Thank God for Mothers

By: Nathan Osmond

“The sweetest sounds to mortals given, are heard in Mother, Home and Heaven”

-- William Goldsmith Brown

Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.” It has always been cool to express one’s love to that special woman who gave you life. Have you ever noticed that when the camera is aimed at big burly professional athletes, the very first person they send a shout out to is typically who? That’s right! Their mothers!!! Who is that special woman in your life? Is she still around or has she moved on? What memories do you cherish most of the one you called mother? Have you called her up lately to tell her how much you love her? Would you if you could?

This past week, my wife has been down in Florida visiting relatives. Due to her absence, I have been forced to take on the role of “Mr. Mom.” Remember watching that classic movie starring Michael Keaton where he played the role of Mr. Mom? Yeah, that’s been me this entire week! I can now appreciate the song that my buddies from Country group, Lonestar sing, “It’s Only Monday Mr. Mom!” As I’ve changed the dirty diapers, fixed the meals, cleaned the house, mopped up throw-up in the car, washed the clothes, taken my kids to church, consoled sick babies, and managed to keep my day job by working from home, I have come to realize just how special these ladies we call mothers are. Now, I’m not saying that any of these roles pertain solely to mothers. I have just gained a huge appreciation for what my wife does day in and day out! I have also learned to appreciate all that my mother did raising 8 boys. Being a mother is a full-time job! I guess that’s why Jane Sellman said, “The phrase ‘working mother’ is redundant.”

My sweet mother gave an amazing talk to an association called, American Mothers, regarding the joys of being a mother. You should view sometime. (go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MFtL_m48wQ). I think she very well depicts how rewarding it is to carry that title.

Milton Berle once asked, “If evolution really works, then why do mothers only have two hands?” Multi-tasking is an art that I am still in awe of. It seems that mothers are blessed with that unique ability or at least pick it up pretty fast. Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease! I guess that’s why the Golden Girls said, “It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.”

Another attribute that I have found that most mothers have in common is their never-ending love for their children. Washington Irving once said, “A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands. But a mother’s love endures through all.

I wish to express my love to my mother and to let her know just how thankful I am to her for all that she’s done for me and continues to do for me. I also wish to thank my beautiful wife for being the best mother I could’ve ever picked-out for my children. And believe you me---I spent a long time looking for her! She is the inspiration for all of my love songs.

As we approach Mother’s Day this coming month, it is my prayer that we will reach out and express the love that we feel in our hearts to our mothers. I am caused to reflect upon the words of an old barbershop song my brothers and I use to sing. It goes like this:

I wouldn’t trade the silver in my mother’s hair

For all the gold in the world
The hands that rocked my cradle
Through all my baby days
Are treasures from the sky
That money cannot buy

God gave us mothers
And tried to be fair
When He gave me mine
I got more than my share
I wouldn’t trade the silver in my mother’s hair
For all the gold in the world.

Thank God for Mothers!!!

The Miracle of Giving

By: Nathan Osmond

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life but what we give.”

–Winston Churchill

We’ve all heard the term, “Charity never faileth” or “What goes around, comes around,” but what exactly does that mean? Does the way you treat others really have a dramatic impact on your life? Experience will teach you that it does.

My friend David Bach, the author of many New York Times bestsellers including the best selling book, Automatic Millionaire, once told me, “Out of all of the millionaires and billionaires that I have ever studied, the one and only thing that any of them had in common was that they all gave back before they were wealthy and continued to do so afterwards.” Interesting! I guess that’s why Anne Frank said, “No one has ever become poor by giving.”

Albert Einstein said, “It is every man’s obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it.” I have been extremely blessed and understand that I can’t take it with me when I leave this earth. My friend RG Williams asked me the other day, “What do you want to be remembered for?” I would like you to extend that question to you, the reader. What legacy do you want to leave? Mr. Williams is a very successful man and one of the reasons is that he has taken to heart the words of Zig Ziglar whose maxim has always been, “If you help enough people get in life what they want, you will get what you want.” This is the secret to success in any situation. Always think in terms of win/win.

