This one definitely falls into the category of “Jake’s miscellaneous thoughts on life”. I apologize ahead of time for a little bit of rambling in this one.
Every night I take the dog out to heed nature’s call. On the clear nights I find myself staring up into the sky and the same couple of thoughts keep popping into my head.
First, as I stare into the great abyss I think of how small I really am in relation to the universe and that I am one of millions of people at this very moment staring into the same sky. I think of the great men and women of history and how they must have stared at the sky and felt small at some point as well.
My second thought is of how interesting it is that while I feel at one moment small and insignificant, I know in my heart that I capable of great things. I know that WE are capable of great things at Mavidea. I know that despite our seeming insignificance at times, we can and will conquer whatever portion of this world we want to. I know that God put me hear to be the best Jake I can be and that we all came together at Mavidea to become the best we can be as a company.
My thoughts usually then drift into thankfulness. Thankfulness for a wonderful family, a nice house, a great country and a great group of people to go and conquer the world with every day.
Next time it is a clear night, spending a minute looking at the stars. Think of how small, great and thankful you are. Think of all things that could be.
Wake up the next morning ready to your dreams come true.
Jake
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Take One to Dream
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.”
-Henry David Thoreau
Another good quote on the subject of dreams (I am not sure who this comes from) is:
“Dream more while you are awake than you do while you are asleep.”
How often do you dream during the day? Ever spend a couple of minutes just thinking about what could be?
The dreams (or goals or whatever you call them) that enter your mind during the day are the ones that you should focus on when setting your goals. I have also heard “Goals are dreams that are written down”.
What do you dream of?
Do you dream of having a enough money to write a large check to charity?
Do you dream of being in shape?
Do you dream of weighing a certain amount?
Do you dream of paying for your kids college?
Imagine to yourself how you will feel when you accomplish your dreams.
Take a minute to dare to dream. The possibilities are endless. And once you have found something that really gets you excited (gives you goose bumps), grab a pen and paper and write it down.
We all need to start taking action every day to make our dreams come true. But first you need to take a couple of minutes to dream. You will be amazed at the result. You will meet with success unexpected in common hours.
Jake
-Henry David Thoreau
Another good quote on the subject of dreams (I am not sure who this comes from) is:
“Dream more while you are awake than you do while you are asleep.”
How often do you dream during the day? Ever spend a couple of minutes just thinking about what could be?
The dreams (or goals or whatever you call them) that enter your mind during the day are the ones that you should focus on when setting your goals. I have also heard “Goals are dreams that are written down”.
What do you dream of?
Do you dream of having a enough money to write a large check to charity?
Do you dream of being in shape?
Do you dream of weighing a certain amount?
Do you dream of paying for your kids college?
Imagine to yourself how you will feel when you accomplish your dreams.
Take a minute to dare to dream. The possibilities are endless. And once you have found something that really gets you excited (gives you goose bumps), grab a pen and paper and write it down.
We all need to start taking action every day to make our dreams come true. But first you need to take a couple of minutes to dream. You will be amazed at the result. You will meet with success unexpected in common hours.
Jake
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Courage to the Rescue
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. “
-CS Lewis
A couple of weeks ago, Meaghan and I watched the “The Blind Side” (very good movie by the way). One particular part stuck out in my mind. The main character writes an essay for class about passion and courage.
Since then, I have thought more than a few times about courage and what that means to me and to our daily lives.
I think CS Lewis hits the nail on the head. Courage shows up in every virtuous thing we try to do, right at the testing point.
Diet getting a little difficult….time for courage to step in.
Exercise plan looking a little out of your league today….time for some courage.
Watching TV seeming like a better idea than reading a book tonight….courage to the rescue.
Every opportunity to make a change takes a least a small amount of courage (and some take a lot). It takes courage to step out from the comfort of the same old, same old and into to something new. It takes courage to break old patterns without concrete knowledge of what will happen next.
Now for the good news. A little courage goes a long way. Getting to the testing point and then pushing through the first time makes it easier the second time (and the third time).
Be courageous today. Test yourself and then push through that difficulty with a little bit of courage.
Jake
*I would highly recommend reading any of CS Lewis’s books, he is an excellent author.
**The email above was not in reference to liquid courage….although sometimes a little bit of that goes a long way too.
-CS Lewis
A couple of weeks ago, Meaghan and I watched the “The Blind Side” (very good movie by the way). One particular part stuck out in my mind. The main character writes an essay for class about passion and courage.
Since then, I have thought more than a few times about courage and what that means to me and to our daily lives.
I think CS Lewis hits the nail on the head. Courage shows up in every virtuous thing we try to do, right at the testing point.
Diet getting a little difficult….time for courage to step in.
Exercise plan looking a little out of your league today….time for some courage.
Watching TV seeming like a better idea than reading a book tonight….courage to the rescue.
Every opportunity to make a change takes a least a small amount of courage (and some take a lot). It takes courage to step out from the comfort of the same old, same old and into to something new. It takes courage to break old patterns without concrete knowledge of what will happen next.
Now for the good news. A little courage goes a long way. Getting to the testing point and then pushing through the first time makes it easier the second time (and the third time).
Be courageous today. Test yourself and then push through that difficulty with a little bit of courage.
Jake
*I would highly recommend reading any of CS Lewis’s books, he is an excellent author.
**The email above was not in reference to liquid courage….although sometimes a little bit of that goes a long way too.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Never, never, never, never...
Today is Monday the 1st. Beginning of a new week in a new month.
I thought I would start today off with something to “rouse the troops” a little and get the blood pumping.
For some reason, when I think of getting fired up, one of the first people that pops into my head is Winston Churchill. Below are the closing remarks he gave to a school on October 29th, 1941:
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.
Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.”
Think about how difficult it must have been for him and the rest of Britain to stand firm in the face of evil and the relentless assaults on them and the rest of Europe. Think of the bombs landing in major cities, striking terror in all who lived there.
Now think of the amount of faith, perseverance, and never give in attitude they must have had to get through to victory.
Think of yourself and your goals. Are they any more difficult than what Churchill and Britain faced? I doubt it. If they can stand up to that kind of adversity and say “Never give in”, then you can too.
Are your goals worth fighting for? Of course they are. Because you are worth fighting for. You are worth never giving in. You are worth fighting to the end.
We are starting the second month of the quarter with a large goal in front of us for the rest of the quarter. We can do it. I believe that we are in a similar period in the current recession. Mavidea has stood in the gap and now is our time to push through to the end and make it through to the other side, victorious.
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in…”
Jake
I thought I would start today off with something to “rouse the troops” a little and get the blood pumping.
For some reason, when I think of getting fired up, one of the first people that pops into my head is Winston Churchill. Below are the closing remarks he gave to a school on October 29th, 1941:
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.
We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated.
Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer.”
Think about how difficult it must have been for him and the rest of Britain to stand firm in the face of evil and the relentless assaults on them and the rest of Europe. Think of the bombs landing in major cities, striking terror in all who lived there.
Now think of the amount of faith, perseverance, and never give in attitude they must have had to get through to victory.
Think of yourself and your goals. Are they any more difficult than what Churchill and Britain faced? I doubt it. If they can stand up to that kind of adversity and say “Never give in”, then you can too.
Are your goals worth fighting for? Of course they are. Because you are worth fighting for. You are worth never giving in. You are worth fighting to the end.
We are starting the second month of the quarter with a large goal in front of us for the rest of the quarter. We can do it. I believe that we are in a similar period in the current recession. Mavidea has stood in the gap and now is our time to push through to the end and make it through to the other side, victorious.
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in…”
Jake
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