Actually, You Can

Do you ever worry that you’re not interesting enough to other people? Well, here’s the thing. It’s far more valuable to be interested in others than it is to strive to be interesting. Here are a few reasons why: **1. Connection and rapport:** By focusing on others and their interests, you create a sense of connection and rapport. People appreciate genuine curiosity and openness. Asking questions,...

One of the most fundamental truths we can ever learn in this world is this: "We do not rise to the level of our goals; we sink to the stature of our systems." - James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) It is through our repeated actions (driven by our thoughts and accompanying emotions) that we can truly move the needle of progress and improvement in our lives. No one explains better how to...

Do you ever feel like the outside world is reigning blows down upon you - that you're a powerless victim in need of rescuing? Psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Karpman articulated a paradigm called the Drama Triangle, in which he describes this very scenario. He seemed to notice this drama playing out, in varying magnitudes, in virtually every single one of his patients - and everyone else as well. As...

What can Chinese Checkers teach us about life? Turns out, quite a bit! In this episode I reflect on some insights I gained from playing one of my favorite childhood games.

Remember that song from The Forgotten Carols "I Cry the Day I Take the Tree Down"? We sometimes feel a little gloomy when Christmas is over, but why is that? It's as if it's something that floats into our lives like a flock of birds, and then leaves. As I've come to learn from a friend of mine, Christmas happens in our heads. It's not the day itself, or the weeks leading...

Mary and Joseph are beloved the world over for the indispensable role they played in raising the Lord Jesus Christ. But they were mortals. In this way, the were like the rest of us. They were no strangers to feeling vulnerable and inadequate. In fact, they would have known it more intimately than most. So in this time of year where so many of us struggle to find our true worth, let us remember tha...

I truly believe my Dad was right when he said It's A Wonderful Life is the greatest movie of all time, and this episode explains why.

Have you ever noticed that circle drawn around you? It's there, whether or not you can see it. These metaphorical circles represent the limitations we place on ourselves by our beliefs. We unwittingly draw these same circles around other people and it dictates how we interact with them. But what if we abandoned them? What if we forgot all about these circles and their influence over our existe...

Do you ever feel like you want to fast forward past a challenge, or hurry up and get to that exciting vacation you've been planning? Thing is, we can move through life one moment at a time. Nothing more. Nothing less. What if we savored the moment we were in right now? Could that benefit us?

Life is swishing past us at an increasing pace! If we don’t take the time to be grateful for the madness of it all, we just might miss it.

The most transcendent invitation the Savior has extended to us is to become as little children. "For of such is the kingdom of heaven." And further: "For such have I laid down my life and taken it up again." What kinds of attitudes and behaviors would we need to prune in order to give heed to this most holy, and oft repeated invitation? The bestowal of the most bountiful and generous promises God...

Our lower brains would love nothing more than for us to never feel discomfort. But in order to grow, progress, and achieve, we need to embrace the reality of being uncomfortable. The sooner and more effective we are at navigating discomfort, the better we'll be able to attain our highest goals. More: It's our divine opportunity to unlock the best version of ourselves. To learn more about ...

The Spirit of God speaks things as they really are, and as they really will be. How in alignment are our minds or perceptions with reality? Circumstances are in the truth category. Our thoughts, however, while true for us, do not represent the greater reality. Because of this, our version of reality is always incomplete. The good news is while we don't have control over most circumstances, we...

My wellness pointed out something rather interesting this week. There are three words most of us tend to have mixed up: Do Have Be We're under the impression that if we "do" something, then we can "have" a certain result, and therefore "be" the person we want to be. It's as if we'll give ourselves permission to be the person we desire only after we've...

Are you over forty and interested in losing forty pounds? I’ve successfully achieved this and will be explaining precisely what I did, how long it took, and things to keep in mind as you approach it. I never thought I’d be in better shape at age 42 than I was in high school, and yet, here I am. You can too! More: It's our divine opportunity to unlock the best version of ourselves. To learn mor...

One year ago I made perhaps one of the most impactful birthday wishes of my entire life. And with careful consideration, reflection, and faith, I was able to make that wish come true. This life is a grand experiment, in a way, where get to discover what we can accomplish with God's help - as well as experience what it's like to try and do it alone. All this said, God has much bigger plans...

Have you ever wondered why God didn't place us all on our own planets, by ourselves, alone? Some things are only known to Him, but it's clearly not supposed to be that way. I reflected recently on how all the temple blessings I enjoy are made possible by all of you. Yes, you. Anyone who's ever made that offering of faithful tithing has made temple blessings available. Anyone who has of...

We recently enjoyed the grandeur of Arches National Park. Such amazing geographical structures can be experienced there! The timescale required to produce these phenomena is so large, it's beyond the ability of our brains to truly comprehend. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't take time to honor and appreciate the processes required to produce the majesty before us. Our lives are alway...

I was recently in a meeting with senior local Church leadership and we were told something that gave me pause. The Stake President declared, "Brethren, you need to learn how to pray." Part of me almost wondered, "Did I hear that right? Was it just implied I don't know how to do something I've been doing since before I was toilet trained?" Ultimately, I determined it cou...

Sometimes whatever is going on today - feels - like it's more than we could possible handle or navigate. We've all been there. Perhaps more time than we care to count. But what if today contained all the resources we could possibly need to press through it? What if that were true? I promise that it is. " Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof." This is a thought that can ser...

We in Utah had the opportunity to witness a solar eclipse today! Some people traveled hundreds of miles to position themselves optimally so they could experience 'totality'. The sun shining on earth could be compared with shining awareness onto our thoughts. Because our thoughts control our entire experience of this world, the absence of awareness is a complete disconnect. As we bring awar...

I had a profound dream when I was fourteen years old. It really got me thinking about the hereafter, and how our choices in the world impact our future condition. All heavenly opportunities have been extended to every one of us. It's up to us to cultivate attitudes and behaviors that will promote the experience we want to have, and support the best version of ourselves. When we look into the m...

Have you ever seen one of those fancy sound mixing boards? I've been tinkering with a rudimentary one recently and it really gets me thinking about our brains. We get to mix and synthesize all the external stimuli coming our way and it becomes our experience of the world. Take the time to reflect on which elements we may be amplifying needlessly, and which ones are possibly distorted and could...

Does it ever frustrate you that after all this time, after all you’ve been through and accomplished in your life, you’re still afraid of the dark? Let’s face it. We’re all afraid of something. Likely more than one thing. But it’s probably not useful, by and large. That is, allowing all our fears to prevent us from pursuing what excites us! An abundance of caution will keep us alive, absolutely. Bu...

Thinking of our lives in terms of having Celestial bookends can give perspective and anchoring reassurance to our mortal experience. Knowing that we have the Heavenly Endorsement to be in this world makes all the difference during times of challenge and uncertainty. More: It's our divine opportunity to unlock the best version of ourselves. To learn more about  ⁠⁠Life Coaching for LDS dads⁠ ⁠,...