I believe that within the soul of every human being is a desire to be great. As children of the Greatest Being in the universe, it is innate; we desire to emulate our Parent. The circumstances of life may squelch, skew or supplant this desire, we may act upon it or not, we may ignore it all together, but it can never fully be destroyed. Exactly how it is manifest differs from person to person, though, because we are all human, each manifestation of greatness will have distinct similarities.
Part of being great is leaving a mark, having an impact. In cliché terms, it means changing the world. A noble goal; too often, however, our dreams of grandeur turn to delusions of grandeur and, instead of changing the world as we dreamed when young, we end up embittered and withdraw, content to merely live until we die. The key component of the shift from dream to delusion is narcissism.
Narcissism [nahr-suh-siz-em]: inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity
When we allow narcissism to become the guiding force of our lives—often, understand, unconsciously—we begin to see our quest to “change the world” as a way to define ourselves and our greatness, rather than as a service to our fellow man. There are two problems with this approach. First, our focus is wrong. We care less about how we help others and more about what it makes us look like. This leads to the second problem. In our narcissism our focus is on ourselves, how we look. Desiring to look as good as possible, we want to do the biggest thing possible. Unsatisfied with giving a bum money for dinner—that’s not a large impact, it doesn’t make us look great—we have to accomplish something grander; we can’t help one because we want to help—or be seen to help—a million. When these massive projects fail abysmally—or worse, never even get started—we write off our dreams as delusions and, in the final stage of narcissism, become wrapped up in only ourselves.
By small and simple things are great things brought to pass. ~Alma 37:6
We don’t understand how change takes place. In our effort to end poverty in America, we pass by the bum on Temple Square. “That’s too small,” we think. “It wouldn’t make a difference.” We forget that that is the difference to be made. I’m reminded of the story of the boy on the beach, throwing starfish that had been trapped on the beach as the tide went down back into sea. An older man—embittered perhaps—came along and berated the boy. “Look,” he said. “There are miles of beach and hundreds of starfish. You’ll never make a difference.” The little boy, throwing another starfish back into the sea, replied, “I made a difference to that starfish.”
Oh that we could be like that little child, unafraid to simply roll up our sleeves and go to work. Did he save them all? No, in that he failed. But where so many of us wouldn’t have started—after all, failure makes us look bad—he began. That is the key. If ever we are to make a difference, we must ignore the scoffs of others; free ourselves of our narcissism and go to work doing small things. After all, greatness is not about how we look; it’s about what we do.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Case for Current Events
Once upon a time, I didn’t read the newspaper. Or watch the news. Or listen to it. Any news that did manage to filter down into my awareness usually came from the radio after I’d flipped through all the stations and my choices were really bad commercials or top-of-the-hour news. When I found myself in such situations, I’d listen, but only partially; really I was just waiting for the music to come back on. When it did, up went the volume and I was back to singing along, blissfully ignorant of what I had just heard. That’s how it was, until last semester, when a current events class forced me to become aware. Becoming aware made me realize just how important being informed really is; which is why now, I find myself making a case for current events.
Before I immersed myself in the wonderfully exciting world that is current events, I had several reasons for being checked out. Association with fellow checked-outers led to the discovery that people have very similar reasons for not keeping up on current events. I call them Current Events Cop Outs or CECO (pronounced see-ko). An examination and debunktion of these CECOs will, I hope, inspire those where I was to come where I am.
The first goes something like this: “Current events are BORING! I want to spend my time doing something more interesting.” This is the excuse of the uninitiated, but, I confess, it was the biggest for me. The few times I had delved into current events I found myself excessively bored. “Who cares what so-and-so said” and “No I am not going to follow that story to A17” were my constant thoughts as I threw newspapers away from me. How does one get over this? Stick with it! Read a variety of sources; see how they report the same event. Follow stories; what so-and-so said may not be interesting until somebody talks back, and the story on A17 may be uninteresting, until, at the end of the week, you suddenly discover what really happened in a story from some obscure publication in Europe. In today’s world especially, current events are anything but dull.
