Last updated on May 20th, 2025 at 08:14 am
May 20, 2025
Here is the best thing I heard (What?), saw (Eye.), and read (Read.) this week, as well as the best idea (💡) I developed.
What?
“Following Prophets When We Have Questions (Travis Searle)” | Y Religion Podcast S6 E128:
- [Travis Searle] “I still remember one student raised his hand and said, ‘Brother Searle, I followed (and then he named the invitation of a prophet).’ And he said, ‘I don’t know for sure if I received temporal blessings, but … I know for sure that I felt greater peace.’
“And that in itself was enough. And so, in his experimenting upon it, he found out that the invitation was righteous. It was from God. And the peace was undeniable. …
“We had a great experience at the University of Nebraska. We loved that opportunity. After I was finished, I came back to work for the Church. I had been with seminaries and institutes for 16 years [prior]. And I was working downtown in the Church office building, doing some research and assessment. And interestingly, I was studying President Nelson‘s talk, “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains“. I had read it several times, and one day I was reading it, and he asked this question: ‘What would you do if you had more faith?’
“And without even thinking, the thought comes to my mind, ‘you would apply to BYU. There is an opening for a visiting instructor there.’ And I thought, ‘no, that’s not for me. There is no way that would work out.’ And then the thought, ‘yeah, if you had more faith, you would apply.’ So I decided to apply, and they accepted it.
“And so I came down here for two years as a visiting instructor. … Then, after those two years, the thought came: ‘If you had more faith, what would you do? You would apply for a full-time faculty position.’ And I did, and was able to get that.”
Eye.
Watch Survivor Obviously (Instagram):
- “How do you not watch Survivor? We’re on season 48. You don’t think something good is happening over here? You don’t think something good is going on on the show that’s made it 48 seasons? Yeah. I watch it. It’s good. …
“It’s got everything, baby. It’s the best show on TV. …
“Unbelievable. What do you think, we’re all idiots? 48 seasons you clown.”
Read.
“How curiosity rewires your brain for change” | Big Think:
- “5 ways to navigate change with curiosity. Curiosity isn’t a fixed trait you either have or lack — it’s a cognitive skill that can be developed. Here are five ways to cultivate it, especially during times of change:
- “Ask ‘what if?’ instead of ‘what now?’ Reframe fear-based responses with questions that invite exploration. Instead of ‘I don’t know how to handle this new role,’ try ‘What if I approached this role as a learning opportunity?’ …
- “Take field notes. Pretend that you are an anthropologist studying your own life. Document what surprised you, what you don’t understand yet, or what made you pause during the day. Be specific. …
- “Run tiny experiments. Want to switch careers? Interview one new person in the field every week for six weeks. Curious about writing? Start with a weekly newsletter for three months instead of a book. …
- “Embrace not knowing. Practice saying ‘I don’t know yet’ without immediately searching for an answer. Spend time exploring questions without rushing to conclusions. …
- “Treat failure as data. When something doesn’t go as planned, resist labeling it as a failure. Instead, treat unexpected outcomes as valuable information. By viewing setbacks as an inevitable part of growth rather than an indication of personal shortcomings, you can transform potentially discouraging moments into opportunities to learn.”
💡
Pick only one invitation per general conference address to take action on. For the other invitations in the address, become an idea machine and develop 10 ideas per invitation for how others might take action on the invitation. Then, in our Return and Report podcast episodes, Clay Soelberg and I can find individuals who decided to take action on the other invitations that we didn’t take action on and share their experiences in the episode.
Additional Content
Next Newsletter (May 27, 2025 – Newsletter Subtitle)