CREATIVITY

CREATIVITY - This value is something new and somehow valuable that is formed.  It can either be intangible such as an idea, a scientific theory, or a musical composition.  Or, it can tangible such as an invention, a literary work, or painting.

     Some of the most impressive innovations throughout history have come from creative minds.  Some of these amazing creative minds have been criticized, mocked at, or have been considered crazy.  It's not until later that their ideas or their creativity have become incredible advances for mankind.  It takes one idea, or a little bit different thinking to help make a difference for the whole world.  I feel that some people have great ideas, but don't turn those ideas into action.  The missing link for a lot of people is "Action".  That can be one of the most difficult tasks.  I often ask myself, "why don't some people turn their ideas or their creativity into something great?"  I think the reason falls into several categories, but one huge factor is "FEAR".  One thing that we must look past is the feeling of fear or failure.  If we have passion about something and have a creative mind, we can use that value to benefit the people around us.  

     One example of a creative mind that helped make a difference was Thomas Edison.  He was an inventor and a businessman.  He developed many devices that influenced life around the world.  He invented many things, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and the long-lasting, electric light bulb.  Here are some quotes that I love from Thomas Edison:

- "I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others.....I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent."

- "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

- "Results?  Why, man, I have gotten lots of results!  If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I                  haven't failed.  I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward."

     It doesn't need to be huge like Thomas Edison's inventions were, it can be small and still make a huge difference for people.  When I think of creative people who have made a difference in society, I think of teachers (in school, music, church, etc.), coaches, advisors, and especially one's own parents and family.

Story - I heard a story one time about a truck driver that was driving along a highway one day and was going under an overpass and his truck got stuck.  The overpass was not high enough and his trailer wouldn't budge.  After a while, they had all sorts professionals (police, architects, engineers) trying to figure out exactly what to do.  They couldn't come together on a solution that was reasonable.  On the sidelines, a little boy who had a creative mind told one of the adults there a simple solution.  The boy said, "why don't you just let out the air in the tires?"  Letting the air out of the tires allowed enough clearance to allow the semi-truck to pass under the overpass.  The engineers and the architects were amazed and embarrassed with this idea.  IT WORKED.

      The lesson is this - When you have an idea that could make a difference for someone, allow your creativity to turn into action.  Then get off your "rump" and go to work and make a difference.

COURAGE                                                                                                                                                                                        

- This value means greatness of spirit in facing danger or difficulty.  Courage suggests strength in overcoming fear and carrying on against adversity or difficulties.
     There are multiple experiences that demonstrate courage.  Usually, it is someone that overcomes the odds or doing something without knowing what the outcome is going to be.  When I think of courage, I think of doing the right thing no matter what.  Another word for that is integrity.  It is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.  It takes courage to stand up for what you believe in.  Sometimes, the world around you is doing one thing or believes one thing, and it's hard not to do the same as everyone else.  In this world of shifting values, it takes courage to stand alone and do the right thing.  
     Another example of courage is doing something that makes an impact without knowing the outcome.  When I think of our kids accepting their Dad's crazy idea of going to Tonga to serve a Dental mission, I think of courage.  They are very excited for this adventure.  I'm not sure anyone of us understands the impact that the Tongan people are going to have on us and the experience we have being there.  I very much appreciate Heidi and the kids having the courage to go and serve and forget themselves and think of others.  There will be some bumps in the road, and there will be some struggles, but I know that having courage will help each of us overcome any hurdles that might come our way.
     I feel that the Tongan people have great courage to overcome the obstacles that they have.  They don't have a whole lot as far as monetary means, but they have everything when it comes to family and happiness.  This is where I want to put my focus when we are with the Tongan people.  Sometimes, when we have very little, that is when we are the happiest.  It takes courage to keep going when you don't know when your next meal is, or if you can provide for your family, or a storm wipes out your livelihood.  When we are among the people of Tonga, I will be looking for those people that practice the value of "Courage", and try to teach that to our children.

