Tag: Communication

Devotion

The anti-thesis to addiction is devotion. Devotion is a profound dedication or worship. It is moving toward the light of Christ. It is a healthy relationship between the devotee and the person or principle of devotion.

Addiction and devotion cannot reside in the same space. If you are addicted in one area, you cannot be devoted in the same area. As a result, consider the following conflicts presented with addictive behavior.

  • You cannot be devoted to a strong physical body and the Word of Wisdom while being addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco or compulsive eating.

Teaching vs. Criticizing

“I could just tell you what to do, or we could explore it together. The first is much faster to deliver. The second usually works better.” – Carl Ingalls

Teaching vs. Criticism

Teaching is the process of delegating thinking to the student.  The art of asking questions to teach has prerequisites and can only be applied when functioning within The You Pyramid™. The anti-thesis of teaching is criticizing.

Constructive criticism is the politically correct way of seeking agreement from or forcing agreement on someone else and masking it as a virtue.

Constructive tends to build up and to serve a useful purpose.

Missionary Blind Spots

I’m fascinated by the quick learning abilities of children when they play video games. Most recently my children received a Wii unit for Christmas. Before the day had expired Samuel, my 8-year-old son challenged me to a boxing match.

Finally, I thought, something electronic at which I can beat my children. I have formal training in the martial arts and can certainly move my hands quicker than my 8-year-old boy. The results? I didn’t make it past the first round. Sam KO’d me.

Making a Street Offer

What is a street offer? For a missionary it is initiating contact with a potential investigator. It is identifying if the gentleman walking across the street wants to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, or not.

For a member of the church, it’s being asked what church you attend or a general question about your membership.

An offer means you are offering another person the opportunity to have something. For example, if I were a Chiropractor I would answer the question about what I do for a living as follows:

Teaching Tips: Going from Good to Great

Helpful Hints to Teachers Who Want to go from Good to Great

What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity. Change accelerates when people understand — in specific, behavioral terms — how to reach their goals.
a. Great teachers are comfortable with resistance and can pin point the difference between being obstinate and a lack of clarity.
b. When people get it, and they want it, great change can occur.
c. The best space in teaching is getting it.
d. Having the spirit of understanding promotes having the spirit.

The Ice Cream Experience

Last night we conducted another edition of the ‘Ice Cream Experience’ in our home. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it was originally called the Ice Cream Game, but participants felt the word game gave off the feeling of lightheartedness and frivolity, which is not part of the ‘Experience.’

The purpose of the ‘Experience’ is to own 100% of our communication. The ‘Experience’ teaches us how to own 11 different emotional spaces. This is a Marshall Thurber invention.

The ‘Experience’ is played with a conductor who directs the proceedings and is responsible for the interventions.

Swimming with Samuel

My Mood Board

Yesterday on the way home from work, Charles and I were lamenting about how tired we were. Monday was memorial day and we packed two days worth of activities into the one. In the midst of our lament, my phone rings, Samuel, my 6-year old is calling his father. “Dad, where are you?” he asks. I told him I was in the car driving home. “Oh good,” he exclaims, “I want you to take me swimming at the Y!”