Be the Difference our society needs

I realize I am not speaking of everyone, and in some ways this is simply me venting, so even though as I write I say “we” it does not mean I am speaking of you, I say “we” as our society as a whole.

From the majority of my observations over the past year or so this is sadly what I have seen. We, as a people, LOVE to complain and critic our society, or surroundings, if something doesn’t seem right we will gladly start complaining about how stupid other people are and how they should be doing whatever it is in some other way. It is really sad. We speak out of 90% ignorance, we only see how we personally are affected. It is completely selfish. Yes, society is not perfect, but really? The more we complain the more we contribute to the problems. If you have a legitimate desire and want to help fix an issue, DO something about it, complaining only brings negative attitudes and less support to our communities. We love to complain and talk about how Cops are always out to get us, or how they are always doing stupid stuff. Well what if we didn’t have any sort of police force? Yes, they are far from perfect, but no one on earth is perfect. If I am speeding and get pulled over its not the cop being a jerk, I was speeding, it’s called personal accountability, it’s that simple. Now the fact is I have not been impressed with the few times I have had conversations with a member of the police force, and I really wish I had done something about it, even if it was simply putting in a formal complaint about the way I was treated. It’s not that I felt it was unfair because of what had happened, but what upset me was the way they treated me, it was as though I was a four year old completely ignorant kid.

Nearly all of us, in our own ways contribute to the degradation of society. Whether its sticking our chewed gum somewhere other than a trash can, having a party so late into the night (early into the morning) that’s so loud that you cause many of the people living around you to become frustrated with our complete lack of consideration for them, or stealing small candies or other items that cause prices overall to increase. The fact is simply by living life these things tend to happen, sometimes we don’t even realize what we are doing is wrong. The real question is whether we are doing more to contribute and build up our surroundings or break it down. Obviously for the most part there are few people in our societies that are committing awful crimes, but if we all as a whole put more effort into following the system that we do have, things would be much better.

We can complain as much as we want about how pathetic our government is and how much they take advantage of us, but that will not change a single thing without action. I am not sitting in Washington DC and I really don’t follow politics enough to know much, but the fact is we live in a democratic society and whether we want to admit it or not, we, if we worked together, and truly wanted this change, we could see it happen. I can’t say I think paying taxes is the first thing I want to do with my money, but the fact is so many people find pathetic ways to get out of paying taxes and/or take complete advantage of welfare programs. Is it unfair? It certainly is, but I know if I have the attitude of expecting everything to be equal I will only contribute to our failing economy. We complain about a society that is falling apart, yet we gladly look past the ways that we are contributing to its downfall. We desire to live in a world with no personal stewardship or responsibility, essentially living as a small baby having others take care of us.

The fact is there will always be those that take advantage and seem to sail through life without making much effort at all. They are hindering themselves in so many ways they will only understand when it is too late, and sadly they make life harder for those who are striving to live in a way that will strengthen society. Life isn’t fair, but the beautiful thing is those people that strive to constantly contribute to a better society and sometimes sacrifice a personal ideal for the betterment of a society will gain benefits they may not see for years and years, maybe not even in this life, but those benefits will come.

So stand for something greater, be one of the few who really does what is needed to see society prosper. Be personally accountable, and see the inner strength and lessons that you will learn as you do so.

What we are VS. What we can become

 "The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become.” -Ben Herbster
On May 6th, 1954
In Oxford, England, 25-year-old medical student Roger Bannister was determined to do the impossible. For years, many athletes had tried and failed to run a mile in less than four minutes that people made it out to be a physical impossibility. Roger Bannister, who was running for the Amateur Athletic Association against his alma mater, Oxford University, won the mile race with a time of 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. He had done what nearly everyone else said could not be done. How? He had a goal and reached out to grab his potential. Once he had done it, others followed. He had broken the bonds humanity put on themselves.
When the Original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was released in the 1980s many of the technological geniuses stated that they had reached the potential that could be had in that field of entertainment. Luckily there were also those that disagreed with that statement.