The second common CECO is one I think we are all familiar with: “Current events make me depressed/angry/sad/frustrated/etc. and there’s nothing I can do about it anyway, so why bother?” The real problem here is that people feel powerless, which is why they feel depressed. Once you realize that there are things you can do, excitement replaces the ________ (fill in the blank) and you find yourself scanning headlines, desperate for something to get involved in. And with the internet, getting involved is easier than ever. Read articles online, comment and argue about them with complete strangers, share important ones on Facebook, encouraging your friends to “check this out!”, sending Congressmen and Senators strongly worded emails demanding that they do such-and-such, and then tell everyone the story on your very own blog. The first time I contacted my Congresswoman was about a bill that had been living under the radar, something I’d had to dig to find. I felt it was extremely important, wrote her, and then zoomed over to Facebook—while texting everyone I thought would be interested—to let everyone know what was going one. That specific bill is still in limbo, but the best part of the experience was when I convinced a few other people to contact their Congressmen. I’d thought there was nothing I could do, but I’d had an influence, however small. You can too; all it takes is initiative.
The final CECO I’ll address is the most dangerous: “What does it matter anyway? Whatever happens happens, and I’ll just keep living my life.” To think that what happens in the world doesn’t affect you is kind of like being a running back that only looks at his own feet—sooner or later somebody’s going to come and knock him on his butt. A possible future case-in-point would be the health care reform bill. If it does indeed mandate that everyone purchase health insurance or pay a fine, people not paying attention may find themselves short $3,000, to say nothing of the freedom lost while that person was “blissfully ignorant.” Whether it’s a good or bad, we live in a society where the actions of others often affect us quite personally. If all we focus on is our own feet, we will quite likely find ourselves on our butts, or worse, dog-piled.
Ultimately, that’s really why current events are so important; they have a dramatic impact on our lives. Whoever said ignorance is bliss probably spent his life being “blissfully” pushed around with no control of his life. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be that guy. So if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get a paper…
Before I immersed myself in the wonderfully exciting world that is current events, I had several reasons for being checked out. Association with fellow checked-outers led to the discovery that people have very similar reasons for not keeping up on current events. I call them Current Events Cop Outs or CECO (pronounced see-ko). An examination and debunktion of these CECOs will, I hope, inspire those where I was to come where I am.
The first goes something like this: “Current events are BORING! I want to spend my time doing something more interesting.” This is the excuse of the uninitiated, but, I confess, it was the biggest for me. The few times I had delved into current events I found myself excessively bored. “Who cares what so-and-so said” and “No I am not going to follow that story to A17” were my constant thoughts as I threw newspapers away from me. How does one get over this? Stick with it! Read a variety of sources; see how they report the same event. Follow stories; what so-and-so said may not be interesting until somebody talks back, and the story on A17 may be uninteresting, until, at the end of the week, you suddenly discover what really happened in a story from some obscure publication in Europe. In today’s world especially, current events are anything but dull.
The second common CECO is one I think we are all familiar with: “Current events make me depressed/angry/sad/frustrated/etc. and there’s nothing I can do about it anyway, so why bother?” The real problem here is that people feel powerless, which is why they feel depressed. Once you realize that there are things you can do, excitement replaces the ________ (fill in the blank) and you find yourself scanning headlines, desperate for something to get involved in. And with the internet, getting involved is easier than ever. Read articles online, comment and argue about them with complete strangers, share important ones on Facebook, encouraging your friends to “check this out!”, sending Congressmen and Senators strongly worded emails demanding that they do such-and-such, and then tell everyone the story on your very own blog. The first time I contacted my Congresswoman was about a bill that had been living under the radar, something I’d had to dig to find. I felt it was extremely important, wrote her, and then zoomed over to Facebook—while texting everyone I thought would be interested—to let everyone know what was going one. That specific bill is still in limbo, but the best part of the experience was when I convinced a few other people to contact their Congressmen. I’d thought there was nothing I could do, but I’d had an influence, however small. You can too; all it takes is initiative.
The final CECO I’ll address is the most dangerous: “What does it matter anyway? Whatever happens happens, and I’ll just keep living my life.” To think that what happens in the world doesn’t affect you is kind of like being a running back that only looks at his own feet—sooner or later somebody’s going to come and knock him on his butt. A possible future case-in-point would be the health care reform bill. If it does indeed mandate that everyone purchase health insurance or pay a fine, people not paying attention may find themselves short $3,000, to say nothing of the freedom lost while that person was “blissfully ignorant.” Whether it’s a good or bad, we live in a society where the actions of others often affect us quite personally. If all we focus on is our own feet, we will quite likely find ourselves on our butts, or worse, dog-piled.
