This organization has sure hit it off with many of the students in Craig's class. Tom's shoes is a company that gives shoes to those in third-world countries who can't afford to buy their own. When you purchase a pair of Tom's shoes, the company sends a pair to someone in need. To date, they have given away 60,000 pairs of shoes since their beginning in 2006. It is their current goal to give out more than 200,000 pairs, and they need help. Remember that one of the signature strengths is to "clothe the naked."
Not to sound preachy, but imagine if you didn't have shoes and had to walk around all day with bare feet in the forests of Argentina or the savannahs of Africa. Walking around on concrete in my worn slippers hurts my feet after a couple minutes, so that scenario makes my feet hurt just thinking about it. To learn more or to buy a pair, click here. To watch a video of the company's shoe drop in Argentina, click here.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Enduring Happiness Facebook Group
If you have come to this blog from somewhere other than the Facebook group, please check it out. Do a search for "enduring happiness" It is the first result of the search. I set up the group so that everyone interested could share topics related to positive psychology and enduring happiness, and share any personal findings or insights. Please check it out; due to the networking effect, the more people in the group, the greater the benefit to each person in the group.
Signature Strengths Test
For those of you who are really having trouble finding out what you're good at, may I suggest this test. I Googled Positive Psychology, which is an emerging science dedicated to the principles espoused in Craig's class. The test is a series of 24 questions designed to show the relative strengths and weaknesses in who you are as a person. Your results aren't absolute, you are compared to people with similar characteristics as you, such as the same age group, geographic location, education level, etc. I found that my results were really similar to how I perceived myself. Learn more about the test and a lot of other topics realted to Positive Psychology here.
If you're interested in positive psychology, Google Martin Seligman and browse through the results. I also found out that degrees are being offereed in this area. Penn is offerring a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology. That sounds like a really interesting masters program; too bad I'm a business student. To look into this, as well as a video of Dr. Seligman, click here.
If you're interested in positive psychology, Google Martin Seligman and browse through the results. I also found out that degrees are being offereed in this area. Penn is offerring a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology. That sounds like a really interesting masters program; too bad I'm a business student. To look into this, as well as a video of Dr. Seligman, click here.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
(Sausage) Links
Here are some quick and interesting things to look at.
Arthur Brooks Forum
Mr. Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness, came and spoke at BYU a month ago about why we should give. He is a professor at Syracuse, and has done in-depth research on the benefits of giving, both to the individual, and to the nation as a whole. Above are the audio and video links.
Motley Fool
These guys will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about investing. Their dumbed-down, no-nonsense approach makes learning such a difficult subject easy. Their website features a variety of free content. I have read several of their books, such as Investing For Teens, and have found them to be very informative.
LDS Financial Talks
Below are some talks given by General Authorities relating to wose management of finances. They are all worth a read, as a vast majority of people haven't mastered the simple principles given here.
Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts
Climbing Out of Debt
Guide to Family Finance
Arthur Brooks Forum
Mr. Brooks, author of Gross National Happiness, came and spoke at BYU a month ago about why we should give. He is a professor at Syracuse, and has done in-depth research on the benefits of giving, both to the individual, and to the nation as a whole. Above are the audio and video links.
Motley Fool
These guys will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about investing. Their dumbed-down, no-nonsense approach makes learning such a difficult subject easy. Their website features a variety of free content. I have read several of their books, such as Investing For Teens, and have found them to be very informative.
LDS Financial Talks
Below are some talks given by General Authorities relating to wose management of finances. They are all worth a read, as a vast majority of people haven't mastered the simple principles given here.
Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts
Climbing Out of Debt
Guide to Family Finance
Professor (Master) Norm Nemrow
I'm taking Accounting 200 as a part of my Business Management major; Professor Norm Nemrow is my teacher. He is one of the highest-rated professors there is at BYU, and I'm glad to have him as my teacher for accounting; it would be a lot harder with other people teaching it. Anyway, one of the supplemental lectures in the class had a really great message, and it tied in a lot with Craig's class , so I though I'd share it. It focuses primarily on financial independence. I'll try to re-create the message and add my own insight; remember that I'm going off of poorly-written, bullet-point notes.
