Thinking Out Loud

Okay, I'm still working my way through the No BS Guide to Time Management and loving it. When Dan Kennedy said that those who are habitually late lack integrity, I initially felt it was a bit harsh. But now that I think about it, I hate when people make me wait. I am a busy person and it disrespects my time to be kept waiting. I have been late to many things before, but I am always on time for important meetings. That just goes to show that we show up for the things we value so if someone is habitually late when working with you, they don't value you nor themselves. If they valued you, they'd respect your time and if they valued themselves, they wouldn't make a commitment they couldn't keep. They'd exercise integrity and show up on time or not accept the appointment in the first place. My current boss is punctual. I value that. I respond in kind. One of my friends is habitually late. I notice I respond in kind. I don't bother showing up on time as I kno...

Jesus said "Blessed are the peacemakers." I find it interesting that he didn't simply say, "Blessed are the peace lovers." There is a difference between "loving peace" and "making peace." I don't know many people who love conflict and tension, yet they seem to create it. IMO it is easy to say we are for peace, but harder to remember to work for it. When we find our actions generating anything contrary to peace, we should stop and work for a peaceful resolution. Blessed are those who not only love peace, but also work for it. Blessed are the peacemakers.

I was reading a quote by a Holocaust survivor discussing the horrors of war. He talked about how there are those who wait for a savior to come, one who will end all wars and one who will establish peace. He talked about how this was problematic and there existed a better way to live our lives. In his words: The seed of this culture is the determination within individuals, and then small groups and communities, to devote our lives to the greatest vision of all time: not to wait for a savior one day to deliver us; not to wait for a government to pass truly just laws; not to wait for a revolution to right the wrongs of a cruel world; and not to mount a crusade to overpower some distant source of evil beyond ourselves. Each of us singly and with all others, is answerable for creating joy through the way our lives unfold, here and now.  I grew up hearing others "hope," "wish," and "wait" for the "Second Coming" or the "Coming of our Savior...

Hello I am telling you about the truth. All things are truthful. Bananas, flowers, paper towels (they help a lot), and last of all cats and mongooses. Today we went to Hanauma Bay. It has very strict rules that you have to follow. I can relate this to someone I know, but I can also relate this to the gospel truth. I feel like the gospel truth is not just LDS or Christianity, I feel like it is all religions, all lives, and all things. The truth is whatever YOU believe. Anywho, at Hanauma Bay we went snorkeling and I couldn’t see because the water was really foggy. So I decided that it meant I needed to change my perspective. I stopped snorkeling and played mean babysitter. I also saw this one really cool fish that I thought was a hallucination but when I touched it  I realized that is was a true fish, but then it flew away. I can relate this to someone seeing something and thinking, “is that really there, or is it something I just see because everyone else is looking at it?” I tho...

Tonight Matt and I had the pleasure of attending Cornel West's lecture at Weber State University. First, WOW! Listening to Cornel West speak was inspiring. However, I'm not so sure it was his words that always did the inspiring. It was more his rhythym and cadence. I imagine the speech we heard tonight to be what it might have been like to hear the great Martin Luther King, Jr. opine on the mall in Washington DC. These Southern ministers are something else. Both were such powerful orators. Cornel is gifted with words. And while his elocution was beautiful to behold, I was a bit disappointed at his pessimism. Additionally, I found much of what he said to be like "tinkling brass and sounding cymbals" for he made much thunderous sound in the name of poverty and injustice, but he never once proffered any solutions. Tis easy to find what's wrong. Tis much harder--and so much more inspiriting-- to outline how to make it right. But I do have to give him props for his...

Here's a true principle that will revolutionize your life: No one owes you anything It is super empowering and liberating to go through your day not making demands or expecting anything from anybody. Treat everyone as the divine being that they are and give up on trying to control them, life, or anything that really isn't mean to be controlled. Life is meant to be lived, experienced, and enjoyed. Children of God were created to be free and able to exercise their agency. You only make yourself--and others--miserable when you seek to control, make demands, or set expectations.  Think about the last thing that upset you. If it was a person, what was it that they did? How would your feelings or response have been different had you espoused the belief that "no one owes you anything?" That's right, no one owes you gratitude, appreciation, help, money, kindness, or even respect. You are owed nothing by life or by any persons. If it was a circumstance that let you ...