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