Try this...

 

So this morning I've decided to start a social experiment (no, i'm not going to put a bomb on two separate ferries in Gotham City, giving the detonators to the people on the opposing ferries, and see who blows whom up first....).

My idea of a social experiment is this: Smile.

I am a person who, while walking down a sidewalk, thinks about things that just recently happened and replays them in my mind. Most of the time when I do this I form a real, genuine smile on my face (usually at the brink of turning into full-on laughter).

Well, this morning as I was doing this very thing, I looked up and made eye contact with a passer-by. With a genuine smile on my face, the passer-by was naturally persuaded to smile herself.

So I thought to myself, "Self, what if you ALWAYS walked around thinking of truly funny things/situations/experiences/etc and kept that genuine smile on your face while making contact with people you don't know whom you pass on the street..." (Big, long, run-on sentences are okay when they stay in your head.)

That's it! (Sorry it wasn't more intense or profound) So the social experiment is, whenever you're walking somewhere by yourself, that you think of things THAT MAKE YOU SMILE and allow them to ALSO MAKE OTHERS SMILE by keeping that smile on as you pass by and make eye contact with people you don't know.

I know what you're thinking, that this is kinda cheesy, but think about it--People can sense a truly genuine smile (as opposed to a forced, obligatory I'm-just-smiling-because-we-made-eye-contact-but-i-don't-know-you smile). And what if you can bring a smile to the face of someone who's having a hard time and hasn't smiled in a while???

Just try it. And let me know if you had any good experiences with it.

Second-guessing yourself

Why is it that sometimes, when you’re faced with a decision to make, and having weighed all possible outcomes you try to make the best decision, but afterward you feel unsure about the choice you made?

Does that mean you made the wrong decision? Or does it just mean that you’re a little scared about the unknown and what will happen next?

Is it God telling you that you did something wrong? Or is it Satan trying to get you to change your mind and undo something that you did right?

By not seeing the whole picture, it’s hard to answer these questions…

Hey, I Deserve It! Or Do I?

Why do we tend to feel like we deserve things? What occurred in our youth to make us feel this sense of entitlement? Do we really deserve everything that we think we deserve? No, we don’t. Let's just get that straight right now.

Over the past while, I've thought about this error in human thinking, which I am now calling THE FALLACY OF ENTITLEMENT (The caps were intended to add a dramatic appeal for all my readers).

Here’s a point to ponder while we discuss this FALLACY OF ENTITLEMENT: A few months ago, I heard “pride” defined as “a sense of entitlement”. How is an attitude of entitlement or a feeling that “everyone owes me” pride?

Let's try to work through this situation together:

Let's say Bob works hard in school and achieves a 4.0 GPA. Because of his exceptional work, Bob thinks he's a hotshot (although he'll never say it) and thinks he deserves a good internship or job when he graduates. Let's say that he does land a great job with the chance to climb the corporate ladder. Something inside Bob tells him that he's worked so hard in school that he deserves to be at this company and will easily move up the ladder for the same reason.

This sense of entitlement that Bob is feeling is a fundamental error in our way of thinking that could hinder his opportunity to succeed. By taking the entitlement approach, he is essentially saying that "OTHER PEOPLE OWE ME because of what I've already done".

The better approach that Bob could have taken was to view everything as an opportunity. His education was an opportunity; the job was an opportunity; and the chance to climb the ladder was an opportunity. By viewing these situations as opportunities, Bob might just change the way he views the job, views the people he works with, and life itself.

Here’s another one of my futile attempts to explain this concept:
We all like to ask for favors, and people do the same to us. Sometimes, when a friend asks for one, we automatically think of which way the scale is tipping--who owes whom more. In other words, when we do something for someone else by request, we start thinking of ways that we can “use” them in return (for a lack of a better word).

Here’s an example of this:

My roommate, Chris, asked me to drive him somewhere about 3 miles away and back. While we were driving along, I asked if I could eat one slice of the bread he had with him. Chris, also a business major, realized that he might have an opportunity for personal gain and jokingly said, “I don’t mind; it’s just $0.50 per slice.” Recognizing an opportunity to put Chris in his place, I said, “That’s fine; we’ll just apply that same rate to this trip--$0.50 per mile. You now owe me $2.50.”

