On Gratitude

This week I intend to fall to the cliche and participate in the madcap rush to talk about the recent holiday -Thanksgiving. I might be drowned in the flood of all the other band-wagoners, but I'll risk it. It's an important topic, and if nothing else, I will benefit from putting my own two cents into coherent thoughts.
Of all the reasons I enjoy Thanksgiving, I'll admit that food and football aren't the finalists. The top spot belongs unquestionably to family. I've spoken before about surrounding yourself with greatness, and that's exactly what my family is to me. I can't go home without being reminded of something that I could do to make myself into a better person. I can't spend time with them without realizing that I am among some of the greatest people on earth. To me, my family is the perfect motivation for the "reason for the season" of Thanksgiving - gratitude.
One of the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has said that "if pride is the root of all evils, than it's opposite - peace, tranquility, and humility - is the root of all good.
I believe that a thankful life is much more fulling than spurts of receiving. So this holiday season, lets all remember to be the best that we can.

Where Are You?

I had a rather cool experience today that made me reflect on a principle that I learned some years ago. I ran into an old friend whom I haven't seen in quite a while, and we immediately started catching up on each other's lives. As he recounted the recent developments in his life, I was surprised by the level of excitement, anticipation, and genuine thankfulness toward God that he displayed. It reminded me all over again why I had chosen to be around him and to have him as friend. His influence helped me to rise higher than I might have on my own.

I once read a book that concerned just those sort of relationships. It was entitled "Surround Yourself With Greatness." The idea is that we rise - or sink - largely to the level of our surroundings. While individual moral strength is taken into account, it is nonetheless a fact that the environment to which we choose to subject ourselves is a major force in the development of our character. It is either a catalyst toward growth or a sinkhole toward disaster. I have personally found this to be true in several instances, for both good and ill.

So my question today to you is thus: Where are you? What are your surroundings? Who have you let into your life, and are you better for it?
We have the power to control the surroundings of our lives. While we cannot dictate everything, it remains in our ability to purposefully select the people we most want to be influenced by - for like it or not, we are influenced by them. As we select good friends that model our desired attributes, we will find our lives to be far more enjoyable and fulling, and we will achieve the greatness that we seek.

Carpe Diem.

Sharpening the Saw

Sometimes life feels like this.

Burned out, I mean. You know the feeling: you've been super productive all day, week, month, etc. You've put task after task on your "to-do" list, and you've crushed it like a boss. Homework? Done. Religious responsibilities? Taken care of. Networking? Crushed it. And so on, and so forth, running yourself as fast as you can - until suddenly you're grinding to a halt. Motivation is gone, purpose is quickly fading, and frustration is taking hold.

I'm currently in the process of reading "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." (I say in the process because I'm taking my sweet time with it.) While it descries seven habits for maximizing potential, the last is a little less intuitive than the others. It's called "sharpening the saw."

It's based around a quick little story about a man found in the forest cutting down a tree with a dull and rusted saw. A passerby stops to ask him why he doesn't stop to care for the blade, to which he replies with contempt: "I cannot do that - I'm too busy sawing."

Isn't that a foolish statement? Any reasonable person knows how much faster the work would progress with a quality blade. Yet how often do we do that in life? How often do I do that in life?

There is something to be said for making time for renewal. We need it - our tools are our bodies, our spirits, our minds. We use them for our good, working out our lives (hopefully) as we dream it to be. Yet in the wear and tear of life, we are not unlike the saw blade - rusted, dull, and inefficient. We would do well to slow down a little, take stock of our condition, and make time for renewal, for things that matter most.

Carpe Diem everyone. 

A World Apart - Long-Distance Interviews.

So, long-distance interviews. You know the ones - over the phone or by Skype/FaceTime.
I've got a bone to pick with them.
I understand the reasons for having them: they're convenient, quick, and cost-effective. They're wonderfully suited for firms with limited spaces to fill and qualified applications coming from long distances away. They allow an interviewer to waste minimal time in between screening applicants, and they allow those applicants to apply even if they reside nowhere near the firm they wish to work for.
Still, there are some things I wish could be better.
I recently had the chance to do a mock interview with a buddy of mine over the phone. While the convenience box had been squarely checked, a number of things surfaced that plagued the conversation. First, the quality of our experience was largely dependent on the strength of our connection. There were a number of times where it was hard to hear one another; casting a negative impression on the whole thing. Second, it felt rather impersonal. I recall thinking that if I were to make a decision at that moment as to whether I should hire him, I would wish I could have talked face-to-face with him. I realize that many firms do just that after phone interviews, but it nonetheless remains a weakness of the long-distance interview.

To sum up: Long distance interviews have several inherent problems; however, I admit their necessity in today's modern world.