“The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.” -Brian Tracy

There are two types of potential we can discuss. The first relates to the dreams and successes we wish to achieve in this life, with this potential the unfortunate fact is not everyone will accomplish every dream they have. Please do not let this statement hinder you from trying, but that is simple fact. The personal growth and potential that can be ours is an entirely different story, this is a portion of our life we have much more control over. Some of the greatest examples I know in life live in very meager ways, but i honor and respect them because they understand what really matters most in this life.

We have such incredible potential as human beings. Yet we limit ourselves in so many ways. For some people they simply do not care. For others the reality and possibility of failure hinders them from even trying. Personally I have no desire to try and run a 4 minute mile. The fact is for me long distance running has always been a challenge, but just recently i have set a goal to be capable of running 3 miles in under 25 minutes. Too much of the running world this may not seem like anything spectacular, but that is MY goal, it is one that is surrounded by many other goals.
The potential I desperately seek to fulfill is my potential as a good father and husband, as a good example to my peers and those i come in contact with, as an individual people know they can turn to in a time of need. I want to be the best example i can for my future children, if I have something i need to stop doing to achieve this goal I am more than willing to do it. If I expect my children to be living a certain way i have no right at all to be living different standards. I know to become this person i must be willing to sacrifice things that i may think I need, or that seem important, and I am okay with that. I fight for the greater good, especially since i know by striving to fulfill these goals for the sake of others; I myself am being refined into an individual that was much better than where i started.

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.” -Liane Cordes
We do not have to be the strongest or smartest to reach our potential. We are all different people, our goals and desires will be different. It comes down to the dedication we put into achieving our goals and desires. Unless I have the desire to do it, I’m not going to. That desire may come from personal want, it may come from my fiancés encouragement, or maybe the council of another person that I respect and trust.

“Your past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.” -Marilyn Ferguson
The beauty of this life is change. We do not have to be constantly weighed down by mistakes of the past. We have the opportunity and ability to abandon those things that cause us feeling of regret. Just remember the future starts with actions that we make today.

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" -Anne Frank

“Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours.” -Richard Bach
At times we tend to convince ourselves of the idea that "this is just how I am, and it's not going to change." It's not that we are necessarily doing something bad, but is it really what we know will bring us the greatest happiness? I have said it before and I’ll state it many more times, I am a stubborn individual in many ways, but I also know that change can be the greatest thing. I am stubborn, but I do all I can to heed the counsel and advice of those people that I know will lead me in the right direction. I know I am meant to become much more then I now am, and if I am to reach that potential I must be willing to make the changes I know I need to. This life is a journey, I would never expect to change overnight, but I do know that I must take the steps to make the change happen. If i coast my way through life simply accepting what I am and where I am at, I will never make it.

"Who are we? We are children of God. Our potential is unlimited. Our inheritance is sacred. May we always honor that heritage — in every thought and deed." -Russell M. Nelson

Our Greatest Strength

Each of us has the potential to be incredible in our own way; we all have things we are good at and things that push us in life. There are things that just come naturally to us and some things that almost seem impossible for us yet others seem to accomplish them with ease. An example for me is art, I am awful. I cannot seem to even draw a stick figure, but I have some of my closest friends who are INCREDIBLE artists. Is it fair that they have those strengths and I don't? Yes it is completely fair, first off, they have put much more time and effort into refining those skills, and also I have strengths that they may not have.

These strengths and weaknesses play a key role in our lives, but they are not what I refer to as our greatest strength. I speak in context of a world of obedience, virtue, and good living. We all have things that we know are not good for us, yet they seem very hard for us to avoid. These can simply be called our struggles. In the same respect there may be temptations in life that have little or no influence over us. One person may never have the temptation to lie, no matter how uneasy, awkward, or self incriminating the situation may be, however that same person may struggle with stealing. Nothing huge, but maybe they are at a grocery store and see a candy bar they like, it feels so easy to slip it into their pocket, deep down they know its wrong, but it is very hard for them to avoid making the action. This individual does have a strength in the fact that they do not lie, but I would say that if they have the ability to control them self and keep from stealing, that is a much greater strength. The hardest things for us in life are what need our greatest attention and take the most out of us to overcome. Look at a drug addict who is striving to overcome their addiction, it is incredibly difficult and almost always requires the help of the people around them. Is this a weakness? The drug addiction is a weakness, but if they are striving to overcome that weakness that shows incredible strength and personal desire to become their best. Each and every one of us will make mistakes in life, some big and some little. It is very easy for us to judge others when their weakness may be something that we find very easy, but we HAVE to realize we are different people. Being willing to understand the people around us is essential for a strong relationship.

