OODA Loop

     John Boyd developed the concept to explain how to direct one's energies to defeat an adversary and survive. According to Boyd,decision making occurs in a recurring cycle of observe-orient-decide-act. someone that can process the OODA Loop cycle quickly, observing and reacting to unfolding events faster than an opponent, can "get inside" the opponent's decision cycle and gain the advantage. The second O, orientation, is probably  the most important part of the O-O-D-A loop since it shapes the way we observe, the way we decide, the way we act. there is much filtering that goes on, through our culture, genetics, our life experiences and much more. It is here that decisions should operate at a faster tempo than our adversaries.

       An example can be found on the basketball court, where a player takes possession of the ball and must get past an opponent who is taller or faster. A straight dribble or pass is unlikely to succeed. Instead the player must use rapid and elaborate series of body movements to confuse the opponent and keep him from take advantage by his superior size or speed. At a basic level of play, this may be merely a series of fakes, with the hope that the opponent will make a mistake or an opening will occur, but practice and mental focus may allow you to accelerate tempo, get inside the opponent's OODA loop and take control of the situation to cause the opponent to move in a particular way, and generate an advantage rather than just waiting for a mistake. Taking control of the situation is key.

     In life, when challenges come our way we need to use the OODA loop to get where we need to be and gain the advantage, we cant just be a by standard, we need to orient and act, when we notice ourselves in a bad situation we should act they way Christ would have us. there is always something we can do to make our situation better by acting, We are promised that there is nothing that can hold us down because of the atonement of Christ. Moroni 7:33 Reads  

And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have 

power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me. 

Patience

  I love running races it’s were you get to see how fast you actually are. I once was scheduled to run a certain race thinking it would be a pretty normal flat race but as I got passed the first mile I came to hill I didn’t expect to see. I got discouraged thinking it would ruin my time and throw off my pace I wanted to keep. Anyone who runs a race doesn’t necessarily stop because they come to hill they just keep running, hoping that they can make up the time going down hill or on flat ground. Runners know one of the best things we can do is to stay calm and not get frustrated so that we can stay focused and have the good race we want. We need to have patience in our trials knowing things will get better. We need not to become frustrated or angry with situation in our lives, because sometimes our Father in Heaven has other plans for us, we just got to do what makes us stronger. Trails require us to be humble before God and learn from Him. Each of us will face trials and tests; it’s just how we react to those difficulties that will determine our success and happiness. Each experience we have weather it is easy or hard helps us develop the traits and attributes that will help us become more Christlike. We come to recognize the good that comes fore each experience we face. Let us have an eternal perspective in all that comes our way, not complaining but having patience in all we do being prayerful and we will become closer to our Father in Heave more then ever.   

Jiu-Jitsu

Arm bars, chokes, triangle chocks, leg locks, ankle locks and so many more ways to submit an opponent in jiu jitsu. Jiu jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense method that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. It teaches how anyone can change the outcome by speed, technique, and power by using joint locks and chokes to bring pain to the body in a submission hold which is the similar to a checkmate in the sport. By learning different moves and thinking fast of when to use them, anyone can change the outcome of the fight. Even when in the worst of the worst situations there is always something you can do to come out on top. You have to want it though. We need to know that there is always hope win. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with things going on in our life. Even in the worst of the worst of times we must continue to have a full brightness of hope. In Jiu Jitsu you sometimes have a good position and bad ones too, like in life "we have the best of times and the worst of times". This life is not always going to be easy, in fact it's a time of testing and proving ourselves. we may never know why we face what we do but as times goes on it’s a lot easier to look back on our trials and see what we learned from it or how it made us stronger. Trials seem to humble ourselves so that we turn to Christ and learn from His example He lead. The lord lets us pass though a small moment of pain that we might grow and take on bigger trials that will come our way. Just how a jiu jitsu trainer doesn't want to let his athlete to leave the gym without pain or sweat, our father in heaven doesn't want us to leave this life without trials because they know that the small amount of pain now will help them in the future. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained how the sweetness and bitterness is essential until the end of this brief, mortal life. The Good will overcome the evil and those who repent and turn to Christ shall be given eternal life. The hard part is staying positive while enduring trials but I know that trials truly are a blessing in our lives 

Toby And Her Rock

     I’m going to win!!! Said my younger sister Toby. Last summer Toby went on a youth trek to experience what the pioneers had gone though traveling from Illinois, to Missouri, to Nebraska, though Wyoming and then finally to Utah. the youth spent a few days walking part of this long enduring trek with little to eat as the pioneers did (sometimes just a biscuit for lunch) but along the way as they were becoming tired they were given a rock (about the size of a football or softball) to carry along their way. The rock represented sin, they could get rid of the rock by going to the bishop (an office in the church, he can’t forgive sins but can help you get though the repentance process). Sins are lifted from us as we turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness. Mosiah 26:29 says

Therefore I say unto you, Go; and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed; and if he confess his sins before thee and me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive him also.

Toby kept hold of her rock while everyone else went and got rid of theirs by going to the bishop, her friends told Toby "go get rid of your rock!!", "why are you holding on to it??". "I'm going To Win!!!" she replies. "Win what??" they ask. After a long time of growing weak form caring the rock and unable to carry it any further she went to the bishop, he took it the rock, and threw it off to the side. Toby stood their puzzled, learning the she didn’t need to carry it the whole way but could have got rid of it immediately. Sometimes in our lives we carry "rocks" but as we turn to Christ we can get those "rocks" thrown to the side. Don’t let any sin drag you down, He is forever there for us and He can lift any burden from us, if we truly want to be better. He is the light and life of the world, His arms forever extended towards us and we can continually feel strong as we look to Him.

