Merrilee Boyack: Faith, Family & Community Leadership in Lehi
Full Conversation Transcript
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welcome to roots and branches of Lehi the podcast where we get to know the faces stories and lives that make up our
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community I'm Ryan Hardin and I started this podcast as a way for us all to connect with the people we live
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alongside growing up in a small town I learned that connections go beyond blood they're built through shared experiences
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friendships and the moments we celebrate together each week we'll sit down with someone new from Lehi to share their
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unique story their passions and what they love most about living here so whether you've been here for years or
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just arrived join us as we deepen Our Roots and reach out to our branches one
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story at a time welcome marily boyak to the to the podcast roots and branches of Lehi where we get to know uh you know
Meet Merrilee Boyack: From Detroit to Lehi
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people that live here and what they're doing and and you know the impact you're having on the world right oh well that's
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a whole bigger issue or at least at least at least the local area right um no but I'm excited I'm glad you were
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able to come on so so thank you and you're you know not native of high right
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so you you spent a lot of your time in California is that right yeah I grew up in Detroit in Detroit okay uhhuh and
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then when I got married we were in California for about 32 years and then we came here about 12 years ago now okay
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okay so so been you've been here a long time but you obviously have a background in a lot of different areas and stuff so
Community Involvement and Wildfire Response
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okay and and in California you were serving in state legislature and city
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council city council and stuff like that okay okay perfect so tell me about that tell me what uh how was you know how was
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it serving there especially you know probably you know little harder politics wise I guess right yeah you know yeah
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well luckily the community that we were in named Powe is very similar to Lehi very very similar okay kind of has the
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old cowboy roots and you know you know the tech parks and so it's very very similar so I was lucky to be in a very
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family oriented area that was a little more conservative you know so I was just
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very very involved in the community have been for for you know my entire adult life and yeah what happened there was
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actually we had two major wildfires oh wow oh yeah major like the one you saw in La yeah sure yeah recently and so in
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the first Wildfire I went over and ran the evacuation Center as a volunteer
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okay and then did the fire relief for all the families that got burned out wow and I was very unhappy with the response
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of the city council which was zip sure so I ran for office then and sered for about eight years there and through the
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second Wildfire as well okay you know so yeah that was kind of the beginning that's and sometime you know when I've
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I've talked to other people that seems to always be sometimes the case it's like hey I don't like the way things are going I want to fix this you know I feel
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like there's a need here and it's not being addressed and I can I very much so and I'd been involved in community for you know a long time sure and was used
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to getting out there and working on stuff you know so anyway yeah it was it was it was a good experience so you
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mentioned in the Wildfire so then I guess a logical question that you said you had one later on were were you guys
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better prepared for it then did that go when I when I ran for office I ran based on preparing the community yeah and so
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we trained every single employee as a disaster service worker we had sea
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tainers we posted throughout the city with supplies we worked on developing Communications with all the other
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agencies so when the saier hit oh my gosh yes night and day differ yeah it
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was amazing good way way way different way way better prepared well then hey then you accomplished the goal right oh
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yeah you know during that time any other things during that time you know that you learn slash accomplished you know
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give me some insights I guess from you know serving in and in in that capacity at city council the number one Insight
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you get when you're serving in public office is it's a lot like being a mother on any given day half the people hate
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you okay so you sure you just you know you just have to stay really centered in what's important and not get
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swept up by all the other crazy going on and like I say my you know one of my big
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things was preparedness and family those were kind of and Communications were kind of my big themes sure and you know
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I've used those in a variety of of formats as well ever since but the thing
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I loved about that Community was it was very dialed into the residents and I see
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that here which I like you know we've very specifically picked out Lehi and I love the responsiveness of our elected
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officials I love the you know the helpfulness of everybody and and really wanting to build a good good community
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and and I see a lot of Engagement you know a lot of Engagement a lot of investment and I find that one person can make a significant difference
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interestingly you know when I came here I realized you could make that difference on a state level you know
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back in California as a conservative no way but here I have seen over and over and over again
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one person make a big difference so I enjoy that ability to get good things
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done sure I think that's uh yeah a big part of who I am I love it sure well we
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we like to be doers right you know doers of the word not just hearers only right you know do things get things done and
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stuff and I'm a big fixer yes good good I love problem solving seeing things
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improving oh yeah I love it well so so you know you mentioned having to be centered and stuff like that you know if
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somebody's looking to get into public office and do that kind of stuff how do they balance you know because because my
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natural ability is if somebody tells me you know something is wrong or something you know like I want to listen to them
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and you know like cuz I don't want to be totally closed off where it's like hey you don't know anything I know everything myself I mean that's not smart but at the same time recognizing I