What is our greatest strength? I would say it is our ability to overcome our weaknesses. Will this happen overnight? Of course not, if it did it would be easy. Are we going to slip? It is a possibility, but with consistent effort and a constant desire to avoid whatever it may be we can turn that weakness into something that will only tempt us on occasion, and with the strength we have refined, that temptation will not come out victorious.

All the water in the world

"All the water in the world, however hard it tried.
Can never sink the smallest ship, unless it gets inside.
All the evil in the world, the darkest kind of sin,
Can never hurt you in the least, unless you let it in."

I was given this little poem in my Sunday School class when I was 15 or 16, by my teacher Brother Ostrowski. He told us to keep it with us all the time. 7 years later I can proudly say that I have done just that. It has had a special place in my wallet ever since that day.

No one is perfect, but whether we admit it or not, we all have a sense of knowing between what is right and what is wrong. To many people this intuitive sixth sense is called our conscience, to many Christians it is known as the Light of Christ. This helps us determine the choices we should make, but as humans we are stubborn and don't always want to pay attention to this "sixth sense." We think we know better and that we will be okay, the opposite choice even seems to be the more fun of the decisions we could make.
"Quite often, the right choice, and the most difficult choice to make, are one in the same."
There is joy, peace, and safety to be found in following the conscience we possess. We will reach our greatest potential and grow in ways we may never have thought possible. And the greatest thing is the fact that the more we follow The Light of Christ the more promptings we will receive, and more refined this sixth sense will become.
Try it out for a few days. Whenever a decision is placed before you, stop for a minute and think about what you should really do in this situation, seek the advice of our God through a little prayer in your heart. I can promise you, the more effort and practice you put into refining your conscience the greater happiness and peace you will find in life.
"There are many paths, remember that you alone choose the path on which you walk."

Standing United

"United we stand, Divided we fall"

In a romantic way, but also simply as friends and family we must stand together and support one another. There are too many challenges and struggles that we face to try and carry our entire weight as one person. Each of us have special qualities and gifts that we can use to help others who may need extra strength in that area of life, and those individuals may hold strengths that we can be uplifted by. We must let others help us, I know personally I can be very stubborn at times, but I am really working on opening myself up to the help and support of the people that I consider closest to me.

"I won't give up" by Jana Kramer
I will be by your side
If ever you fall deep in the dead of the night
Whenever you call
And I won’t change my mind
No, I’ll see you through
And I won’t give up
No, I won’t give up
I won’t give up on you

The more time and effort we put into serving and stregthening the people around us the happier we will be. Don't believe me? Try it out.
My fiance told me about a book she read that talks about "The 17 second miracle" long story short, we can change someones day/life by only devoting 17 seconds of our time to them. It could be a simple conversation, holding the door open for the person behind us that is obviously in a rush, or even a smile and hello to someone you can tell is not having a good day, and then there are the times that the way we can help is by doing nothing at all. There are times when I want so badly to try and comfort or communicate with someone I care deeply for, but I have to restrain myself because I know that what they really need is space and quiet time.
Sometimes we give up an event or a period of our personal time to help someone else or offer service in another way. Find the sweet satisfaction in this personal sacrifice. If it is done with a bad attitude complaining the whole time, you will miss out on a great experience.

"Your Guardian Angel" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven

I appreciate the people in my life who have given me this added measure of strength, I know I would not be here today without them.