Ultimately, that’s really why current events are so important; they have a dramatic impact on our lives. Whoever said ignorance is bliss probably spent his life being “blissfully” pushed around with no control of his life. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be that guy. So if you’ll excuse me, I have to go get a paper…
Monday, January 4, 2010
Baby's Running a Marathon
12 weeks exactly today. We went in to our second prenatal with our midwife; this was the big one, we were going to get to hear the heart; now we could finally find out if there was really something in there or if it was just our imagination. Morning sickness has been mild and Elly's been handling everything GREAT; couldn't ask for more (except for maybe some kind of shampoo that would make me smell good to her; heck, I'd even settle for not smelling bad haha), but even so we where stoked to find out if there was really something going on down there, or if she had a bad taste in her mouth for nothing. First thing we heard was a high pitched whining, like when a mike gets to close to the speaker, but that disappeared after our midwife moved the speaker away. Nothing but weirdness, then, we heard it. And boy was it moving!!! The kid's running a marathon in there or something. It was really neat; finally, we had some external proof that there was something there and some real interaction-even though it was just a little bit-with our baby. Can't wait till July!!!
Friday, October 23, 2009
RANDom thoughts
Force. The root of all evil. Think about it, what is it that makes stealing evil? That a man takes from me without my consent, that he forces me to give up or lose something that is mine. It is force, the without consent, that is the corrupting element, that is the evil, in the action. Fundamentally, the action is the same as if I’d given or sold that which was stolen: a good has been transferred. The difference between the two is my consent. Anytime we engage in force we are handling the One Ring. We are in danger of contaminating ourselves. It may be necessary, but when it is it is activated by the necessities of circumstance, by certain particulars of a specific moment. We do not carry around with us the right to use force whenever we wish. Unactivated use of force is evil. That right is activated by the use of force against us, activated for our defense. When the moment is passed, the right is no longer there. Even the rightful use of force can be corrosive; constantly carrying the arbitrary right of force would destroy a man’s soul. Governmental force, as constituted, is of this nature: perpetually active. That is why it is so dangerous-power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely-the constant presence of the right to use force is what makes the power of government corrupting. It’s heady, empowering, makes men feel like gods, superior and infallible, with a right to anything. There are only two types of men who constantly feel the right to force: men that are evil, and men who work for government. To protect ourselves from the arbitrary force of the first we instituted institutions with ultimate force, nominally limited, but because it was ultimate, it was necessarily arbitrary. Is government innately immoral?
Monday, September 14, 2009
SPIT IN HIS EYE!!!
It’s midnight. Overcast, cold, you’re in a back alley and a loan shark has you by your unmentionables backed up against the wall with a knife to your throat. The most logical thing you could do would be to spit in his eye. Right?
Late last Friday President Obama did just that. For every one dollar of goods sold to China by the United States, we import $4.46 worth of Chinese goods. In 2008 the trade deficit with China was $268 billion. Additionally, China holds almost $2 trillion dollars of our foreign debt. Financially, we aren’t in a good position with them. Not a good time to be slapping them with tariffs; that’s just what we did when President Obama levied tire tariffs on China. Their response was hardly enthusiastic, and while initial plans for retaliation only include tariffs on U.S. exports to China such as automotive parts and chicken, some in China are calling on the government to “dump” their treasury bonds. If they do…
Maybe this isn’t that big of a deal. Maybe it’ll all smooth over. But this latest turn of events is eerily reminiscent of events in the past, events that precipitated major crisis and conflict. The one that comes immediately to mind is the Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930, which spread the Great Depression to Europe. I’m not saying history will repeat itself; I don’t think it always does. But I’m not saying it won’t. I think at times like this it pays to be informed, ready for anything. President Obama has often referred to the recent months as a “crisis.” Characteristic of a crisis, anything could happen. Be informed. Be prepared. When/if fit hits the shan, we may be all we have.