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guess that sometimes you do know more about the situation and and you do get people on opposite sides that may
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believe differently how do you balance that in in those kind of leadership positions I guess you know that's you
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ENC kind that a lot like I say half the people hate you and and and usually it's because they don't understand and
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they're not informed so I think that it's really important that that you spend the time to educate them you know
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we had one of the things I did like about that Community better was we had a lot of citizens committees and I've
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tried to encourage our Council to do that and expand what they have they haven't really done that but I think
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it's really important to educate the public to give like you know I held regular Town Halls where the public
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could come and ask questions and get information from staff you know and I
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think it's important for the staff to realize they help the people and you know and I find once you kind of go
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through that process and have a little more engagement and a little more education a lot more people understand
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what's going on sometimes you just make the tough call though you know sometimes you just have to do that sure sure come
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no that's good you've locally you're working on some pro-life stuff right oh
Pro-Life Advocacy and Empowered Families Coalition
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yes so so tell me give me you know tell me what you're doing there I so when I moved here I was all excited thinking I
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could step away from politics sure sure and I was doing a lot of humanitarian work with mothers Without Borders and I
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thought okay this is what I'm going to do and through some you know interesting direction from above uh was told get
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back to work you know you need to do this so I created the empowered families Coalition for the state of Utah and
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United all the pro- family groups we have 30 groups throughout the state of Utah
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and we all work together share resources share information I mean during the
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legislative process we're constantly dialoguing with each other and with all of our members of all our organizations
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and this is unusual not every state runs that way there's usually a lot of turf wars you know a lot of infighting but
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not here it has been really marvelous so I started that about eight or nine years
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ago I'm it's my turn again so I'm chairman of that organization right now and we do a lot of work throughout the
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state on promoting the family you know protecting children just lots of great
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work with really marvelous organizations that some of which are National organizations and Global so that's
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that's kind of a cool effort there then I started the abortion free Utah
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Coalition and this United the pro life groups okay and I then was asked to
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serve with pro-life Utah okay so I'm currently the director of development for pro-life Utah and I mostly do their
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fundraising and strategic development leadership development that kind of thing true and you know working with
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with them you know I mean I've been involved in community work for decades yeah but when you get those pictures of
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those babies who are alive because of what you've done that is a game Cher that has been really a marvelous
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marvelous real difference oh my gosh yes I go to the baby showers and you think this this baby wouldn't be alive if it
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weren't for what we're doing and and what I love about that pro-life model is
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we invite the women we have a sprinter van we park right in front of planned parenthood's abortion clinic they kill
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over 4,000 babies a year so we park right in front and invite women into have an free ultrasound and pregnancy
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test and when these are women literally walking in the door to get abortions okay I mean that's when we're
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intervening and when they come into the van and we tell them what we offer them 92% changed their minds wow I mean
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that's phenomenal is they just didn't know there was other options is that is that I mean go ahead yeah a big part is
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this the support that we offer we we meet with them and we say now what led you here to consider this decision you
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know and what are you afraid of and you know what are you grappling with your problems and issues and then we every
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woman is assigned two mentors that are available 247 and I mean these
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volunteers you know one drove 5 hours in a blizzard to get her to her parents house to be safe from the boyfriend that
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was going to kill her I mean you wouldn't believe what these volunteers do and they are available all the time to support them we offer a life Grant up
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to $3,000 to help with you know I've got to fix my car so I go to work or I have
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to pay rent I'm about to be evicted or whatever medical whatever they need we offer baby supplies for an entire year
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everything wow diapers wipes clothes toys books everything and we hold giant baby showers they're super fun they're
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so cool and so we give them all of that so they have you know a pack and play and a stroller and a car seat and all of
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that and then we connect them with services that are available we have safe housing if they need it you know to be
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so it's it's remarkable and and once they get that support they're like oh I
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I can do this I don't have to kill my baby and like I say that we have one of the highest rates in the nation for Save
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baby saves at 92% it's really incredible so so that work is phenomenal we saved
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141 babies last year double from the year before and that work is growing
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exponentially it it's really a fabulous work and then two years ago a couple of
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friends and I started latterday Saints for life okay and this is a global Organization for members of the Church
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of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who believe in the sanctity of life and so
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we've grown we're in over 50 states 11 countries already and so we do that
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effort as well and that one we primarily promote the doctrine of life and we encourage our members to go to their
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local states and countries and support what's happening there yeah you know we don't create new you know projects or