Financial Independence
Norm (this is a lot shorter and easier to write every time than Professor Norm Nemrow) prefaced his discussion by talking about the true nature of wealth. to emphasize his point by telling a story recounted by Spencer W. Kimball. He had a friend who had many possessions, a large estate, and lots of riches. When he found out this friend has died, and he came to this friend's funeral, he noticed that all of his friends possessions were still there, as was the property and all his riches. Obviously this man hadn't taken any of his material possessions with him into the next life. President Kimball stated at a graveside funeral address, essentially, that this man's riches had kept him out of Heaven, because they had distracted him during his mortal life.
Coming from this story, Norm posed a question as to what was really ours. He then went through some things that we might now consider ours. Our riches aren't ours, because they, along with everything else on this earth, are of God's creation. Our time isn't ours, because God lends us breath, to state it as King Benjamin in the beginning in the book of Mosiah. our talents aren't ours, because God has given us the faculties and the resources to develop these talents, and they can be easily taken away. He concluded that the only thing that is really ours is our will. We shape this and exercise it through our gift of agency (which was also given to us by God, ironically), and the true test of this life is whether or not we will turn our wills to do that which God would have us do, and serve both Him and others while we are on this Earth.
From this idea, Norm concluded that the true reason to becoming financially independent is so that we can serve others with the time, resources, wealth, and talents that we have accumulated in this life. This idea goes right back to the point of choice, which is why I decided to write this particular article. Norm stated that once we get to the point of choice/financial independence, we should free ourselves from obligations and engage in the work that is most meaningful to us and help others.
The Problem With Wealth
Norm stated that there is a problem with wealth in that, after a while, it leads us away from true financial independence. He said that, after a while, we think that we, through our own cunning and might, have earned what we have, and we have a right to it. In essence, we become prideful, which is not conducive to reaching the point of choice, because we aren't likely to serve others when we think we are better than they are.
Going back to earlier, nothing we have is really ours; it all belongs to God. This idea should govern our actions, along with the accompanying belief that we are merely stewards over what God has, through his grace, given us. As is stated in the scriptures, nothing offends God more than not confessing his hand in all things.
Doing What You Love
Norm then talked about what to do when we reach the point of financial independence. He quoted president Hinckley, who gave counsel to do what you love, something that will wake you up in the morning and will keep you up at night. He said to choose to do something that you would do even if you weren't getting paid for it. After a while, Norm said, you will become an expert in that field because of your studying and your passion for it, and excellence automatically rises to the top.
Financial Independence
Norm (this is a lot shorter and easier to write every time than Professor Norm Nemrow) prefaced his discussion by talking about the true nature of wealth. to emphasize his point by telling a story recounted by Spencer W. Kimball. He had a friend who had many possessions, a large estate, and lots of riches. When he found out this friend has died, and he came to this friend's funeral, he noticed that all of his friends possessions were still there, as was the property and all his riches. Obviously this man hadn't taken any of his material possessions with him into the next life. President Kimball stated at a graveside funeral address, essentially, that this man's riches had kept him out of Heaven, because they had distracted him during his mortal life.
Coming from this story, Norm posed a question as to what was really ours. He then went through some things that we might now consider ours. Our riches aren't ours, because they, along with everything else on this earth, are of God's creation. Our time isn't ours, because God lends us breath, to state it as King Benjamin in the beginning in the book of Mosiah. our talents aren't ours, because God has given us the faculties and the resources to develop these talents, and they can be easily taken away. He concluded that the only thing that is really ours is our will. We shape this and exercise it through our gift of agency (which was also given to us by God, ironically), and the true test of this life is whether or not we will turn our wills to do that which God would have us do, and serve both Him and others while we are on this Earth.
