The Greatest Revolution

"My father was a soldier in Mao's army."

• Marshall Ding
  

The Greatest Revolution

I was sitting at a table in a large, beautiful house in Holladay, Utah. Holladay is an upscale neighborhood in the Salt Lake City area; I was in the same neighborhood where at least one NBA player lives. In fact, the player's back yard shares a fence with the yard of the house in which I was sitting. The owner of the house was sitting across the table from me and I was getting to know him.

He's Chinese. I knew that. I could tell that he wasn't "Chinese American" because of his accent. He wasn't speaking Native American English. But the English he was speaking was very good and I could tell he'd been in the United States for a long time. I just didn't know how long yet.

I also knew he'd been in the USA for quite a while because his son was sitting not far from us. His manner was American. His dress was American. He was a typical American Teenager; his eyes rarely left the floor and he didn't say much. He was getting ready to have a bit-to-eat and then study.

I was studying his father. I listened to what he was saying. I was dazzled by his story.

He had come to the United States at the age of 27, just after he completed Chinese Medical School. He was skilled in the arts of natural healing. He has a medical practice in the Salt Lake Area. He has done well for himself.

"I'm living the American Dream," he said to me.

"My father was a soldier in Mao's army. I came here because I wanted to be free to pursue my dreams. I wanted my children to grow up here. I've done well."

"The thing is," he paused for a moment.

"The thing is, all you have to do is work hard, save your money, and make good decisions. That's all I've done. It's what all of the immigrants I know do. I've talked with immigrants from Russia and all over Eastern Europe. There are a lot of them here. They all ask me the same question, "Why don't the people who live here get it?"

"Get what?" I replied.

"Why don't they understand what the American Dream means?" He said. "My father fought for his dream and that's why I've been able to get a good education and provide well for my family. He, along with the others he fought with, believed that revolution meant that you could never stop changing and learning. You have to continue to work to become the best person you can be."

I could tell he felt very deeply about what he was saying to me. His words sank deep into my heart. I can still hear them vibrating throughout my body. They're repeating themselves within me as, "My personal revolution means that I can never stop changing and learning. I must continue to work to become the best person I can be."

After all, that's the greatest revolution. It's the greatest discovery: You and I can change our circumstances by what we think, do and then achieve. So join the personal revolution, reach within yourself and discover your ability to create a wonderful future again and again.

Have Your Ice Cream and Eat it Too

"He died at ninety-two, about a week after he got his diploma"

• Brent Sutherland
  

Have Your Ice Cream and Eat it Too

When I was in college I discovered an ice cream parlor that had the best ice cream I'd ever had. It was famous, iconic business on 2100 South Street in Salt Lake City called Snelgrove's. Everyone in town knew about it and recognized its huge ice cream cone sign as marking a place where you would receive superb service and exquisite ice cream made with the best ingredients available from family recipes.

It was created in 1928 by the Snelgrove family and by the time I discovered it, the business was moving into its third generation. But Laird Snelgrove, its second generation steward, was still actively involved in the day to day business. He knew every detail of the operation and treated every person working with him as a member of the family. And, he knew what "family" meant.

As a young man Laird enrolled in college at Utah State University. While he was in Logan studying, his father, the founder of Snelgrove's Ice Cream, called him home because he needed him to help run the business. And, without hesitation, Laird returned home and threw himself into the business.

He learned all he could learn from his father and worked tirelessly. By the time his father passed away Laird knew the business inside and out and had developed relationships with all of its customers. The business was a major part of his life, but it wasn't his whole life. He had made a commitment to himself to finish college so pressed on to get his degree.

Every small business owner knows how much time and effort is required to maintain and grow a business and Laird's commitment to complete college was tested. He took classes when he could, grew his business, raised his family and became an icon in his community. He never retired from his role in any of these areas of his life.

In fact, when he was ninety-two years old he completed his college degree at Brigham Young University to become the oldest graduate in school history! When he attended commencement he didn't attend alone. He was surrounded by his wife, children, grandchildren, business associates, employees and friends. He was surrounded by all the people in his life that he'd been teaching and mentoring over many years.

His graduation is the perfect example of how a person is a student and a teacher throughout life. His graduation is the perfect example what it means to be dedicated to personal dreams and goals while focusing on the important relationships in life.

So, if you've ever gotten to the point where you feel as if you're too old or too busy to do what you want with your life, don't give up. Just stop of a minute and remember that Laird Snelgrove received his college degree at ninety-two, spent the following week giving advice to his employees and then passed away having been true to himself and his family. Who said you can't have your cake; I mean ice cream and eat it too?

Compounding Steps

"I do a lot, but it doesn't seem to amount to much."

• Marv Shafer
  

Compounding Steps

It's easy to forget. Sometimes I need photographs to nudge my memory. I stare at the photo wall in my house and see images of what was hanging there. There are three little girls covered in bubbles sitting joyfully together in a big jetted tub, all giggling. Now, these same girls would be hard pressed to sit in the same small tub! Same girls, same tub, but a lot of water has passed through the tub since that photo was taken.

I look at the photo again and wonder when those little girls grew up. I know they did because I can see the change, but I don't remember them turning to women over night! That's the way it feels.

I look across another room and see my friend Marv talking. "I do a lot, but it doesn't seem to amount to much," He says.

My mind passes through a portal where I see my first daughter beginning to take her first steps. I feel the warm rush of memory envelope my entire body as I reengage with the excitement of her first small steps. She did a lot and those steps didn't really amount to much, but the excitement I felt was genuine. I knew it was the dawn of great progress.

Her progress came step by step, bump by bump. What I tend to forget is that before she could walk easily without falling down she crashed a lot. She also got up a lot. Now, after many years, she gets up easily and rarely falls down and when I watch her now, it's easy to forget those first small steps.

