By Shanon Brooks Contributing Author - James Malmstrom, Monticello College Faculty CHOMRONG VILLAGE, Nepal – 2011 – I was sitting in the courtyard of Chomrong Cottage, a charming lodge and the second stop of a 10-day trek into the Annapurna mountain range. The towering snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the distance guarded the gateway to our … [Read more...]
Freedom from Stupid People
October 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Kevin Mogavero I read a great quote the other day that I will share with you here. Unfortunately I have not been able to track down the source of the quote. If you know where it has come from, please share it with me… In any case, here goes: “Freedom from keeping selfishness in check = Not freedom.” I’m just going to go ahead and add … [Read more...]
Property and Freedom
September 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille We can learn a lot about freedom by understanding how Marx wanted to establish communism. One of his ten planks of establishing communism was this: 1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes… Take away property and you take away freedom. If a man or woman cannot own land, a … [Read more...]
Quitters, Campers, & Climbers
September 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Orrin Woodward In the journey of life, a person has three choices before him. Does he quit, camp or climb? The answer to this question directs the rest of his outcomes. Here is a portion of my new book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. Which of the three choices have you picked? Sincerely, Orrin Woodward Doctor Paul Stoltz … [Read more...]
What My Dad Taught Me About Legitimate Pain
September 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
My dad has been gone for 21 years. That’s nearly half my life, yet sometimes it seems like an eye-blink. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve encountered him in my dreams and seized precious moments to say what needed to be said only to wake up to the reality of his absence. One of the greatest lessons my dad taught me during his short 56 … [Read more...]
Article V: A Potential Path to Restore State Sovereignty & Citizen Responsibility
September 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Shanon Brooks According to Article V of the U.S. Constitution, a Constitutional Convention could be activated by the application of at least 34 states. There are two strongly-held opinions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of such a convention. One purports that such a move would likely put the nation and her 224 year-old charter in … [Read more...]
Do These Shackles Make Me Look Fat?
September 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Humans tend to remain oblivious to all but the most tumultuous changes. Few of us notice the first few pounds we’ve put on. It’s not until our clothing becomes obviously and uncomfortably tight that we suspect something is amiss. Even then few are willing to step on a scale to confirm the suspected weight gain and fewer still are willing to … [Read more...]
Named Must Your Fear Be, Before Banish It You Can
September 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Kevin Mogavero “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.” ~ Yoda Ya’ gotta love Yoda! The thing I love most about this particular quote is that he ends the sentence with, “you can.” Which is a pretty powerful assumption – that you can banish your fear. It’s pretty amazing that banishing our fears and achieving our dreams can be … [Read more...]
LIFE Adversity Quotient
August 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Orrin Woodward Adversity Quotient (AQ) is the ability to persevere through numerous setbacks in order to achieve one’s dreams. Everyone has the ability to develop AQ, but winners through purpose, vision, and perseverance develop it, while the rest do not. The LIFE community is a great way to start learning AQ. Here is a portion of the … [Read more...]
The Party System’s Newest Flaw
August 26, 2011 by 1 Comment
By Oliver DeMille I recently watched a televised debate on whether America’s two-party system is making our nation ungovernable. During the debate, New York Times columnist David Brooks said something fascinating. He mentioned that political scientists keep track of how much cooperation there is between the two parties in Congress, and … [Read more...]
