People Make the Difference

Do you ever just step back and think about all the people that mean something to you in your life? It's kind of like counting your blessings. I mean really? I am surrounded by people who lift me up and make a difference in my life. I guess I'm kind of a guarded person. I have few people who are close friends and who I really let in. Sometimes, because of this it can be easy to feel alone or like there isn't really someone there for me. That's not true. The simple hello from a friend, even if I may not know them very well, means so much. A kind word can turn my day around in an instant. It's easy for me to go through out a day caught up in my thoughts but people can make such a difference if we let them in. I mean we're all here struggling through as best we can right? And in the end what's more important in the long run, our day to day tasks or the people we interact with? People are all we have. Why not lift each other up? I know I could be better at that. Keep people close. People make the difference.

Choose to be Happy

I really just had a great Sunday today. I feel like most of my Sundays have just bee really great lately. There's something about being taught and having discussions with people who are your peers, who are your same age, going through the same things that really just brings the spirit so much more and makes the lessons that the Lord wants me to learn so much more apparent. There was something that was strongly emphasized today that I have been trying to work on this semester and that is that we can choose how we react to things in our lives. It is inevitable that we are going to have struggles. We all have things that frustrate us and we all have weaknesses. We all have trials that are put in our lives to refine us and to make us better. We can let those things in our lives, whatever they may be, and be mad, sad, frustrated, or just let them drag us down or we can choose to be happy. That's something that my Dad tells my sisters and I all the time. Choose to be happy. Choose to be the person that is always happy. Choose to be the person that sees the good in everything. Choose to be the person that others look to for encouragement and choose to be the person that other people want to be around. Really when it all comes down to it, choose to be happy.

Stare it in the Face

Failure is a scary thing. No, you know what I take that back. Failure due to lack of effort isn't scary because by that point you've stopped caring anyway so the failing doesn't hurt so bad. You just kinda brush it off and think 'well whatever' because it didn't really matter to you in the first place. On the other hand, when you put a true effort into something you've not only invested time, but, you've also invested feeling and in essence you've invested a part of yourself. Your being is now somewhat connected to that task, or whatever it may be, that you've set out to do. 

So you go into something thinking 'I've got this' and you start and somewhere along the line you realize that you might have been wrong at the beginning when you set out. Your abilities are not quite matching up to the idea of success that you had at the start. It may be that you over estimated your abilities, or that you stretched yourself too thin, but nonetheless, it's not working out and you start to panic. As you realize that failure is in sight there's a nervousness that sets in. You feel it in your stomach and your brain never stops, and you're worrying non stop the the point that it's exhausting. You want so badly not to disappoint. Not to disappoint yourself, your parents, your teachers, whoever really. It's an emotional thing. 

There's also the question of when to accept defeat. When you're not starring down the face of failure it's easy to say that we should never give up, fight to the end, never accept failure. This presents the question though, is it more respectable to stop before you fail and come back and try again or to stick it out and hope for the best in the end? I'm not sure if there really is a right answer. If you come back and try again there's always that memory in the back of your head reminding you of the past. Some may say that that memory is motivating, but for others it may just bring back that feeling of nervous panic. Again, I don't think there's really a right answer here. And you know, isn't that just life. Some people seem to have everything going right for them all the time and the idea of failure is never really on their radar. Others seem to stare into the face of failure more often. I guess everyone had their own trials to face and it's probably unfair for me to judge but still. 

Just be Awesome

I think that a lot of people, including myself, pride themselves on "not caring about what other people think." But really I want to know, is there anyone out there who really doesn't care what other people think about them? Don't we go around everyday doing things for other people? I know I do! I plan an outfit every night for the next day, and yes I do like to be presentable and look nice, but I'm planning that outfit for other people to see. Impressions are everything. Everyone around you is taking their impression of you based on what you look like and how you act. I know that sounds shallow, but it's the truth and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing as long as you don't let that first judgement be your only judgement of people. Anyway, I'm going on a tangent. What I really want say is that I know that this is true, and I know that it influences me and my day to day. The thing is though. Who the heck cares?! I'm awesome! Everyone is awesome in their own way. The point of all of us being individuals is so that we can show our very own personalities! So I've decided I'm just going to be awesome. I'm breaking down the walls and I'm taking on life to the fullest. If you like it you like it and if you don't you don't. Being my fun, crazy, awesome self make me happy and that's what really matter right?

Also, it's not just me! There are so many people close to me that don't let others see their true inner awesomeness! Consider this an invitation. I know it's kind of a cliche message but I really do believe that just being yourself makes a change for the better. You'll attract the people that are truly meant to be in your life and you'll be happy with each other because you're happy with yourself.

No Such Thing as Luck

I feel like this time of year, just at the end of winter when the skies are clearing and spring is breaking through, is really a time of self reflection. At least, I know is for me. I'm coming toward the end of my school year and I've started to reevaluate. I'm looking at what I'm doing in my life and what I could be doing better. I think about who I am now and who I ultimately want to become; and more importantly, who does my Father in Heaven want me to become. This week has been a particularly reflective one and I realized something this week that has stuck in my mind.

My dad was in town this weekend and I got to see him on Friday night for a quick dinner. Every time I spend time with my dad, particularly one on one time, I come away from the experience and marvel at how much he truly loves. It's almost to a point where I really can't even understand the love that he has for me, but I can feel it. As I my dad and I went our separate ways after our evening together I was in the car thinking and the thought came to me that I am so lucky. Almost immediately I was a little angry at myself for using the word lucky to describe what I was feeling. I'm not lucky. Not at all. I am blessed. There is no coincidence involved. Everything I have and everything that I am comes from my Heavenly Father. He has trusted me to loving parents who have raised me to be the woman I am today. He has allowed me to be raised with the fullness of His gospel. He as directed me to where I am today and I am eternally grateful for everything. I just had to take a step back and think about the wonders that God has done in my life. It was a truly humbling experience and I believe that it has changed my outlook. I have a new resolve to be the person that my Heavenly Father sees me as. I was to fill the potential that he has placed before me. I believe that in that action I can show Him my gratitude.