cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Lloyd and Luana Warner, Diane Cluff, Maxine Shirts, and Sherri Nelson.
"I'm leaving in a few minutes to drive to Dallas, and so this week's Thoughtlet is guaranteed to be short. After an altercation with Matt yesterday after his campout at Lake Summerville, and his subsequent choice to `punish` Andrea and me by staying home from church today, I wrote out a self test for each of us. It can be expanded from this beginning ad infinitum, and I encourage each of us to build our own version, relative to where we are at, and to review where we stand on a regular basis. This need have nothing to do with church, nor work, rather it has to do with being a human being. Simply go down each item, check which of the two bipolar concepts you are closest to (../9709.html), and sum your total in each column at the end:
| 001 | Afraid | Secure |
| 002 | Alone | Friends |
| 003 | Angry | Happy |
| 004 | Arguing | Peacemaker |
| 005 | Avoid Homework | Studying |
| 006 | Bickering | Submissive |
| 007 | Complaining | Building Up |
| 008 | Controlling | Enabling |
| 009 | Discouraged | Encouraged |
| 010 | Disobedient | Obedient |
| 011 | Disruptive | Asking Thought Out Questions |
| 012 | Distracted | Involved |
| 013 | Divisive | Unity |
| 014 | Double Minded | Single Minded |
| 015 | Escapist | Involved |
| 016 | Hate | Love |
| 017 | Impatient | Patient |
| 018 | Judgemental | Forgiving |
| 019 | Manipulative | Go With Flow |
| 020 | Me First | Family First |
| 021 | Negative | Positive |
| 022 | Pain | Comfort |
| 023 | Pesimistic | Optimistic |
| 024 | Quarrel | Discuss |
| 025 | Secretive | Open |
| 026 | Selfish | Giving |
| 027 | Taking | Sharing |
| 028 | Talking Back | Doing Chores Willingly |
| 029 | Unthankful | Thankful |
In my quick pass through, after typing this out, I came out with 9 on the left and 15 on the right. There are many ways to look at this self test. It could be viewed as unfair because this bipolar list is weighted towards my values and my age. It could be viewed that my 55% (15 out of 29) is failing. It could be viewed that there are so many attributes missing that it is meaningless.
So, once again, I ask for feedback. Each of you take the test for me, and give me a number in the left column and a number in the right column, or if you prefer give me your view of me line by line, and I will share what results I get back in next week's Thoughtlet. If there are other concepts you feel are blatently missing from my list, send me those and I will publish them also. And if you are willing to judge me, I hope you will take the time to look at yourself, and that in the process you will become a better person by learning to give yourself a simple self test on a regular basis.
As far as my week, it was busy, and not all that productive. I have signed papers with Continuum Resources selling my 191,612 shares of stock for 6 cents per share, of which 3% goes to Ron Burgerner and 8.5% goes to Keith Rawlinson. Quite a different story than if the shares were sold for $10. or $20. or $100. each. Oh well! Since Continuum will be staying in business, and on a separate negotiation, I was able to get a commitment for Continuum to support Dynamic and the things we are doing. I hope to show some results from this negotiation in some of the near future Thoughtlets. I also renegotiated my arrangement with II&T and hope to see this reduced to writing next week. My big meeting of the week with Devon was posponed a week until this next Tuesday. The Relief Society had a special meeting on wills and getting our personal affairs in order in case there is a tragedy and one or both of us died. Good material, and we are certainly not very well prepared. I went out with the missionaries on Thursday evening, and we had two good discussions with folks on their doorsteps. And other than that I spent my time building web pages to sell a partnership with The Meridian Resources Exploration Company (http://www.walden3d.com/TMRX), pulling together examples for my talk on the 28th of November to the Houston Geological Society, and putting together examples for the meeting with The Rudman Partnership on Monday. Choir was ok yesterday. The video we saw in Sunday School was particularly good (Sara, it refers to the church in Czechoslovakia, and since you are bringing your friend from there to Thanksgiving, if you tell me you are interested, I will talk to Sister Pickerd and see if we can borrow the video tape). Melanie, I was pleased to get your fancy graduation announcement, and I will call you about logistics.
All in all, I'd say it is safe to sum up this week, like all other weeks, as a self test. Hope you passed your self test."