Positive Thinking Book: Silver Boxes

Silver Boxes: The Gift of Encouragement by Florence Littauer, Word Publishing, Dallas, 1989.
This is a fascinating book about treating others with kindness.  What she says is that our "words should be like silver boxes with bows on top."  That is the basic philosophy.  She adds a personality assessment, to give some warning that we are not all the same, and sometimes, with our different natures, we may offend someone without realizing it.  She talks of four personality types:
Sanguine the popular person, Choleric the powerful person, Melancholy the perfect person and Phlegmatic the peaceful person.  We can have strengths and or weaknesses in these areas.  All personality types are important.  There are some who have a combination.  We are all unique.

Silver Boxes was put into a poem for this book.  The poem summarizes the theme.

Book Review: Outliers: The Story of Success

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, Back Bay Books, New York, 2008.

What things go into making someone successful?  This book offers a different take of this question.

This is a different positive thinking book than any I have found.  The bottom line of this book is that the reasons for someone to be successful can be illusive; however he did say 10,000 hours is key.  Those who have become successful have spent 10,000 hours perfecting what they do, whether it is computers, or a sport, or music, or lawyering.  It takes time for those success thoughts to rise to the top.  However it says sometimes the thing that gives us those hours can be by chance, the year we were born, the month you were born, your way of getting experience etc.  It also sounds like he takes President Obama's opinion, "You didn't build that."  So in the end, I don't know what to think of this book.  Although the story of the Beatles and Bill Gates were very interesting.  I also like the bit about the Chinese and hard work.

Positive Thinking Book: Ask...(LIfe's Most Important Answers Are Found in Asking the Right Questions)

This little book has a long title.  It goes on to ask 244 questions for an individual to make sure their thinking is on the right track.  It divides the questions into three sections:  Looking Inward, Looking Outward and Looking Upward.  Looking inward explores our self talk.  Do we ask ourselves the right questions so as to be ready to step out when opportunity comes?  Looking outward concerns our relationships with others.  Looking upward concerns our relationship with God.  Is prayer a regular habit? Are we Grateful?  Do we do what God asks?  Are we willing to ask, How can I help you God?
A very good book and can be reread to seek further inspiration.  It is written by John L. Mason.

Mormon Movie Review: The Mail Box

This is a classic BYU Movie made for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It shows Lethe, a widow, living in her house alone.  The highlight of her day is to walk to her mailbox and wait for letter from her three children.  But they never come.  Even a bill is better than nothing.  She does have association with her neighbors, five-year-old Rachel and her mother.  But that is not adequate because they are always having to go home.  Lethe makes cookies for cookie day, and Rachel comes by to eat them.  She is getting up in year, her husband leaving her a widow long ago.  The most poignant line is "I am so lonely."  It really touches you.
Now the movie was made to help us not forget our older parents and grandparents.  It is easy to do while we go about our daily lives.  Life is so busy at times, there is hardly time to do anything else.  But just the same, we cannot forget those who have given us so much.  As Lethe points out, a letter is so much better than a phone call, because you can read it over and over, and make it last.
My mother is now the age of Lethe.  We have been struggling with what do do.  She so much wants to be independent; but she isn'e any more.  She has been losing her memory.  Some days are better than others, but most are pretty bad.  My sister, Connie, who still lives in Cache Valley, visits her daily.  She ends up with the greatest responsibility.  We would have her come and live with us, but she does not want to.  She likes her home, even though most of her friends have passed away or moved on.
This movie is excellent to get one's priorities in line.  I highly recommend it, but not too often.  It left me very emotional.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1srLpGaXsBU&noredirect=1