My friend Bob Kittell once told me, “If you’re ever feeling down or depressed, go do something for someone else. You can’t give kindness away.” I put his words to the test when I was boy. My mother asked my brothers and me to go outside and help clear the snow from my grandparent’s driveway. I was of course not too thrilled with the task that lay ahead of me. However, as I started to give of my time to my grandparents, something came over me. I felt a joy in my heart that can only be felt when you are in the service of another. One of my favorite books says that, “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God.” As I finished shoveling the walkway, I told my brothers, “Let’s go shovel the neighbor’s walkway. It’s not that big.” Before we knew it, we had shoveled nearly the entire block. I felt so warm inside, and it wasn’t because of my winter coat. I went outside with a negative attitude but came back inside a different person. It was a very rewarding moment to a young boy.

Spencer W. Kimball once said, “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom. . . . So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds!”

Edmund Burke said, “Nobody makes a greater mistake that he who does nothing because he could do so little.” I believe that even the smallest act of kindness has a rippling effect. Like the Goo Goo Dolls sing, “Give a little bit!!!” A little bit goes a long way!

To learn how you can start giving back, go to www.uplej.com/nathanosmond and join my uPlej network. Together we can become somebody’s silent hero.

THE POWER OF POSITIVE ACTION

By: Nathan Osmond

A very successful man by the name of Henry Ford once said, “You can’t build a reputation based on what you’re going to do.” Talk is cheap; action is everything. If there is something in life that you want, if there is something you have always dreamed of doing, if you have dreams or ambitions of having more, doing more, or being more than you have become up until this point of your life, then my question to you is this: what are you doing today to help make those dreams a reality?

In Hollywood, an amazing amount of work goes into putting a film together. There are scripts that must be written, sets that must be built. There is wardrobe that must be assembled or created and casting to be done. The list goes on and on. Once all of these elements have come together, all eyes are upon the director who calls out those magic words, “Lights! Camera! ACTION!!!”

You have been cast in the greatest movie of all time; the one I like to call LIFE. You are the main character and the camera is constantly rolling. Talk about a reality show! All eyes are upon you. Will you take home the Oscar of Best Performance in a Leading Role or will you settle as an extra? The choice is yours.

When it comes to setting goals, most people settle for less than their potential. My mentor, Les Brown once said, “The reason why most people don’t get ahead in life is not because they aim too high and miss, but because they aim too low and hit! And most don’t aim at all.” How true those words are. Stretch yourself! Some people have tried in life and have failed, and so they give up. They hit one little speed bump in the road and they pull over to the side. Rather than putting on their hazard lights and asking for help, they just sit there. Know this, there will be bumps in the road. So what! Repeat out loud, “It’s Hard!” Say it like you mean it! How many motivational speakers to do you hear say stuff like that? The reason I have you say “It’s hard” is because once you come to grips with the fact that life is hard, then you can get past that and get to work. Michelangelo once said, “If people knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”

Remember, winning starts with beginning. Do something today that will put you closer to your goals. My father always told me that even if you’re on the right road, if you just sit there, you’ll get run over. There is no standing still in this life; you are either progressing or digressing. Which direction are you heading? Are you happy with that? If not, what are you going to DO about it? It all comes down to taking positive action.

Brian Tracy once told me, “If you are willing to do what most people won’t, eventually you can have what most people can’t.” He called it, “Freedom.” You have the ability of having more, doing more and being more than anything you could ever imagine. Thomas S. Monson once said, “If your mind can conceive it and your heart can believe it, you can achieve it.” Thomas Edison once said, “If we did all that we are capable of doing, we would truly astound ourselves.” Make the conscious decision that today is the first day of the rest of your life. Life begins today. The audience waiting: “Lights! Camera! ACTION!!!”