America's Got Talent...

OK, never watched the show, never seen Britain's Got Talent either.  I don't watch The Voice, I don't watch So You Think You Can Dance, or Dancing With The Stars, or any of them.  Really.  No, REALLY.

So it seems from my perspective that we are obsessed with having talent.  He has it, do I have it?  She's amazing, am I?  Could it be that in a country that is more materially blessed than any other, we would be this depraved, this unsure of ourselves?

And trust me, I get it. As many of you know, I've been struggling with who I am and where I am and what I do (for a living) for a very long time.  I was speaking with a friend this week over lunch (at my most favoritest of places!) and the topic of passion came up.  Now, don't go getting the wrong idea, not passion between people, but passion for life, passion for what you do.  Doing what you were made to do.

Each of us is uniquely made.  Each of us has a purpose.  Part of our adventure on this sphere is to discover our purpose, what we were made to do.

Don't get me wrong though, it still takes hard work to develop that talent.  That street dancer that you admire his crazy skills?  He may have been born to dance, but he also dances.  Every day.  He thinks about it, sleeps about it, eats about it.  He is drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  And all that time he spends doing it, is what develops that talent, that skill.  That singer who has the most amazing voice?  She sings.  Everywhere.  In the car, in the shower, outside, inside.  Everywhere.  If she didn't, she wouldn't have the voice that you admire.

Talent is like a lump of clay.  We are all given it, but it is up to us to decide what it ends up looking like.  We form it and shape it based on how much time we spend with it.  Spend a little and we get a little.  Spend a lot, and we get a lot.  And how do we spend a lot so that we can be talented?  It comes back to that passion thing.  What are you drawn to, what do  you think about doing everyday, want to do every day?  Then, start doing it.  As Jesus taught us in the parable of the talents, when you are faithful with a little, a little will be given to you, but when you are faithful with a lot, more so shall be your return.  You can't hide it away, you have to find it & live it, and then it will grow.

And of course, we as a society tend to focus on talent like singing, dancing, music, drawing, painting, sculpting, boarding or biking, but are there other talents too?  What about languages?  What about fixing things? Cooking?  But are there still others?

Are there some people that you know that are just very gifted for the way they treat people?  Or the way they can do math in their head?  Or make flattering outfits?  Or organize their closets?  Or challenge what you think?

So, what are your talents? Mine?  I thought I'd make a list.  And this is hard for me, because this is what I think, but what if you don't agree me with me?  What if I think I'm good at something that you don't think I am?  Will I be OK with that?  Do I have enough confidence in myself to not care?  I am a validation person, through & through.  Sometimes that is OK.  Sometimes it sows the seeds of doubt.

OK, so here it is (in no particular order):
1. Gardening
2. Scrapping
3. Photography
4. Drawing/sketching
5. Singing
6. Organizing/making lists
7. Project Management
8. Teaching
9. Being a mom
10. Running a household

January 2013 Flickr Upload

You can see the full Photostream here, and here are a couple of my favorites....

I LOVE watching him work, I know, it is goofy, but he knows how to do everything!  Plus, the sparks are really cool!
 

 I LOVE it when they are goofy!  011 Put it all together himself! 009 fits right in there...

 Mr. Rangel flipping 011.  Pretty cool!  He loved it!

 Make your own Pizza night, FUN stuff!

 Helping out at church, makes my heart all melty!

 Ditto!

New door makes it a lot easier to move in & out!

Always look on the bright side of life...

Arlin shared this story last year on his blog: www.arlinsorensen.com and it really makes me think, each time I read it: am I the nobleman, or the slave?  And which one do you want to be?

A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all circumstances would always say “my king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect. He makes no mistakes!”

One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty from losing a finger.

Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman asked "Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger."

The slave replied: "My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows why these things happened. What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!"

Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.

Later, the King left for another hunt, this time alone. He was captured by savages who engaged in human sacrifices.

On the altar and ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages discovered that their victim did not have one of his fingers. According to them, only a whole person with all his/her parts intact could be offered to the gods.

The King without a finger was deemed an abominable sacrifice for their gods. So they released the King. Upon his return to the palace, the King authorized the release of his slave. He received the slave affectionately.

"God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?"

The slave answered, "my King, if I had gone with you on this hunt, I would have been sacrificed instead because I have no missing finger. Remember everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong. He made you keep me in jail so I would not be with you on the hunt."

Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.

Every morning, offer your day to God, don't be in a rush.

Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!

December 2012 Flickr Upload

As always, you can catch the whole upload here: December 2012 Photostream
But here are a few of my favorites:

011's first band contest!

My brother

009 & his Lego obsession!

011 - who doesn't like Nerf guns?

My brother & Gadget - so glad that everyone could get together!

 Coming home to stockings...