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anything we say no you go in and support your community so that's been really incredible work as well I love that
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excuse me what that that 141 you said that you saved last year do do most of those babies stay with the mom do they
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go to adoption what what what what I'm just kind of curious what happens to so that's kind of an interesting thing
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everybody's like promote adoption which we love adoption and we have you know we have free adoption services we have all
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that however when a woman is considering having an abortion the first thing you have to change is her heart so that
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she's willing to face the the problems that she has and the scary stuff she's facing and choose life for her baby so
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we try to turn their hearts to their baby so that they really love that baby so we typically don't even bring up
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adoption until later in the process when they're past being abortion vulnerable
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okay and then we bring it up and say is this something you want to consider you would be surprised though by then most
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of them are so in love with their babies they want to be a mama to that baby and I the vast majority keep their babies
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and and choose to parent their babies and one of the things that people don't understand they they always kind of have
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this perception of the 16-year-old going into Planned Parenthood that is not the case our
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average age is 24 interesting and I don't know how many probably a quarter to a third are married and have children
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or or you know at least have had children before you'd be surprised you know it's like that fifth one and
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they're just at a Tipping Point or their third or whatever so it isn't always the teenager you know that we're getting
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uh that is kind of the mentality you know mental image in my head I guess right right right right and so very very
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few uh place them for adoption very few which makes it so hard on our families that want babies so desperately yeah
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yeah that's tough yeah that yeah so yeah mixed bag there right on the one hand hey that's good that they're they're
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saving the baby but yes to your point there are a lot of we get it and we get you know people asking us all the time
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if there's Babies available it's it's it's it's hard yeah it's hard but you know we just work on saving that baby's
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life and supporting the mama so that they can feel strengthened you know and
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empowered I mean they walk into plan Parenthood and all they offer them is kill your baby and a lifetime of regret
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and pain and sorrow they never talk about and so we offer a whole wide you know range of support sure which is the
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way it needs to be done yeah you know because you're showing them hey there are other options absolutely and and one
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looks easy at first but has to your point large consequences with with with
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that whereas the other one maybe is harder up front but then has great reward I guess right and we have oh you
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know I can't tell you how many stories of the women saying oh my gosh every time I look at my baby I just am so
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grateful sure you know that we made this choice to keep them uh alive and oh yeah
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it's it's really marvelous work I mean like I said I've been involved in politics and I've been involved in
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community work for a long time and this is by far the most most to me the most
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critical the most important and the most rewarding it's amazing cuz you could yeah I can see that cuz you can trace to
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I mean you can see your impact indiv very directly you have a direct impact in fact I do Grant requests and people
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are like now how do you measure your success and I said we'll provide you pictures you like one step of they're
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alive you know there you go that's how we measure yeah so it's it's cool that makes sense not that the other stuff you know obviously the fire you know and
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your time in California doing that that was impactful that was good and stuff like that but to your point oh yeah here's a picture of the person we saved
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right I me that makes a lot of sense that's that's pretty amazing that is cool well good well you know if somebody
Getting Involved: How You Can Help
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wanted to get involved in that kind of stuff are there what what would you advise you know oh it's easy just go to
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prolife utah.org if you want to do that the other one latterday Saints forlife.org you know either one we've
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got Instagram Facebook groups all kinds of stuff and you know here's funny story of how I started in this work I was in
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California I had four little boys I had my law practice going and I was probably
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relas sighted present of the time usually I was so I walked into this business that was called something like
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pregnancy choices and I thought I thought it was an abortion front and I went in with a high horse ready to just
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rip them a new one you know so I go into this place I'm like hm so can you tell me well come to find out it was a
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Pregnancy Resource Center complete opposite that they work to to save babies and I was so touched and I said I
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want to help I want to get involved I have zero zero time and I said I like to
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crochet would it be helpful to crochet you know and have baby blankets and they said oh yeah so I started well over 30
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years ago I still crochet blankets I still give them at the baby showers that's how I started so when people say
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oh I want to do something but I don't want to stand on the curb okay sure there's lots of things that you can do
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lots and lots and lots of things even just donating 20 bucks a month we give a gift card in that a gift bag that we
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hand to them when they're walking in for their abortion that could ser attention so 20 bucks can save a life so there's
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all kinds of ways that people can get involved there's lots of good work to do
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some of it right up front some of it behind the scenes because not everyone's you know want to stand on that curb so
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there's lots of great things to do because obviously I mean that's a that's
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an area that attracts a lot of very strong opinions oh yes right and so yeah
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some hey I contention I don't want to be in that not that that's not me like okay