Why is it that we can't remember the importance of first steps? Why don't we allow ourselves to be impressed with the small steps we continually take each day? Why do we think we should be able to take one small step today and then run a marathon tomorrow? When I break a marathon down into pieces it's plain to see that it's only completed after a huge number of small steps, not one twenty-six mile step. I don't know of anyone who can take one step like that!

I'm sure you don't know anyone who can take one step that big either! So, perhaps you can give yourself permission to be a small child again. Take one step and then allow yourself to be impressed! Know that you'll fall down. Know that you'll receive some bumps and bruises along the way. Also know that if you just keep getting up and taking more steps you'll get where you want to be. It simply takes time and continued effort.

I know that the time it takes to reach your desired destination is sometimes hard to deal with because it's easy to forget where you came from. I'm sure you're like me and need to give your memory a little nudge from time to time. You need to be able to see the progress you've made.

Photographs are a great tool for this. I have a couple of photos that really help me when I feel stuck. They're old photos of me as a young child. When I don't think what I've done amounts to much, I pull those aged photos out and look at them. They allow me to see the truth.

I've grown and accomplished a lot. You have too, so don't be fooled! Look at your aged photos and then feel the warmth of remembered accomplishments rush through your body again and again. It'll get you excited for your next first steps!

Crackling Crust and Soft Center

"I have more friends than I ever imagined I had."

• Ken Smith
  

Crackling Crust and Soft Center

To most people my friend Ken Smith doesn't appear to be an emotional or soft hearted man. In fact, I'm sure most people would refer to him as a crusty old man. And, I can see why they would think that about him. At first glance he's a little gruff and hard around the edges. But I know him a little more than most, so I sort of think of him as if he's the perfect dinner roll.

You know the ones I mean, they have a hard, crisp crust that crackles at the twist of your hand or the bit of your teeth and then start to melt in your mouth while revealing a soft moist center? I know some people that don't like that hard kind of roll and I've never quite understood why. I guess they just don't like the rigid crust. They find it just too hard. But to me such rolls are the perfect mix of contrasting textures and delicate tongue tickling taste.

That's the way I feel about Ken too. I kind of like his hard exterior and I'm really enjoying getting to know his soft, moist center. I first got a deeper look at his soft center when his wife passed away earlier this year. Ken looked at me with tears in his eyes and expressed his loneliness after being married to her for more than fifty years. And then, just recently, I saw more depth in him when I came to his home just to visit with him.

It was then that he told me about stepping off a stair into his back yard and he heard a sound "like a rifle shot." He immediately found himself on the ground unable to get up because his leg had broken and collapsed beneath him. Now, after surgery, he was healing well and is getting around with a rod through his bone and a cane in his hand.

"My neighbor came over when my leg broke and called for an ambulance. Then she came and cooked me dinner every night until I could get around on my own. Other people came and did my laundry and cleaned my house." He said.

"I have more friends than I ever imagined I had." He choked out, as tears welled up in his eyes and then spilled down his wrinkled cheeks.

Here's another example of his soft center, I thought as his words trickled into my ears. He was also revealing the soft center of many people around him and how their actions were an expression of their love. My offering was to simply visit and spend more time getting to know more about his life; more about who he really is. People are always a lot more than they appear to be on the outside.

All people have gone through innumerable experiences and offer a very particular window into the infinity that is life. So, give yourself an astonishing view today. Look around and find someone who is a little crusty on the outside, who is feeling lonely or could just use a visit from a friendly face and sit with them for a while. Then, enjoy the crackle as you begin to discover their soft center and build a lasting friendship that you'll both savor for a long time to come.

Focus on Essentials

"I looked at my family in the car and knew that I had everything that was most important with me."

• Michael Keene
  

Focus on Essentials

I was listening to the news on the radio in the background. You know, listening, not hearing. It was more background noise than anything else. Then, I felt something click in my mind and I began to hear every word in great detail. There was a devastating fire in and around the town of Herriman.

Herriman is a small town in South West Salt Lake County, Utah. When I hear of happenings in Herriman my ears are usually attracted because I have family roots there. My family founded this town more than one-hundred-fifty years ago now. It was a harsh environment then; little water, few trees, and lots of wind. When they arrived, they were so poor that they lived in "dug-out" caves on the banks of the Jordan River. But, they had faith in the future and worked hard. Today it is a thriving suburb of Salt Lake City.

There is rarely big news coming from Herriman, but this day was different. A spark had caused a fire to start in the tall, dry grass that had grown during the long hot summer. And, speedy, hot winds were blowing from the southern desert to fan the flames while blowing them toward nearby homes. Thousands of homes were being threatened and evacuation orders were initiated.

With this in mind, I thought of my friend Michael Keene and his family. I knew they were living in the area and thought they might be affected. I reached for my phone and touched it to see if I could reach Michael. Luckily, I was able to speak with him within a few minutes.

I asked Michael if he was O.K. He replied, "Yes. It was scary when we had to evacuate, but we got out. As we were driving out of town we came to a check point where I saw a woman speaking to police, trying desperately to get to her house so she could gather up her family. It was then that I looked at my wife and daughter in the car and knew that I had everything of importance with me."

I've thought a lot about what Michael said to me that day. I've reflected on it again and again realizing that I tend to get caught up in the speed of life. I fill my schedule to over flowing, trying to make one more phone call, get one more task completed and keep it all going, "full speed ahead." Michael reminded me that all of such is just a distraction when viewed from a perfectly honed life focused on what's really important.

"All we left behind is just stuff," Michael said. "It can all be replaced. I had my family with me and that set my heart at ease."

If you'd like to live a life filled with peace of mind and happiness, follow Michael's example; focus on the essentials. If you will, you'll soon have a new spring in your step and calm in your heart.