Tag Archives: forgive

Take Care Of Your Friends

Take Care Of Your Friends Friend is a word that I don’t throw aroundThough it’s used and abused, I still like the sound.I save it for people who’ve done right by meAnd I know I can count on, if ever need be. Some of my friends drive big limousinesOwn ranches and banks and visit with […]

When You Share Your Light You Are Helping Strengthen Mine

I have always been an optimist and a person who sees the glass half full.  A person who looks for the positive lesson in every challenge, who looks toward a happily ever after, and who believes there is far more good in the world than bad.  But this week I have struggled to feel that […]

Forgiveness Doesn’t Mean That What Happened Was Okay

I’m still struggling today to find words to express the sadness I feel about what’s happening around the world right now. I was reading back through things I’d written today and came across something I wrote on the 13th anniversary of September 11th 2001 about hatred. It reads:  “Holding on to anger is like drinking […]

Never Take Loved Ones Or Hugs For Granted

A news story talked of individuals found to be sick with Coronavirus and how they have to be immediately quarantined away from their families. When they have to be hospitalized they do so without their families by their side. And those die do so without having gotten a chance to hug their loved ones goodbye. […]

Have You Ever Met A Hater Doing Better Than You? Me Neither.

“Haters don’t really hate you. In fact, they hate themselves because you’re a reflection of what they wish to be.” – unknown Today was World Day for Bullying Prevention, so it seems appropriate to share some past thoughts I’ve shared about bullying: Haters, bullies, mean people – they all suffer from one of the following: […]

Forgive, Forget, And Leave It Alone

“When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to […]

Remember – You’re On The Same Team

A few years ago we were playing games with several couples. One of the people playing the game got really frustrated when someone on their same team did something that caused them to lose their points.  In a fit of frustration this person yelled a reminder to the other player, “We are on the SAME […]

Forgiveness Day

June 26th is Forgiveness Day – a day to forgive others who have wronged you and a day for seeking forgiveness from those you have wronged…finally, it’s a day to forgive yourself. Forgiving others is hard to do when you are hurting, but it is also the most therapeutic. When you forgive someone you are […]

The Courage To Be Imperfect

“The fact is, every single one of us is a work-in-progress. We may be at different stages in life. We may have different strengths and weaknesses, but there isn’t a single person on the planet who hasn’t felt vulnerable or made mistakes. Nor is there a single person who couldn’t be better at something in […]

Maybe They Really Are Using You. Do Good Anyway.

I’m sure I’ve probably posted this particular poem before, but it kept going through my mind today and given that I always try to let my blog reflect something I learned that day I decided to share it again: ANYWAY People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people […]

Assume The Good And Doubt The Bad

Too often in life we allow ourselves to believe what I refer to as “the monsters in our head” -those negative thoughts that too quickly jump to judgement of ourselves or other people. It’s those thoughts about ourselves where we think we aren’t liked, or we don’t fit in, or that we aren’t good enough, […]

My Christmas Gift To Each Of You

I wish it was possible to give every single person reading this blog a beautifully wrapped Christmas present from me to you.  It would be impossible for me to put into words how grateful I feel for all of you who take time out of your busy lives to read the things I write in […]

Be That Star On The Hill #lighttheworld

Every night as I drive home the weeks before Christmas I look up on the hill above my house to see a big star that is lit up on the mountainside. It’s a star a neighbor has lit up for years during the holiday and I look forward to seeing it every night. There is […]

The Anti-Responsibility List

I love watching, listening to, and reading motivational talks. I think they do so much to help us keep our head focused on good things and to help us continually move forward in our lives. Last Sunday morning I was watching KBYU TV and a talk came on by a man named Lynn Robbins called […]

#FIAMF – Fix It And Move Forward

If you’ve made a mistake, fix it. If you don’t know how to fix it, then learn!  And whatever you do, don’t throw your hands up and act like there is nothing you can do about it, because you can ALWAYS do something about it – there are always choices you can make that will […]