Late last Friday President Obama did just that. For every one dollar of goods sold to China by the United States, we import $4.46 worth of Chinese goods. In 2008 the trade deficit with China was $268 billion. Additionally, China holds almost $2 trillion dollars of our foreign debt. Financially, we aren’t in a good position with them. Not a good time to be slapping them with tariffs; that’s just what we did when President Obama levied tire tariffs on China. Their response was hardly enthusiastic, and while initial plans for retaliation only include tariffs on U.S. exports to China such as automotive parts and chicken, some in China are calling on the government to “dump” their treasury bonds. If they do…
Maybe this isn’t that big of a deal. Maybe it’ll all smooth over. But this latest turn of events is eerily reminiscent of events in the past, events that precipitated major crisis and conflict. The one that comes immediately to mind is the Smoot-Hawley tariff of 1930, which spread the Great Depression to Europe. I’m not saying history will repeat itself; I don’t think it always does. But I’m not saying it won’t. I think at times like this it pays to be informed, ready for anything. President Obama has often referred to the recent months as a “crisis.” Characteristic of a crisis, anything could happen. Be informed. Be prepared. When/if fit hits the shan, we may be all we have.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Plug for President Obama
March 28, 1939 marked the end of the 3 year Spanish Civil War. One would expect such a time to be a time of rejoicing, of healing, of rest. It was anything but. 193,000, by some sources, of the losing Republicans were executed by the victorious Nationalists. The reason given: the Republicans and the Nationalists had such diametrically opposed views on the way Spain should be governed that one could not permit the other to live, let alone have a voice. This may be an extreme, but it is by no means an isolated example of what happens when dialogue between two opposing people or parties is allowed to shut down and they cease to find common ground. In America we are not preparing mass executions of those who disagree with us, however, the events of the Spanish Civil War should give us pause; perhaps those on the other side aren’t evil or crazy, maybe they’re just human.
I’m not a big fan of President Obama. I don’t like his policies; I don’t like his advisors; I don’t like his pastimes and, frivolous as it may be, I don’t like the way he talks; it bugs me. When I got my hands on the text of his speech he gave to K-12 students last night, I went into it expecting-hoping, really-to find a propaganda piece that I could rip on and feel justified in complaining about the President. I was disappointed in that hope; but the fact that I was disappointed demonstrated how far I had adopted the party spirit so prevalent in America today, and, to a greater extant, in Spain 70 years ago. So this post is a plug for President Obama; for once, we agree. I can work with that.
“But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life-what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home-that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude…That’s no excuse for not trying.” Personal responsibility. That was the essence of his speech. And in a time of government bailouts and a debate over “free” healthcare, nothing could be more pertinent. What life hands you doesn’t matter, what matters is what you do with it; I can think of few messages it would be better for the children of America to hear. Good one, Mr. President. Now if I could just change the way you talk…
I’m not a big fan of President Obama. I don’t like his policies; I don’t like his advisors; I don’t like his pastimes and, frivolous as it may be, I don’t like the way he talks; it bugs me. When I got my hands on the text of his speech he gave to K-12 students last night, I went into it expecting-hoping, really-to find a propaganda piece that I could rip on and feel justified in complaining about the President. I was disappointed in that hope; but the fact that I was disappointed demonstrated how far I had adopted the party spirit so prevalent in America today, and, to a greater extant, in Spain 70 years ago. So this post is a plug for President Obama; for once, we agree. I can work with that.
“But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life-what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home-that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude…That’s no excuse for not trying.” Personal responsibility. That was the essence of his speech. And in a time of government bailouts and a debate over “free” healthcare, nothing could be more pertinent. What life hands you doesn’t matter, what matters is what you do with it; I can think of few messages it would be better for the children of America to hear. Good one, Mr. President. Now if I could just change the way you talk…
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Fourth: It's Time We Remembered
It’s time we remembered.
Across the nations today people gather to celebrate. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and salsa. Parades, fireworks, dances. Maybe some speeches, but not too many. We wouldn’t want to get in the way of the celebrations. What exactly are we celebrating? It’s America’s birthday! Independence! Today’s the day our Founders signed the Declaration of Independence. Or voted on it. Or something like that. I forget, hand me another beer. WAHOO!!!
Today Americans party. Two hundred and thirty-two years ago, we couldn’t afford to take the time of work. Americans were locked in a titanic struggle against the superpower of the 18th century world. Less than two months after the Declaration of Independence was accepted by the Continental Congress, Washington was driven from New York with devastating losses by British General Howe. The ragtag American army was beaten again and again across New Jersey, before taking refuge across the Delaware River as the winter snows began to fall. “These are the times that try men’s souls,” wrote Thomas Paine, and indeed they were; 1776, the year of America’s birth, held some of the darkest days of the revolution. Today, we celebrate, because then, they sacrificed.