From this idea, Norm concluded that the true reason to becoming financially independent is so that we can serve others with the time, resources, wealth, and talents that we have accumulated in this life. This idea goes right back to the point of choice, which is why I decided to write this particular article. Norm stated that once we get to the point of choice/financial independence, we should free ourselves from obligations and engage in the work that is most meaningful to us and help others.
The Problem With Wealth
Norm stated that there is a problem with wealth in that, after a while, it leads us away from true financial independence. He said that, after a while, we think that we, through our own cunning and might, have earned what we have, and we have a right to it. In essence, we become prideful, which is not conducive to reaching the point of choice, because we aren't likely to serve others when we think we are better than they are.
Going back to earlier, nothing we have is really ours; it all belongs to God. This idea should govern our actions, along with the accompanying belief that we are merely stewards over what God has, through his grace, given us. As is stated in the scriptures, nothing offends God more than not confessing his hand in all things.
Doing What You Love
Norm then talked about what to do when we reach the point of financial independence. He quoted president Hinckley, who gave counsel to do what you love, something that will wake you up in the morning and will keep you up at night. He said to choose to do something that you would do even if you weren't getting paid for it. After a while, Norm said, you will become an expert in that field because of your studying and your passion for it, and excellence automatically rises to the top.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Microcredit - Charity Without Giving
Here is a paper I wrote for my Accounting class on microcredit as an emerging form of charity.
Microcredit is the loaning out of money to small businesses who normally wouldn’t qualify for traditional bank loans. These loans are given to business owners in third-world countries to help spur entrepreneurship. These individuals wouldn’t qualify for any alternative forms of credit due to their lack of collateral or steady employment, and therefore would have more difficulty starting their own businesses. Microcredit is designed to help move people out of poverty by funding their own enterprise.
KIVA is a relatively new invention for spreading the idea of microcredit. It is an NPO based in San Francisco that makes microcredit loans to third-world entrepreneurs by going through local banks. These banks post profiles of entrepreneurs looking for loans, and lets KIVA users choose who to donate to online. The transactions are made through PayPal, who doesn’t collect interest or fees off of KIVA transactions. KIVA users can choose to withdraw funds or continue to lend after the full amount of their loan is paid back. Internet access, in some cases, allows the entrepreneurs to connect directly with the lenders, providing personal communication with the person and the business you are benefitting. To date, KIVA has distributed over $63 million in loans and currently has a 97.79% repayment rate. Because of its small size and low costs, KIVA is able to charge much lower interest rates than traditional financial institutions, sometimes as low as 2.5%.
The innovative idea behind microfinance as opposed to traditional charitable contributions is that these “gifts” are actually loans, which will be paid back. So, essentially, nothing is lost except negligible interest, whereas donations are not repaid. An excellent business model is that of African shaved ice. The company operates on the premise that they give all profits to KIVA to make loans with, and after the loans are repaid, they take the profits back into the business. The business is a mobile shaved ice shack with profiles of KIVA entrepreneurs posted on the side of the shack. Each purchase of shaved ice gives you a token that you can put towards a loan for whichever entrepreneur you choose. Each token represents an amount that will be donated to that entrepreneur. I was amazed when I first heard of this idea, because you could help other people without depleting your own resources.
Microcredit is the loaning out of money to small businesses who normally wouldn’t qualify for traditional bank loans. These loans are given to business owners in third-world countries to help spur entrepreneurship. These individuals wouldn’t qualify for any alternative forms of credit due to their lack of collateral or steady employment, and therefore would have more difficulty starting their own businesses. Microcredit is designed to help move people out of poverty by funding their own enterprise.