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you know can you C your baby blankets I mean do you want to show up and attend a baby shower we have people come so that
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we fill up the baby shower with people it's like can you attend a party once a month yeah I can do that you know so
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like I said there's there's lots of for varant degrees of of you know engagement and stuff okay good very cool good good
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well I love what you're doing that's awesome let's shift gears a little bit you know I first met you and I told you this in the beginning at at an education
From Speaker to Author: Merrilee's Writing Journey
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and I say I first met you you know you were on stage I was in the audience right you know so but but you know with the different books you've written and
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stuff like that right tell you know what what was the first book that you wrote
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and and what why did you why did you write a book well I actually I started speaking in law school okay people asked
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me to come and speak and so I started speaking in law school and and then just kept going over the years and everybody
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kept bugging me you know have you put this in a book have you put this in a book and so finally after years of of
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speaking I this is the funniest story I had been approached by Covenant
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recording they wanted to record CDs back in the day right and do this and and so
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I looked at their stuff they had a horrible contract I rewrote it four times and in the meantime I cold called
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deset book I mean I just called him out of the blue I left a message I said hey merly boyak I'm speaking education week
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in other places you know I've got these books somebody call me of course nobody did you know a month later I call them
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again I got hey look you know you're going to want to call me yeah so and Covenant was pressuring me you know sign
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sign sign and each time their contract got worse I said no so I finally called Des book and I just I'm literally
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leaving this message on the general line saying you're going to want me and you
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better call me and you have 24 hours and if if I don't hear from you in 24 hours I'm going to sign with Covenant and
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you're going to really regret that yeah boom I get a call and this guy calls and he says who are you what's going on and
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I said well I'm speaking and by then you know my speaking was my numbers were growing and I said you know I'm doing
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all this and he goes oh well okay what book ideas do you have and so I pitched four books which you just do not do I
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didn't know what I was doing so I pitched all four books and they picked the parenting breakthrough as the first one okay and it ended up being the
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number one best-selling parenting book ever for Des book and is still after
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that was 20 years ago holy cow and it's still in print that would sound right
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cuz like I said that's actually the book I got to know you and I raised my kids you know my wife and I took a lot of the
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things from that right yeah and it's funny I just had clients the other day and they're like oh we were raised on this book it was
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really funny you know that it's been out that long but it just you know it's training kids to be independent so it
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just really hit a cord yes I mean you know they hand you this baby you have no idea what you're doing and so in there
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is that lovely training chart of all the life skills they need to learn broken down by each year so that they can be
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you know very independent adults and so like I say it's still in print which is ridiculous I remember one of the stories
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was like you know a kid going to college and not you know like oh hey he's going
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to learn how to you know cook yeah good luck on learning how to cook whatever and it's like well who would have taught
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him that you know what I mean and I think so that that's that was I mean that probably that principle alone is is
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kind of you know what I think helped my wife and I with our kids was just okay hey I would rather have them experience
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things in the home you know and whether that's with you know learning how to use a credit card or learning how to use you know whatever it is right you know in
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the home because because the failure you know it it's not as hard to fail well sorry actually it is fail but the
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consequences aren consequences aren't so dire you know what I mean and so it's just so much better to and that's your
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job as a parent is is cuz you want to I know I see these posts going are we
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should have the schools teaching Financial lists and you know skills and I think no every time every Su I go no
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that's the job of the parents they need to learn that in the home and and so it's interesting now having you know
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grandchildren who are being taught these principles and and the Next Generation but you know it's training children to
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be independent is a very important part of parenting yeah and not everyone does
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it you know so well and and I don't know we like I said we loved that book that
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was good and and and you know so you just wrote that book just based off of
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your own experience how long did it take to write that you knowre two weeks two weeks okay cuz I've been doing it I mean
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I've been running the lab sure sure I'd been lecturing on it so I just sat down with all my lectures okay and you know
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transcribed them all added a little extra that I wanted to and boom you know okay so that's why it was a little
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easier CU you were already giving oh yeah I'd been teaching it for a long time so once I finally buckled down and
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did it you know it was rather quick then I was invited from that to be on the timeout for women circuit which I did
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that for about nine years and then they wanted a book a year so I was started to really crank them out you know and so
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what are some other ones that have been received second one I wrote was strangling your husband is not an option
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yes that's a fun one and that's the number two bestselling marriage book they've ever had I mean it's it's done
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very well and is still in print what do you subscribe what what you know subcribe what how why was that
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successful you think well this one is geared primarily towards wives and and chapter four is instructive it says how
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do I change my husband right I mean that's what every woman's wanting to do and chapter five is no really how do I
How Do I Change My Husband?
