Blog
From The Inside Out
“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ would take the slums out of people, and then they would take themselves out of the slums.The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change …
Tagged #truth, Amy Rees Anderson, bottom up approach, change from within, changing our nature, ezra taft benson, from the inside out, God's way, help others to help themselves, Jesus Christ, self-reliance, take the slums out of the people, teach a man to fish, the lord's way, the worlds way, what awesome looks like
Life is Like A Journey On A Train
Today I received the sweetest email from a dear friend of mine with a message that made me tear up. It read “thanks for being on my train” with the following message attached: “Life is like a journey on a train… with its stations… with changes of routes… and with accidents! At birth we boarded …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, be kind to others, family, friends, give thanks for the journey, give the best of yourself, goodbyes, hellos, journey alone, leave a legacy, life is like a journey on a train, parents, siblings, stan parrish, success is a about relationships, thank you for being a passenger on my train, what awesome looks like
Figure Out What’s Up For You
Today I gave a keynote speech at the 25th anniversary of the “What’s Up Down South” Economic Development Conference, Southern Utah’s largest business gathering each year. Normally the conference is held in beautiful St. George but because of COVID this year the conference was held online. You know it’s said that public speaking is the …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, change, economic development conference, evaluating what needs to change, fear of public speaking, growth, hd camera, keynote speaker, keynote speech, look back to determine the best future, look back to go forward, looking back, moving forward, philanthropy, public speaking, self-improvement, southern Utah university, st. george, st. george economic development conference, time to slow down, tremendous growth, Utah, virtual conference, washington county, what awesome looks like, what's up down south
No Problem Too Big Or Small To Matter
Over the weekend I saw a post my daughter had written on social media about an experience our family had over the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a little thing that happened, but as I read her post I realized that the impact of that little thing is so much larger and ought to get shared, …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, ashley anderson hill, core qualitees, death, depression, divorce, global pandemic, god hears and answers prayers, infertility, natural disasters, no problem to small, pacifier, political turmoil, prayer, the power of prayer, trust god's timing, washington dc, what awesome looks like
We Can Close The Floodgate
All of us in the world have been dealing with some really heavy things that have let floodgates burst open allowing fear, sadness, insecurity, anger, and a whole host of other negative emotions to run through each of our lives like never before…which has only served to discourage, dismay, and detract from our focusing our …
Tagged 24x7 news, Amy Rees Anderson, be kind, close the floodgate, close the floodgates, control your thoughts, democrat, discouraged, discouragement, don't wish for others to fail, doubt, faith in god, fear over faith, heavenly parents, helping each other to succeed, kindness begins with me, love one another, negativity on social media, pandemic, politics, pray for them that hate you, republican, siblings, stop the hatred, tearing each other down, turn to the spirit, walk by faith, we are all family, worry
Back in the Saddle – 2021’s Wild Ride Has Officially Begun!
Taking the last few weeks off from everything – no checking emails, no taking phone calls, no watching any news stations, no wearing pants with zippers – has been absolutely fabulous. I literally unplugged and decided I wasn’t going to let myself think about anything so I could be in the moment with my family …
Tagged 2021 has officially begun, Amy Rees Anderson, back in the saddle, buckle up it's gonna be a bumpy ride, cowboy up, cowgirl up, ease into it, hang on, hang on to your saddle, preparing for the year ahead, preserve your energy, starting the new year, walk before you run, walk before you trot, walk trot run, wild ride, yee haw
Happy New Years – Be Sure To Make Your 2021 Goal Poster!