KIVA is a relatively new invention for spreading the idea of microcredit. It is an NPO based in San Francisco that makes microcredit loans to third-world entrepreneurs by going through local banks. These banks post profiles of entrepreneurs looking for loans, and lets KIVA users choose who to donate to online. The transactions are made through PayPal, who doesn’t collect interest or fees off of KIVA transactions. KIVA users can choose to withdraw funds or continue to lend after the full amount of their loan is paid back. Internet access, in some cases, allows the entrepreneurs to connect directly with the lenders, providing personal communication with the person and the business you are benefitting. To date, KIVA has distributed over $63 million in loans and currently has a 97.79% repayment rate. Because of its small size and low costs, KIVA is able to charge much lower interest rates than traditional financial institutions, sometimes as low as 2.5%.
The innovative idea behind microfinance as opposed to traditional charitable contributions is that these “gifts” are actually loans, which will be paid back. So, essentially, nothing is lost except negligible interest, whereas donations are not repaid. An excellent business model is that of African shaved ice. The company operates on the premise that they give all profits to KIVA to make loans with, and after the loans are repaid, they take the profits back into the business. The business is a mobile shaved ice shack with profiles of KIVA entrepreneurs posted on the side of the shack. Each purchase of shaved ice gives you a token that you can put towards a loan for whichever entrepreneur you choose. Each token represents an amount that will be donated to that entrepreneur. I was amazed when I first heard of this idea, because you could help other people without depleting your own resources.
Links: KIVA
Financial Tools
A large part of happiness is being financially secure. When you don't know how your bills will get paid or how you'll take care of the mortgage or how you'll put food on the table, it's almost impossible to be truly happy, because no matter what, you'll always have those worries in the back of your mind. So, managing money well, and laying up resources in store for for the future is vital, because none of us, especially not the weathermen, know when the rainy days will come. With this in mind, I'd like to let you in on some secrets I learned about yesterday; a plethora of tools and learning materials that are too much to all be used, but are at least enough to get you on the right track.
Enter BYU's Personal Finance program. They have generously provided an online course, as it were, on everything personal finance. The Beginner Lessons provide the proper foundation to learn about personal finance, by teaching you about the proper motivation behind managing money, setting both personal and financial goals, the basics of credit, charitable giving, etc. The Intermediate Lessons deal with specific issues that most if not all of us will face in adult life, like debt, time-value of money, insurance, etc. The Advanced Lessons teach exclusively about investing and retirement. Dr. Sudweeks, a professor in the personal finance department and a professional investor, taught a mini-lesson on the basics of investing. (BTW - he is also one of those Point of Choice people; he retired early as an investment manager to come to teach at BYU.) In this lesson, he taught us many of the basics provided in these lessons, and I really enjoyed what he had to say. I would STRONGLY encourage you to check these lessons out by visiting this website.
Also, as a side note, I would encourage you to look at the videos in this YouTube search about Dave Ramsay. He is a prominent financial management lecturer based in Salt Lake City who, through his charismatic atitude and Southern accent, make learning these principles interesting, to say the least. Also on YouTube, check out the Real Financial Heroes series, which mockuments the absurdity of the modern consumer mindset.
Enter BYU's Personal Finance program. They have generously provided an online course, as it were, on everything personal finance. The Beginner Lessons provide the proper foundation to learn about personal finance, by teaching you about the proper motivation behind managing money, setting both personal and financial goals, the basics of credit, charitable giving, etc. The Intermediate Lessons deal with specific issues that most if not all of us will face in adult life, like debt, time-value of money, insurance, etc. The Advanced Lessons teach exclusively about investing and retirement. Dr. Sudweeks, a professor in the personal finance department and a professional investor, taught a mini-lesson on the basics of investing. (BTW - he is also one of those Point of Choice people; he retired early as an investment manager to come to teach at BYU.) In this lesson, he taught us many of the basics provided in these lessons, and I really enjoyed what he had to say. I would STRONGLY encourage you to check these lessons out by visiting this website.
