Worry

Since I have spent a goodly portion of my life in the exercise of worry I was pleased to find these words from the Music and Spoken Word Broadcast.  Seems worth a try.

This Week's Broadcast August 21, 2016 | Broadcast Number 4536

Putting Worry in Its Place
Nobody’s life is worry free, but that doesn’t mean our worries need to run our lives. Learning how to manage our worries can make all the difference in our well-being. This is what a busy young father learned. He had a challenging career and was feeling overwhelmed with his many responsibilities. He would come home from work every night feeling anxious and even physically ill. He found it very difficult to sleep at night. He went to his physician for help; he prayed and pondered about what to do. The man soon realized that he needed to stop worrying so much. But how would he do that?

In time, he was inspired with a simple idea: he got two baskets; one he labeled “worry” and the other “concern.” Then he organized all of his challenges and responsibilities into one of the two baskets—even if only mentally. The things he could do nothing about went in the worry basket, and those he had some ability to resolve went in the concern basket.

In this way, he could focus his attention on concerns—issues over which he had some power. He could prioritize these issues and do his best to resolve as many of them as possible, without wasting time on worries that were outside of his control. Of course, just putting something in the worry basket didn’t make it go away, but he did find that, if he was patient, solutions emerged—very often with divine help or even just the passage of time.

The anxiety didn’t vanish all at once, but whenever he felt it stirring inside him, he stopped what he was doing, prayed for support, and said to himself, “I am not going to do another thing until I begin to control my emotions.” Over time, as he learned to put worry in its proper place, his health and well-being improved, and what was once a weakness in his life became one of his strengths.¹

Worry can be disheartening, leading us to feel overwhelmed or powerless. But when we put our worries in their proper place—whether in a basket or simply out of our minds—we can take purposeful action, be resourceful, and tackle the problems within our control. Eventually, instead of being filled with worry, our lives will be filled with patience, perspective, and peace.

^{1. Richard G. Scott, “Making the Right Choices” (Brigham Young University fireside, Jan. 13, 2002), 2-3; speeches.byu.edu.}

As It Is

My gracious how things seem to have deteriorated in our country our world over the last while.  As citizens we (well most of us)  find this very unsettling and it sends our worry meter sailing off the scales.

An impressive way of expressing how we should feel toward our brothers and sisters who inhabit our planet was once said or credited to Nelson Mandela --

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally." - Nelson Mandela

This brings me to wonder what so many have experienced to have learned to hate so deeply.    While being aware that my life experiences have been totally different from that of others, some folks evidently have experienced some really tough abuse and mistreatment,  Or could this be indicative of propaganda, lies, and evil acts, being spread throughout the universe.

Irritating Rationalizations

Ever have situational things dangled or flaunted in front of your face that are just plain irritating?    Guess I just have my underwear in a wad!  BUT and However....since I have already mentioned it.

This about sums it up:  However you have chosen to live your life, or whatever choices you have made let them be yours. You were given the agency to make your choices or as the song says " choose your life and how it will be!".  Do it and move on with your life.   Don't proceed to try to rationalize your choices to everyone else as if you are trying to convince us that your are correct or that we should all be as happy with those choices as you are.    Chances are we don't care or if we were interested we would have asked or made the same choices in our own lives.
And don't bother giving up updates about how hard the choices you have made are ---they are yours, remember?
That's All.

College Sports Extremism

I Love Sports!  Let's get that straight to begin.  There is only one sports event that I can truthfully say I do not like and that is boxing which seems more like abuse to me than a sports event.

I hail from a family (of males particularly) whose interest and participation in sports goes back some generations.  Growing up I probably heard the broadcasts of more sports events than I really wanted ( given a choice)  but my Dad loved them.  Thus, we all got a strong dose.  Whether it took or not is the question.  This partially explains my initial statement. My father played semi-pro baseball and my brother played professional baseball for some seasons.

Having said these things,  I am now about to write about "sports fanism"or fanaticism that I really do not get!  I live (now) in a state where being a fan of a particular college team goes to all extremes emotionally.  Folks here are "crazy blind" to put it mildly. They seem to wear blinders as it pertains to devotion to certain teams.  Sometimes I think they are nuts and seem to enjoy being that way --- no common sense at all.

Perhaps I am the crazy, stupid one and just do not get it at all but somehow I came through life to this ripe old age believing that this kind of sports devotion was reserved for institutions you attended (completed course work) or from which you held a degree!  My "newer state specific" sports education has instructed me ( by association and observation) that I am so out in left field in my core beliefs that I am just all WET !!

Then again, I suppose this is how schools make their dollars -- multi millions of those.  Getting a strong following of people in and out of your state (educated by your institution or not)  is the key to being able to build strong teams by giving schools the revenue needed to recruit the top high school athletes to their programs,  thus being able to have the advantage in marketing a competitive product, i.e., winning team, each year.  So fans go crazy, get warped minds, donate millions of dollars, create enemies, and generally say stupid things and act dumb!