Personal Story - 
      In our Dental Practice, we have several patients that are considered "Refugees".  A refugee is someone that has to leave their home because of persecution, war, or some natural disaster.  Some of those patients (friends) have been through a lot and it has taken great courage to leave their home in search of a better life.  A couple weeks ago, we had a patient tell us about her story of being a refugee.  She had to leave her home because of war and escape to Moscow Russia.  She lived in Moscow for about 8 years before they were allowed to come to the United States of America.  While her and her family were escaping their war torn country, they had to hide in the benches of the train for fear that they would be caught.  Can you imagine leaving your home, hiding in tight spaces, and having fear that you could lose your life at any moment?  When she arrived in the United States, she was a young teenager and didn't know English and was in a foreign place (Twin Falls of all places).  It took a while to have some friends encircle her, support her, and help her learn the language, the culture, and how to live in America.  I don't know the whole story, but I do know that it took great courage to fight for what they wanted and to make a better life for themselves and their family.  This woman now lives in Twin Falls and serves all the people around her and helps to make a difference.  
     I feel that all of us have to overcome things in our lives by having courage.  For some, it may be small.  Others, they have larger things that they have to overcome.  The point is, when life gives you hurdles, have the courage to jump over them, learn from them, and then help others to do the same.
           

COMMUNICATION -
     This value is defined as the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.
     This value is one of the most important and often most difficult of all the values.  I have found in my life that if you can master the art of communication, you can relate very well with the different personalities and different situations.  In my mind, communication is everything!  If a person can master communication with their family, friends, and associates, then they can have a great influence in their lives and others around them.  
     We all know there are different forms of communication.  There are the words we speak which can have a powerful influence (for good or bad).  Words we say can build people up for good or tear people down.  Words are one of the most powerful tools that we have in our world today.  They can inspire and motivate people to make a change or to continue to do their best.  How we approach situations, how we react, and what we SAY will dictate what happens into the future.  It's not always easy to say the right things at the right time.  But, if one continues to learn and make an effort, one can master the art of communication.  The desire has to be there.  There are some that are given the "gift of communication" and know what to say and how to say it at any given time.  Most of us have to make an effort and learn how to effectively communicate.
     There are 5 Habits of Highly Effective Communicators that are mentioned by Susan Tardanico about leadership and communication.
1.  Mind the say-do gap.  This is all about trust, which is the bedrock of effective leadership.  Your behavior is your single greatest mode of communication, and it must be congruent with what you say.  If your actions don't align with your words, there's trouble.
2.  Make the complex simple.  Simplicity has never been more powerful or necessary.  Effective leaders distill complex thoughts and strategies into simple, memorable terms that colleagues and customers can grasp and act upon.  Say what you mean in as few words as possible.
3.  Find your own voice.  Let your values come through in your communication.  Concentrate on being distinct and real.  People want real, not someone pretending to be someone else.
4.  Be visible.  Communicate face to face, rather than by computer or your phone.  Interact face to face.  Show people that you are engaged and care about them.
5.  Listen with your eyes as well as your ears.  Stop, look, and listen.  Good leaders know how to ask good questions, and then listen with both their eyes and ears.
     There are the non-verbal forms of communication such as body language which includes facial expression, gestures, posture, and the eyes.  These non-verbal forms are just as important and may even be more important.  What's interesting is that non-verbal forms are universal.  In going to Tonga, we don't speak their language and some of the Tongans have little ability to speak English.  But, we can communicate in a very powerful and effective way with our non-verbal forms of communication.  A SMILE can go a long way.  When you see someone smiling at you, it can be contagious.  You may not be able to talk the same language, but you can share smiles and in some way, you know exactly what is being said.  There is a lot of power in a SMILE.  
     The other non-verbal form that I want to talk about is the eyes.  When you look at someone, what is the first thing you look at?  It is usually a person's smile or their eyes.  Both the mouth and the eyes communicate powerful messages.  I love it when I see people smiling with their eyes.  You look at what their eyes are saying and you can tell that they are happy people.  I love to see the wrinkles around people's eyes because I know that they smile a lot and are optimistic, happy people.  You can tell a lot about a person in their eyes.  I love the quote from Star Wars that says, "I have lived long enough to see the same eyes in different people."  That is so true.  People that are productive, happy people have the same eyes.  It is my goal to see those eyes in our children and our grandchildren.  In the Tongan culture and the polynesian people, I see those happy and pure eyes.  I am looking forward to learning more about them as a people and the values that they hold dear to their hearts.
 Some claim that it takes 43 muscles to frown and 17 muscles to smile.  So SMILE, it's much easier!  :)  A smile is the universal language.  It's understood by ALL.  In Tonga, we will SMILE until we can start to understand the Tonga people in one way or another.