Also, as a side note, I would encourage you to look at the videos in this YouTube search about Dave Ramsay. He is a prominent financial management lecturer based in Salt Lake City who, through his charismatic atitude and Southern accent, make learning these principles interesting, to say the least. Also on YouTube, check out the Real Financial Heroes series, which mockuments the absurdity of the modern consumer mindset.
Follwing Up on the Point of Choice: Geoff Tabin and Mansoor Emam
Following up on the Point of Choice, which is the time in your life when you can forsake traditional work to go and do what what you love while serving others and exercising your signature strengths, I'd like to give you some more in-depth examples of some people who have come to that point of choice. Two such examples are Geoff Tabin and Mansoor Emam.
Geoff Tabin, along with his partner, Dr. Sanduk Ruit, both opthamologists, founded the Himalayan Cataract Project to eliminate as much unneccesary blindness as possible during their lives. They perform cataracts surgery on people in normally unreachable places in the Himalayas, where there are no proper care facilities, clean drinking water or electricity. Knowing that cataracts are a preventable and curable cause of blindness, they set out to treat as many instances of the illness as possible. To date, they have used their skills to help train over 100 doctors in their low-cost, high-efficiency procedures, along with over 100 nurses and assistants. Also, mor importantly, they have screened 200,000+ people and treated 12,000-15,000 people on a yearly basis since 1994. Initially, they had some hurdles to overcome, mainly the high cost of replacement lenses. Upon discovering the extreme profits earned by the manufacturers of these lenses relative to the costs, Dr. Ruit managed to lower the costs significantly in order to make his work reach farther by providing lower-cost treatment to his patients. In this example, you can see that helping others requires no special skill set. Dr.'s Ruit and Tabin have merely adapted their normal jobs by working for free to benefit many more people than they could have in any hospital or clinic. Well, almost any...
Dr. Mansoor Emam is an Iranian immigrant who studied at the University of Utah (boo!) under a scholarship, and later worked at the Intermountain Health Center in Salt Lake City. After Working in the emergency room for some time, and recalling his extreme poverty and lack of proper medical care in Iran, Dr. Emam decided to help those in the local community who lacked medical insurance but were too poor to qualify for federal assistance. After auspiciously partnering with some benefactors, Dr. Emam started the Maliheh Free Clinic in Salt Lake City. Through this, he helps people with a variety of illnesses for low or no cost, thanks to donations and donated surpluses from hospitals and pharmacies. His quest is based off of a belief that all Americans deserve basic health care. Dr. Emam came to Craig's class yesterday and introduced his clinic and the ideas behind it. I really liked his presentation due to his passion for the clinic and the people it helps. This clinic runs totally off of charity; donated medicine, volunteer work, including Craig, and other numerous monetary donations.
As a reprise from my previous article, I know there are people all around us who give freely of their time and means to help those around them. Many use special talents and skills in unique ways to serve. However, most have no other unique characteristic than a willing and loving heart. I would encourage you to give what you can, when you can. It is of course great to help, but no-one can give from empty shelves. Even in the limited manner that this blog is a form of service, I feel really passionate about this subject and I really enjoy writing about these topics.
Links: cureblindness.org, Malihah Free Clinic
Geoff Tabin, along with his partner, Dr. Sanduk Ruit, both opthamologists, founded the Himalayan Cataract Project to eliminate as much unneccesary blindness as possible during their lives. They perform cataracts surgery on people in normally unreachable places in the Himalayas, where there are no proper care facilities, clean drinking water or electricity. Knowing that cataracts are a preventable and curable cause of blindness, they set out to treat as many instances of the illness as possible. To date, they have used their skills to help train over 100 doctors in their low-cost, high-efficiency procedures, along with over 100 nurses and assistants. Also, mor importantly, they have screened 200,000+ people and treated 12,000-15,000 people on a yearly basis since 1994. Initially, they had some hurdles to overcome, mainly the high cost of replacement lenses. Upon discovering the extreme profits earned by the manufacturers of these lenses relative to the costs, Dr. Ruit managed to lower the costs significantly in order to make his work reach farther by providing lower-cost treatment to his patients. In this example, you can see that helping others requires no special skill set. Dr.'s Ruit and Tabin have merely adapted their normal jobs by working for free to benefit many more people than they could have in any hospital or clinic. Well, almost any...