It’s time we remembered. Remembered what today is really about. It isn’t about parties or barbeques or parades, although I enjoy those things as much as anyone. It isn’t about speeches or rallies or protests. It isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It isn’t even about freedom, really, at least not completely. It’s about sacrifice. Two hundred and thirty-two years ago our forefathers pledge to each other and to us, their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to maintain an idea. The idea that men could-and should-direct their own lives, free of unwarranted intrusion from anyone. Many did lose their fortunes, some their lives. They pledged to sacrifice their all and they did, to a degree that most modern Americans cannot begin to comprehend. It’s time we remembered what it means to sacrifice.
Today many of us are upset with the way things are going in our nation. We wish Congress would stop spending money; we wish the President wouldn’t kill flies on television (after all, that’s the worst thing he’s done, right?); we wish the Supreme Court would stop making things up from penumbras. Most of us don’t do anything about it though. Our excuse? We’re too busy. Well, with the average American watching something like 30 hours of television a week, I find that a lame excuse. If we can’t sacrifice a couple TV shows to find a way to make our voices heard in Washington, we deserve everything we get. Stand up and be counted. Scream. Call, write and email your reps in DC until they know your name and are afraid of it. Talk to your neighbors, organize. Chances are they feel the same way. Do something. If you think about it long enough, you’ll figure something out. After all, that’s what freedom really is, the right to solve your own problems.
This Fourth of July, let us take a moment and remember. Remember the cost of what we have. We are so blessed as a nation; we have no idea the way the rest of the world today and throughout history have lived. Remember the responsibility we have to maintain it for our children. Remember that, cliché as it may sound, freedom really isn’t free and, like it or not, we are the ones who have to pay that price. If we’re unwilling to, we are unworthy of our freedom.
Across the nations today people gather to celebrate. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and salsa. Parades, fireworks, dances. Maybe some speeches, but not too many. We wouldn’t want to get in the way of the celebrations. What exactly are we celebrating? It’s America’s birthday! Independence! Today’s the day our Founders signed the Declaration of Independence. Or voted on it. Or something like that. I forget, hand me another beer. WAHOO!!!
Today Americans party. Two hundred and thirty-two years ago, we couldn’t afford to take the time of work. Americans were locked in a titanic struggle against the superpower of the 18th century world. Less than two months after the Declaration of Independence was accepted by the Continental Congress, Washington was driven from New York with devastating losses by British General Howe. The ragtag American army was beaten again and again across New Jersey, before taking refuge across the Delaware River as the winter snows began to fall. “These are the times that try men’s souls,” wrote Thomas Paine, and indeed they were; 1776, the year of America’s birth, held some of the darkest days of the revolution. Today, we celebrate, because then, they sacrificed.
It’s time we remembered. Remembered what today is really about. It isn’t about parties or barbeques or parades, although I enjoy those things as much as anyone. It isn’t about speeches or rallies or protests. It isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It isn’t even about freedom, really, at least not completely. It’s about sacrifice. Two hundred and thirty-two years ago our forefathers pledge to each other and to us, their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to maintain an idea. The idea that men could-and should-direct their own lives, free of unwarranted intrusion from anyone. Many did lose their fortunes, some their lives. They pledged to sacrifice their all and they did, to a degree that most modern Americans cannot begin to comprehend. It’s time we remembered what it means to sacrifice.
Today many of us are upset with the way things are going in our nation. We wish Congress would stop spending money; we wish the President wouldn’t kill flies on television (after all, that’s the worst thing he’s done, right?); we wish the Supreme Court would stop making things up from penumbras. Most of us don’t do anything about it though. Our excuse? We’re too busy. Well, with the average American watching something like 30 hours of television a week, I find that a lame excuse. If we can’t sacrifice a couple TV shows to find a way to make our voices heard in Washington, we deserve everything we get. Stand up and be counted. Scream. Call, write and email your reps in DC until they know your name and are afraid of it. Talk to your neighbors, organize. Chances are they feel the same way. Do something. If you think about it long enough, you’ll figure something out. After all, that’s what freedom really is, the right to solve your own problems.
This Fourth of July, let us take a moment and remember. Remember the cost of what we have. We are so blessed as a nation; we have no idea the way the rest of the world today and throughout history have lived. Remember the responsibility we have to maintain it for our children. Remember that, cliché as it may sound, freedom really isn’t free and, like it or not, we are the ones who have to pay that price. If we’re unwilling to, we are unworthy of our freedom.
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