!).

This means that when someone is dealing with me in a moment of need, I’m probably not at my best. I probably let my ego and insecurities get in the way. The bigger the need, the harder this is.

Over the years a phrase has come to be a habit of mine (at least in my head) – “Be of service – with love.”

Without the love part, dealing with someone in their moment of need just doesn’t work.

I think of the kids when they were little and got sick. They looked so helpless and it immediately caused strong feelings of love for them and a desire to help in any way I could.

I’m not suggesting we get all sentimental and teary eyed with every service call. I’m trying to remind us (maybe just me, you probably got this figured out) to be aware of how we make others feel in their moment of need. To cultivate a feeling of love towards those we get the opportunity to serve. If we serve with love – then we are the ones who received the greater portion of blessing and joy.

A client whose service ticket gets solved gets a little bump. The service person serving clients with love – that guy/gal is on top of the world.

Ok – maybe all of this has gone too far. Jake’s gotten a little ahead of himself. Fine. Let’s just try to move the needle a little bit today. A little more love. That seems more reasonable.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Bonus point – when you are in a time of need – ask for the help. Receive the love. Appreciate the service. Let go of your ego.

Daily Attitude Email 03 22 23

Feels like we have our own little pandemic going at Maxlider/Mavidea this week. I found this daily attitude email from back when the whole thing started. (Bonus point to add to the original thoughts – don’t be afraid to ask for help.)

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” ― Fred Rogers

Such a great thought for the scary times we’re in.

In the midst of all the uncertainties and fear – there are people helping.

Nurses, doctors, first responders come first to mind.

But there are also the people still working at Wal-Mart, etc. to get groceries out to all of us.

And Mavidea’s on the list too.

We’re helping our customers through a tough time. Helping them still get work done and communicate with their customers.

In every crisis there are positives.

A big one for me during this crisis has been how our team has responded. Everyone has stepped up and offered to help in whatever way they can.

Our clients are receiving help.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 02 21 23

Below is a list of grade school kids answers to the question – “What does love mean?”

I send a lot of these emails with the theme of “love is the answer’ and I think the answers below show how to put that into practice.

The list is both funny and sweet, but the main themes are basic things like kindness, humility and putting the other person first.

Find some way to show love today. Take an idea from the list and make it fit for someone important to you today.

Make it a great day.

Jake

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love.” Rebecca- age 8

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.” Billy – age 4

“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.” Karl – age 5

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.” Chrissy – age 6

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Terri – age 4

“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” Danny – age 7

“Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss” Emily – age 8

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” Bobby – age 7 (Wow!)

“If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,” Nikka – age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” Noelle – age 7

“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” Tommy – age 6

“During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.” Cindy – age 8

“My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.” Clare – age 6

“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.” Elaine-age 5

“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.” Chris – age 7

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.” Mary Ann – age 4

“I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.” Lauren – age 4

“When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.” (what an image) Karen – age 7

“Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross.” Mark – age 6

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” Jessica – age 8

And the final one — Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, “Nothing, I just helped him cry”

Daily Attitude Email 02 20 23

https://youtu.be/2AB9zPfXqQQ

“Sounds like somebody’s got a case of the Mondays.”

It’s funny to me that Monday is the day of the week that is supposed to be the worst day. Seems to me that it should be the best day of the week.

It’s the start of a new week. A clean slate.

Everything is in front of you. Anything is possible.

Think of this week as a trial run. A week to try something new and different. Think of it as a week full of possibilities and new beginnings.

What is the one thing you would like to get done?

Get on it.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Friday Morning Toe Tapper

https://youtu.be/_7xMfIp-irg

All you need is love.

What if this were true?

Ok…maybe all is a stretch. Maybe “love is really, really important and something we should make a priority”.

It certainly feels like life is better with more love.

It seems like a lot of problems can be helped by more love.

I feel like my life is better in proportion to how much love I pour out and receive on any given day.

What if it was up to us? What if it was our choice as to whether or not the world became a more loving place? What if it all starts with how we treat our neighbors today? What if love is all we need?

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 02 16 23

All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action. – James Russell Lowell

One of my favorite ideas from Andy Stanley (although I’m sure he isn’t the only one to say it) is that love is a verb.

Love requires action.

Sentiments and nice words won’t do it.

We are all born with a desire to love and be loved, but we don’t get either without taking action.

In the Bible it commands us to “love our neighbors”.

Sounds nice, right?

What if instead it said “consistently act in a loving way towards your neighbor”?

Andy Stanley says that “love is a verb”, it requires doing; and then prompts us to ask the question “what does love require of me?”

What loving action could I take today?

Towards my spouse.

Towards my neighbor.

Towards my coworker.

Towards the strangers at Wal-Mart (or Target or wherever you shop…).

Find a way to take action today. Act out of love.

Make it a great day.

Jake

Daily Attitude Email 02 15 23

God loves each of us as if there were only one of us. – Saint Augustine

The Bible tells that God has counted the hairs on our heads and has knitted us together in our mother’s womb.

God loves you as if you were the only one.

He was overjoyed with you when you got that A+ on that second grade spelling test.

His heart broke with yours when that friend you thought you could trust did that thing that hurt so bad.

He watched in disappointment when you cheated on that Algebra test in 9th grade.

His eyes filled with tears that time you turned your back on him in college because it wasn’t the “cool” thing to do.

His heart leapt with joy when your first baby was born and you became a mother.

He was there when the doctor gave you the news that changed things forever.

He fills your heart with conviction when you break that promise that “you’d never” for the 10th time in the last year.

He sat with you when you couldn’t believe that you would never see them again.

He is full of hope and pulls closer when you can’t see a way out.

He LOVES YOU with everything He has – every day, all day.

It’s not always fun. It’s heartbreaking one minute and full of joy the next, but he never stops. There is nothing you can do to get Him to stop – nothing.

He wants all of you, all of the time – for you. For your joy, your benefit and your eternal salvation.

How lucky are you? Let love pull you closer to your Creator. To the one who loves you no matter what.

Make it a great day.

Jake