Seth Adam Smith's Blog, page 11
July 3, 2014
Benjamin Franklin’s Priceless Penny
A penny isn’t worth much these days. In fact, if you find one on the street, it’s hardly worth the energy of bending over to pick it up. But I recently stumbled across an old, American penny whose message and meaning is probably worth more than all the gold in Fort Knox. In April of 1787, the…
July 2, 2014
I Don’t Subscribe To Fear
In the wake of recent headlines (and the strong reactions to them), it’s hard not to get discouraged about the world. Violent entertainment, gangs, pollution, pornography, rampant drug abuse, never-ending wars, and political and civil unrest are but a small sampling of just how ugly things are. To be completely honest, I’ve often wondered if it’s morally responsible…
July 1, 2014
Successful Failures
Some time ago, I had the chance to interview, Lindsay Hadley, a personal friend, and a rockstar in the non-profit world. In the interview, Lindsay shared with me some of her insights on how to find success in “failures.” I met Lindsay Hadley in 2011 and was immediately impressed by her drive and humble confidence. She…
June 30, 2014
The Eyes Are Useless When The Mind Is Blind
Not long ago, I shared this quote on my Facebook fanpage: “The eyes are useless when the mind is blind.” My friend Nate, an incredibly brilliant medical researcher, wrote this comment: “The human eye only sees a very small amount of light in the Light/EMR spectrum. Much, much less than even 1%. These include Gamma…
June 29, 2014
Four Paintings That Teach Powerful Lessons About Life
In 1842, American artist Thomas Cole created a series of allegorical paintings entitled: The Voyage of Life. These symbolic images are, without a doubt, my favorite paintings—for they have taught me some of the most valuable lessons about life. But before I get into that, please watch the video below. It gives an excellent overview of the four paintings. The first painting, Childhood,…
June 27, 2014
The Sistas in Zion | Hilarity Never Faileth
Last year, I had the chance to sit down and interview Tamu Smith and Zandra Vranes, creators of the website Sistas in Zion, and authors of the book Diary of Two Mad Black Mormons. In this five minute video, the Sistas share their beliefs, talk about what kind of music Elder Holland listens to, and…
June 26, 2014
An AMAZING Story of Adoption
For a number of reasons, adoption has become a very personal, and very tender issue for me. In 2012, I interviewed my friend Tamra Dawn Hyde—a birth mother and a strong advocate of adoption. During the interview, she shared her amazing and beautiful story of adoption. Since publishing the video, it has received over 30,000 views around the…
June 23, 2014
Addiction and a Modern-day Prodigal Son
I want you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Cam Roberts—he’s a modern-day prodigal son and his story will change your life. A former drug addict with a crippling, twelve-year addiction to meth, Cam has come a long way down the road of recovery. In fact, his recovery story—and the unconditional love…
10 Books That Will Change Your Life For The Better
If you want to change your body you change what you eat and how you exercise. If you want to change your outlook on life you change what you read and put it into practice. Listed below are ten inspiring and positive books. Unless you are determined to be miserable (which, strangely enough, some people are)…
