Tuesday, August 13, 2013

There is an old saying...

We should each find the proper balance between work, recreation, and rest. There is an old saying: “Doing nothing is the hardest work of all, because one can never stop to rest.” Without work, rest and relaxation have no meaning.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

As we think of the problems of others and provide service, our own problems seem less serious.

Throughout our lives all of us depend on others for help. When we were infants, our parents fed, clothed, and cared for us. Without this care we would have died. When we grew up, other people taught us skills and attitudes. Many of us have needed nursing care during illness or money in a financial crisis. Some of us ask God to bless suffering people and then do nothing for them. We must remember that God works through us.

“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." -Mosiah 2:17

As we think of the problems of others and provide service, our own problems seem less serious.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Contrary to popular beliefs...


There's no reason to panic over China's economic slowdown. Contrary to popular beliefs, China is not the global engine of growth; it is merely the largest arithmetic component of global growth. What drives global growth is demand. China, with a large trade surplus, is not a net provider of demand to the world.

What matters to the world, in other words, is not how fast China grows but rather, how its trade with foreign partners evolves. If China rebalances in an orderly way, its imports of manufactured goods and services should rise faster than its exports. This will be good for the world.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Integrity.

When living in intergrity with your core values, 
your success and fulfilment are not subject  to votes, 
to others' opinions, or to chance.



Monday, June 3, 2013

Duty of Mothers and Fathers.

Charity loves her flowers!

"We cannot and we must not allow the school, community, television, or even Church organizations to establish our children's values. The Lord has placed this duty with mothers and fathers. It is one from which we cannot escape and one that cannot be delegated. Others may help, but parents remain accountable. Therefore, we must guard the sanctity of our homes, because that is where children develop their values, attitudes, and habits for everyday living." -M. Russell Ballard.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Imagine a world in which we would...



Consciously trying to acquire humility can be problematic. I remember once hearing that “if you think you have it, you don’t. We should try to develop humility and be sure we didn’t know when we got it, and then we would have it. But if we ever thought we had it, we wouldn’t."

Consider the climate that would exist within a marriage or family—or any organization, for that matter—if through genuine humility mistakes were freely admitted and forgiven, if we were not afraid to praise others for fear they might gain on us, and if all were able to listen as well as we now verbalize.

I think sometimes of what life would be like if we all possessed greater humility.

Imagine a world in which we would replace I as the dominant pronoun.

Think of the impact on the pursuit of knowledge if being learned without being arrogant were the norm.

One wonders how differently even recent world history might be written if its principal participants had yielded to the gentle nudgings of humility.

I like the English author John Ruskin’s memorable statement that “the first test of a truly great man is his humility.” He continued: “I do not mean, by humility, doubt of his own power. … [But really] great men … have a curious … feeling that … greatness is not in them, but through them. … And they see something Divine … in every other man … , and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.”

True humility will inevitably lead us to say to God, “Thy will be done.”

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Act and Lead.

"As a society, we've gotten into this state of what I call sedentary agitation - we're often upset about what's going on but not getting up and taking action. The real communicators are the ones who can motivate people to act- and ultimately to lead themselves." -Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ.