Category Archives: State of the Art

Dreams, ioV, Reports, Runner's High, State of the Art

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

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Over the past week I’ve felt a renewal of my dream to study the brain. This new energy came as I watched Daniel G Amen on a KUED special talk about his clinics and all the SPECT scans they’ve done and how they’ve started to use it as a diagnostic tool, something it sounds like many have avoided. Here’s a playlist to the special I watched.

Ever since my physiological psych class with Dr. Yells several years ago I’ve had a strong interest in the brain, its hard wiring and its relationship to behavior, memory and learning.

Along the way I’ve also had a desire to be involved in the technology that would eventually revolutionize again the way we diagnose patients and help them in their journey towards happy existences.

A couple months ago I pulled out the drawings and drafts I had been making over the past several years about my ideas on what I’ve since come to classify as personal medical sensors and monitoring. The simple thought came to me, “I wonder if anyone’s ever thought about these things before.” So I jumped online and started the search. It didn’t take long to find solutions that others had come up with. BRILLIANT!

As I’ve started to learn about the brain again I’ve felt alive again, like I have purpose I guess.

This is not the only thing that’s contributed to the feelings I’ve been having, but learning IS a powerful motivator for me. In fact, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life actually talks about the need for life-long learning to keep your brain healthy. I’m feeling it.

In other news, last week I started doing sales for our company, ioVentures. Invigorating. I realized that I absolutely love meeting new people, sharing what I know about a topic and learning what they’re involved with.

Tonight we had our ioV company party. I was the only one not married, but no worries. I took Shimpie. We had a great time bowling. I got a personal best (156) along with Jason and Larissa. Fun stuff.

Today I found out that I was picked in the lotto to run in the Moab Half Marathon in March… :o) Running, it’s become foreign to me. Let’s get back on that horse!

Gratitude, Hope, Self Discovery, Walk The Talk, Words

Simplicity

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Storms & struggles

Sadness & strife

These are but gifts

Blessings of life

We ride the cycles of happiness and sorrow. With every rotation we learn more of what it is to be human, to have strains, to have challenges, to have difficulties. To recognize that these down times are but part of the whole allows us to let hope into our hearts and understand, as my grandmother used to say, “this too shall pass.”

At times we run faster than we’re able. We fill our lives, and rightly so, with good activities. But there comes a point when the busyness of life robs from us the precious gift of reflection. In quiet moments we can look back on our behavior, let the solemnity of special moments sink in and we can assess our thinking on important topics. Simplifying our lives can provide us with many such opportunities. In these sacred times we can come to accept & love ourselves as well as see life more clearly.

Shelter, food, clothes and heat. These are the few basic things that Henry David Thoreau determined were necessaries for man while he lived a simplified life on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Walden Pond. I am thankful for my meager apartment and cramped room. I am grateful that I have clothes to wear, including my cowboy boots. I am pleased that my house is warm when the weather outside has other plans. I am grateful for my 5 pound bag of pretzels and chocolate milk that sustain somehow my life.

Breaking from philosophy and entering practicality: In considering a shelter Dave Ramsey counsels to spend no more than 25% of your monthly take home pay on your monthly home payments. Also, providing at least 20% in down payment on a 15 year loan will allow you the most flexibility if you need to immediately sale the home.

Thrift, industry, economy and frugality are traits that I seek. At present time I think I’m running about 50/50 on most of them. Hopefully my kids someday will be able to learn these from their bearded father.

Finally, I’m grateful for my agency. I needn’t choose simplicity because that’s what I was advised to do. Rather, I choose simplicity because I can conceive of its benefits in a busy and rushed world.

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Thoughts taken from Let Him Do It with Simplicity, a talk by Elder L. Tom Perry in the October 2008 LDS General Conference.

Reports, Walk The Talk

The Apple Pie Challenge

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The History

So I was up last Sunday and my friend Arden popped online and we started chatting. We both recalled how great it had been to be really involved in the scriptures on a daily basis. So, without much hesitation we both agreed to a challenge of sorts that would help us in our daily reading.

The next morning I woke up and began to read my Book of Mormon and felt that I had some other friends that also could benefit from stepping it up a little in the Word of God department. So, over the next hour or so I texted many of my friends to invite them to to join me in what I called the Apple Pie Challenge.

Now some didn’t quite understand what the whole thing had to do with apple pie, and to them I apologize. Here’s what that’s all about:

I had a friend recently start reading the Book of Mormon again after a time of famine. He ate it up and said it was like home made apple pie. The Lord told us to “feast upon the word” so I thought that was a rather appropriate metaphor.

The Challenge

The Apple Pie Challenge then was to feast 30 minutes each day on the Book of Mormon for a week’s time. I asked all who accepted the challenge to report to me via text message when the day’s readings were complete and I would do the same for them. This daily reporting I learned served two purposes: 1) It was a reminder of the committment I had made and 2) It was a way to be accountable for it. I also invited those who joined to invite at least one other to join in with them.

Some Group Results

By week’s end 38 friends had joined in the challenge to step up. Reports came in throughout the week of simple, yet powerful and personal experiences. Several friends expressed a clarity that became available in the midst of their trials as they spent just a short time with their Father in Heaven daily. Many also expressed that when began it was boring or hard to get into, but as they continued in faith a change happened and they started to hunger for the word.

