John Adams Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ruled Rome as an Emperor from 161 to 180 BC and is a philosopher of Stoicism. There were Five Good Emperors and he was the last one. Ryan Holiday wrote a book about the Stoics and here is what he said about Marcus Aurelius’s character and his teachings: “Marcus Aurelius … Continue reading Historically, Character Mattered
Finding Peace
The Book of Mormon Teaches Character
In the Book of Mormon we read how 2060 stripling [young like a new stripling tree] warriors were strengthened spiritually and emotionally for years on the inside of themselves, before they went into physical battle: "They were exceedingly valiant for courage and also for strength and activity but behold this is not all, they were … Continue reading The Book of Mormon Teaches Character
Understand the Differing Capacities and Seasons In Others
Sometimes we can't see or understand how stressed out our spouse is. Meridian Magazine is an online magazine for Latter-day Saints that has a Friday column where people can write into a therapist, Geoff Steuer, who will answer their questions. One week, a mother of four wrote in, worried about the birth of a … Continue reading Understand the Differing Capacities and Seasons In Others
Four Ways to Nurture A Relationship
In a recent post I wrote about criticism, contempt, defensiveness and stonewalling that kills relationships. In contrast the following four principles invite trust and two way communication: Keeping Our Commitments: Steven R. Covey says that when you want to build your own character, the very first thing you do is to make a commitment and … Continue reading Four Ways to Nurture A Relationship
Being Honest About Our Own Behavior
The following story was told by C. Terry Warner, a professor emeritus of psychology at Brigham Young University. This is one of my favorite talks given at a BYU devotional, ever. It is called Honest, Simple, Solid, True. In his speech he talks about a larger shift, a foundational transformation as this woman wrote to … Continue reading Being Honest About Our Own Behavior
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Dr. John Gottman and his wife, Dr. Julie Gottman, have formed the Gottman Institute. They are famous for predicting the probability that a marriage will last or not with a 90 % success rate by spending an hour with the couple whose marriage is floundering. How do they do this? The Gottman Institute uses a … Continue reading Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Learning Packets: Relationships Part 1
We know water is a big issue in the Western United States. The story of Hoover Dam situated outside of Las Vegas is a remarkable tale of vision and compromise between seven of these states sharing the water from the Colorado River. We have driven over this engineering marvel many times, when we lived in … Continue reading Learning Packets: Relationships Part 1
Long And Short Suffering
This is a repost from 2017. I have had this scripture below posted in my office for over a year. The two reasons it speaks to me is the actual idea of fruits of the Spirit and a powerful list of Christ's attributes I want to develop in myself. The other reason is my puzzlement … Continue reading Long And Short Suffering
Miracle Stories: Finding a Needle in a Haystack
We were having dinner a few years ago with my husband’s mission president, and his wife. At one point I asked her what they did to build their children’s belief in God. She told me, “We called everything fun we did family home evening, so family home evening was never a chore to get through. … Continue reading Miracle Stories: Finding a Needle in a Haystack
What are the Benefits of Being A Reader for Our Whole Lives?
Being a lifelong reader can improve our lives so much! That means we have a growth mindset and we want to keep learning and improving. When our children see us reading, then because they want to be like us–the principle of attachment--they will want to read too. When “marketable skills” are mentioned maybe we think … Continue reading What are the Benefits of Being A Reader for Our Whole Lives?
"Peace Like A River…" 