Running All Out

      When my friend dared me to run cross-country with him it stuck. Always having that goal to go faster and faster is always there. Waking up a lacing up is all you need to help with stress and clearing your mind. Even with all the pain in your ankles, knees, and hips after running four, five miles and just noticing you still have to get home, so with your tired self you turn around and keep going. Being away from the worlds worries as you push your body forward is something runners have a passion for but can’t explain why they do it. Could be staying healthy or the excitement of exploring new places to see what's around the corner, just over the hill or how far does the endless trail actually goes. Pushing your body to its limits is a great feeling as you go faster and faster and when you finally receive that time you wanted it’s a great accomplishment. We need to always be pushing ourselves to be better and better, so that we can always have that great feeling in our lives, making good choices and keeping the lords commandments helps us become better. Enduring to the end is key in Gods plan for us and as we do so we find that great joy, and the gospel of Christ can helps improve our lives so that we can become better and better. Like good running shoes help runners go faster, the gospel helps our lives go better and bring that happiness that we all desire. Stay on that path that will lead to eternal life and if for any reason we stop running or leave the path, Christ's hand is extended towards us willing to help us out. Christ loves us so much that he gave his life in atoning for our sins and because of that there is always a way to change and get back on the path running again. I hope that we are not slowing down, but striving to be faster and faster so in that great day we will able to stand to our Heavenly Father saying "I have finished my course", "I have kept the faith", "I have honored thy name".

Fight At The Top Of The Mount

     We learn so much from the Book of Mormon, it helps us out in our everyday lives and as we apply the principles it teaches us we become the person we want to be. The stories in the book really catch my attention when they talk about war or the battles that go on, we wonder why such a precious book that testifies of Christ would talk so much on war. Well in the book of Alma chapter forty seven we learn so much on how we can fall so easily, and how we have to constantly be saying no to pure pressure and keep our guard up at all times. In this chapter is describes a two men, one named Amalickiah and one Lehonti both good men of war but Amiliaka was one who loved power and high ranking, his ultimate desire was to be king. While Lehonti was a man of god. Amalickiah made the Lamanites people really mad at the Nephites that they went to war. They gathered themselves together on a hill called Antipas, Amalickiah and his people (the Lamanites's) at the bottom of the hill and Lehonti at the top of the hill. Amalickiah being a man of war knew that the higher ground had the advantage so he sent a messenger up the hill to tell him to come down and fight, Lehonti stood his ground and said no. Three separate times this went on, till the fourth time Amalickiah said come down half way so that we can talk. Lehonti agreed and came down a little. Amalickiah gave him an offer Lehonti couldn’t refuse, saying at night take your armies and surround me, then in the morning we will surrender to you but if I let you will you make me (Amalickiah) second in command. Lehonti loved the idea and agreed. But this is the very thing Amalickiah desired. He knew that in those times if the king died that the second in command would take over. He then had a servant poison Lehonti by degree till he died. We learn so much from this story, the main thing I get from this is don’t ever come down from off your mount. We all face temptation everyday and we have to stay strong every time it attacks, because it is going to come at us again and again. We have to be steadfast and immovable, as we stay on our mount we will not fall. But as soon as we come down a little bit we fall. We see the results when we come down a little bit. In Lehonti's case he came down a little bit and it ended in his death. May we always stay on our top of our mounts and be safe and not let any little sin bring us down.

Running From Temptation

     Recently, I have thought alot more about how much temptation we all are faced with it each and everyday of our lives, such as, television, internet and things we read and much more. Temptation is a test for us to choose good things instead of bad. Ive seen how satan makes sin look fun by deceiving us, saying that it wont hurt us if we watch this or read this, but it really does bring us down. we need to always have our garuds up to overcome temptation. We all have the wonderful gift of agency to choose good or evil. those who look to god, praying for strength and are obeying the comandments will receive Heavenly Father strengthens that will help them to withstand any temptation. I like a story that I heard from Elder Nuttell while we were on team ups together (being with another companion for the day) and he realated this story of him and his friend to temptation. They were riding there bikes on a hot summer day, near a dam in a rough area of town. Trying to have a fun time out on there bikes exploring a new area, they soon came to a nice relaxing spot accross a river on a hill to hangout for a bit. Not much time later came a couple hornets flying around them, not thinking much of it and seeing that the hornets soon left they went back to enjoying themselves, not much time later a big hornet nest came flying around them. Not lingering any longer they quickly ran down the hill, over the river, running over jagged rocks, stumbling here and there trying to get to saftey, after running way far off in the distance they notice they were finnally safe. This is how we all should act when any temptation comes our way, like Elder Nuttell and the hornets, they didn't hang around, the ran away. when someone or something temps us we need to run from it not hang around or we will fall. If Elder Nuttell stayed any longer he would have been stung. When temptaion comes we need to ask ourselves which side of the line are we on? If we want to be on the safe side, (the Lord’s side) we will do the right thing every time. So when temptation comes, prayerfully think about your problem, and the influence of the Spirit of the Lord will be able you to help you stay on the right side. There is safety for all of us, but only on the Lord’s side of the line.