Why am I enjoying finals?

I made it a goal to have a fun finals week.  I know... a total oxymoron right!  But I did it, I succeeded. And I have to say that I am thoroughly pleased with the week I made for myself.

Here's the key.  Just kidding, there isn't a key.  You just need to be positive. Have fun study breaks.  Plan out your week so you know when you're studying and when you're done (but leave a little wiggle room).  Call up old friends.

This goes for more than just finals week.  It's for life.  I have to plan out what I'm doing.  Know when you're going to bed, when you're waking up, and what you're doing each day.  Not having a schedule is bad  not productive.  Also, get enough sleep.  I need a solid seven hours.  But if I get too much sleep then I am tired the next day and can't get out of bed (I think that's normal but I'm not sure).

Now that you know my sleep schedule, I'll tell you what to do for a solid study break.  Go to the temple, go for a walk, buy a gift for someone, write a letter, clean out your email, find a good book, cook yummy food, exercise, go to a sporting event (I like baseball), watch mindless t.v. (or something educational.  you pick).  When I am hitting a wall and at my wit's end, I call an old friend I haven't talked to for a while.  It is my favorite pastime I think.

But before you do any of these things, I need to earn it! You need to work hard in order to play hard (refer to my previous blog post about how to do that if you are confused).

In life, we need breaks!  But only when we work hard for them.  And we need other people in order to keep our sanity.  I think that's the point of this pointless post.

Here's a pretty picture, because we all need some annual weekly daily hourly inspiration.

Be serious; but never take yourself too seriously

"Life is not only meant to be endured, but to be enjoyed."

President Gordon B. Hinckley said that.  He knew how to be professional, somber, and thoughtful without eliminating all sense of humor.

I mean... it will be a sad and dark day when we forget to laugh and enjoy life.  I realized this as I walked to class the other day.  I pulled an "ella" and slipped and fell.  This wasn't a small trip.  It was a wipe out.  Sure, I could have blushed and cried as my economics book flew to the ground and my butt slammed so hard I'm pretty sure it shook the snow off the trees next to me.  I was in a crowd of people, but I didn't know a single person.  I popped up and, embarrassingly, said, "Wow.  Careful right there, it's slippery."  Lots of people were staring at me, and I'm fairly certain my dress was caught up in my backpack (revealing my awesome back shot).  But, WHATEVER!  I don't know these people, and if nothing else, I brought a smile to their faces.

Heaven knows I brought a smile to my own.

And here's just a few of the many people that taught me to laugh when I fall (seriously there's just so many.  But no way do I have a picture with or of all of them).

I wish you could tag someone on blogspot...

Thank you, Kathleen Kelly

And yet again Kathleen Kelly puts things back into perspective for me.

You know it's bad when you can't remember the last non-academic book you picked up, or when you last went on a leisurely walk for fun rather than for a work out.  I found myself wondering this and having horrible answers to both of these questions.  Why?  I'll tell you when: Blacklist, Sherlock, and Veronica Mars.  That is the sequential order in which I finished catching up on three T.V. shows, totally about 7 seasons worth of T.V. in all (is there something to be said about me in that they are all crime dramas?).

That's not good.  Nor is the fact that my good friend Kathleen Kelly, whom I always have on hand (thank you iTunes) has once again put me back in my place.  Here's the line folks.

So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around?

And that is what I find myself thinking now.  I need to get back out there!  Sure I'm swamped with school work and student government and callings, but that's no excuse to glue my ___ to the couch and drown my head in crime drama (by the way, I ordered a taser off of Amazon yesterday.  I think this is because Blacklist, Sherlock, and Veronica Mars are getting to me).

Don't worry, I'm not too attached to these things.  But I realize that these past two weeks they have kept me from experiencing my own adventures.  When I die, I don't want to look back and think about all of the episodes I got to watch of some character's fictitious life!  Not to say that T.V. isn't sometimes needed.  We all need a little unwinding every now and again (insert winky face here).

In order to get back in gear, I saw the Carl Bloch exhibit (again) which is always inspiring, and took my geography professor's advice and went outside.  So thank you Kathleen, for reminding me to get off of Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.  I swear they are all the death of college students and their grades.

moral of my boring story

to get you thinking/moving

my favorite art piece at the exhibit.  Agony in the Garden by Frans Schwartz.

The Art of Travel

There is something about deserts that makes you think.  Perhaps it is their vast emptiness that allows for clarity and perspective.  The stretching landscape reveals everything and is exposed to all eyes; whereas a first is deep and mysterious, perfect for secrets.

I say this because I am currently driving from California to Salt Lake and we just passed Barstow (my dad calls it the armpit of America).  That means we have a lot of driving time left, and a lot of desert to cover.  I find myself staring out the window at the cracked earth and scattered shrubs, and for some reason it pulls my mind into thinking.  This is what always happens.