Dr. Mansoor Emam is an Iranian immigrant who studied at the University of Utah (boo!) under a scholarship, and later worked at the Intermountain Health Center in Salt Lake City. After Working in the emergency room for some time, and recalling his extreme poverty and lack of proper medical care in Iran, Dr. Emam decided to help those in the local community who lacked medical insurance but were too poor to qualify for federal assistance. After auspiciously partnering with some benefactors, Dr. Emam started the Maliheh Free Clinic in Salt Lake City. Through this, he helps people with a variety of illnesses for low or no cost, thanks to donations and donated surpluses from hospitals and pharmacies. His quest is based off of a belief that all Americans deserve basic health care. Dr. Emam came to Craig's class yesterday and introduced his clinic and the ideas behind it. I really liked his presentation due to his passion for the clinic and the people it helps. This clinic runs totally off of charity; donated medicine, volunteer work, including Craig, and other numerous monetary donations.
As a reprise from my previous article, I know there are people all around us who give freely of their time and means to help those around them. Many use special talents and skills in unique ways to serve. However, most have no other unique characteristic than a willing and loving heart. I would encourage you to give what you can, when you can. It is of course great to help, but no-one can give from empty shelves. Even in the limited manner that this blog is a form of service, I feel really passionate about this subject and I really enjoy writing about these topics.
Links: cureblindness.org, Malihah Free Clinic
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Handouts and The Point of Choice
In Craig's class, we get multiple handouts each week, each pertaining to that week's lecture. I think the handouts are really helpful in the class; 50 minutes of class isn't enough. I'm not sure two hours would be enough. I'll include one of the handouts in this post, but I'll get permission before I post more.
Number 9 on this handout refers to the point of choice. This is an ambiguous term, so I'll provide some explanations. Craig calls the point of choice when you become financially free enough to quit work or work on a volunteer basis, because you have enough money coming in to cover your needs, whether from a retirement plan or from appreciating assets like stocks, bonds, gold, etc. After freeing yourself from the normal flow of life, you have more time to devote to serving others in your own unique ways. Since you already have enough income to support yourself, payment is no longer a factor for whatever you decide to do.
Craig gave an example of the point of choice of a doctor from India who travels to the Himalaya's 6 months out of the year to perform cataracts surgery on people who have essentially lost their sight because of the extreme high altitude. This doctor is able to do this because he lives below his means and has a strong desire to serve.
What you choose to do will be determined by your signature strengths, which are comprised of your specific skill sets, your passions, and what you find meaningful. A good exercise in finding your signature strengths is to do a Venn diagram (are we in second grade again?) of those three areas: what your good at, what you love to do, and what you find meaningful. List activities in each of the three circles, find which activities overlap, and the resulting activities are your signature strengths.
For example, one of my signature strengths is providing and increasing beauty (I look pretty good, but that's not what I mean). One of the ways I can "exercise" this signature strength is through photography. I absolutely love to take pictures; I've taken classes in school and for fun. Also, from what I've been told, I have some talent, and I really find that the world is a better place with a picture or other piece of art that creates more beauty and inspires others.
Using photography as one of the overlap activities, now I can find ways to benefit others with this "signature strength." I could sell pictures and donate the profits or give them to micro-loaning agencies (more on this in a later post), become a social-working photojournalist, exposing injustice and combating poverty and mistreatment through art (this sounds like being a bona-fide hero; cool), or do a multitude of other things. The possibilities are truly endless.
