Mental Nutrition

So if you've ever read my blog you know that I usually post things about perspective. Well.. this one isn't any different.  A week or two ago I saw a video that a friend of mine had posted on her Facebook that really made me reflect.  I'm always amazed at our capacity for caring and the experiences that cause us to change for the better.  

Today I gave a lesson in Sunday school about the second coming.  I decided to focus on the importance of knowing the reality of our Savior and His mission.  If we really want to return to God we have to know and become like Him.  I realized that two of the things most important to our salvation are trials and service.  While Christ lived on the earth He was faced with many trials and His whole life was service to others.  We are no different.  We are here to be tested and our focus should be service to others.  

Someone today posed the question; Have you ever regretted a decision to serve?  We often neglect or delay opportunities to serve but I honestly can't think of a time that I was upset that I chose to give service.  

Service is the anecdote to selfishness.

I only hope to begin to develop this level of charity. 

  

What keeps me up at night.

For as long as I can remember I've had trouble falling asleep.  It often takes me an hour or two to fall asleep.  I've never really been interested in taking medication, not because I think I'll become dependent, just because I would take it every night and that would end up costing a lot of money.  Tonight is one of those nights so I thought I'd jot down some of the activities and thoughts that keep me up.

-Reading.  Sometimes I find a book that I just can't put down no matter how tired I am.
-Movies.   My brother James and I will sometimes come home from our evening activities and throw in an       episode or two of Psych or White Collar.  (both good shows)  It's kind of nice to wind down the night like that.
-Working out.  Although this doesn't happen often there are times when I just work out late at night.  I actually think I have an easier time falling asleep after a late night workout because I'm so physically exhausted.
-Music.  This is the one that is getting me tonight.  I'll play a song that reminds me of another song that leads me to a new band that helps me discover another new band... it's ridiculous but there's something so intriguing about it.  I love discovering new music.  I'm amazed at how many people in this world produce incredible music that goes undiscovered by so many people.  It's probably in my top 3 activities of all time.


Thoughts:  (These are some thoughts that often run through my head while i'm laying awake)

What do I need to get done tomorrow?
Did I pay my cell phone bill?
It was great to see my niece and nephews tonight, they're so funny.
What am i gonna do when I graduate?
Will I need to take the GRE or the GMAT?
I should be reading my scriptures right now.
I really want to go buy another canvas so I can paint.
What time is it? I've only got 5 hours till I need to wake up..
Why can't I fall asleep?!
I wonder if I can get hypnotized so I can fall asleep at night.
Is that homework assignment due tomorrow?!
Should I ask her out? I don't think it would go anywhere.
I need to write my goals down.
What am I gonna be doing in a year?
Should I go to Bangkok in the fall?

That's just a taste of what I think about at night.

I really do need to go to bed since it's after 1 a.m. right now and it's gonna take me another hour to fall asleep.  I'll leave you with a song that I absolutely love.  It's by Jonsi who is the lead singer for an incredible band named Sigur Ros.  This song is called Boy 1904.  Whenever I listen to it I have a really vivid image of walking down an old European cobble stone street at night with a light snow falling.  I walk past an old chapel with the doors open and a boy's choir singing this song.  The only noises are the choir and the crunching of my footsteps packing the snow down into the cracks of the cobble stones.  (I know that sounds super cheesy but it's late, i'm tired, and that's really what I picture so deal with it.)



Enjoy. and Goodnight.

The Conscientious Objector

It seems like lately I only blog when I'm in a contemplative mood. Tonight I watched a documentary entitled "the Conscientious Objector". It's been awhile since I've seen a film that has impacted me so much. I don't want to give too much of it away because I want everyone to watch it but it tells the true story of a WWII soldier who, because of religious beliefs, refused to kill. I was amazed at the commitment that this man displayed to God and his beliefs amid the onslaught of ridicule and abuse from his comrades. His attitude and perspective were inspiring. During the war he literally saved the lives of soldiers who had persecuted him for his beliefs. I always feel so inadequate yet encouraged by people like Desmond Doss. The power that we posses as individuals is so great! The fact that we either don't see it in ourselves or just refuse to act on it is really sad. I know that I probably live most of my life at 20% of my potential. It's amazing how often we settle for mediocrity. We know that we are capable of so much more but for some reason we allow ourselves to get comfortable in our apathy. I'm so grateful for people like Desmond who know what they believe and refuse to compromise. I just hope that I can begin to develop that ability.

Finance nerd.