So here's what I'm thinking about... (drum roll please)



What is art?  What standards must be achieved to classify something as art?  I believe that art is a way to become immortalized.  Whatever that may be...

So how does one make traveling through life a work of art?  Our lives are not made out of our shining, fleeting moments of success or pleasure; but rather our daily journeys that at times seem monotonous and unimportant.  Journeys to Costco, class, appointments, work, etc.  The daily routine that eventually makes up an entire lifetime.

It is how we react in these everyday situations that creates an artful life.  It is how you view these dull activities that fabricate a lifestyle.  I see that if you go through life not caring about which crowd you are in or what your label is, you will find yourself surrounded by loved ones and happy beyond measure.  If your ignorant judgement of others does not decide how you will act, life can be brilliant.

Speaking to those who travel abroad: international or extended travel reminds us of our own insignificance.  It makes our own petty worries shrink and our eyes focus on a grander picture.  It can open minds to new ideas, give a better picture of what we want out of life, and show how blessed we are.

To all: our daily journeys to the supermarket are even more important than world-wide travel.  President Hinckley once said, "The gates of heaven swing on small hinges."  It's the little things that count, beginning with how we view others.  Seeing them as equal in worth is key.  When you see them as inferior, pride leads you to become angry, irritated, or indifferent toward them.  When superior, you feel self-conscious and not confident.  And believe me, people can tell the way you view them.

The art of travel is simply a way of saying "how to go through life and achieve the greatest amount of true joy possible."

snapshots

Sometimes we share moments that we want to freeze in time.  To hold a Polaroid photo of that feeling in our hands and remember it in its entirety even as it yellows and fades.  They are moments of epiphany, moments of joy, and moments of beauty.  When you hug your firstborn tight to your chest and breath in that feeling of love, anxiety, and peace all at the same time while standing in a dimly lit hospital room.  Or that second of delight when reach the summit of a long-awaited hike.  Often they are simple moments of togetherness-- when your family is all tucked tight in their beds while a gentle snow falls beyond the window.  I myself have moments such as these, and all contain the company and companionship of those I love.

Tonight I was reminded of those moments as I watched The Book Thief with my friend/roommate/blessing Kait.  It is late at night on the day before my last final, and probably the last place I should be is a movie theater.  But there we were, and there our hearts were changed.  There was beauty on the screen-- in color, speech, music, scenery, wardrobe, expression-- it was seemingly flawless in its simplicity.  The masterpiece brought us the fresh perspective we needed.  And that's my raving review of The Book Thief.  Do yourself a favor, and see it.

Being happy and other virtues

This is how you become the best you can be, which will undoubtably bring happiness.  

For example: Something you're passionate about is life.  So become immensely interested in it, and continue to let that interest grow.  Look around you and see the beauty of the world.  Keep your head up and see the people around you.  Lift them, and allow them to lift you.  Foster life-long relationships with others, and don't let petty things keep you from holding fast to those friendships.  Call your family members, both close and estranged, and ask them how they are doing.  Learn about other cultures and develop a respect for them.  Eat good food and go on long walks.  Find yourself in the mountains with good people and a good view.  Read books, and then read some more books, so that you can have more insight to things around you.  Look down from the tops of man-made skyscrapers God's peaks and canyons.  Admire the beautiful artwork and architecture around us, and immerse yourself with beautiful melodies and music that move the soul. 

These are just a few ways to show that you appreciate this life you've been given.  Be grateful.

And doing this doesn't ensure that there will be no bad days or hard times, but it does make those times less bad and less hard.  It gives you things to be grateful for even in moments of distress and sorrow.

self•ish

College is the prime time for being selfish.  It is the most self-absorbed period of everyone's lives, when they are on their own with no one else to look out for.  If I wanted to, I could spend all day without even talking to another person.  I don't have to look at anyone, talk to anyone, and especially help anyone.  I have my own worries, my own schedule, and my own issues to take care of.

However, it is also the perfect time to serve others. Because we are on our own and surrounded by so many people, we are given countless opportunities to lift others up.  Everyone is going through hard times; everyone has troubles and stresses.  It's not hard to look around and find someone in need, whether it be a roommate, classmate, ward member, etc.

This being said, it's the times when we are consumed with ourselves that we are the most UNhappy.  When I'm caught up in my outfit, watching episode after episode of netflix and just sitting in my own comfort, I am indifferent and quite unhappy.  But when I'm stressed about class and trying my best and I'm staying out late and waking up early and surrounded by people but also have time to myself and I'm going to the gym and doing my visiting teaching and looking for the good in each day and learning from the bad; that's when I'm happiest.  When I'm working hard.

These make for the best days.

I've discovered the secret to life

I guess that this is not the secret to every life-- but it is the secret to a happy life.