I can honestly say that 2020 has felt like the longest year EVER! It’s crazy how normal 2020 started and how quickly everything changed by March. And as quickly as everything changed in the world it seemed to slow to a near halt. Time went by so slowly this year…it honestly feels like we’ve lived …
Tagged #spideysaga, 2020 comes to an end, 2021 will only be as good as the goals you set for it, Amy Rees Anderson, Get up do something do anything just make a start, goal poster, goal setting, happy new years, the goals you set for yourself, the spider-man saga
To Walk Where He Walked
Ten years ago this week I was in Israel with my husband and two kids. We were there to visit the places where Jesus Christ had lived. It was an amazing experience to visit the place where He was born, grew up, and died, and it was incredibly special to be doing it the week …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, bethlehem, jerusalem, Jesus Christ, mary and joseph, merry christmas, the birth of the savior, the footsteps of the savior, the life of the savior, the savior of the world, to walk where he walked, trip to Ismael, well done my good and faithful servant, what awesome looks like
A Reminder of Everything Good About Christmas
Forty years ago tomorrow, December 21, 1980, my favorite Christmas movie of all time, “Mr. Kruegar’s Christmas” starring Jimmy Stewart as Mr. Kruegar aired for the first time. I was only nine years old when it aired, but even as a nine year old I appreciated the touching story of Mr. Willy Krueger, a widowed …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, christmas caroling, favorite christmas movie, holiday spirit, it's a wonderful life, Jesus Christ, jimmy stewart, joy to the world, loneliness, movie, mr. krueger's christmas, the joy of Christmas, the miracle of christmas, the spirit of christmas, the tabernacle choir, what awesome looks like
Free Up Space On Your Plate For Joy!
Today I had a full plate….a ridiculously full plate. And not the yummy kind of full plate of holiday fudge and Christmas cookies (I wish!), I’m talking about the far less pleasant kind of full plate filled with all kinds of must-do’s that were time-sensitive (the worst kind of to-dos). So I dug in and …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, are you giving the least to those who matter most, doing too much, Flynn, grandkids, Grandma, happiness, it's okay to take a break, maggie, make space for joy, make time for family, prioritize your life, re-evaluate how you spend your time, taking on too much, the importance of family, what brings you joy, what do you value most
Cut Yourself A Little Slack, Will Ya?
Note to self: December is NOT the month to have not felt well. I knew when I was under the weather at the beginning of the month that I was falling way behind on my preparations for Christmas by staying in bed, but believing I am actually Wonder Woman I told myself not to worry …
Tagged 2020, Amy Rees Anderson, christmas shopping, covid, cut yourself a little slack, don't be so hard on yourself, holiday woes, last minute shipping, last minute shopping, overwhelmed, overworked, preparing for the holidays, sold out, trying to get it all done, wonder woman, you are only one person, you can only do so much
The Fastest Way To Regain Balance
Returning from Thanksgiving I was exhausted. I told myself it was just exhaustion from having had several weeks of sleepless nights prior to the trip, combined with the the drama of dealing with a myriad of problems while on the trip (such as the kids and grandkids flight getting cancelled, the redeye rebookings to a …
Tagged achieving balance, Amy Rees Anderson, balance, covid19, exhausted, feeling off, i know that my redeemer lives, lack of energy, mental health, mental health impacts physical health, physical health, replace fear with faith, rest, spiritual health, spiritually uplifting, the power of prayer, tipping the scale, vicious cycle of worry, worry, you aren't alone, you will get through this
Step One: Admitting You Have A Problem
Remember the days when you got a sniffle and you didn’t immediately jump to thinking you might have a deadly virus…I really miss those days. It’s impossible not to let your mind run wild these days as soon as you feel a little off. Some days I wonder if the fears associated with the pandemic …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, coronavirus anxiety, covid-19, faith is the opposite of fear, fear, fear of making others sick, letting go, overwhelming worry, pandemic anxiety, personal struggles, the first step is admitting you have a problem, worry, you are not alone
Including Lost Loved Ones In Your Holiday Celebration
Losing a loved one hurts a lot. It’s a pain that never really goes away, it just becomes a little more bearable as time goes on. And while I am grateful that my religious beliefs are that we will see our loved ones again someday in the eternities, there is still the hurts of missing …
