Life Lesson: Humility

I would like to think the majority of the time I am sufficiently humble.  But right off the bat I disagree with that statement because if I'm going to be humble why not be completely humble instead of going half way or even 99%.  That goes for a lot of things as well but today my thoughts are on humility.

I've made a lot of mistakes lately.  You may be thinking, "Oh man, another perfectionist!"  This is true, I am.  Regardless I really feel like I've dropped the ball regarding my family, friends, school, and church responsibilities.  When I ask my inner self how this came about, the feeling I get is I have been prideful.  I seem to be running my own little "Nephites" scenario.  Therefore the reason I decided to write about this is to act as a warning voice for others; as well as offering suggestions on how to eliminate pride.

Pride is a destructive state of being.  It tears apart friendships, it ravages homes, and slowly degrades the individual.  It is manipulative and selfish.  Pride feeds on fear, loneliness, and low self-esteem.  It categorizes and stereotypes, and judges other people.  Pride has no foundation and is constantly pushing down on anything and anyone to get even a little higher.  It delights in mediocrity and relishes in insecurity.  Pride is many many other things.

In the Book of Mormon, Alma the younger in Alma chapter 32 shares insights on humility.  The phrase that always comes to mind is verse 14, "And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?"  Being compelled to be humble isn't easy, and it isn't fun.  To the prideful individual it can even be quite painful, especially when they realize the pain they have caused in others.


Here are my suggestions to eliminating pride.

1. Pray to whatever God you believe in and thank him (or her) for anything you can think of.
2. Serve others everyday.  Be thoughtful.  Even schedule a regular time to volunteer somewhere.
3. Learn something new.  The more you study the more you'll realize how little you know.
4. Live life as an adventure.  Take risks.  There's something to learn from every experience.
5. Believe in other people.  Look for and bring out other people's great potential.

There are many more ways to do it, but these are the ones close to my heart.  In no way am I perfect at any of these, hence the reason I'm writing about it.  My only wish is to act as a warning voice and help someone else.  It is my prayer that we may be counted among those who humble themselves.


MGBWY

An Amazing Experience: Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

I've recently finished a semester full of school and other exciting activities.  The one that stands out in my mind the most is the opportunity I had to participate in this year's Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with guest artists David Archuleta and Michael York.  I was a dancer this year and had the most amazing experience!  Here's a little preview of the show I found on youtube.

When I first saw the flyer for tryouts I was really excited and wanted to participate, but was nervous because I was unsure of my abilities, in comparison to other great dancers.  There's a saying, "You may think you're a great dancer, but there's usually someone better."  So needless to say I was on the humble side of this.  But I did indeed make the cut and practices were twice a week up until these two final weeks, and they've been incredibly... amazing!

One of the things that I cherish the most from this experience are all the friends that I made during the practices and hours of rehearsal; and I even reunited with some old friends from high school.  Having friends and creating new ones is an incredible blessing in my life!

So performances began this last Thursday on the December 16th at a preview, and went through Sunday morning on the 19th.  The set was absolutely stunning!  The costuming was incredible!  And the choreography was exciting and fun!  They all went really well in my opinion.

The main reason I cherish this experience is because it helped me realize what I've been missing out on for several christmas seasons; it's the spirit of christmas that comes from focusing on the savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  I've thought more about this than all of the years combined; Jesus Christ, the gift to the world, the savior of mankind, mediator, advocate, and friend.  The very reason we celebrate christmas is to celebrate his birth, and ultimately the gift he gave us all, the atonement.

So with the many new friends to cherish and love, I also recognize my savior, Lord and King, Jesus Christ, and cherish and love him too!  We are loved by a loving Heavenly Father!  If you are in doubt, look to Christ; look at the gift he gave and the gift our father in heaven gave through him.  Love is the easiest gift to give, and the most beloved above all.  My challenge to myself and to any who read this, act now to love others.  Share the gifts God has given you, and I know that we will find the spirit of christmas even more abundantly in our lives when we do.

Merry Christmas everyone!  May God watch over and protect us all!

Fictionist: Live 12/3/10 @ Velour

I discovered this band this last summer thanks to my great friend Stephanie who has been a fan for a while. I really enjoy their music and how they play on both ends of the alternative rock genre.  Take a listen and I hope you enjoy it like I do.

Life Lessons: 2 Keys to a Girl's Heart

I initially titled this entry just "Life Lessons," but that seemed to general.  So today's life lesson is about what guys usually think/worry about... girls.  I got the 2nd half of the title from a good friend of mine.  Now don't go running away thinking I'm going to spill my "Achy Breaky Heart" here, I would just like to share some knowledge I gained with all of the other men in the world.  The principles I'm talking about are actually quite simple, but somehow guys always seem to mess things up.  Perhaps a little clarification and any comments will clear things up.

So I'm not the best listener.  I would say I'm better than average but when I get tired, exhausted, and worn out my capacity decreases tremendously.  If you are a guy who has a hard time listening, then this is for you.  The first key is the principle of "Validation." If you don't know what this means watch this good video.

In the video it shows one of the aspects of proper validation, he never talked about himself, he always talked about the other person.  For the most part this is accurate, however if you're like me and worried about saying the wrong thing then stick to comments that show you are listening like "Uh huh," "I understand," "That's important," "Yeah...," etc.

A second aspect is only offer advice when specifically asked for it, such as, "What is your opinion?" "Could I ask you for advice?" "Could you help me out?"  Direct questions like these are indicators of a desire for assistance.  Keep in mind, leading statements that might mean they want help should be answered with listening comments.  Such statements could be, "I've been thinking a lot about this problem," "I'm worried about this," "I don't know what to do."  These are not directly asking for help.

That covers the "how" but what about the "when?"  This one I'm still learning about, but I've noticed a few things when I've been a listener.  The individual is quiet and pondering, they will approach me, or their concerns will come up during a conversation.  The best way to help is to ask questions.  "How are you feeling?" "What are you worried about?" "Is there anything I can do for you?"  Sometimes the thought that we are there to listen is comfort enough.

The second key is the small things.  If you have a wife, girlfriend or are courting (dating) then you are already on your way to understanding the meaning of this.  The small things show that we think about the other person in regards to how they are feeling, how busy they are, and their needs.  Scheduled occurrences are great opportunities like birthdays, holidays, anniversary, etc.  But what is more appreciated (in my opinion) are the seemingly random or unexpected acts.  Such as getting their favorite ice cream, candy, flowers or small notes displaying you care about them.  If you know the person well, think of some quirks they have.  If you're like me and have a bad memory, write them down and keep them with you.  Other small things include making dinner, cleaning up, making the bed, and other things.  If you don't know where to start, start small and work up to the "bigger" things.  But maintain the small items by mixing them in.  there's a reason they're called the bigger things because they usually take more time/planning.

So those are the two keys to a girl's heart, or so I was told.  :)  Use them wisely and honestly, and good luck!  Feel free to comment and leave your ideas or suggestions.