The One

Any of you that have read my blog before will know that i rarely talk about my personal life. Sometimes i tell a random story but that's about it. Today is different. I want to let everyone know about that one special little lady that has changed my world in so many ways.
I met her for the first time the end of last August or beginning of September 2010. Over time we became friends and built up a strong relationship. She was special, there was something very unique and at first i couldnt really explain it. Then as time continued and some specific actions were made, we grew closer and closer. Her name is Holly and I love her more than anything. She is my everything for multiple reasons. She loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know she is going to be a great mother, she has a great sense of humor, she makes me smile all the time, she is beautiful inside and out. I could go on and on, and in time i probably will, but for now i simply wanted to express that love for her. She completes me.
We are going to be married and sealed for time and all eternity on August 6th 2011 in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple, and i have never been happier or felt so right about something in my life. We are not perfect but we know what we want and together we will accomplish those goals.
I love you Holly!

To be unique.

Well over six billion people walk the face of this earth right now, each of us unique in our own way. We may have similar likes, dislikes, drives, motives, hobbies, and desires as many of the people around us, but that does not change the fact that we are meant to be unique. I feel it is true to say that there are few (if any) individuals in the world that are completely free of living there lives to “fit it.” We practice this idea to different degrees, some people are only slightly affected while other live their lives to be a part of the “in crowd.” We try so hard to fit this model of what society has made for us or what we see the “cool kids” doing that we lose those precious things that make us who we truly are. This may be our standards, our real friends, our dreams, our style of clothing, or many other things. We begin to let others rule and reign over our choices. I remember in High School seeing a poster, I do not remember what it said word for word, but it stated,

-Twenty years from now, no one will remember or even care about the shoes you wore, how many friends you had, or the cool things you did. What they will remember is the type of person you were and they will see what you have become.-

I would add to that the people that only see what you were in High School are the people that have completely missed the point of life.

 “The man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away.” –Charles Schwab

I am not trying to say we shouldn’t try to look nice or keep up with the latest technology. I wear a suit to work every day because that is what’s professional and it is expected of me. I am not going to quit my job just because I REALLY don’t like wearing suits. Being yourself does not mean that you have to rebel against society just to prove you are “different”, that is just as bad as losing yourself to fit in with everything society tells you is important.

If you enjoy something that doesn’t seem to fit what the people around you think is cool, it is okay. If they give you a hard time about enjoying it, those probably are not the people I would consider real friends. If you feel like something is wrong and the people you are trying to impress think it’s the cool thing to do, once again these are not the people you need to worry about.

“Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you.”

Merry Christmas in February!

For those of you who do not know, I. Love. Christmas.
I love the happy and joyful feeling in the air and i love the fact that everyone seems to be much nicer and more giving. Here is a story i heard not too long ago that i love, and yes it is a Christmas story. Enjoy! or not...

       The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.  When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work.  They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. 

     They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc., and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

     On December 19 a terrible tempest—a driving rainstorm—hit the area and lasted for two days.

     On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church.  His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

     The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.  On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in.  One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center.  It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall.  He bought it and headed back to the church.

     By this time it had started to snow.  An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus.  She missed it.  The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later.

     She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc. to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry.  The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

     Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.  “Pastor,” she asked, “where did you get that tablecloth?”  The pastor explained.  The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there.  They were.  These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

     The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten “The Tablecloth”.  The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria.

     When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.  Her husband was going to follow her the next week.  He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

     The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.  The pastor insisted on driving her home.  That was the least he could do.  She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. 

     What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve.  The church was almost full.  The music and the spirit were great.  At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return.

     One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving.

     The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

     He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison.  He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years between.

     The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride.  They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

     He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.  The couple was reunited!

      

The End.

We may be young.

I preface this post by saying I have had leaders and superiors that I love to death and respect in many ways, they have influenced me in a positive light causing me to want to work hard and sacrifice for a larger team. Yet sadly this is not always the case, and that is what I choose to focus on right now. I am not speaking ignorantly either; I have been in the leadership position many times.

 Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with a great friend of mine from back home. To put simply, She Is Awesome, she’s incredibly smart, dedicated to success, and a very gifted artist, plus she can give tons of great advice about a variety of challenges you may be facing.

