Providers and Consumers

Providers and Consumers: The Abundant and Scarce Lifestyles

From my experience there are two general lifestyles that people adopt:

Providers: Those that provide more than they consume.

Consumers: Those that consume more than they provide.

Note: Providers do actually consume, and Consumers can actually provide, it is the net result that is important.

The Net Result:

As one could predict, consuming less than one produces creates an abundance, while consuming more than one produces creates scarcity.

The Abundant Lifestyle: Abundance feels great! It's great to know that one has enough and to spare. Having what one needs is nice, but having what one needs and wants is nicer.

The Scarcity Lifestyle: Scarcity is horrible. Living from day to day worrying that any minute one might be deprived of all they have is a terrible feeling.

and lastly...

The Start Doesn't Matter

Whether a person is starting with nothing, or even with debt, there is still nothing quite like that feeling of coming out with more than before.

Squirrel in Tree

I found this in my front yard this morning...

Small and Simple Things

Small and Simple Things

Alma 37:6

6Now ye may suppose that this is ^afoolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by ^bsmall and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

I have found that while the small and simple things can be easy in and of themselves, putting them to use to do great things can be very difficult. For example, playing a note on a piano might be considered small, simple, and easy. However, while playing Bach like a concert pianist is still composed of small and simple things, many would consider it quite a challenge.

Great things can be difficult to do.

It appears that by mastering small and simple things, executing them with more speed, accuracy, and confidence, great things can take shape.

Near Clinton

I took this picture on my drive home from work one day.

Hoops

Hoops

Today we taught Toby how to jump through hoops.

For those trying to learn how to jump through high hoops, start jumping through low hoops until one's confidence is strong enough to jump through higher hoops. Then jump through high hoops.

Religion and Politics

Religion and Politics

Today I responded to a friend's Facebook status. His post referenced instruction given in the recent General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of his friends didn't respond very favorably to his comment because of the Church's involvement in Proposition 8.

This lead me to this question: What is the role of religion in politics?

This is what I think:

First, I believe many have a biased opinion of religion, using the term in reference to people who believe in God. I would, however, agree with the definition that defines it as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe.

This means that every intelligent person has a religion. If a person doesn't believe in God then that is their religion, or belief concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe: that it wasn't God. And likewise a person that does believe in God has their religion.

So what role do these beliefs have in politics?

According to my understanding of society, any society is created by individuals who have agreed to live by certain standards (laws) in order to obtain the benefit that comes from living together. If one group of people in the society believed that eating other people was acceptable, chances are that those who did not find this acceptable would break away from that society.

In a similar way one's religion (beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe) affect what a person esteems to be acceptable in society. This in turn affects what standards people agree to live to. The process of agreeing on standards that a society will live by (Politics) is directly influenced by the collective beliefs of the society (Religion).

Or in other words: politics is the result of a societies beliefs, including religion.

If two religions are at conflict in politics, either one will give way to the other, or the religions will separate from the society.

The Secret to a Happy Life

The Secret to a Happy Life

I've been alive 25 years now, and this is what I've learned:

The Secret to Living a Happy Life:

Find the happiest person you know, and do what they do.

God is the happiest person I know.

The Secret to Living Like God:

Do everything you can to figure it out.

Then ask Him.