Without Accountability For Actions There Would Be No Progression

Without accountability for actions there would be no progression in our lives or in our organizations.  And as Tomas Paine expressed when he stated, “…men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.” We ought not trust those who are unwilling to be accountable. Each of us has a moral and legal […]

If parenthood came with a GPS it would mostly just say: RECALCULATING

The other day my son Dalton, whose wife is expecting their first child in August, called me sounding a little stressed and said something to the effect of, “Mom I just realized that I am going to have a kid here soon  that’s going to be with me forever and that I need to parent! […]

When You Get Where You’re Going Help The Next One In Line

I realize that not everyone out there is a country music fan, although I have a hard time understanding why they aren’t, because country music is awesome! But as I was driving in my car the other day this song came on and I sat listening to the lyrics and they were so fantastic that […]

Only love drives out hate

This coming Monday we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. day. What an amazing man he was and what strength of character he had. I love that he didn’t let others dictate his own behavior. He decided what his values were and he decided the kind of man he wanted to be and then he lived […]

The true essence of Christmas

The week of Christmas is upon us and my heart can’t help but think about the true essence of Christmas – to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice he willingly made out of his infinite love for each one of us. It reminds me of a story I try to read each […]

If you stand in the light you don’t have to worry about other people’s shade

I am a person who appreciates honesty more than anything, and I believe that one can always deliver that honesty in a respectful way.  I also believe that honesty is more than just being willing to speak words that are true, it is also recognizing that hidden truths are unspoken lies. If a person speaks […]

Love Them All The Way To The End

I love the holiday season – I love the decorations and the holiday goodies and that extra feeling of love in the air. And I especially love Hallmark Christmas Movies!!! For those who don’t know what I am talking about, the Hallmark channel on TV puts out a bunch of original Christmas movies every year […]

My Lunch with the Dalai Lama

Today I had the experience of attending lunch with the Dalai Lama at the invitation of my dear friends Governor Gary Herbert and his wife Jeanette. (Quick reminder to my fellow Utahns that we all need to vote on June 28th in Utah’s primary election so we can ensure Governor Herbert can continue with the amazing job he does as […]

Declare your life a Drama Free Zone

Declare your life a Drama Free Zone – what a brilliant idea! Here is what it comes down to: People are going to disappoint us. They are going to make mistakes. They are going to hurt us and do dumb things. That is part of life. And it is up to us to forgive them […]

Spring is the Perfect Time to Take Out All Of The Trash In Our Lives

It is finally starting to feel like spring outside with sunshine and warm weather and blossoms and flowers cropping up everywhere. I LOVE it!  And with Spring comes Spring Cleaning. Yep, it’s time for all of us to wash our windows so the sunlight can come through. And it’s finally warm enough to open those […]

This feels like a great week to be HAPPY!

The desire to be happy. It’s a desire shared universally. It is one thing in life we all have in common – the desire for happiness. Some people wait for happiness to find them, only to learn that this kind of happiness is temporary and it goes as quickly as it comes. Other people have […]

Your Biggest Haters Are Really Your Biggest Fans

Haters, bullies, mean people…they all have one thing in common…they all suffer from one of the following: 1.  They hate themselves, 2.  They want to be you, or 3.  They see you as a threat Think about it – “Have you ever met a hater doing better than you? Me Neither….” There are far too many […]

Be careful with your words

“Be careful with your words. Once they are said, they can only be forgiven, not forgotten.” Lashing out, saying things in anger, yelling, name calling, demeaning, putting someone down…all of these things create wounds that are far slower to heal than a physical wound and they leave emotional scars behind that never quite go away. […]

Take the 14 Day Challenge to Love One Another!

February is upon us! Which means Valentine’s Day is only 14 days away (friendly reminder, especially to all the gentlemen out there who don’t want to end us as one of those men in the hallmark card aisle the night before desperately looking through the last remaining cards in the store). Whether you have a […]

“Charity is expecting the best of each other”

“If it is our nature to criticize or demean, we can cause the voices of gladness to be silenced. We need those who bring gladness into our lives. We need those who give encouragement and reflect optimism.” – Marvin Ashton What the world needs more of is people who are encouraging and optimistic. The world […]