Karma

Had a rough day at work today and came home to find some real mail in the mailbox.  Not just junk.  Not just bills.  But a kind, handwritten note from a member of our bishopric.  He stated, "Thanks for speaking today.  I could tell your message came from your heart.  I think we'll all be better off by applying what you taught about service."  With love, Brother .....

 

Amazing how kind words from someone can brighten the day. 

 

To kind people who make this world a little better a little at a time...

 

Thanks to all of you who fit into this category.  You bless my life and I hope I bless others in the same way.

 

:-)

Identity Correction---Fascinating!

How does a person turn into a Yes Man?
A person (male or female) becomes a Yes Man by exposing, perhaps deviously, the nastiness of powerful evildoers . If this describes what you do (the exposing, not the evildoing), and you want your story here on this website, please let us know.
More precisely, there are all kinds of ways of doing what we call "Identity Correction." Soon, we'll post a little list of some ways that we've thought of. There are plenty of ways that we haven't thought of, too.

DISCLAIMER: There are some ideas presented here which I do not morally or philosophically agree with, but I find their brave and creative efforts to bring attention to the serious issues that face humanity worth illuminating. Start with the Dow/Bohpal disaster "crimes" if you are interested. Shameful!

Thought for the Day

"If the current public relations techniques currently devoted to persuading us that we need more possessions could be used instead to convince us that we have to change direction, we could see real progress."~~ R. Heinberg

Reflections

While it is fun to reminisce and find old photos (see post below), it serves to remind me just how much I have changed.   And, as much as I loved that naturally curly hair and wrinkle-free skin, I wouldn't give up the lessons I have learned and the changes I have experienced that have contributed to the loss of the curl or the addition of some wrinkles.   They represent 20 years of life experience and knowledge and understanding that that cute 17 year old could not even fathom.  So….while it is good to be healthy and take care of my physical self…it is also good to realize that becoming a beautiful person on the inside is much more important than what I look like on the outside.   Because what matters most is what lasts the longest….hair changes texture and falls out….skin gets wrinkly….but true beauty always shines through!!!   Hopefully I can continue to grow and learn and be amazed at what I learn in the next 20 years!

Blast from the Past :-)

Found the following pics when I cleaned out the basement earlier in the month.

Tips for a Powerful Year

"Things should be as simple as possible, but not simpler."

--Albert Einstein

 

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.  And while you walk, smile.  It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence, for at least ten minutes each day.   Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a TIVO, tape your late night shows, and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement:   My purpose is to ___________________________ today.
5. Live with the 3 E's:  Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
6. Watch more movies, play more games, and read more books than you did last year.
7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, and prayer.   They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water and eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts.
12. Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.
13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control.   Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.   Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more.  It will keep the energy vampires away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it is still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously.  No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument.  Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'.  You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie.   Don't save it for a special occasion.  Today is special.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:   "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Forgive everyone everything.
28. What other people think of you is none of your business.
29. Time heals almost everything.  Give time time.
30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.   Your friends will.  Stay in touch.
32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
33. Envy is a waste of time.  You already have all you need.
34. The best is yet to come.
35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
36. Do the right thing.
37. Call your mother and father often.
38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:   I am thankful for_______________.  Today I accomplished______________.
39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
40. Enjoy the ride. 