It's so simple that I think it goes over most people's heads, and maybe that's why it's taken me so long to figure it out.  It'll probably take me even longer to implement in my life.

The secret is to be happy with where you're at.  I know it sounds too simple-- but anyone can paint something simple to to look complicated.  The truly difficult and artful thing is to make something complicated become simple.

Being at college it is easy to sit back and observe others that are making mistakes (I guess that's easy to do pretty much anywhere, but I've noticed it in particular here at BYU.  I think this is because everyone is vulnerable and away from home).

I have friends that never seem to be happy.  Whether we are at a game, a dance, or just relaxing as friends; they can not feel content.  The grass is always greener, or the Instagram picture always looks better.  Truly happy people are content, with both who they are and where they are.  Not to say that we shouldn't all work for progression; but it is important that we are happy where we are.

--Obviously Passenger is on the same page as me.  Listen to the "Let Her Go" lyrics.  I rest my case.--

And now a warm welcome to this coming winter.  May we make it a good one.  

Work Hard, Play Hard (and a happy Wednesday)

My new philosophy (drum roll please...)

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD.

So I had probably heard this saying .2 million times in my life.  But now it finally rings true!  I realize that in order to do all of the things that I want to do, I first need to do all of the things that I need to do.  For example, Monday I spent a good five hours in the third floor activity room doing nothing but straight up homework (but of course I did have some episodes of Psych playing in the background).  I finished all of my math homework, studied for my Conflict Resolution test, researched for my Issues Paper, and wrote my Islamic and Judaism Survey paper.  It was rough but productive!  And after, what did I do? (cue the lively background music)

I played hard!  I went shopping, worked out, got some good food, and relaxed for a while.  Then I went to bed EARLY.  Weird.  I know.  It was the absolute best.  I will do the same this week, so that this weekend I will be a free woman.  Happy Wednesday y'all!

Life lessons learned in one day

Just kidding, it took more than one day to learn this life lesson.  It took 5 stress-filled days and nights... but that just didn't roll as well for a title.

Okay so I recently had to take a test for my calculus class.  This was a pretest on all past things pertaining to calculus, and in order to remain in the class, a 75% was required on the test.  As you can imagine, I was freaking out.  I do not do math.  I do not like math.  I avoid math.

Or so I thought...

I recently discovered that if you spin something that you don't like into a positive thing, you can trick yourself into thinking that you really do enjoy whatever it is you don't like.  And eventually, you will like that something that you originally hated.  You follow?

For example-- if I were to hate blood more than anything, and feel ill just at the thought of a paper cut, then I would have to spin the thought of blood into a not-so-bad thing (I use this as an example because it is a personal experience I once had.  More details to come).  Or even better, spin it into an appealing thing.  I would pull out all of the cool things about blood, drawing particularly on what it is that I find interesting.  The key word here is interesting.  This differs for everyone.  But for me, I would say that blood is a miracle, and a gift.  And that I am blessed to have healthy blood.  Moreover, I would stress the fact that this is a challenge for me.  And every challenge gives us an opportunity to grow and develop our weaknesses into strengths.  So, by learning to love blood, and understand it more fully, I am overcoming one of my weaknesses, and therefore building a strength out of a challenge.  Make sense?

I tell this, because this is what I learned to do with calculus.  I told myself that it is like a puzzle.  And I love puzzles.  I told myself that it is my ultimate puzzle to solve, and that if I practice, I will get better and build upon my weaknesses.  I told myself that if I would ask for help from tutors in the math center every day, that it would help me to stay humble and also show a willingness to learn.  I would be showing obedience by doing all that I could possibly do in order to prepare for the test.  And I would learn how to do hard things, because later in life I will not have the option to back out of certain difficult tasks.  So that's how I spun it.  And now I actually enjoy math.

And that's the story of how I grew to love math.

I know... you were on the edge of your seats.

But this is why it is so important.  This is the "so what who cares?" part of my babbling.  I have just conquered one of the greatest tasks in life.  Learning to love what you do, even what what you are doing isn't something that you love.  Fact is, most of life is not easy.  And much of life is not fun.  There are many mundane things that just have to be done, and there's no way around it.  No matter how long I stare at the pile of dirty laundry that is accumulating at the foot of my bed, and no matter how much I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning at 6:00 o'clock to go running, it still needs to be done.  Otherwise I will turn into a smelly and out of shape marshmallow with dirty clothes.  But if I spin it into something enjoyable, then life continues to be fun (although I currently can't think of any way to spin those two particular things at this moment).  This is what makes a positive person. 

Honestly, my one regret is that there are not more hours in the day for me to spend pouring over the great works that I am surrounded by.  When it comes night, I don't want to go to sleep, because I feel so invigorated by the things that I am working on.  This is so exciting.   

You're welcome.