Should You Read Aloud to Your Kids?
It was an ordinary afternoon. I was reading the last few chapters of a book to my kids. I wanted to finish the book before my sister-in-law arrived, but I was having a hard time getting through it. I kept stopping because I was crying. I tried to pass the book on to one of the kids but they refused. So I kept at it. I still had a few pages left when the doorbell rang. My sister-in-law came in and listened while I finished–tears and all. This is actually a common scene in my house–mom crying while trying to read aloud. But I keep doing it. I believe in…
Habits–1% Improvements
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! It’s 5:20 AM and time to get up. I wake up at the same time every morning and do the same daily tasks as part of my morning routine. I drink water, write 3 pages, visualize, exercise, and study my scriptures. My morning routine has become a habit. It is something I perform regularly and automatically. We all have habits. Some are good and some are bad. Kissing your kids before bed is a good habit. Yelling at your kids to get their chores done is a bad habit. Drinking water is a good habit. Drinking soda is a bad habit. James Clear teaches in his…
People NEED to Help
I love how, when reading, I come across random good quotes. My middle daughter and I are reading “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. The Joad family has just finished their first day on the road–they are traveling to California in hopes of finding work after being kicked off their land. They meet another couple, the Wilsons, traveling and ask to share their campsite for the night. Grandpa Joad is sick and dies right as they are trying to get settled. The Wilsons immediately jump in and help. They offer food and blankets and help bury the body. Mama Joad feels guilty for putting the Wilsons in such a…
Don’t Make Assumptions
Have you ever heard that silly saying about assuming? When you assume you make an ASS out of U and ME. (pardon my french) It came to mind often as I read the third agreement. The third agreement from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book The Four Agreements says “Don’t make assumptions. Find courage to ask questions and and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” It is so easy to make assumptions. When a stranger says something rude, we assume he’s a jerk. When a friend forgets…
Walk in the Other Person’s Shoes
I recently finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Such a good story! My favorite part reading it this time came from a conversation Scout had with her Father. Atticus was trying to explain empathy to his young daughter after a rough first day of school. He said, “First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view–until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I’ve been able to apply this so many times over the last couple…
Be Impeccable with your Word
I’m slowly reading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. Mostly because a podcast I listen to did a read along, and I wanted to participate. She did one episode for each of the agreements. So I’m reading the chapter then listening to the podcast. I’ve only done the first agreement so far (that is why I say I’m slowly reading the book). The teachings in the book come from a practice handed down in an ancient southern Mexico society called the Toltec. The premise of the book is that we all have beliefs that we learn from the adults around us. As children we believe everything adults tell us.…
How to Direct Good-Feeling Emotions
I’ve been slowly reading Super Attractor by Gabrielle Bernstein–a chapter a week. There is so much good information to digest. I think I’m going to read it again as soon as I finish, but a little quicker. This morning I watched a video she posted on Facebook. She shared a method for directing good-feeling emotions from chapter 11. I haven’t gotten to that chapter yet, but I loved the concept. I found the part in the book and did the activity with my kids. She suggests doing this activity every morning right after you wake up. Using your journal, write the answers to the following questions: How do I want…
5 Things You Can Do To Never Stop Learning
Never stop learning. Learning shouldn’t stop just because we aren’t in school anymore. There is always something new to learn. Why should you always be learning? One of the keys of a great education taught in A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille is “You, Not Them”. When you are learning you are setting an example to others of the importance of life-long learning. A research study about parents who attended a bible study showed that if both parents attended it was 70% more likely that their children would continue in an active Christian lifestyle. If only the father attended, then it was 55% likely and down to 15% if…
Is There Ever a Time for Dishonesty?
As a Christian, I grew up learning about the importance of honesty. My core book and church leaders taught how and why to be honest. They instructed that honesty is more than not lying. It is “truth telling, truth speaking, and truth living.” On the other hand, dishonesty is any form of deceitfulness–cheating, lying, stealing, and misleading. Dishonesty is the opposite of honesty. Honesty is a principle. Principles are concentrated truths that serve as a foundation for our actions. They are natural laws that can’t be broken. Fortunately, because of agency we can choose how to apply the principle of honesty; and we will be held accountable for the choices…
Books I Read in 2019
At the end of 2018, I got together with some girlfriends, and one of them showed us her list of books she had read that year. I loved the idea and decided to keep track of the books I read. I’m sure there are apps out there, but I just opened up a note page on my phone and started listing them. I didn’t set a goal for how many I wanted to read, I just wanted a place to keep track. Wanna take a guess how many I read, though? 143! WHOA! I kept track of all the physical books and the e-books I read. I listed every book…