Getting back to the point of choice, there are so many fun and exciting ways to serve, and if you can make it to that point, where you can serve full time because of financial independence, you will find so much enjoyment. I believe that Craig has reached this point, and because of it, he has had many opportunities to do things that most people like him couldn't dream of doing. One great example he gave us was that he went with his two sons to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead on a Friday morning. Most people his age would be at work, and wouldn't have been able to have such a great experience with their kids. I can't wait to get to this point myself; it sounds like a lot of fun.
For reference, here are all 9 signature strengths, but they are building blocks that can be expanded and built upon.
Number 9 on this handout refers to the point of choice. This is an ambiguous term, so I'll provide some explanations. Craig calls the point of choice when you become financially free enough to quit work or work on a volunteer basis, because you have enough money coming in to cover your needs, whether from a retirement plan or from appreciating assets like stocks, bonds, gold, etc. After freeing yourself from the normal flow of life, you have more time to devote to serving others in your own unique ways. Since you already have enough income to support yourself, payment is no longer a factor for whatever you decide to do.
Craig gave an example of the point of choice of a doctor from India who travels to the Himalaya's 6 months out of the year to perform cataracts surgery on people who have essentially lost their sight because of the extreme high altitude. This doctor is able to do this because he lives below his means and has a strong desire to serve.
What you choose to do will be determined by your signature strengths, which are comprised of your specific skill sets, your passions, and what you find meaningful. A good exercise in finding your signature strengths is to do a Venn diagram (are we in second grade again?) of those three areas: what your good at, what you love to do, and what you find meaningful. List activities in each of the three circles, find which activities overlap, and the resulting activities are your signature strengths.
For example, one of my signature strengths is providing and increasing beauty (I look pretty good, but that's not what I mean). One of the ways I can "exercise" this signature strength is through photography. I absolutely love to take pictures; I've taken classes in school and for fun. Also, from what I've been told, I have some talent, and I really find that the world is a better place with a picture or other piece of art that creates more beauty and inspires others.
Using photography as one of the overlap activities, now I can find ways to benefit others with this "signature strength." I could sell pictures and donate the profits or give them to micro-loaning agencies (more on this in a later post), become a social-working photojournalist, exposing injustice and combating poverty and mistreatment through art (this sounds like being a bona-fide hero; cool), or do a multitude of other things. The possibilities are truly endless.
Getting back to the point of choice, there are so many fun and exciting ways to serve, and if you can make it to that point, where you can serve full time because of financial independence, you will find so much enjoyment. I believe that Craig has reached this point, and because of it, he has had many opportunities to do things that most people like him couldn't dream of doing. One great example he gave us was that he went with his two sons to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead on a Friday morning. Most people his age would be at work, and wouldn't have been able to have such a great experience with their kids. I can't wait to get to this point myself; it sounds like a lot of fun.
For reference, here are all 9 signature strengths, but they are building blocks that can be expanded and built upon.
- Feed the hungry
- Clothe the naked
- Heal the sick
- Comfort the lonely
- Liberate the captive
- Educate the ignorant
- Spread truth
- ***Increase beauty***
- Heal or promote families
Steve Pavlina
There is something that probably preceded me taking this class, even though I had no idea the class would be like this beforehand, and that something is StevePavlina.com. The relation was subconscious, but definitely not coincidence. This website is like Craig's class, on steroids, squared. Reading the "about" page was very interesting and enlightening when I first came to the website, and reading this blog consistently for two years since then has really encouraged me to try harder to be better. This is why I do lots of the things I do, like getting up at 4:45AM, working out, working at starting a business, etc.
Here's an introductory article that should whet your appetite, about improving the everyday quality of your life by enhancing the quality of the "mundane" events. He recently wrote a book, which I have, and it has been a good read so far.
Here's an introductory article that should whet your appetite, about improving the everyday quality of your life by enhancing the quality of the "mundane" events. He recently wrote a book, which I have, and it has been a good read so far.