Now, his remark was in jest, but the thought of personal gain was present and perfect for teaching this principle. Now you might say, “But Trent, YOU also saw an opportunity after he asked you for a ride by asking for a free slice of bread.” You’re right! And I did it without even thinking! That is what I’m trying to say!

I can think of more examples, such as trying to negotiate discounts on set prices or trying to barter with your own family or friends. I call this the “self-dictated discount”.

Why can’t we just serve others? Why can’t we just give without expecting something in return? Here’s a little secret--WE CAN! (And no, I didn’t steal that from a 2008 presidential campaign.)

Since I began pondering this concept, I have tried to simply serve others or help others without complaining. I have tried to forget myself, my feelings, and my wants. And I think it helps me remember that I am nothing and deserve nothing.

My Progress

This year I have made a concerted effort to improve my physical condition. I enrolled in a "personal health and wellness" class for the semester that required 4 days of exercise per week. I also participated in a recreational basketball league, a couple different exercise classes, and even some weight lifting. I have also taken up the hobby of playing racquetball multiple times each week.

A week ago I ran in the Midnight 5K around campus. I was able to run the 3.1 mile course in 23:30. I was extremely proud of myself.

At the beginning of the semester, my 1.5 mile time was 16:02. I made a goal in January to be able to run the 1.5 miles in 12 minutes or less by the end of the semester. Yesterday I ran it in 11:43.

I have lost about 12-13 pounds this year and feel like I've improved SO much physically.

My goal is to run the 10K this summer here in Rexburg, a half-marathon within a year or so, and eventually run an entire marathon.

Enough To Spare

"For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves." - D&C 104:17

Today, I had a personal visit with David Pigott, a professor at BYU-Idaho. During the visit, he talked to me about some of his experiences in Africa. Because of some of those experiences, he and his wife have started a foundation to help children in Uganda receive an education.

Brother Pigott believes that the lack of education in Uganda is keeping the country from emerging from poverty. On Brother Pigott's desk, he has a stack of about 50 requests from children who don't have the money to go to school. Here is a link to the foundation website, you might find it interesting, as I did.

http://enoughtospare.org

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Church starts at 8:00. My alarm sounded at 7:10 this morning, and I couldn't figure out why, so I shut it off and went back to sleep.

At 7:46, I came to a certain degree of consciousness and realized that church started in 14 minutes. At this very moment, a decision stared me in the face. I could choose the easier path and keep sleeping or I could hurry and run off to church.

I quickly made the decision to get dressed and go. As I drove to church, I pondered about the significance of that experience. I wondered what woke me up at the precise time that would allow me enough time to get to church as the meetings were beginning.

I considered that it could have been the Spirit that woke me. Why? What was the purpose of waking me up at that very minute? I decided that by waking me at that very moment, I was literally forced to decide, in an instant, which path I wanted to take. Would I choose to stand in holy places or tarry where I lay?

This experience could seem small and insignificant, but to me I felt like I, without thinking, took one step towards being more trustworthy in the eyes of the Lord. In a small way, I showed that I could be trusted to make the proper decision.

As a side note and extension to this experience, today's church meetings were filled with spiritual thoughts, testimonies, and impressions that elevated and lifted my soul. Topics that were discussed and taught had been the subjects of my ponderings throughout this past week.

Now, what if I hadn't jumped out of bed???

How would I react?

Have you ever had a strained relationship with someone close to you? Did you ever wonder how you would react upon hearing that something terrible happened to them?

Having worked with grieving families who have lost loved ones; I have had the thought cross my mind many times. I worried that since I had a strained or weakened relationship with one of my loved ones, that there would be a possibility that I would be less sensitive or insensitive if that person passed on from this world.

Tonight my question was answered. I thought that something did happen to that loved one; and I reacted. My reactions, feelings, and fears showed me how much I truly love that person and how much they mean to me deep down.

Even though it scared me, it was a comfort to me finding out for myself that, deep down inside, I have strong feelings for a loved one with whom I haven’t had the best of relationships in the past.