Perseverance & Trust

I am currently applying for summer jobs and I want something more than just washing dishes at the Cannon Center...I've done that twice already. I am finding that it takes way more than I thought to get a job. I need to send out a lot of applications and do it again and again. I need to keep my head up and not get discouraged (which is easy for me to do) when I don't hear back from potential employers. 

I need to trust in God's plan that He has for me - and when things don't work out for me when and how I want them to, I can trust that because I am doing my best to follow His commandments things will work out in the end. 

This week I have started to study the scriptures more diligently than I have been. I love it! I can feel my faith and trust in God grow as I read. So I know that this will help me deal with the stresses of looking for a job. I am going to continue to read and pray and specifically as for help as I search for a summer job.

Don't Wait to be Happy.

Wednesday, when I walked into my MCOM class, my teacher was dropping some life wisdom on us. She told the few students that were there early that life doesn't really get any easier after college. I find myself thinking that after I graduate life will just magically become easier. She squashed this notion. 

After graduation comes a real job - and unlike school, you can't just skip class if you want to. Add in family and children, things definitely won't be easier. 

So her advice? Don't wait to be happy. As I write this, I am listening to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and watching these minions laugh. Happiness is a choice. I'm not suggesting to ignore true feelings, or feelings of depression, but rather I can choose to enjoy my life while experiencing those feelings. 

The happiness that my Professor was talking about - I think it is more about feeling fulfilled. That's important because if you wait for tomorrow to be happy/fulfilled, a few years down the line you will look back and realize you missed out on a lot. That was my experience in High School.

So, what am I going to do? Don't worry...don't wait to be happy...choose to enjoy life now...continue to take steps to be more in control of my life.  

You Can Learn if You Want to!

I have had "Safety Dance," by Men Without Hats, stuck in my head this week, and it is because of the title of this post. You can learn if you want to. This week, I was preparing for an Econ exam with a friend of mine. He asked me to help him study and I took that opportunity to help him, and at the same time study so I can do well in the class too. 

We ended up spending about 8 hours studying for this test together and it paid off. I took the exam today, and I got a perfect score. 100%. I was blown away! I forgot how important preparation was. A lesson I learned on my mission was this - "Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance."

If you put your mind to it, you can learn it. And actually enjoy it. So I am going to try to change my study habits and start preparing for exams a few days before I take the test. 

Priorities.

Ever since I can remember, my dad has been in love with cars - specifically BMWs. He served his mission in Germany in the early 70s and has had a special place in his heart for these automobiles. And I can thank him for passing the bug onto me. 

Give me an old, semi-beat up, drivable BMW and my heart would melt with joy.

At this point in my life, I can't afford a car - but I often find myself planning, scheming, hoping, and wishing that soon, I can buy one of my dream cars. Sometimes these thoughts distract me from what is going on in the moment.

That leads me to what I have learned this week. It's all about priorities and sticking to them. 

What are my priorities? How much of my life should I devote to each different priority? 

Should I be longing and obsessing over old cars that I can't have right now? Should I be focused on martial arts and spending time away from home and school work? Should I sacrifice time to work at a job instead of doing school work? 

I want there to be a constant percentage of my life that I know I need to devote to church, and to schooling, and to family, and to martial arts, and to work. But there isn't. Life isn't easily segmented. And it definitely isn't held together perfectly all the time. Sometimes schooling is most important, and other days martial arts. Church activities may need my full attention at times. And that's okay. 

As long as I know what I stand for and what my priorities are, and act in such a way that leads me to fulfill my goals, life's alright. So, I am going to strive to live in the moment and be open to adjusting my focus to address the things that need my full attention at that time. As I do that, I can live a more fulfilling life - and maybe, one day, drive my dream car.