So the last 3 weeks I got on this financial kick.. yeah, I know. Me trying to be financially responsible isn't exactly something you'd expect but for some reason i'm addicted. My boss Lisa Hancock is somewhat of a guru of finance. She reads financial stuff for fun. She recently told me about a program run through the university that will match your contributions 3 to 1 up to 6,000 total. I thought it sounded too good to be true so I talked my little bro into going with me to the first workshop and everything checked out. The only catch is that you have to use the money to either buy a house, start a business or use it towards higher education. I think I can handle that.
Some of the things I've done to become more responsible include: buying a fireproof box to keep all of my records in. Opening a dedicated savings account. Getting a credit card to start building credit. Don't make fun of me! I'm 25 and just getting a credit card, i'm not ashamed. well, maybe a little bit but not enough to leave that part out of my post. I also created an account on mint.com it's legit! seriously. it sounds sketchy but it's the real deal and it's free! I wont take the time to explain it here but you should definitely go check it out.
I learned that if you start saving $4,000 a year from the time you're 22 you'll be a millionaire by the time you're 65 or something like that. But if you wait till you're 32 you have to put twice as much money away each year! the beauty of compounding interest! Moral of the story: If you're young and not thinking about saving, start! you'll love yourself for it later. If you're old and haven't saved.. I'm sorry.
George Soros once said, If investing is entertaining, if you’re having fun, you’re probably not making any money. Good investing is boring.

So many things

The last couple of weeks have been very eventful. Two weeks ago I spent a nice Sunday afternoon/evening with Juje, Matt, Nat, and Hayley as we drove down to Highland to celebrate the third annual Canadian Thanksgiving with McKay and her family. Highlights included Juje naming off every single thing on her plate and explaining why she loved it. Willy Serenading us. Ravoe being quiet because she didn't want us to think she's crazy. Hayley backing up on the freeway. Mostly just spending time with people you care about.
This last weekend I went on a roadtrip with Eric, Nate, and Rhodes to visit Brett in Gilroy CA. Garlic capitol of the world! The drive was ridiculously long. The only things that kept us sane were singing to Rage Against the Machine, holding our breath through the tunnels, watching contained fires that we thought were real, and harassing Eric's girlfriend over the phone. We had a lot of fun with Brett as our guide. There was much laughter and rejoicing all weekend, it was sad to leave Brett behind as we made the trek back to Logan.

On a random side note that's going to tie everything together, today I talked to a girl that I've been interested in for awhile and was told that she sees me as a "good friend". Those are always the exact words you want to hear from a girl you like.
After I talked to her I started thinking a lot about the things upon which we base our happiness. (it always sounds too proper to say it like that but that's how you're supposed to say it) Anyway, I was thinking about how quickly my mood changes based on outside influences. Not that I think it's good to fake happiness all the time but I realized that if I place all my hopes on things like how a first date goes or if my team wins or loses then I will always be manic, going from extreme highs to lows and back again.
In Spanish there are two ways to say "to be" one is a permanent state of being and the other is temporary. I believe that people who are "permanently" happy have learned to place their hopes and trust in more permanent things like God, family, and real friends. I also think that they are able to look at themselves and continually strive to become more, whatever that more is they find ways to constantly grow and improve.
It's just not worth giving up your happiness to indulge in short lived pity parties. Now I know i'll still be bummed when a first date goes bad or the Aggies lose another football game but that sadness doesn't need to make me an unhappy person. It's really all about perspective. If I'm not gonna remember or care about a certain event a year or even a month later then why stress about it now? Life is wonderful! There are so many GOOD things to enjoy in this world! I would love to play the guitar/piano more, write music, read for fun, travel, meet people, find new music, learn new skills, go hiking, play with my niece and nephews, listen to stories from my Grandparents, paint, watch documentaries, volunteer, start writing in my journal again, work out, learn to cook, etc..
It's easy to say there isn't time for things like that, I totally understand that feeling but maybe we just don't prioritize well. If something is important enough to you then you'll find time to do it. Seriously.
Well. i've got to finish this post so I can go read. for fun.

So Long

I was trying to think of a really good title for this post considering it's been over a year since I've blogged.. I realize that the title I chose makes it sound like i'm bidding everyone adieu. That is false. The intended meaning is that it has been such a long time since I've blogged or for that matter sat down and just thought about stuff. It's kind of sad really. I've taken some time to go through my friends blogs that I follow and it's crazy to think of how much has changed. My little brother is home from his mission. Gnomes have moved/married, my best friend is in law school. I moved home and am almost half way through my last year at USU. This year I'm involved with the Student Alumni Association on campus. It's been a lot of fun getting to know a lot of different people.

The past couple of days have been a great time for reflection. I always love being able to watch General Conference. President Uchtdorf's talk on pride was one of my favorites. "We don't discover humility by thinking less of ourselves but by thinking less about ourselves." Also President Monson's talk about gratitude was amazing. "If ingratitude is counted as one of the most serious sins then gratitude takes its place as one of the noblest of virtues."

I know that I can definitely improve on having an attitude of gratitude. I have an incredible family, awesome friends, and I live in such a beautiful place. It's easy to forget what you've got or start to focus on the negative. Brett posted this quote on his blog recently and it's one of my favorite quotes as well. It's from The Alchemist, "every blessing ignored becomes a curse." Another favorite of mine is from a book called The Noticer, "what you focus on increases." I've sure got a long way to go but it's important to enjoy the journey.

I think i'm gonna blog more. I enjoy it