The Last Lecture
Continuing my posting spree, and avoiding studying for my Statistics exam (hey, this is still schoolwork), here is a link to a video by Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon Professor, and his speech called the Last Lecture. This lecture was given by invitation, as Mr. Pausch was diagnosed with cancer and had little time left to share his last thoughts. My Dad showed it to me, and I think it's a really good speech; I've listened to it twice. It's actually better the second time around. It's much like Tuesday's With Morrie, except with a more strutured format. He really has a lot of good stories and experiences to share. He has since passed away, and the lecture was turned into a book. You can find out more about him on his website.
Tuesdays With Morrie
To really start things off, I want to share something that really explains how this class works. The book Tuesdays with Morrie is required reading in this class; the report for the book is writing your ten favorite quotes and responding as to why you like them.
For some background, this book is told as a kind of biography of the author's, Mitch Albom's, experiences with his former professor Morrie Schwartz, as his professor's life came to an end. It consists of flashbacks to Mitch's college days and the lessons he learned from Morrie. Also, through the course of the book, Mitch meets with Morrie to discuss specific topics about life, family, work, and everything else a dying man could offer advice on. Not to go into too much detail, in case you want to read it, which I would recommend even if you don't have to write a book report on it. Here's the link to it on Amazon; I would go check it out from your library first, though, to make sure you like it. I really learned a lot from this book, and I think you will too.
Also, Morrie did three interviews with Ted Koppel before he passed away. They are all on YouTube, as a part of a documentary after his death. I watched them all, and, while they're not as good as the book, it was interesting to get more "interaction" with Morrie than through paper. Here's the link for the video.
For some background, this book is told as a kind of biography of the author's, Mitch Albom's, experiences with his former professor Morrie Schwartz, as his professor's life came to an end. It consists of flashbacks to Mitch's college days and the lessons he learned from Morrie. Also, through the course of the book, Mitch meets with Morrie to discuss specific topics about life, family, work, and everything else a dying man could offer advice on. Not to go into too much detail, in case you want to read it, which I would recommend even if you don't have to write a book report on it. Here's the link to it on Amazon; I would go check it out from your library first, though, to make sure you like it. I really learned a lot from this book, and I think you will too.
Also, Morrie did three interviews with Ted Koppel before he passed away. They are all on YouTube, as a part of a documentary after his death. I watched them all, and, while they're not as good as the book, it was interesting to get more "interaction" with Morrie than through paper. Here's the link for the video.
Introductory Post
So, here I come kicking and screaming in to the blog world; I've got a Facebook profile, what more do you want?! Oh well, it must be done.
This blog is a project for a Business Seminar class here at BYU. Craig Wilson isn't your ordinary teacher; to know more you'll just have to take this class, it's the strangest and yet best class I've taken so far. It's focused on providing meaning to the students instead of just getting a grade. Craig is intensely focused on helping others improve their lives both through personal fulfillment and financial freedom. the final project for his class, instead of a final exam, is a project that positively affects the lives of others using your personal strengths. I'm taking the route of educating the ignorant (no offense to your ego).
Hopefully all who read this blog, however many that may be, will gain insight as to how they can improve their lives, both through living a more meaningful life and gaining financial freedom so that you can remove yourself from the "rat race" and reach out in your own unique ways.
In the words of Tony Robbins, Live With Passion!
This blog is a project for a Business Seminar class here at BYU. Craig Wilson isn't your ordinary teacher; to know more you'll just have to take this class, it's the strangest and yet best class I've taken so far. It's focused on providing meaning to the students instead of just getting a grade. Craig is intensely focused on helping others improve their lives both through personal fulfillment and financial freedom. the final project for his class, instead of a final exam, is a project that positively affects the lives of others using your personal strengths. I'm taking the route of educating the ignorant (no offense to your ego).
Hopefully all who read this blog, however many that may be, will gain insight as to how they can improve their lives, both through living a more meaningful life and gaining financial freedom so that you can remove yourself from the "rat race" and reach out in your own unique ways.
In the words of Tony Robbins, Live With Passion!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