Movie Night: ***** Hoosiers

Hoosiers is one of my favorite shows.  It came out in 1986.  It is a movie about a small town basketball team.  It is fictional, but loosely based on the story of Milan High School, 1952 and their state championship run.  In small towns, basketball can be the only show in town, and is followed by everyone.  At the same time, a person's whole life can be tied up with those few years of their high school playing years.  Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) is coming back to the coaching profession, after a twelve year hiatus.  His last coaching was at the university level, and he was suspended for punching one of his players.  He had spent ten years in the navy.  He teaches fundamentals, starting with basics, and insisting the players follow what he says.  However, by the end of the year, he is listening to the opinion of his players, but is still the coach.  Dennis Hooper was nominated in a supportive role for his role as the assistant coach, Shooter.  His son plays on the team.  He has a drinking problem.  Even so he assists.  The pressure gets to him and he relapses.  He is in the hospital as the team plays for the state championship.  Shooter's reaction to the game as he listens on the radio are just classic.  I highly recommend this movie.

Book Review: The Go-Getter: A Story that Tells You How to Be One

This book was written by Peter B. Kyne and published in 1921.
This is an old book, but its message is timeless.  It tells the story of William Peck, a discharged private form the military who lost an arm, and had one leg shortened while serving curing WWI.  However he says he can sell anything, and now that he is finally out of the hospital, he calls for his job at Pacific Coast Lumber.  He goes over the head of the managers, to the owner, who can’t turn him away.  However, much more important than this, Cappy Ricks, the owner is looking for a leader who can take over shipping operations in Shanghai.  It is interesting to note that on the day he was hired, he shares with Mr. Ricks his business card, which would have taken a couple days to print in those days.  He decides to get right to work: 
“Count that day lost whose low descending sun
Finds prices shot to glory and business done for fun.”

He quickly proves his worth as a salesman, but then Cappy has greater plans for him, and proposes the test of the “blue vase.”  This is in exercise where the individual is given and impossible task, if he completes it he will be offered a high paying job.  The task is to purchase a vase on Sunday, and bring it to Mr. Ricks.  The instructions are vague, and purposefully slow.  Additionally it is impossible to get a hold of the store own or manager.  His leg hurts, and his amputated hand itches, but he eventually gets the vase for $2000.  He doesn’t meet the train at the agreed upon time, but overtakes it before it arrives at its destination.  He explains why he completed the task, even though it seemed impossible.  His commander in the services had a motto, “It shall be done.”  It is that attitude and kept him going to surpass the odds against him.  “It shall be done.”  How many of us could use such a motto in our own lives.

Movie Review: ***^Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

This is an early Andrew Loyd Webber Tim Rice.  This theatrical movie features Donny Osmond.
This is Andrew Lloyd Webber's first musical performed, which he wrote while he was in high school.  Originally it was only 15 minutes, but has gone through much revision and expansion.  This is an operetta telling the story of Joseph.  They missed an important lesson taught by the story in the Bible, otherwise I may have given it more stars.  When Joseph is tempted by Potiphar's wife, the Bible says he got himself out.  In this version he does not get himself out but stays resisting temptation.  The movie also like to insinuate that Israel, the prophet was a philanderer because he had multiple wives.  That is not the motivation for polygamy, or at least shouldn't be.
This move does have great music.  It has period pieces not reflecting Hebrew music, but Cowboy, French etc.  This show also has Donny Osmond.  His rendition of "Close Every Door to Me" is a show stopper.  It also has the pursuit of a dream, and the reunification of a family.

Mormon Movie Review: ****Cipher in the Snow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw8_ZZviedI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGXfZFlb46U
This is a 1974 short film produced by Brigham Young University.  It is based on a story by Jean Mizer with screenplay by Carol Lynn Pearson.  It tells the story of a teenager who passes away in the snow.  As the title implies, he was a Cipher, a nothing.  The movie presents his step-father as emotionally abusive and controlling.  It makes you want to reach into the TV and slap him across the back of the head, wake up!
The author of the story, Jean Mizer, makes a commitment to herself to be on the lookout for those who sometimes fall through the cracks.  I am not a teacher, but even so, it leaves you with a desire to do better in your endeavors.  In my case the be more courteous and available for those who might call on the phone.
The original story of Jean Mizer is available here.

http://whilhelmsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/02/stories-i-like-cipher-in-snow.html