CHANGE -
     This value is defined as to make different in some particular, to replace with another, to make a shift from one to another, to give a different position, course, or direction to.
     It seems that there are just a few constants in life.  It may seem like an oxymoron, but one thing that seems to be constant in life is "Change".  There are different chapters in your life that require change and sometimes that can be difficult but rewarding.  I have found that with change, growth happens.  It may be marriage, a new child, new job, moving, etc.  Life tends to lead you into different directions all the time.  My experience has been that as you try to do the right things, the Lord will guide you as to what changes and what direction you should go.  Sometimes, you will head in one direction thinking you have a plan in place.  But then, something or someone will aim you in a different direction and "change" things up for you.  It isn't until later that you realize why things happened and why you had to go through changes to get there.  I feel that everything happens for a reason.  Change is one of those values that is constant as long as we are trying to improve ourselves and looking for ways to make a difference.  Here are a some quotes that I like about change --

"Every generation needs a new revolution."     -Thomas Jefferson-

"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change."      -Confucius-

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only things that ever has."   -Margaret Mead-

"Dissonance in the home is like darkness in a room. ... We must displace the darkness by introducing light."  -Wilford W. Andersen-

"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.  It cannot be changed without changing our thinking."  -Albert Einstein-

In going on this trip to Tonga, I am introducing "change" to our family.  This dental mission trip will definitely be a change of lifestyle, culture, people, language, atmosphere, weather, etc.  Through introducing this change to our family, my hope is that our children appreciate whatever situation they are in and understand that as long as they are doing the right things, serving others, they can be happy with whatever "change" life brings.  Change is something that we need to embrace and learn from our experiences.  As long as we are trying to perfect ourselves and move forward in a positive light, good change will come.  We are excited to see what this change is going to bring to our children and our family.

Personal Experience - 

     In my personal life, there have been a lot of different changes that I have gone through.  Many of you can relate I'm sure.  One change that really had a huge impact on me was when I left the first Dental practice that I was serving in.  I was working with another Dentist at another practice.  I had been working there for about 1.5 years.  I was enjoying my time there and was learning a lot from the other Dr.  He was a great Dr., well respected, and an amazing mentor.  We had planned on me joining the practice and buying in as a partner.  Everything seemed like it was going well and was on track.  About a 1.5 years into the practice, something was telling me not to sign on the dotted line to buy in as a partner.  I wasn't sure what it was, but everything became clear when the Doctor of the practice called me one night saying, "well, it happened".  What "happened" was an employee had embezzled over half a million dollars.  It was someone who I had trusted and had looked up to.  Both the Doctor of the practice and I had so many emotions going through our minds and hearts at the time, it's hard to describe.  It took me months to know exactly what it meant and how I was going to deal with it.  In the end, Heidi and I felt that it would be best to start "fresh" and do something else.  The Doctor of the practice was incredible and told me whatever I wanted to do, he would support.  He is such an incredible man and to this day, I consider him a great friend and mentor.  It was so hard to leave and do something else, but we felt it was best.  WELL, after I had made that decision and decided to "change", we had multiple miracles happen.  

     That is where I want to put the focus in sharing this.  Change is hard, but with change, I feel that you are lead in amazing directions that guide you to a better place.  After I decided to leave the practice, Heidi and I were praying to find where we were supposed to go.  At the time, the Twin Falls temple was being built and I would go over to the temple site during lunch and pray to know where it was that God wanted us to go.  One day, when I was driving home from the temple site, I had a huge impression that we were to stay here in Twin Falls.  I went home, told Heidi that I felt that we were meant to stay here in Twin Falls and open up our own practice.  Heidi said, "Is that hard to do?"  I said, "I don't have a clue, I've never done it before."  We dove head first into getting our practice up and going.  One miracle was that an office manager from a Specialty office came to me and offered me to start our practice up in their office.  We rented space for a year while our new building was being built and then moved in exactly one year later into the new building.  She was an angel that helped us out so much.  That angel was Andy Daily.  Another Angel was Dr. Dallin Young.  He asked us what our plans were while we were getting our practice up and going.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do for a period of about 5 months.  He offered me to come to his Pediatric practice and fill in for him.  That provided the income for our family while we were getting our practice started.
     We started Summit Dental Care in 2007.  The "financial crash" happened later that year and 2008.  When I got the loan for our practice it was right before everything happened with the recession.  If we tried to get the loan 8 months later, we would not have been able to.  What a great miracle.
     We have been blessed with so many great patients and opportunities to serve.  It is because of change that brought so many wonderful things into our lives.  Change has provided personal growth, opportunities to give to others, and blessings to our family.  Thank you for being a part of that change.

