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Dear Reader, Image Credit: Western University The other day I was doing some math because apparently that is something people in my family do for fun. The numbers of the day had to do with the amount of time it takes to become good at something, the time it takes to become a master. You may have heard once or twice that after practicing a given task or skill for 10,000 hours, you become a master at it. This idea comes from Malcolm Gladwell in his book, "The Outliers." This sent me on a rampage of calculations. I'll summarize them as best I can below. In a year, there are 8,760 hours. This means it is impossible to become a master of something in less than a year. It would take at least a year and almost 2 months to become a master in something. However, that is assuming you practice deliberately and effectively 24/7 for that time period on whatever it is you are trying to master. Let's factor in basic needs, though. Out of 8,760 hours in a year, a person sho...

Dear Reader, A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.  Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the devil decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it." This gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a ...