 My favorite for lunch - Eugenia's Pasta Bar at The Honeywell Center.  I usually skip the breadstick though...

Can you blame me for being completely, head-over-heels in love with this man?  I didn't think so!

Fatherly Advice

Well, I know it's not Father's Day yet, but I did stumble over this in my inbox and didn't want to hold onto it any longer.  I think it is good, no matter what the day.  And good for both boys & girls.

So many times we lose sight of how powerful our words and actions are.  We lose sight of how important people are in our lives.  We lose sight that life is not just about what we can cross off the list at the end of the day.  We lose sight that it should be more about what we ADD to the day.

ADD a smile
ADD a laugh
ADD a touch
ADD a kind word
ADD a minute with your children/loved one
ADD something beautiful

Fatherly advice as we celebrate dads by Harvey Mackay 

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first week the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. It gradually dwindled down as he discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. His father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper until all the nails were gone.

Then the father led him to the fence and said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."

With Father's Day coming up Sunday, June 16, I'd like to share some of the fatherly advice I received while growing up and especially getting my start in business.

Jack Mackay taught me about time management. I still remember him telling me if you want to go fishing tomorrow, be on the dock at 2 p.m. sharp. There I was at 2:05 p.m., waving bon voyage to my dad who was driving away in the boat without his fishing buddy. Tough love, lesson learned.

My dad insisted that 25 percent of my time should be spent on volunteering, advice I've continued to follow. In addition to the benefit to the organization, you have an unusual opportunity to hone your selling skills, learn how to run meetings, prepare reports, serve on committees, supervise others, handle rejection and many other skills that can help you in your career, all while serving your community.

One of the most powerful things you can do to influence others is to smile at them, my dad said. Not to be outdone, my mother used to tell me that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve my looks, "If you're happy, tell your face."

About reputation, my dad quoted the adage, "You spend your whole lifetime building a good name and reputation, and one foolish act can destroy it." Dad was a big believer in aphorisms, which is why I end every column with a Mackay's Moral.

Most importantly, Jack Mackay taught me about networking. When I was 18, he told me that everyone I meet should go in a Rolodex file along with a little information about that person and then creatively keep in touch. You never know when your paths might cross again.

Greg Hague, an Arizona attorney and businessman, has come up with a website which he calls Savvy Dad (savvydad.com). Every day, he features a new story from a son or daughter on some special experience with their dad and how it positively impacted their life.  His readership is nearing 40,000. His book, "How Fathers Change Lives," is now available at HowFathersChangeLives.com.

Greg shared a lesson from his father, "People focus on role models, but it's more effective to find anti-models - people you don't want to resemble when you grow up."

Lise Johnson told the story of her father's devotion to her mom who became terminally ill. When she was moved to hospice, he stayed with her around the clock. He helped feed and bathe her. One nurse told Lise that she was engaged when she started her mom's care, but no longer. "I didn't know devotion like that existed in this world. I will find a man like your dad."

Our mutual friend Randy Garn, a Utah businessman, remembered how as a 16-year-old he asked his dad if he could borrow the car on a Friday night. His dad said yes, but be home by 11 p.m., or the upcoming prom was at stake. Well, Randy lost track of the time and got home after 1 a.m. He tiptoed upstairs to his room and thought he was safe until he slid into bed and discovered be wasn't alone! His dad was lying there waiting for him.

"I'm not mad, but the prom is now gone," he said without anger. "Randy, I love you so much, but unlike what you did tonight, I do what I say.

Mackay's Moral: It's funny about fatherly advice: The better it is, the harder it is to take.

November 2012 Flickr Upload

November 2012 - Full Feed - You can check it out here, but here are my favorites...

 Fun times at TKD

 Frosty mornings

 Him

 Us

 What a rare gift to have a bike ride in the middle of November!

 Great burgers & beer

 Let me show you...

This makes me smile..

Video Share

Landfill Music

I think I saw this on Arlin's blog some time back.  Just has taken me a while to post it.  It really shows the human desire for beauty and the divine power to overcome earthly problems.  So many of us live in such great wealth that we have lost the ability to do this.  And I'm not talking just about those people who live in 5000 square foot houses.  When was the last time you had to worry about eating a meal, or having enough money for your child to eat lunch at school, or being able to rent the band instrument, or even buy them a pair of shoes? Have we gained so much that we have so little regard for it? 

And you don't have to travel half-way around the world to be faced with people who every day are struggling.  RIGHT NOW there is a child in your kid's class who doesn't get a breakfast every morning, that the only meal they get is the one served at school.  The one your kid didn't want to eat because it was yucky.

Let this inspire you today, that something so beautiful and amazing can come out of such humble roots.  Let it inspire you to be more grateful for what you have in your life right now - the people, the things, the job.  Let it inspire you to somehow make a difference in someone else's life.

Peace,
elle