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change my husband you know I mean and so it addresses a lot of those issues of problem ownership and how we treat one
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another and how we take care of ourselves and and so and it's funny you
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know and has a lot of you know everybody says how do you decide what to write and I go well I mess up and then I learn and
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then I apply it and then I teach it you know and so that's it's just you know that that process but that one seemed to
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resonate really well it's very practical and you know I really talk real yeah
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really real I just lay it out you know and which is better I mean we like transparency like I think people
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resonate better and they don't feel quite so guilty you know and and they're like okay we're just going to learn how to do a better way yeah well I think
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yeah and it helps to know oh yeah I I felt those same things about my husband I wanted to you know and so so that so
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you're you're not I to put shooting is still on the table but they wouldn't let me add that part got to keep it you know
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yeah well that's good that's good um anything else from do you get do you get feedback you know story people you know
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telling you I would assume so I guess with some of all the time the one my the
Impactful Stories and Reader Feedback
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one that probably meant the most I wrote in trying times just keep trying right when I was in the middle of breast
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cancer treatment and wrote it's it's a lot about dealing with adversity you
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know I had a lot going on that year sure so anyway uh I got a email forwarded to
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me that had been s to desire book and a woman had dropped off her children for
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the summer because she was divorced and she dropped them off the airplane to go see Daddy for the summer yeah and she
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said I had decided to kill myself CU it was too much and she said I was driving away and I thought well I'll stop at the
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mall and and she's wandering through the mall wanders into the bookstore and sees my book in trying times just keep trying
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it shows a woman you know pushing a giant boulder and she said I decided I would read that book and then I would
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kill myself and so she read that book and it saved her life she realized she could handle all the the trials and the
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pain and the adversity that she was going through and it gave her hoping oh my gosh you know I mean I've written a
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ton of books but that one that story just you know you have no idea and I
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think that's true for everybody we have no idea how many people we influence yeah uh we just we just don't even know
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you know and that's why I love doing good Community work and doing you know just spreading goodness out there
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because you just never know yeah who you're going to influence and say I've been influenced you know I've had my
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life Changed by people that have just said things I attended an education week lecture when I started BYU M I didn't
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know it was education week I grew up in Detroit we didn't have it and I snuck in the corner Don black was teaching and he
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taught the act as if principle and I was desperately homesick a weeping mess and I walked out of there
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in 10 minutes a changed woman and in fact I just hunted him down a few years ago he's in his 90s
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and to say thank you and that changed my life 10 minutes changed my life yeah it
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has literally impacted my life for you know 50 years and I think that that that
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the influence that we have on others is such a privilege such a privilege it's really cool I guess you know somebody
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might be a little intimidated by I mean you have quite the resume right you've done you've done quite a few things and
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stuff like that so anything to avoid cooking there you go luckily my husband took it over seven years I finally have
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a perfect marriage he's amazing he cooks he's amazing and I have hated it for
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years so yeah there's a I avoid cooking excuse me so you know what what advice
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would you have for somebody that that you know you know as you said doesn't like sitting on the street corner you
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know doesn't have your personality where they're they're like to do all these things you know but but obviously
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recognizes the truth that you just said which is we all have an influence on people you know what advice do you have
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for that person that wants to even just do do one of the things that you've done you know and I say follow your heart now
Follow Your Heart and Strengths
27:02
I have a sister and and we have a lot of similarities we're both kind of really