Having pondered this craziness and living among these "fruitcakes" hasn't really changed my own affinity for always pulling for the underdog ----AND from watching and following ALL college sports programs and appreciating when they have great talent, and good years.  I also enjoy watching golf and tennis, some soccer, and   all BYU sports!  Go Cougars!!  Rise and Shout!  Guess I am warped, too!

Hating On Winter

I hate winter! I have been hating on winter for as long as I can remember. All of my life I have viewed winter through this same lens and with this same perspective. I can think of a myriad of reasons why I feel this way.

Certainly pictures of landscapes covered with the whiteness snow brings present a peaceful picture. Not to mention the activities folks can only enjoy when a sled is drawn or sliding through the slickness snow brings to the surfaces in its path. There is sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, skating and any number of activities people engage in that are fun which need that white icy stuff.

But I guess I have seen and felt too many of the hardships it also inflicts to enjoy any of its pleasures.  I recall having been almost frostbitten as I waited for a delayed ride (from work)  as the snow and wind blew mightily and the temperatures continued to drop.  I was petrified that I would never make it home.

As a child I lived in the area of the Appalachian Mountains which are covered largely by deciduous trees.  As fall arrived trees received that signal to discontinue the growth of leaves and down they came leaving behind bare brown trees without their clothes -- leaves!!  They always looked so dreadful to me all bare and lifeless just standing there.  And then came the snow that took forever to melt and got dirtier and dirtier day by day until what seemed like Fourth of July before it melted.  The ground became mushy and dirtied your shoes as it was difficult to find a place to step as you tried to walk.  In those days sidewalks were few and far between unless you lived right in the middle of a little town.

The best thing I can think about winter and cold weather is ----that it is followed by Spring and then Summer.  Guess there really is a light behind every cloud after all.*

*  This post was largely written in February of 2015!

Remembering Denver (Harpers and Deavers)

One year ago today the last of the children of Thurman and Alice Davis Harper left this good earth to join his parents and other siblings plus his dearly beloved Lucille,  and two of their children, Ricky and Nancy.  Since that time I have often thought of that great reunion for the Harper Family. In my mind's eye it was a reunion beyond description.   Within a month of Denver's departure the husband of his only sister, Jimmy Deaver,  (known to some as Jesse) also joined the family as well as the Deaver Clan.  One can only imagine how this reunion went when these former residents of the sandy soils of eastern North Carolina met together after a time of separation.

Although  my acquaintance with some of those involved in these families is non-existent being a part of these families through marriage and having known those who loved and remembered them helps one feel as though I know them through family ties.

I miss Denver just as I miss his brother Ken who was my husband.  Not a day goes by that I do not spend some time remembering Ken and regretting that I cannot speak to him.....or just missing him.  his golden voice,  and beautiful spirit and demeanor.
I am certain those left in Denver's earthly family feel much the same today and on many others.

Humility

Credit to Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast

This Week's Broadcast
January 10, 2016 | Broadcast Number 4504





“The Power of Humility”

The world in which we live is fiercely competitive—some would even say ruthless. The pressure to succeed, to get ahead, leads many to be aggressive, dominating, overpowering. And succeed they often do—in a sense. But there’s a different, even a better way to live and to succeed. It is, in a word, humility.

Of course, humility is not a new idea, but it is getting renewed attention in—of all places—the hard-hitting business world. Recently several large, successful corporations have begun to prize humble leaders over the brash, overbearing kind. Humble leaders, they’ve found, “listen well, admit mistakes, and share the limelight.”1 They have helping hearts; they encourage teamwork and promote collaboration. They see themselves not as kings who issue orders but as coworkers in a worthwhile endeavor. Humble leaders see themselves authentically, with both strengths and weaknesses, and they recognize that leading others and serving them are not mutually exclusive efforts. One can be visionary and relentless, with the mind of a leader, and still be humble and teachable, with the heart of a servant.

Company executives are finding that when they hire leaders who are humble and eager to improve, the entire company benefits. A culture of humility and cooperation spreads throughout the workforce, bringing out the best in everyone.

But the humility must be sincere. In some ways, false modesty is worse than bold-faced arrogance because it is deceptive. By contrast, genuine humility comes from seeing things as they really are—recognizing that no one is superior to another, that we are each learning and growing as we go along. Some may be more gifted or talented, some may have had greater opportunities and more doors opened to them, but all have something to offer. All are worthy of dignity and respect.

If this attitude can improve the corporate world, think about what it could do for our interactions in our homes and communities. Imagine what might happen if we listened a little better, admitted our errors, and stopped worrying about who gets credit. Humility just may be the key that unlocks the door to improved relations, stronger organizations, and happier lives.

1. Joann S. Lublin, “The Case for Humble Executives,” Wall Street Journal, Oct. 20, 2015.