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ADVENTURE  

Adventure - an exciting or unusual experience. It may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome.
This is a value that I know we're going to experience all throughout our life.  You have to fill your life with adventure.  I feel that you have to fill your life with different and unique experiences to stretch yourself and allow yourself to grow.  Through these adventures, I feel that your self understanding grows and your self confidence is strengthened.  
Adventure comes in different forms.  It could be that you're going to College, it could be marriage, it could be your first child.  Adventure could be going somewhere that you know nothing about, but want to learn and experience more.  When one chapter of your life closes and another chapter opens, that could be considered Adventure.  Whatever your adventure is, embrace it, learn from it, and you'll be a better person because of it.  It all depends on your attitude and your willingness to ask the question, "what can I learn from this new adventure that I'm going to embark on."


Personal Experience - There have been a number of times that I have felt like my "adventures" have allowed me to grow and experience things to make me who I am today.  I have been on several camping trips, ski trips, road trips, and lived in several different areas.  I have lived in Idaho (lots of adventure there), Japan (Kobe area), and Iowa.  I have visited several states in the United States, been to Mexico, been to Ecuador, and Canada.  I have had so many adventures in all of these places.  I have learned so much about the different people, the cultures, and what makes them unique.  I am grateful for all the adventures I have had.  There is one adventure that I recall that allowed me to grow as a father and allowed my 3 oldest kids to grow.  
     We love to hike as a family and enjoy the outdoors.  There was one time that I took my 3 oldest kids on a hike to some mountain lakes called the Hansen lakes.  Logan (my son) was about 11, Makayla was 9, and Maddison was 7.  
      We had to hike about 3 miles along a well marked trail, and then hike 3 miles cross-country up a steep mountain side to the lakes.  I had never been there before, but we had heard from a friend that there was some great fishing there.  The start of the hike, we had a great time.  We were talking, singing, and having some bonding moments.  We were hiking late June and the start of the hike was beautiful and comfortable.  My 3 oldest kids had smiles on their faces and were excited to catch some great big fish. 
     After we had hiked about 3 miles, I looked at the map and decided to hike a little further before hiking cross-country.  Well, we had overshot the distance.  We had hiked too far.  We started hiking cross-country up the steep hill side.  We started getting into 3-4 feet of snow and it was slippery and really tough to hike.  In fact, there were several places where I was afraid my kids or I would fall off of some steep cliffs.  I felt like a horrible father and knew that if anything happened to the kids, Heidi (my wife) would KILL me.  The only thing that fell of the steep cliffs were my kids packs.  We had to hike down and retrieve the packs.  We continued to hike for a couple of hours and I could tell that my two little girls had had enough.  I told them that if we didn't find the lakes in another half hour, we would stop and camp right there.  At this point, we were hiking in about 4-5 feet of snow in some areas.  We were equiped and warm enough, but it was hard to hike in that deep  snow. 
     After about 40 minutes, we finally saw a creek that was coming out of the bowl that we thought would be the lake.  I showed my son and two girls where I thought the lake would be.  It gave them new hope and new energy.  We hiked for another 20 minutes and saw the lake.  The kids were so excited!  When the kids took a closer look, the lake was completely frozen over!  WHAT!!!!!  All of us were so disappointed, but we were at least glad to have made it.  We couldn't fish, but we set up camp, we told some great campfire stories, we saw a full moon, and we had a great couple of days of backcountry camping and hiking.  We played games, we ate some great food, we sang some songs, and we laughed at the situation that we were in.  We had worked so hard to get to this lake and catch some great fish, but instead, we made some great memories that will be everlasting and taught my kids some great lessons.  One of those lessons is to not trust Dad to lead you to a great fishing spot in the middle of the Stanley mountains in late June.  :)  The kids look back on this experience and laugh.  They know that they can do TOUGH things.  We ended up hiking about 8 miles each way.  When times get tough later in their lives, they know that they've done tough things in the past and they can do tough things again.
I know as we embark on this journey to Tonga to serve the people there, it will be an amazing adventure and we will learn so many great things.  It is my hope that our 5 kids will learn to have adventure, love the people that are there, and learn from them and their experiences.

