Tuesdays with Muerte

Introduction After reading  The Happiness Project  (2009) by New York Times bestselling author, Gretchen Rubins, I decided to read two of her more recent books: Better Than Before  (2015) The Four Tendencies  (2017) These books talk about habits and how our personalities orient us toward certain motivational techniques. Both showcased Rubin's revolutionary personality profile called, The Four Tendencies . She explains that "The Four Tendencies explain  why we act  and  why we don’t act ." And boy, did I learn a lot about how I personally derive motivation. Now, I'm dying to discuss them with my friends and family.  Take the ONLINE QUIZ now, or read on to discover your Tendency.  A Summary of The Four Tendencies The Four Tendencies framework describes how we respond to expectations. We all face two kinds of expectations: outer expectations , such as meeting work deadlines or observing traffic regulations, and inner expectations , such as q...

The  Kitchen Timer  method was lifted from Award-winning comedy author, Lauren Graham's, book, Talking As Fast As I Can . Graham recounts how she learned it from Don Roos, who based it on the Pomodoro Technique . Along with Graham, I can say that this  method has transformed the way I write. I now spend way fewer hours, being productive. It gave me structure where there was none. It has changed my life as a writer, and I hope it changes yours too. The principle of Kitchen Timer is that every writer deserves a definite and doable way of feeling successful everyday. To do this, we learn to judge ourselves on behavior, rather than content. We set up a goal for ourselves, as writers, that is easy, measurable, free of anxiety, and above all, failproof—because everyone can sit, and an hour will always pass. Here’s how it works: 1. Buy a kitchen timer that goes to sixty minutes. Or use a timer app . Or tell Siri to start a timer for sixty minutes. 2. Decide on Mon...

Well, I'm finally convinced. Thanks to these five events, I'm ready to begin Marie Kondō's guided journey of limiting my surrounding to things that spark joy: Katie Bastian's Example — For the past year, Katie, an online friend of mine, has been journaling her decluttering process via Instagram. I believe her when she raves about how the process has benefitted her. Scriptures  — Today, after reading Isaiah 23 (the final "burden" chapter), I observed that I didn't want to suffer the same fate as Tyre—a merchant city which was cursed by the Lord for its obsession with materialism. I recognized myself as a participant in the stereotypical middle-class culture; one who constantly thinks about and gathers things. Macklemore —Have you seen Macklemore's Thrift Shop or Wings music videos? Macklemore is an American hip hop artist/MC (from Kent, WA) who writes a lot about the negative effect of global materialism. He's got a lot of good points. ...

The Martian by Andy Weir My rating: 4 of 5 stars Basically, The Martian = Apollo 13 + Cast Away. What a page turner!  I enjoyed reading it even after watching the movie.  (Now I want them to write a play so I can go see that!)  I didn't give it 5 stars was because—despite the realistic scenarios and elaborate math validating every action taken throughout the story—my disbelief was never fully suspended.  When I give 5 stars, it's because I was able to lose myself in the story; when I have become one with the narration.  Perhaps Weir's style of writing was too fast paced for me.  Perhaps my mind didn't have time to struggle with the problem before the solution presented itself.  I think due to this and other factors I never fully became Mark Watney, the protagonist. Re: Language — Weir's use of swearing didn't bother me because I recognized that Watney was from Chicago, not Provo. Personal lessons learned: I had hoped that by r...

Soundtrack Cover Art Book Summary [Spoilers] Paul A treides  embarks on his hero's journey as a   royal manling . He's then stranded on a harsh planet, surrounded by treachery, with nothing but his mother, his training, and fate to aid him. He ultimately faces off against the universe—and wins! There's no wrong age to visit the pages of Dune, but I'd say the ideal reading age for young men is 12-20 years. Why? It consoles young men who perceive themselves as  misunderstood; it serves as a guide. By co-experiencing Maud'dib's adventure, adolescents can believe that  their coming of age can be survived. Additionally, it teaches parents how to communicate with their omniscient sons. These actors were so cool in 1984 Book Review Dune  by  Frank Herbert My rating:  5 of 5 stars Desiring to appear literate, like my college friends, I lied about having read Frank Herbert's Dune. Sure, I had read the Cliff's Notes in high school....

1) Your Partner is the Secret to Career Success BY CINDI MAY, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Researchers have identified  conscientiousness  as the character trait in a significant other that allows you to excel in your profession. [The rest is sciencey stuff:  In their longitudinal study, Solomon and Jackson tracked responses from 4,544 heterosexual married people, roughly 75% of whom were in dual-income households. Participants first completed a personality assessment that measured five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness.] 2) Loving Others and Living with Differences BY ELDER DALLIN H. OAKS Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, LDS.ORG Here are some key quotes I enjoyed from Elder Oaks' address: "We are to live in the world but not be of the world."   (see  Luke 13:21 ;  Matthew 13:33 ; also  1 Corinthians 5:6–8 ). "Even as we seek to be meek and to avoid contention, we ...