The Movie of Life

Growing up "mormon" involved plenty of storytelling and mythology.  One of the popular myths propogated by my sunday school teachers was the idea that at the end of our lives we would see our life played back for us on a huge movie screen.  There, for all to see, any "sins" or "mistakes" I had made would be broadcast.  As a young person, this struck fear into my heart.  I was so afraid of everyone seeing all the mistakes I had made.  Fortunately, in my experiences in the church since then, I have not encountered this "myth" among the teachings of the lay ministry and this story seems to have faded away.  Today, that "myth" popped into my mind and I have to admit I got a good laugh at how limited my understanding was a child and felt a little sad that an adult had such a limited understanding of the Gospel, of the Lord's love for us, and felt it necessary to pass on such unfounded teachings.  Now, as I think about that "movie", I picture something completely different.  I picture sitting with my family, friends, and loved ones in a comfy couch, enjoying a bowl of popcorn, and watching old home movies.  I see footage of my brothers and sisters running and playing together as we grew up on the farm, I see myself completing the various milestones of young adulthood, I watch my children being born and the late, quiet nights we enjoyed together as they were so small and helpless.  I watch movie after movie of our days, weeks, months, and years together.  As I picture this type of "movie of life", I feel a great desire to create more and more wonderful memories so I can continue to lay them up in store for future reminiscing.  Simple things such as playing Uno with Sam, attending the Muny with Logan, having great conversations with Zach....those memories are among the many I hope to continue to add to my life's "film".  I feel extremely grateful for all the wonderful experiences that have been part of my life so far and look forward to adding more to my "footage".  What do you think you will cherish the most about the "footage" of your life?

Paying the Price

During the recent Chicago trip, I was reflecting on something I read…about a man who had finally shed the excess pounds.   He stated that he had to reconnect with the reality of his situation.  He had previously engaged in irrational thinking by convincing himself that he should be able to live the way he wanted and still lose weight.   I thought about that and realized that I have done the same thing.  I get frustrated when I make minor changes and I don't see results.   The truth is…if I want to see results, I am going to have to be willing to pay the full price and do what it takes to be healthy and in shape.  I also realized that people who are in excellent health DO pay the daily price for that health.   They make the time to exercise and eat right and make their personal fitness a priority in their lives.  Am I willing to do the same?   As I have sought to answer that questions for myself, I have faced some of the truths about making real change in my personal fitness level.

 

1. Exercising for 20 minutes a day on the elliptical—while a good activity—is not enough exercise to shed the excess pounds.

 

2. Small changes in my eating habits (while holding on to some big bad habits) are not going to result in a big weight loss.

 

 

3. A challenging and rigorous daily exercise routine along with a defined healthy eating plan are the price I have to pay to realize my desired outcomes.

 

As I processed this information, I happened to listen to a conference talk by Elder Uchtdorf which resonated with me.   Since changing my lifestyle is an emotional and spiritual effort combined with physical work, the following statement hit home. 

 

If we believe that God knows all things, is loving, and is merciful, we will be able to put our trust in Him for our salvation without wavering. Faith in Christ will change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with God's will.

 

Do I believe that God knows all things and is loving and merciful?  Yes!   Have I put my trust in Him that through faith in Christ I can have my thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors changed?  In many areas of my life, yes, I have, but I haven't applied this to my personal fitness.   To me, this is key to my success.  To trust in the Lord that He wants what is best for me—He wants me to develop my full potential—and that being healthy is an important part of that potential.   He also will help me change my thoughts and my beliefs so that the corresponding or consequential behaviors lead me to my desired outcomes.

 

Have you had any experiences with faith in which you were able to have your thoughts, beliefs, and then behaviors changed?  

Mementos

Some visuals from Chicago...