We talked about a lot of different of things, but spent a good deal of time discussing challenges she is facing in her current place of employment and also the challenges we have both seen due to our young ages in the “Working world.” She talked of disrespect shown to her, but then being told she was the one being disrespectful simply because she was willing to stand up and speak against things done by her superiors that are blatantly unacceptable and personally belittling. Luckily my friend is not the type of person to simply watch this happen. She is not some random punk kid striving to start discord, instead she is well versed in the rules regulations and laws that are being compromised. She may be young and no more than 5 foot two and 100 pounds, but she knows how to handle the situation. I would not want to be on her bad side as a superior.

I cannot blame many of us as a society who simply sit back and let the disrespect and ill-treatment continue. We are not in a position that allows us to put our employment on the line, we have bills and obligations that make that source of income vital, so we put up with it. I respect these people because they would rather be working then trying to find some way to manipulate the system into taking care of them.

I have faced similar situations and seen way too many of my peers and coworkers treated in an unacceptable manner, where a superior feels they can walk all over those who work under their leadership. I once had a new supervisor create their own personal standards and strive to impose them on me. Long story short I knew I was not in the wrong and frankly I was sick of this individual along with another manager treating us younger employees disrespectfully and like we were ignorant little peons, so I stood up to the situation. It culminated in a heated discussion where the store manager stood speechless, simply standing there looking back and forth between myself and the supervisor as we “talked,” another employee stood in the distance baffled at what was taking place. He told me that I was challenging his authority, well… I agreed, because as much as he wanted to believe it was authority he held, I had done my research, I knew I was safe and he was wrong. I do wish it would not have had to come to such an intense situation, and I’m sure many would tell me I should not have done that, but I was done watching my friends treated how they were.

We may be young, but our desire to achieve our greatest in not going to change. We are the youth and young adults that will change the world, that will lead the various avenues of life, entertainment, business, education, and politics in the near future. I know I speak for all when I give thanks to those who have helped us along our paths. In the complete reverse of what I have been talking about, I have already at my young age had points in my life where I was given more responsibility than I ever imagined I would have. I was the “Leader” and I know I was not perfect, I’m sure there were individuals I had stewardship over that did not appreciate me or felt I was doing something in a wrong manner. I appreciated the council I received on occasion that helped me see a situation in a different light or helped me understand better what was going to help us achieve our highest and best potential. I also know that as much as we may want to be everyone’s friend, when we have leadership responsibilities we have to make a choice, and as imperfect humans sometimes we make the wrong choice and we will get grief for it. I made sure to Never Ever think of myself as above anyone, we were a team, we had different responsibilities, but our goals were the same and honestly the people I have had stewardship over were all so much better than me, I guess I just needed those opportunities to help teach me lessons I had to learn. I’ve loved every second of it, these responsibilities have taught me more than I can describe, and they have shaped my character. These opportunities have refined me beyond anyone trying to walk all over me and telling me that maybe someday I will be the boss.

My intention is not to try and convince the younger generation to be rebellious and oppose anyone who is above us. We can learn a lot from observing the leaders we respect and seeing how they interact with others and do business. However we do not have to simply accept disregard and disrespect when it is shown to us. We have value and worth, and we can make a difference.

We may be young, but do not think for a second that means you can walk over us.

For Those We Love part 2

Smoke covered the bloodshot sun, a sure sign of the Goranth. The Gorth may be human, but they are a twisted and savage people. The common folk are controlled by the Cartel, seven leaders bent on the destruction of any village, city, or nation that opposed their reign. Most of the western world lives in fear of the Goranth nation; few men have ever attempted to stand in their way, most of them no longer live. One man has stood for the freedom of the weak since the age of fourteen. Many times death was inevitable, yet whether by luck, fate, or divine intervention he still walks. Now he leads a few good men to what he inwardly knows will be his last stand. Alexander’s life has been spent protecting those who could not defend themselves. He never sought glory or fame, just the wellbeing of his people.