                                       

ACCEPTANCE   

  This is the first of the 20 values.
Acceptance is a noun with three different meanings.
1.  Act of taking or receiving something offered.  If someone gives you a gift, you receive it.
2.  Positive welcome and belonging; favor and endorsement.
3.  Act of believing or assenting.
      It is the 2nd definition in which I want to focus.  The reason I included the picture above is because Acceptance includes diversity and inclusion.  It is a principle that everyone has heard about, but is sometimes difficult to practice.  All too often, we get too comfortable with who we choose to have our friendships with.  We choose people who have the same interests, look the same, or have a lot of the same commonalities.  We, of course have our families.  We have our Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, etc., but what about the people around us who may be a little different.  What about making a point to accept someone that may be taller, shorter, skinnier, wider, different color, etc.  I think you get my point.
     What about the person who seems they have everything going for them.  You may think that they have everything, but they may have something missing that they try to hide.  What about the person who we think is obviously missing something and seems a little strange, but really has everything.  Things aren't always as they seem.  Everyone loves to be accepted and included.  No one likes to be the outcast or considered strange or weird.
     This is a principle that we are trying to teach our children.  Everyone appreciates a kind smile, a helping hand, or uplifting words.  As we are preparing for Tonga and a culture of it's own, my hope is that all of us can give a little more effort on including people around us despite their differences.   Trying to reach out to the quiet one, or lend a helping hand to the one that is by themselves.  Not seeing people with  different skin colors, different way of doing things, or different language.  BUT, seeing people for people and finding the commonalities and building on those.  Loving others for who they really are and for what beautiful qualities they have.

Personal Experience -
      When I was about 14 years old, I was a Freshman in High School.  I had a number of friends who I thought were friends.  We did a lot of fun things together and I felt that I belonged.  As time went on, my friends were doing things that I knew were not right and I felt that I was a little trapped.  They were still good guys, but were getting into some mischief, experimenting with some drugs, and not being very productive with their time.  I didn't want to lose my sense of belonging with them and didn't want to be considered a "loner" or "loser".  I knew it was time for me to separate myself from them and their influence if I wanted to go in the direction that I wanted to go.  There are those times in our lives where we have to make tough choices.  This was such a time.  So, that's what I did, but then I found myself with "no friends".  I was hoping and praying that I could find a group where I felt like I belonged, I felt valued, and I could have a good time without compromising my values.  About 2 months went by and then a miracle happened.  A young man by the name of Taylor Kartchner came up to me and asked me what I was doing during lunch.  He invited me to come hang out with him and his group of friends.  To this day, I'm not sure what prompted him to ask me to join his group, but I am eternally grateful for his action that changed my life.  You see, this was a group of guys (about 12 of them) that loved to just have clean, good fun.  We did sports together, went on ski trips together, went hiking and camping together, teased each other about girls, had lots of fun and built many memories.  We still stay in touch and do things with our wives and kids.  It was because of Taylor and his friends ACCEPTING me that changed my life and helped make me into the person I am today.  I will forever be grateful to him for his friendship and taking action to include me.  From that experience, I have always tried to look for the one that might need just that.  I have tried to teach my kids to look for the one.  Through all of us doing that, you just might make a difference in their life, and also yours.

The last two weeks, I have been thinking and pondering about the 20 values that I would like to pick, and I have narrowed it down.  These 20 VALUES are a few of a vast list, but I feel that these are the ones that I would like to focus on, study, and write about.  The 20 VALUES are:

Acceptance
Adventure
Change
Communication
Courage
Creativity
Empathy
Faith
Family
Freedom
Gratitude
Health
Humility
Humor
Integrity
Love
Loyalty
Service
Trust
Wonder