Travelogue

Just returned from a "girls" weekend in Chicago.  Experienced the most amazing meal of my life at Fogo De Chau--an authentical Brazilian Churrascaria.  I must take my family there in the future...it was a meal not to be forgotten.  The gauchos bring different cuts of meat to your table (16 different kinds) including chicken, sausage, pork, steaks, etc.... and the meat is so tender and amazing that it just melts in your mouth!  It was a great reward for the usual inconveniences that accompany travel.  The Chicago Hilton offered comfortable accomodations with a great view of Lake Michigan and the Taste of Chicago that was underway.  Saturday morning I was up early for a workout in the fitness center and then a day of Chicago sightseeing.  It was HOT and humid but the sky was clear and there was so much to see.  We had breakfast at an outdoor diner and then walked down to the Aquarium.  The line was TOO long so we took a water taxi down to Navy Pier and enjoyed a cold beverage at Billy Goat's Tavern. We then were surprised to see the Anheiser Busch Clydesdales marching down the street.  I can never get over just how massive those horses are!  We crossed over to the river and spent an hour on an architectual cruise.  It was a wonderful way to see the amazing differences and influences in the buildings of the city and to learn a little more about the history of Chicago.  After the tour we went to the John Hancock building and went to the 95th Lounge to sip a cold drink and look at the city.  The view was AMAZING and there were so many sailboats and yachts out in the Lake.  Beautiful.  We then endured the scariest cab ride of our lives so we could make it back to the hotel and freshen up for dinner and the show.  Dinner was at a little Italian eatery "Trattorias" which was very nice.  And then we attended WICKED.  It was a great evening and the walk back to the hotel was a nice way to finish up the day.  I must admit I felt a little guilty for indulging in this weekend so closely on the heels of my other Chicago trip, but I have made a pact with myself to do this a couple of times a year and start exploring new cities.  It feels good to get out of the rut, have some time with friends away from work, church, etc... and just get a little break.  I look forward to taking my boys on trips such as this when they are ready to explore.  In the meantime, we have the MUNY to look forward to this summer.  I would love to hear about your travels!

 

Independence.Day

Today I declare my independence from everything that has held me back.

 

I celebrated by spending 7 hours in my basement cleaning out the clutter that has been holding me back from moving forward.

 

Once the trash and goodwill have been removed by my helpful home teachers, I will have one small pile of permanent storage that will fit nicely into a small area.  My goal is to keep any long-term storage down to the size of closet or apartment storage unit.  I have already decluttered the master bedroom and the boys room.  All that is left is the hall closets, the guest room closet, and a once-over of the kitchen pantry.

 

I will then have several weeks of papers to sort, file, and shred....but my goal is to have the house completely de-cluttered by August 10th.  I have made HUGE progress (thanks to my good friend Kara) who not only helped me in the basement, but treated me to a power-packed lunch.  Kara kept me on track and made it easier for me to deal with the emotion-laden historical items I uncovered during the process.

 

After the house is de-cluttered, I am going to celebrate by setting up a study for the boys in the basement (which will be easy since I found out 3 years of school/office supplies during my clean-out). 

 

This next year is going to be all about simplify.simplify.simplify.

 

Wish.me.progress.

Faith vs Fear; Real vs Fake

I have started my summer-fall-winter-spring reading list, which includes the following titles:

 

Rough Stone Rolling by Dr. Richard Bushman

The Story of A New Religious Tradition by Jan Shipps

Mormon Sisters:  Women in Early Utah by Claudia Bushman

The Mormon Experience:  A History of the Latter day Saints by Arrington

The Angel and Beehive: THE MORMON STRUGGLE WITH ASSIMILATION

Mormonism in Transition: A History of the Latter-day Saints, 1890-1930

David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism

 

and as I have begun to tackle (and thoroughly enjoy) the material, I have realized that this process mirrors other changes I have been making in my life.  I want to live by study and by faith, not fear or unintentional habit.  I want to study and learn all that I can so I know WHY I believe what I "believe"...not just live it because it was engrained in me as a child.  I want to go after my dreams and make them a reality.  I want to take the leap in many ways....in my career, in my physical health, in my financial life.  These leaps will start out as "baby steps", but they are important "baby leaps" nonetheless.

 

I will share my thoughts as I continue to read, continue to exercise, and most importantly, continue to take those "baby steps".

 

My first thought is this:  Joseph Smith was a man.  He wasn't perfect.  He experienced and accomplished extraordinary things (whether you believe in his role as modern-day prophet or not).  I am enjoying getting to know more about his personality--his strengths and his weaknesses.  More soon.

 

Mentoring By Design--Great Post at Dare to Dream

The link: http://daretodream.typepad.com/weblog/2007/07/post.html