Cool picture of a flower design

(click to enlarge)

Found on page 15 of the Ensign - June 2016

We live in details.

We live in details. Sometimes the best course of preparation and recuperation is to do nothing. To rest. To sit still. To think. We are young. We live in rhythms, waves. To dream. To pray. The thought cycle. My meandering, pondering mind. Away from television. To dream personally. The waking moments. The life awaiting me. To do my best, ever more awakening.

(texted while sitting in a park, away from duty birds)

"Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord" with new lyrics by David Petersen and Tim Brooks

Here is the song "Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord" (LDS hymn #110) with additional lyrics. Verse 1 is by Tim Brooks, verse 2 is by David Petersen, and verse 3 (the original verse) is by Julius Schubring.

To hear it performed live, click here or below:

The Brookses with Brooks the Bison

Sam and Joe Brooks with the new "Brooks the Bison" bronze statue on the campus of Dixie State University. The new mascot was named after Sam's father Samuel Brooks, Sr. (1886-1962), who slept on the steps of the registration office building the night before the school opened so he could be the first student to register at the school in 1911.

Why Liz Wiseman Doesn't Work on Sundays

“The French artist Paul Gauguin once said, “I shut my eyes in order to see.” On Sundays, I shut out the world. For me, it’s a Sabbath observance, an opportunity to rest from responsibilities and focus on other purposeful activities, such as devotion and family.

“Every Sunday, after going to church (which in my faith literally takes longer than running a marathon), I plop down on my couch and read until it is time to drive to our weekly family dinners–a tradition built over the last 20 years. While my Sunday routine varies somewhat, there is one thing that remains consistent: I don’t work. I’ve come to really appreciate the power of the pause–the virtue of stepping away. Resting from our work offers more than just sanity; pausing sharpens our minds. Research in neuroscience shows that we are more creative after stepping away from a problem. When our pre-frontal cortex is too focused on the task at hand, it can’t combine information about the problem at hand with information stored in our memory. When we take a break, these neural connections occur and lead to new insights. Indeed, all work and no rest makes our minds very dull instruments.

“Last year when I was writing my most recent management book, my commitment to the “Sunday pause” was put to the test. Each Saturday I would take inventory of my unfinished work from the previous week and then check next week’s upcoming deliverables. Panic always ensued (and generally was warranted). I inevitably came to the same conclusion each week: I have no choice but to work on Sunday. Yet, every week I decided against it. I stepped away. On Monday I would resume my work, with a clear head and fresh legs. And everything always got done. This is the power of pausing–letting go, clearing the mind, and trying again. While a Sabbath may feel old-fashion or only for religious types, the practice of pausing is perfect for our modern world.”

(From Liz Wiseman’s article, “Why this Executive Never Works on the Weekend”)