The march was long; by sunset they had reached the barren lands south of their homes. Alexander met with Jeremy and his brothers’ three sons. “We wait here, we have till tomorrow night to prepare.” Alexander said. “But Sir, they are within sight of our scouts, they will arrive before daybreak.” The youngest son stated. “Jaden, this is true, but they will not attack with the sun in the sky, they are a dark people, they think this will be their advantage.” Alexander said. “They think, It will be, Alex will we attempt an ambush?” Asked the youngest son, “No Travis, the Gorth are always on guard we must prepare a counter attack.” Alexander responded. “William I need you to gather anyone who is learned in the arts of chemistry and return to me.” “Yes sir.” William responded. “William, there is no need for titles anymore, I am just your uncle now, not your leader.” “Okay Alex.” William said with a smile. “Before you leave I have a request of you three. This may seem hard to follow, but you must. After this battle there will be no one to lead our people. That is why you three must survive. Never leave each other’s sides. Once the battle is lost you must flee. Stand together and you will survive. I know this sounds like a horrible act, but it must be done. Give us your word, that you will follow this command.” “We do.” Travis said. “No!, Father I will not abandon my friends.” Jaden firmly stated, “By dieing you would abandon your home. Jaden you and your brothers will lead our city in my absence, they will look to you for hope.” Jeremy said firmly. Jaden looked as if he wished to continue the debate, but knew he must follow his command. All three sons stood speechless as they realized their father last statement assumed his own death. “Fine, but if there is any sign of victory, I will stay to fight.” Jaden finally responded. His father looked as if to argue but was cut short by Alexander. “Agreed, William gather your troops, Travis you will assist your father, Jaden follow me.”

Tasks were set, and preparations made. Late that night before any rest was received, Alexander sat alone in the distance reflecting on his life. If a mans nobility were ranked by how much they did for others, Alexander would be King. Even as he faced death, his only thoughts involved the friends and family he left behind. Thinking of his two beautiful little girls and his unborn child. His beautiful wife Sara, soo many more years they could have been together. He would never see his daughters grow and marry, never know whether he was the father of an honorable son, or another beautiful daughter. “If only I could find a way to end this alone, I would.” He thought as he realized how much each of these men are giving up.

The people in our lives.

“The people and the friends we have lost, the dreams that have faded, never forget them.”

Ever since I was young there have been four people I consider my brothers. The first literally is my brother, the second has been my best friend since before I can remember, the third became my other best friend in fourth grade, and the last is my older brother’s best friend (who is quite literally a part of the family). Each of them has influenced me in different ways, and I have had many great times with all of them. These are four individuals that I am stuck with for the rest of my life and I would have it no other way.

There are other individuals that fit into this “stuck with me forever” category. These are the people that still play a role in my life even if they are half way across the country. A few more examples include my Art History Teacher senior year of High School, or my friend I first met in AP U.S. History, I can talk to her about anything and everything, and the most obvious example (for me) is my family. There are many more people like this and I am grateful for all of them, some from California, and a few I’ve met in Virginia and Salt Lake. There are those I have met recently that have become good friends that I hope and pray become part of my “stuck with me forever” group. I am not the type of individual that strives to make lots and lots of friends, most often I enjoy a small group of close friends compared to a large group of people that I don’t really know. And those close friends I have mean everything to me, I hurt when they hurt, and I am happy when they are happy.

There are also those people you lose along the way, some of them you may even think and hope will be there forever. These people may not be there through the whole story, but there influence can still have a major effect on your story, some for good and others in a negative way. The good we appreciate, the negative we strive to eliminate.

Personally I know God has placed these people in my life for multiple reasons. Some of them are still around after years of putting up with me, some I have met only recently, and some are gone. They stick out from the crowd in a special way. Each of them has taught me life lessons that have helped to shape who I am. Some of these friendships are completely unexpected, the most recent one for example was not planned at all. A classmate I met last semester, her roommate is engaged to a great friend of mine that I met while serving as a Missionary in Virginia. I’m grateful for her and for all the fun times we have had and that we will have. For some crazy reason she thinks she can make tacos better than me??? Haha yeah she is probably right. I truly hope she is part of the “stuck with me forever” group. I see the similarities we have and, at least from my side, I have seen many lessons she has taught me. I truly believe that God placed her in my path. Another is the special lady that I just recently started dating, I met her shortly after moving to Salt Lake, we talked a little bit due to her being friends with my roommate, but over time we have grown our own friendship and relationship. She is a great person that has inspired me and helped me in more ways than she understands.