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strong outspoken women sure her heart calls her to help people one at a time
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that's her thing I'm organizing thousands of people that's my bag but hers is one at time so like right now
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she has a Haitian Refugee and a little with her little 2-year-old living with her and she's helping to care for her
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and so that's the way she rolls she feels called to that that's what she does she does it very well and so she we
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call them her L lost puppies she'll help a person get it together then she'll go to another and that's that's what her
27:40
heart calls her to do why would I say oh my way so much better Heavens know I I
27:46
look at her and I think ah maybe her way is and I think no you you need to you need to follow your heart what calls to
27:54
you and that has changed for me over the years you know and so I get it when people pivot you know and do I used to
28:01
be with family watch International doing you know Global things now I feel very called to work within Utah and to work
28:09
on this issue so that will change over time but I think you follow your strengths and your abilities and you
28:15
know don't do what I do you do what you do yeah and and don't feel guilty that
28:21
you're not doing what I'm doing and I don't try not to feel guilty of doing what you know my sister's doing I I
28:27
think we just need to to follow that that little inner voice that is kind of guiding us along sure but I think it is
28:34
important to have a willing heart so many people are so unwilling to extend themselves
28:41
you know I I quote the scripture where the Savior says you're the salt of the earth and I say he didn't say that he
28:46
was you're the salt of the family or even your church sure he said you're the salt of the earth and so I do try to
28:53
nudge people a little bit to get out and share their good influence Beyond just
28:58
their tight little Inner Circle you know I think that way we have really magnifier influence a lot do you think
29:05
do you think that comes from a confidence issue sometimes where people are like hey but I'm just I'm Just a Nobody I'm you know I'm not that
29:10
important I mean you know so what what you know like I I'm comfortable in my
29:16
family doing that and stuff like that you know but it starts in your in your head in your heart I did a presentation
29:22
on prif work and this little old lady comes up to me and she says I like to make quilts and I said go for it and you
29:28
you know within weeks brought by beautiful quilts okay and so I think part of it is an awareness being willing
29:33
to open your eyes to see what's the what the needs are all around you and part of
29:38
it is just a willing heart to say n I'm going to try it can be you know on your
29:44
walk you know once a week take a big giant garbage bag with you sure my dad
29:50
taught us over and over you know make the world a better place than you found it that can be done in really tiny easy
29:56
ways if we think about about it and then have a willing heart yeah no I love that
30:01
I love that let me make sure I'm getting everything that I so you mentioned education week and stuff like
30:08
that you know what themes do you typically focus on there do you do you do you actually I just retired you did
30:16
yes when was the last year yeah I I've taught for 28 years okay so I just just
30:22
finally just barely just retired from education week and was that a hard decision yes and no yeah I mean 20
30:29
that's a long time actually long time yeah a long you put a lot out there so that's yeah yeah yeah and there were
30:35
other factors at play but uh it was time you know I'm like okay but yeah I've done it for a long time I do love
30:42
speaking you know I'm super weird other people it's their most frightening thing and you put me in front of a few
30:47
thousand people and I'm a Happy Clam yeah you know it's just it's just my thing I love love love speaking how did
30:54
you how did you decide what to speak about during those things I mean you I started you know when I was in law
31:00
school they asked me to speak and it was to a a young adult group and I spoke on
31:05
overcoming fear fear had been a big part of my life I've had a number of surgeries and you know long story and so
31:11
fear had been a big thing so that was my first one yeah and I it went great you
31:16
know well and I thought oh okay and so like I say I look at the life lessons that I'm learning and and teach them
31:23
last year at education week I taught president Nelson's call to women
31:28
and I talked about the strength of women and and the change that they can make in the world and his call you know to us to
31:35
kind of rise up and do you know great things and so I just kind of look around
31:41
you know what pequs my interest I also look at what I'm struggling with sure you know I think okay you know I I need
31:46
to work on this area or I would like to learn more in this area and I delve into it and I work on it and then like I say
31:52
after a few years I go okay now I'm ready to teach and and when I speak and teach share very raw real examples I'm
32:00
not one to act like woohoo yeah look at me I'm like oh no I spill the guts and and just say you know I've had struggles
32:07
with this and this and this and because we all do yeah we all do which I think
32:12
you know is something important for everybody most of our problems are not unique right and and so I I like kind of
32:19
what I heard you said there which is a lot of you you struggle with something you you kind of figure it out and then you go and teach that thing and so I I I
32:27
love that I mean I and then I go relearn and sure and I'm sure after that teaching you realize oh I don't know as
32:32
much as I thought I did right okay all the time but that humility and that it's
32:38
a it's a balance between humility and also like a love for people and wanting to you know help people I guess I mean I
32:44
me that's the parenting breakthrough I mean again nothing I mean it's funny when you read a book sometimes you're like well that's kind of a duh thing I
32:50
mean I remember my grandpa talking about Steven ary's book right and it was like well I could have written that I mean it's pretty basic you know and it's like
32:56