My Personal Blessings

While each of our experiences were very personal and sacred to us individually, I feel that I can share at least 3 benefits I received this week from studying the Book of Mormon on a consistent basis:

  1. I was given strength to face feelings of anxiety and frustration.
  2. I was able to see my situations more clearly and my tendency to be easily distracted was lessened.
  3. I felt more motivated to choose the right in the midst of the temptations I face daily.

This coming week I realize that I cannot take for granted these blessings. They are too important to me to proudly claim that I am the source of their origination. I will feast again as before, but I will also add a prayer to the routine both before and after I read.

My Invitation to You

I invite all to join me! If you’re in, just text me, “I’m in!” (361-5002) and I’ll report to you daily when I finish and expect you to do the same. We will be having a real life apple pie party in the next couple weeks to celebrate those who take the challenge and step up.

Goals, Reports, Utterz

I’ve Been Sky Diving…

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It could have come to mind at any time in my life I guess, but turning 30 just seemed like the right time to make it real.

I had been telling people about my plans for perhaps six months at this point and had several express interest in going with me. So when I finally put out the invitation and the date spots filled up quickly.

When I announced that I was actually going I had many people say, “I hope you don’t die!” or something to that affect. However, I think it’s rather interesting that I never hear that when I tell them I’m heading off to work, in my car, on the road, with other drivers. I mean, we saw two accidents on the freeway on our way up to Ogden that morning. Anyhow, I’d really like to see some stats that show skydiving is inherently more dangerous than driving.

When we arrived we took a very small lesson, perhaps 5 minutes, I thought it’d be much longer than that. Then we split up into four dive teams and the first team tossed on some colorful jumpsuits and strapped on their harnesses.

The first team went up, but due to unsafe weather conditions came down and we weren’t sure if we’d be jumping that day. We waited, played some cards and after about an hour all the rain and foreboding clouds removed themselves from the sky. I think perhaps it was due to Pam’s extreme excitement and countless prayers offered up in our party’s behalf. She wasn’t going to leave without having jumped!

There were several very nervous people jumping with us that day and they all had a great time! I was strangely calm considering we were going to be falling from 13k feet above the ground. In all honesty I did get a little scared. It happened when we were up high and my tandem buddy started tightening the straps, the video jumpers started putting on their helmets and I started to get pushed closer to the open door of the plane.

Once I jumped however, after a split second of adjusting to the fall, I just felt like I was floating, like I was just leaning against a large gust of wind. And perhaps thanks to some showing off for the camera I had lost the fear that just moments before was giving me the shakes.

We free fell for about a minute and then Sugi pulled the ripcord. I did wonder what would happen if my tandem buddy would have been unable to pull it for whatever reason. Once the chute was pulled we did some turns and that’s when I felt the roller-coaster sensation in my stomach. Pretty fun.

All in all, had a blast. Compared to rock climbing my first time though…didn’t hold a candle, though it was good for a little bit of variety. If you’re looking for thrills, perhaps you should go to a theme park. However, if you’re looking to conquer your fear of heights, skydiving is a good option for you. It happened very quickly, but nevertheless a fun experience. It was kind of like the Indiana Jones ride at Disney Land, very good, but altogether over too quickly.

Dangerous? Yeah, probably. Worth it? Most likely. I’d suggest it to anyone who’s thought of doing it but has been scared. Get a group of good friends and do it.

Here’s some audios & pics of me and the group before and after the jump:

I had a neat experience that day as we were driving home and some soft classical music played on the radio. I felt a peace that I can only say I’ve felt most often in the temple. I was going to say something to those in the car, but for some reason I felt alright just enjoying it. It was a beautiful contrast from the feeling of just having accomplished a life goal.

Questions, Self Discovery, Words

The Confident Little Grasshopper

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There was once a little grasshopper who liked to rest in the path where humans walk. Sure there were other places to contemplate life and bask in the warmth of the sun, but he liked this place best.

Occasionally a human would walk by and with the quickness the grasshopper had come to pride himself on, he would hop out of the danger’s way. However, once the trouble was gone he would always return to the path where the humans walk.

After this the little grasshopper’s first encounter with a human he considered briefly finding a safer place to rest from the troubles of the day. But just as speedily as that thought had come, he also had another, and then another. They went something like this:

“The danger is gone now. You needn’t worry. You can now return to your favorite spot on the path where humans walk. Besides, it was quite some time before you ever saw even one human and when you did, you were quick to remove yourself from danger. If danger comes again, I am able. No harm will come to me.”

So return he did to his favorite spot where humans walk and continued to bask in the sun’s warmth.

After a few times of being called to alarm by the presence of a human walking by and one close call, the grasshopper had enjoyed some time without any cause for worry. Smiling at this newly experienced peace from danger’s threat, the little insect grew very accustomed to life on the path where humans once walked.

Time passed and the grasshopper forgot what it was like to move for danger. He grew tired one sunny morning and without warning, as is often the case when one is careful to not make a sound, a lone human strolled down the path where the grasshopper lay slumbering.

Without attention to the tiny life on the path the human walked where it was taught to walk and without even noticing, stepped on the little grasshopper and on its way it went.

Now friends, the life of the tiny grasshopper may be gone, but yours is not. What paths that now seem safe to you will one day bring danger? Where do you now slumber and what strengths do you use to justify that that sleep? Be careful to give attention to the tale of the confident grasshopper.