I would ask that we all remember the people that mean the most to us, many have moved on, and we may only on a rare occasion connect with them if at all, and that is okay it is part of the journey. Each of our stories is unique, and I know mine has been such a grand adventure due to those that have influenced how I write it.

For Those We Love part 1

Alright, a while back i wrote a short story. It is quite nerdy and i'm sure there are plenty of grammatical errors but i will put it on here in small portions, so feel free to read and make fun of me if you want.

For Those We Love part 1

The year is 1153 L.A. (Lost Ages). Alexander, (known to many as Alexander the Hero) is approaching his fortieth birthday. His heroic deeds are known far and wide. Settling down after years of service to others, in a time when peace finally seemed to have the upper hand, he starts a family with his loving wife. With two daughters and another child on the way he is approached with the heart stopping news of an approaching force set on taking their lands and imprisoning any survivors. With less than two days to set up a defense every man willing to stand and fight was gathered. They were first instructed to return to their homes and bid farewell to their families and suit up for war. Many tears later they returned ready to follow their Hero to battle.

“Men, a few of you I consider family, and many of you I could not tell your name, but nonetheless each of us stand together today as brothers. I may not know you, but I am assured that we will each fight with honor that will be remembered for generations to come. What is worth dying for? We are not here for ourselves; each of us forfeit our lives when we came to fight. We are here for the little ones, for our beautiful wives, for our friends, and for blessed way of life we have lived. So that one-day they will rebuild and live in a land without the plague of the wretched Gorth. We will fall, but we will not fail. We will meet an army that outnumbers us fifty to one, but that means nothing. For we have true reason to fight. The Gorth want only to show their power, they envy us, they see us living happily together, no conflict, no strife… they want that. Their pride however stands in the way. Each of you could look to the person beside you and smile at the happiness they have without a shadow of jealousy. But those monsters, they would kill one another just to prove who is stronger. They know nothing of true happiness. This will be a radiant eclipse for our people. A new start, the Gorth will have no desire to even attempt another attack if we are successful. They may be savage, but they know somewhat of survival. The walls our fathers built can keep thousands at bay, but as of now they are too many. By the time the last of us fall, they will be few. Keep that love you feel when thinking of your families present at all times. Young men who have not felt that love, I wish for you to think of you parents, siblings, and anyone who has changed your lives. They give you that love. You have seen the sorrow that plagues the faces of our fellow people. Do not let this be in vain.”

After a momentary pause Alexander lifted his sword high and shouted “To battle!” and as if they had practiced for years, each warrior in unison lifted their weapons and roared in agreement.

The soldiers began to march towards the barren land where they would wait for the opposing forces. “Jeremy.” Alexander said approaching a man best described as a brute. Jeremy who was leading the noble soldiers quietly said. “Alex this is insane, we stand no chance, we should have ran, we would have lost our lands, but at least our lives would remain.” “No, I have dealt with the Gorth many times, they are not only after our lands, they want us to suffer, they would not stop looking until they found us, and since we are the last truly free province, any of those who call themselves our allies would hand us over in seconds. We must stand, and yes our chances of success would not even be seen by the Head Oracle of Irlix, but I feel we will accomplish our task.” Alexander responded. “You are my brother, and you know I trust you, I would follow you straight into the depths of the underworld, but how can you be so confident?” Jeremy asked. “We have a weapon the enemy lacks, a weapon unseen but more powerful than a sword made of Silex. We have honor, courage, love, dignity, hope, loyalty, and fellowship. We have a desire to make a better world for our families.” Alexander stated. “I see.” Jeremy walked a little taller from that point on.

The Road Not Taken.

In times now passed I had made a wonderful friend. We got along great, hung out nearly every day, and grew very close. I loved this individual as a sibling and would have done anything in the world for them (I still would). Unfortunately we each had choices to make and they caused us to go our separate ways. We chose different paths to walk, I wish more than anything I could get in contact with them and catch up on life, sadly I do not think I will ever know what happened to my good friend.