A BYU professor once taught that Shakespeare used the simplest language to communicate his most important messages. Do you think that is an accurate statement?  I wondered if this theory extends to the word of God? (Perhaps that's where William got the idea.) After comparing a handful of examples, I found some fundamental differences between  the most important statements  from Bill Shakespeare's works and the holy scriptures.  Bill's pithy expressions of truth always seemed to be in the form of witty comebacks.  God's words naturally stood on their own.  Bill's axioms, while self-evident and universally accepted, seemed context specific. When God taught, He used small words and familiar concepts to express complex and situation-diverse principles. While Bill invented maxims couched in mostly-fictional stories to lend his truths credibility, God didn't require adages to convince His readers.  God just laid down the truth, like a boss. ...

5 Acts of a Shakespearean Drama ALL his plays have FIVE acts and a varying number of scenes. A parallel exists between the number of acts and the universal law of living things: Act 1 (Introduction/Birth). Act 2 (Rising Action/Growth). Act 3 (Climax/Maturity). Act 4 (Falling Action/Decline). Act 5 (Conclusion/Death). I wanted to see how Spielberg's 2002 blockbuster, Minority Report , would be viewed through the lens of a Shakespearean drama.  SPOILERS AHEAD! 5 Acts of Minority Report What elements of  exposition  are found in Act I: We see how the Pre-cog operation works in a live occurrence. Ambitious FBI Observer/Supervisor, Danny, is shown how the pre-cogs operate, allowing the viewer to also see details of its workings. An upcoming national vote is advertised to turn the Pre-Crime experiment into a national organization. Agatha reveals the vision of her Mother's murder to John Anderton when he's all alone. We learn that John l...

Yes, a dandelion because they are the flower of wishes. You blow that ball of seeds and the wind carries them to the one assigned to grant or reject. And it’s a good thing that it’s the dandelions who have this power because they are tough and sometimes you have to be tough to even remember that you have any desires left at all, to believe that even one could be satisfied, would not turn to an example of “be careful what you wish for, it might come true.” Maybe that’s exactly why there are so many of them - the universe gives us extra chances to keep dreaming. Each one an uprising, a burst of color in the cracks of our hearts, sunrise at an unexpected time, in an unexpected place. —Ellie Schoendfeld's “ Lucien's Birthday Poem " Context I ran across a reference to this poem while I was reading a text for a BYU evaluation class.  I was learning about how nature (and the universe) has a pattern of being adapt...

What's the easiest way to discover your love language? Answer the following three questions and you'll gain some key insights on discovering how you best receive love: What does your spouse do or fail to do that hurts you most deeply? What have you most often requested of your spouse? In what way do you regularly express love to your spouse?

My new favorite book I wholeheartedly recommend this to all of my sisters and nieces.  I was enthralled for at least 30 minutes, and I was in a hurry!  Philippe (copy) and Rébecca (illustrations) are geniuses! Website $10 on Amazon

Image Source: EmergingWomen Over the last two weeks, I've become a huge Brené fan.  I can't stop analyzing the broad ramifications of her principles on worthiness. Vulnerability "What makes you vulnerable also makes you beautiful ," says Brene Brown, a professor at the University of Houston who touches on some key issues related to her work on vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame in a recent presentation at TEDxHouston . Where There is No Connection, There is No Meaning We are hardwired for connection, says Brown. Yet all too often, connection — in relationships, in classrooms, etc. — is missing. Why? Fear is a big reason why we fail at making connections. We fear many things, but mostly we fear that if we put our true self "out there" for all to see we will expose our self-doubt and our private worries about whether or not we are really "good enough" or worthy of the connection. What we may fear most of all is a...

How is Pride And Prejudice And Zombies ? Anyone read it yet? Coming Soon to a bookstore near you:

The origin of the  Slow Clap Epic High Five between Dr. McNinja and his Gorilla/Receptionist Judy Dr. McNinja like to give high-fives to animals; especially ones that he is hallucinating about due to severe blood loss. Dr. McNinja dramatically rides Robo Dracula from the moon Dan McNinja trains his son, Dark-Cloud-Puncher, and Gordito how to defend against the KNIFE EYE ATTACK! Mitzi McNinja trains the boys to guard themselves against mind imprisonment Benjamin Franklin leads a band of zombified US Presidents in the Thriller dance during one of Dr. McNinja's nightmares. Velociraptors! Heck Yeah! I recommend this  review website , which offers a bio on each of the characters and a paragraph synopsis on each of the 10 full issues.

April 23rd was the 445th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare . In honor of this occasion, Talk Like Shakespeare Day is celebrated annually. Unfortunately, I seem to always be a few days late on finding that stuff out. If your memories are good enough, here are some ways to celebrate in the future: 1. Instead of you, say thou. Instead of y’all, say thee. 2. Rhymed couplets are all the rage. 3. Men are Sirrah, ladies are Mistress, and your friends are all called Cousin. 4. Instead of cursing, try calling your tormentors jackanapes or canker-blossoms or poisonous bunch-back’d toads. 5. Don’t waste time saying "it," just use the letter "t" (’tis, t’will, I’ll do’t). 6. Verse for lovers, prose for ruffians, songs for clowns. 7. When in doubt, add the letters "eth" to the end of verbs (he runneth, he trippeth, he falleth). 8. To add weight to your opinions, try starting them with methinks, mayhaps, in sooth or wherefore. 9. When wooing la...