I mean yes and no right how know his books got really great that's why he was taken to Heaven early because they were
33:02
amazing they were just I guess my point is that sometimes when something is so
33:07
obvious that's actually probably speaks to its truthfulness I guess cuz it's like oh yeah that's yeah of course
33:15
that's that's true and I think that's what that parenting breakthrough book yeah and sometimes I think you know I mean I I have this ability to explain
33:22
things you know that seems to resonate with people and and you're right you say it and they kind of go oh yeah you know
33:28
and they said I just couldn't explain it that way or understand it thoroughly that way and and yeah that's been kind
33:34
of fun yeah but again it helps people and I think you know obviously it's your heart that's saying hey I want to I want
33:39
to help how do I help and you're getting out there and you're not scared to do it my guess is you know sometimes I'm
33:46
scared but I just do it anyway in fact one time I was telling a group of young
33:52
people about community service and I was talking about all the zillions of you know experiences and I'll never forget
33:58
this girl little girl in the back raised her hand and she said how did you know you could do all those things yeah and it caught me off guard I went I said oh
34:06
I didn't I said I just start yeah I said just start and then I learn and I figure
34:11
it out I make mistakes and I said I'm just willing to start a lot of people are so afraid they don't even take that
34:17
first step and and I said I didn't know how to do any of this and it's funny I've never had a mentor I've never had
34:25
someone that was like a Trailblazer and said oh yeah I mean like when I wrote books i' never
34:30
met anybody that had written a book you know when I was lecturing I'd never met anybody that did that you know so I I've
34:36
never had that my experience has just been kind of taking the first step give it a shot learn and and not being afraid
34:43
to fail I guess right I mean you know what I'm good at failure I embrace it it's the best way to learn well it is
34:49
the best way to learn right yeah and and I think you know so so this generation I
34:54
think the the younger generation I guess you know I think one of the things that's hard for them is to try and and
35:01
because maybe it's the wealth of information that they have because they've seen so many failures right and
35:08
failure hurts a lot of times and so I I think you know they also see a lot of pretty sure
35:15
yes you know they're looking at social media and they're seeing this and they have no idea you know what that person
35:21
looked like before the makeup and before the this and the that and and it creates a false expectation that your life is
35:27
just going to be so perfect and pretty and everything's going to go great and yeah no life is real no life is real and
35:36
life is hard and there's a lot of ups and downs and you have people that you know like that lady that you're talking about that wrote you and stuff I mean
35:42
you know life is hard at times but but what I'm hearing is hey keep pressing
35:48
forward keep doing things keep trying things you know and and that's how you get good at stuff that's how you
35:54
overcome challenges and but again it's hard I think people get scared of failure and and they see failure all the
36:00
time right well and part of it is that's very self-oriented I remember one time I was
36:06
sitting in the dong I was about to teach at education we I was sitting on the piano and I said a little prayer and I
36:14
was a little nervous because that's a very big Auditorium yeah it is and I said a little prayer you know help me to
36:19
you know do a good job and boy the good Lord whooped me up theide the head and said oh this isn't about you it's about
36:26
them that lesson has stuck with me the rest of my life where I realized the only reason we're worried
36:31
about failure is cuz we're worried about what other people think about us okay but if we're not worried about what if it's not about us but learning the work
36:39
and learning the process and everything that sting goes away like okay you know
36:45
I failed like I talk about the struggles we've had with you know one or two of our children everybody's like I can't
36:50
believe you're talking about that I said why wouldn't I everybody's dealing with this I said God lost a third and you
36:57
know hell he's not exempt so I think getting past that self worry yeah yeah
37:04
helped a lot sure yeah and taking the focus off yourself like you said right I still don't feel good I get it I get it
37:10
I get it but you know if it's not about you then the sting is way less yeah oh I
37:16
love that yeah lose yourself in the work I guess right you know not focus on yourself so much and then you'll be you
37:23
know in a better spot there so no I love that anything we haven't hit that you want wanted to hit well in talking about
37:30
Lehi let's talk about Lehi specific Lehi has some wonderful things going for it
37:35
some great people live here I love the mixture of the people that live here of
37:41
old and young and you know professional and worker and just you know we have a
37:48
lovely lovely blend of people what I would love to see more of is the
The Importance of Community Involvement
37:54
residents of Lee High stepping forward and investing themselves in the community I can't tell you how many
38:00
people come to me and they say oh I want to run for city council I say great what have you done nothing I'm like then
38:05
don't run yeah don't run until you've proven and shown your investment in the community and so I would just encourage
38:11
everybody to look around like I say take your family go clean a park go show up at a community event early and say here
38:17
I'm I'm here to help set up chairs I mean there's all kinds of things we can do in our own Community keeping track of
38:24
our neighbors see what needs are there you know getting outly link and responding to you know the needs I I
38:31
think all of us and there's tens of thousands of us now doing a little bit
38:36
can really make this community even more wonderful than it already is and so I would say step out that front door step
38:43
out that front door go do whatever you're interested in whatever your heart calls you to do you know you have Steve
38:50
on we're big into preparedness that's kind of our bag so that's kind of the the attack that we've taken but you know
38:56