By far one of my favorite poems is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

It can easily be related to many of the choices we make in life. My one dispute to this poem is that quite often we start on one of these paths, it seems fun and enjoyable, and it is filled with the things we think will make us happy. However as we grow older and wiser, and typically with the help of family and friends, we realize that this path we chose, that seemed so wonderful, it's not where we want to be, and we have become someone we would rather not know. Unfortunately too often we never leave the forsaken path completely behind us, we may let it haunt our minds, find us when we are alone, or for some weird reason we may even brag about the deeds that we are truly ashamed of. As an individual I am beyond grateful for those that have helped me as I write the story of my life. In my opinion the greatest trait a friend can possess is the ability to give another the desire to be a better person. These are the people we should keep closest to us.

A quote I love states "There are many paths, remember that you alone choose the path on which you walk." As much as our friends may try to and wish to help us, it is ultimately our decision. As the friend it may break our hearts to see the people we love making the choices they are. At times it may seem incredibly difficult to make the choice that deep down we feel is right. "The right choice and the most difficult choice are quite often one in the same." If we wish to truly grow and develop a strong character for ourselves these are the choices we must make, these are the choices that will lead to true happiness. We tend to compromise and justify our actions, convincing ourselves that what we are doing really isn't that big of a deal. What we must ask ourselves is simply what we want to become in life? This isn’t really referring to the job we have or the accomplishments we attain, but more so it is dealing with us as individuals.   

Am i perfect? Not even close. I would never even pretend to be, but i have come to see what brings true happiness in life and words cannot adequately describe the gratitude I have for understanding this.

Before moving to Salt Lake I taught a class at Church, the Teachers Quorum (all the 14 and 15 year old boys). Those young men were and still are some of the greatest examples to me. The best part is I knew most of them from the time they were very young, to see them grow and mature has done so much for me. They are shining examples of what this world needs. I am privileged for the chance I have been given to know them.

Real Hero's

I have always enjoyed exploring, seeing new places, going on adventures, and experiencing the changes and new opportunities that life brings. Taking off into the wilderness with nothing but what you have in the backpack you take with you and the friends and family that accompany you, visiting a new place and seeing the many things that make it unique, starting a new portion of life where you have new challenges and many more responsibilities, or learning to deal with an expected or unexpected change.

As we begin these adventures we typically have someone that we are looking up to, someone that is going to help us. This is not always the case; there are times when we are the one who has to stand strong for others, even if we don’t fully know what we are doing.

I refer to these people that help us as our real life heroes. Most often they are older than us, but not always, as we grow older we begin to see the younger generation filled with many strong and influential individuals. They are hardly ever famous, but in the eyes of those they touch they are truly heroes, much greater than any movie star, musician, or sports figure. They don’t seek recognition for what they do, it is done out of a desire to help others and to create a better life for those around them. One definition of the word hero states: “a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities.” I would add that Heroic qualities may include optimism, humor, honesty, commitment, honor, selflessness, the ability to act, and the desire to help others.

There are heroes all around us and to those they have touched-- they mean everything. It may be a parent, a teacher, a friend, a co-worker, a sibling, a complete stranger you see on the streets, a distant relative, a scout master, an extracurricular coach/instructor, a church leader, or someone in a neat story you hear. Sometimes it is years later before we realize and respect how much these heroes have helped us. I think a prime example of this is our parents or guardians. Are they perfect? No, but they simply want us to reach our greatest potential, but we as ignorant and rebellious youth push away and do what we want. Then, as we grow older and face the challenges of life, or need help with something, who is it we call? I could write and tell you of the many heroes that have influenced my life, but #1 that would take forever, and #2 sadly I know I would miss certain people that deserve to be recognized.

Quite often when thinking of a hero we think of a book, movie, T.V. show, or a video game that has a man or woman that faces mighty challenges and overcomes great opposition, all for the sake of good. These fictional heroes influence us as well, they cause us to want to stand taller and be a better person. It invigorates something within us, a quality we all have, to help and strengthen others. Sadly some of us let this desire fall to our own selfish desires, and sadly we have these selfish desires because we let false heroes influence our lives. We see individuals that seem so cool, but in reality they are selfish and care solely about looking popular to the world.

I am beyond grateful for those heroes that have changed my life, I honor and respect them, and many I consider great friends. They have helped to shape who I have become.