Tagged act of service, Amy Rees Anderson, bearable, best friend, books, Celebrate, celebrating, christmas, coping with loss, death, difficult time of year, diwali, donate, dying, encourage, encouragement, eternities, eternity, family, father, friend, grandparents, grief, heartache, holiday season, hospital, hug, hurt, in memory of, joy, little things, losing someone, loss, loved one, miss, missing, moments, pain, peace, prayer, service, smile, support, testimony, tradition
The Light of Hope Still Shines, Even in 2020
With the craziness of traveling to Washington DC over the Thanksgiving holiday and returning home and immediately jumping on an all day zoom session of meetings and then speaking on a panel at a University, I hadn’t even noticed that the month of December had begun… Then I saw that I’d gotten a text from …
Tagged #lighttheworld, Amy Rees Anderson, daily act of service, daily service prompts, holiday season, hope, Jesus Christ, joy, light the world, light your light so shine, make 2020 shine, peace, the light of hope still shines, what awesome looks like, worldwide movement, www.lighttheworld.org, ye are the light of the world
Worth The Effort
Normally for Thanksgiving I host my family and extended family at my home for dinner, but because my Mom and Dad have to stay isolated this year there wasn’t a dinner planned. So my husband and I decided we’d take our kids to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with two of my brothers and their families. …
Tagged #worthit, Amy Rees Anderson, covid, effort, family is always worth it, family vacation, flght, love, planes trains and automobiles, rebooking, Thanksgiving, the love of family, time with family, traveling to Washington DC, trip to virginia
Before You Head Out For Thanksgiving Weekend
Before you head out for Thanksgiving weekend to gather with your families and extended family members you may want to step into a room alone, take a deep breathe in…hold it…and slowly let it out. Then remind yourself that while the next few days will likely be full of chaos, screaming children, siblings fighting, food …
Tagged #givethanks, Amy Rees Anderson, be kind to your family, be patient with your family, best family ever, don't take your time with family for granted, don’t sweat the small stuff, family, HAPPY THANKSGIVING, i love my family, let things go, look for the good, treasure your time together, what awesome looks like, you can't get time back
Today I #GiveThanks for my Parents
Today is Day #4 of the seven day #GiveThanks challenge. You can read all about the challenge in yesterday’s blog post I shared, but the gist of it is that each day for seven days you post pictures and a blurb about something you are thankful for on social media. I’ve been posting them on …
Tagged #givethanks, 50 year anniversary, all because two people fell in love, Amy Rees Anderson, commitment, eternities beginning, everything I needed to know, friendship, gerald rees, God, Jesus Christ, leslie rees, love, love your parents, marriage, parents, Russell m. nelson, seven day #givethanks challenge, thankful for my parents, they raised me right
Experience The Healing Power of Gratitude -#GiveThanks
Last Friday in a worldwide broadcast, President Russell M. Nelson, both a physician and a global faith leader, prescribed the following seven day challenge that will allow you to experience the healing power of gratitude: “As a doctor, I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help …
Tagged #givethanks, Amy Rees Anderson, covid, happiness, man of faith, man of science, pandemic, physician, prescription, President Russell M. Nelson, seven day challenge, sorrow, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the healing power of gratitude, unity
If You Could Talk To Your Younger Self What Advice Would You Give Them?
“If you could travel back in time for a few hours and sit down with yourself as a teenager or young adult, what advice would adult you want to give younger you?” It’s an interesting exercise to ask yourself that question. And it’s interesting to feel the emotions that come as you consider the way …
Tagged advice to your younger self, Amy Rees Anderson, angels are with you, BYU, don't be afraid to try, don't be so hard on yourself, have faith, it will all be okay in teh end, it's all going to be okay, it's going to be AWESOME, move forward, public speaking, self-improvement, the future is bright, what awesome looks like, you are never alone, you don't fail if you learn from the experience
#BelieveInPeople
Today my friend and mentor, Charles Koch (Chairman and CEO of one of the largest privately held companies in the country, Koch Industries), released his brand new book titled “Believe in People” which he co-authored with Brian Hooks, CEO of philanthropic group Stand Together (which my husband and I are a part of). Charles and …
Tagged @standtogether, a better way, Amy Rees Anderson, be the change you want to see in the world, believe in people, bottom up solutions, Brian Hooks, change the world, charles and liz koch, charles koch, help others learn how to excel, hero, how to excel in business and life, inspiring, join the #believeinpeople movement, liz koch, mentor, new york times bestselling author, rollin and amy rees anderson, stand together, talents and abilities, top down world, what awesome looks like
Get Your Game Face On!
