From Precepts to Power
Applying Principles and Truths for a Better Life
A blog by Jeremy Madsen
Each of us lives a quality of life—physical, social, mental, and spiritual—well below our potential. There are principles and truths that, if applied, can bring us much better results. But too often, we fail to apply these principles, either because we don’t know about them, we’re scared of their seeming complexity, or we’re stuck in our comfort zone.
The purpose of this blog is to identify, analyze, and expound principles that can improve our quality of life, and then suggest specific ways we can apply those principles to get results. By conscious application of new principles, we can improve every area of our lives.
8. Quality over Quantity
Sometimes we can get overwhelmed with the many good and important things that we feel commanded to do. But when we remember the endless nature of God's works, we realize that anything we could ever accomplish in this life fades into complete insignificance.
7. Prayer: A Troubleshooting Guide (Getting Answers, Part 2)
When an appliance or software fails to function, we often walk through a troubleshooting guide to identify the problem and correct it. In this post, I offer a “troubleshooting guide” for some of the most common reasons we fail to receive answers to our prayers.
6. The Technique of Prayer (Getting Answers, Part 1)
When we fail to receive answers to our prayers, often the solution lies in developing better technique. In this post, I talk about the techniques of asking, listening, and following through, and the importance of asking “easy” questions before attempting more advanced questions.
5. Emotional Mindfulness
Emotional mindfulness is a prerequisite to taking responsibility for our emotions and developing full emotional self-control. In this post, I share an experiment I did to develop emotional mindfulness using an “emotion log.”
4. Goals as a Means, not an End
The value of goals is not so much in achieving them, but in how the process of setting and striving for goals alters our behavior.
3. Understanding Ritual, Part 2: Secular Rituals
Our lives are full of non-religious rituals, from birthday parties to funerals to Eagle courts of honor. These rituals help separate “special” events from “ordinary” ones and make life richer and more meaningful. But what can we do when Covid-19 has disrupted many of our rituals and traditions?
2. Understanding Ritual, Part 1: Religious Rituals
“Ritual.” We shy away from the word, perhaps associating it with apostate formalism, pagan polytheism, or even cultic demonism. Yet nearly all our acts of worship involve elements of ritual. So what is ritual? Why do we use it, how does it work, and how can we better employ its unique power?
1. Why We Fail at Life—and How We Can Succeed
Isn’t it strange that we go through anywhere between 12 and 30 years of formal education, yet we fail to master the principles of success in the most basic areas of life?