go help with the little league go show up at school you know take them go hand 20 bucks to a teacher I mean there's all
39:04
kinds of little things that we can do to really make this community just
39:09
wonderful and full of love and caring and that just ripples yeah that just
39:15
Ripples and so you know you may do one kind thing for somebody and they do for five more people and that that Ripple of
39:22
kind of love and caring and neighborliness can really grow so that Lehi has know known for that I would
39:28
love Lei to be known for that that it's known as a community that really cares
39:33
about people and that it just shows up everywhere in the way we behave in stores and the way we drive and the way
39:39
we interact with our neighbors in showing up and getting involved in our government all over the place and I
39:45
think that we could really be a stellar community of of love and compassion for everybody I love that yeah no you're
39:52
right it uh and I think sometimes we maybe hey well I'm already serving you know my family or I'm Ser serving in my
39:59
church you know I'm I'm already busy with these things so to take on community things well I'm already you
40:04
know and and and that's probably true they are doing service in other are it could be this big yes it could be every
40:10
time I go to Walmart I'm going to call the greeter by name that's my big thing for the year okay what if we all did
40:16
that I mean you know what are we up to 60,000 people if 60,000 people gave away
40:22
one Split Second a day of good that's a lot yeah that's a lot that changes the community yeah it adds up right yeah MH
40:27
yeah no I love that anything you know you want to see in Lehigh you know as a as a I mean obviously you just mentioned
40:33
that I guess with helping the community and stuff but any other things that you know I wish Lehi had this or I wish we
40:39
were doing that any any you know just talk I really wanted Jack in the Box but that's okay that' be really nice that
40:44
would be nice I do like Jack in the Box but but I I mean I mean you know I think of two things just because of my
40:51
background sure I would like to see more citizen committee involvement in the in the city and in the city governance
40:57
I think that that improves the city and I would love to see that and the second
41:03
thing is I really would like to see a greater commitment to preparedness having lived through two wildfires
41:10
earthquakes you know power outages long-term power outages having lived through all of this stuff yeah I just
41:16
have to tell you we are woefully underprepared of this community and that scares me to death because I've lived
41:23
through it and I know what what will happen and that that goes down to indiv ual being prepared but also comes to an
41:30
emphasis you know from our city council and our city staff that I see some
41:36
glimmers of that but in from experience not nearly enough sure you
41:44
know and and so one major earthquake or whatever is really really going to have
41:50
a negative impact on our community so that's like I say that's just important we've lived through it we've experienced
41:56
it that's important important to me sure I think that as a former government person I think that needs to be a higher
42:02
priority I love that what's one of your favorite things about living here in Lehi now now that you've been here nine
Reflections on Living in Lehi
42:08
you said nine years almost 12 almost 12 years sorry okay what do I love about Lehi oh go everything I I love this
42:15
community I I love the responsiveness of our government I love the the things
42:22
that one time we sat down and counted up we had 110 restaurants within a for minute drive I mean that's just insane
42:29
yes so you know there's a lot of services that are available to us I but I think the thing that it's going to
42:35
sound really cheesy but moving from California to here the thing that has just blown me away is how the nice the
42:42
people are I mean in California your Nextdoor neighbors didn't even wave and say hello you just didn't it was a very
42:48
isolated living environment for and I mean we Liv there 24 years you know so it was like yeah but it was just the
42:54
vibe you know the culture it's amazing the nicest people the nicest people here
43:00
yeah no it's been really remarkable in fact our neighbor they moved from California the little gr said the people
43:06
here are so weird and the mom said oh dear why she goes they all wave and say hello and we're like yeah that's how
43:12
normal people act so the the goodness of the people here yeah has been surprising
43:18
yeah and wonderful that's awesome yeah I know we've loved this place yeah it it's
43:24
become I mean we've raised our kids here we're still raising our kids here yeah you are so you know it's been a good Community for us so marily Lee thanks
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
43:31
for coming on thanks for talking with me and I think we've hit everything I you know anything sounds great you know but
43:37
thanks for coming on I I I love what you're doing and I think it's inspiring and and hopefully inspires all of us to
43:44
do a little bit more and whether that's you know a lot more a little more I mean you just get started right I think
43:49
that's the that's the theme of this is hey just get started and and then you know as time passes you look back and
43:55
it's like oh wait I've done more than I I would oh yeah start out crocheting Afghans and end up doing all kinds of
44:01
stuff there you go that's exactly it but it just it's just taking that line upon line right you know getting started and
44:06
stuff so love that love what you're doing yeah no thank youate you bet great to be here yeah thanks thank you thank
44:13
you for joining us on roots and branches of Lehi I hope today's story helped you feel a little more connected to the
44:18
people who make up our community remember every person here has a unique story and together we're what makes Lehi
44:25
feel like home if you know know someone who would be a great fit for this podcast please fill out the form in the
44:30
show notes so we can reach out and schedule an interview we'd love to hear from you a big thank you to our sponsors
44:36
the work Harding Home Mortgage team and play Harding nightly vacation rentals for supporting this show and helping us
44:42
bring our community closer together until next time keep growing those roots and reaching out to your branches take
44:48
care [Music]