In yesterday’s blog I shared how much me and my family love music and shared a playlist of happy songs Today I thought in the spirit of preparing for Thanksgiving celebrations with family next week I would share our family’s love of GAMES!!! Finding new board games and card games is something I am always …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, anomia, code names, cover your assets, family game night, favorite board games, favorite card games, game night, games you'll love to play, list of favorite games, reverse charades, slapzi, thanksgiving gatherings, the bears and the bees, the chameleon, what awesome looks like, what's your favorite game
Happy Feel Good Playlist
I love love love music…the power and influence of good music can be life changing. My family also loves music and anytime we come together you can pretty much guarantee there will be at least one impromptu dance party in our kitchen. A few days ago my daughter Ashley Hill posted a list of songs …
Tagged american authors, Amy Rees Anderson, andy grammer, Ariana grande, Ashley hill, ben rector, best day of my life, coldplay, core qualitees, dance party, ed sheeran, george ezra, i make my own sunshine, meghan trainor, music, one republic, onerepublic, rachel platten, shake it off, taylor swift, the power of music
Two Options To Discover Your Limits
“You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them.” Those are really just two options for discovering your limits of how capable and strong you are. You can either wait until life pushes you into having no choice but to discover it, or you can willingly push yourselves to attempt things that …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, be a victor, discover, discover your limits, discover your strengths, don't be a victim of your circumstances, don't wait for life to happen, how strong and capable you are, make things happen, take chances, you are stronger than you know
“You need to get thick skin bud”
“You need to get thick skin bud” (Guest Blog written by my son Dalton Anderson): When I was a kid, I was bullied quite a bit. Just typical schoolyard bullying, so nothing out of the ordinary, but I remember once complaining to an adult about it. Instead of receiving sympathy, I was given a piece …
Tagged advice, Amy Rees Anderson, bullying, confidence, Dalton Anderson, Dalton Rollin Anderson, develop confidence, don't be easily offended, get a thick skin, opinions, roll off your back, self-esteem, stand up for others
Happiness Is A Warm Blanket
I woke up this morning to the beautiful scene of fluffy white snowflakes falling outside my window. As I sat looking across the living room at our lit up Christmas tree with the snow falling outside the windows it felt as though the heavens were wrapping my home in a big, fluffy, warm blanket…and with …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, believe, believe Him, birth of the savior, blanket of snow, comfort of Holy Ghost, happiness is a warm blanket, have faith, in the darkest hour, Jesus Christ, light shines, peace, savior of the world, testimony, where can i turn for peace
An Opportunity To Re-evaluate
Life can seem really complex any particular moment and when we are in the thick of things its easy to get overwhelmed. It’s also easy to get so busy that you don’t even realize how much time you are spending on one thing or another and before you know it you are so busy going …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, an opportunity to re-evaluate, circumstances change, don’t take anything or anyone for granted, finding fulfillment, goal, happiness, how we spend our time, life is complex, review your progress, so busy moving, what awesome looks like, what to change
Use Them To Bless The Life Of Another
Over the past seven days I’ve given keynote speeches twice at Brigham Young University, once at Utah Valley University, I’ve spoken at a Women in Business Conference, I spoke at Southern Utah University, did a mentoring session, and I judged a High School business competition. As I was making the four hour drive back home …
Tagged #goalposter, be vulnerable, Brigham Young University, BYU, entrepreneur lecture series, entrepreneurship, goal poster, gratitude, keynote speech, life lessons, public speaking, share your story, share your struggles, southern Utah university, suu, use your trials to bless others, Utah Valley University, UVU, women in business conference
Voting Is A Small Price To Pay For Freedom
Despite this being a year where the last thing I want to hear about, read about, or talk about is politics, I felt it important to bring something up. Don’t worry – I’m not going to try and tell anyone which candidates to vote for Tuesday as I feel that is a deeply personal decision …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote, blessed to have the right to vote, cast your vote, elected leaders, founding fathers, freedom, great nation, non-participation, president of the united states, protect our freedom, protect the constitution, the price of freedom, united states, vote, vote the dictates of your own conscious, what awesome looks like
What Will You Do With Your Extra Hour
“YIPPEEE an extra hour of 2020”, said no one ever. But like it or not, an extra hour is exactly what each of us received this weekend as daylight savings time came to an end and we all set our clocks back on Sunday. So now the question we each have to ask ourselves is …
Tagged Amy Rees Anderson, an extra hour in 2020, an hour a day, christmas shopping, Christmas tree, daylight savings time, decorating for Christmas, earl nightingale, early to bed early to rise, fallback, good night's sleep, healthy wealthy and wise, night owl, shipping delays, spend an extra hour each day and you will be an expert in five years or less, the best use of your time, what will you do with your extra hour