Man in the Mirror

Speaking of mirrors...

This is my favorite song. Hands down. I love the beat, I love Michael Jackson, and I love the profound message.

It is human nature to want to blame someone else for our troubles. But it is true. "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change." If I want to make a better relationship, I start with the woman in the mirror. I just need to be careful about looking in the mirror at the end of the day because invariably I realize--I have gone all day looking like this!

Myself in the Mirror

I have recently realized that if I want to continually improve and become a better version of myself (actually who I was really created to be) that people will show up and provide the mirror of myself that can be the painful wake up call that I need for course correction.

This business of praying for insight and direction can be pretty brutal sometimes. Oh golly geez, having someone behave and treat me like I know I have been to other people is a better lesson than anything I can read in a book.

It was suggested that Adam and Eve would learn from their experiences. I guess a hard-headed person like me needs to learn the hard way, and I have to experience myself in the mirror of others to literally "see" what I am doing wrong.

Thank you to all those negative mirrors out there. I really don't condemn you; I appreciate the sacrifice you made to show me what not to do, and I realize I want to give you the same kind of compassion and forgiveness that I want to receive as I also provide a negative mirror to others. I mean, that is what us self-sacrificing people do--serve as a bad example. 

Not only will people show up demonstrating what I am doing that I shouldn't do, but people will also be there to show me how my true self can and should be. Thank you to those positive mirrors.  It is nice to see what I can and want to be.  Someday I hope that I can grow up and be more of a positive mirror for others. But don't hold your breath.

Push forward Pull back

Push forward and exercise until I sweat

Pull back when I am
satisfied











Push forward to love











Pull back when I am tempted to judge










Discipline of body and spirit go hand in hand. Being a disciple includes all parts.

Grandma gets to spoil

The best part of being a grandma is taking my grandkids shopping for their birthday presents and kind of spoiling them. I know that grandma's taste isn't always the same as the kids (the ugly Christmas sweaters were my first clue) and so I would much rather take them and let them pick out their own presents. Besides getting what they really want rather than a piece of clothing they would only use when they dress up like a nerd for Halloween, I get to spend some one on one time with them. In the case of these twins, two on one time or one on two time. When given the choice, they always want to go together. They not only look different from each other but their personalities are so different and their taste in shoes and clothes match their opposite personalities. What a fun day. Happy Birthday you two adorable girls.

Hijacked Sense of Humor

I have multiply personalities. Call me Sybil or Martha or Gertrude...

I love intellectually deep discussions and sometimes I can get too analytical and take life way too seriously. SURPRISE! Okay, that is not a surprise to all of those who have had to endure my droning on and on and...

I also love to laugh and have a good time. Sometimes I have got to drown the personality that wants to figure life out and embrace the personality that likes to laugh and just enjoy life.

Sometimes life can get pretty heavy, especially dealing with crazy people (myself included). So right now I just take a deep breath and laugh. Thank goodness I still have a chance to pay off the terrorists that hijacked my sense of humor. I am giving them my oldest child. (Sorry Jake, it's been nice). 

A Mother's Prayer

There is simply no more important prayer than the one in which a mother is pleading for the health and happiness of her children. Watch out world. When a mother prays, miracles will happen.

Importance of Community

I was just reading in the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. He tells the story of a town in Pennsylvania in the 1950s that had no heart disease and in which all the people lived to old age. Even though they had the same bad habits as other people, they didn't suffer the same bad health.

After extensive study of people in this town, it was concluded that the factor that made the difference was their sense of community.

I was also reading an article by Elizabeth Vandenberghe https://www.lds.org/ensign/1994/10/religion-and-the-abundant-life?lang=eng&query=religion about the research she has done on the value of religiosity. Incidentally, years ago I heard her speak and she was a major catalyst for my return to the university and a desire to do research.

What a great blessing it is for me to be part of a family and a religious community in which I am a member, I have shared emotional connection, my needs are integrated and fulfilled, I can have influence and am influenced by, and I get to have responsibilities. It is nice to know that these factors will have more of an influence on my health and happiness than my bad eating habits. Yea for chocolate!