English 312

I absolutely loved having this blog! There was something very therapeutic about freely writing about my experiences and thoughts. Furthermore, it has helped me find my voice in writing. As a communications major I want to continue to work on my blogging because it will help me in my career as well.  My goal is to have this blog turn into a place where I can be vulnerable by sharing experiences and hopefully inspire others in the world. This will be my way of "flooding the earth" ( see first blog post).

 In middle school I was insecure. I cared too much about what others thought about me and in turn I didn't always do the right thing. One situation still haunts me today. There was a girl Courtney who was different and eccentric. Because middle school is a mean place, she was the laughing stock of the school. I remember once someone even put a fake rat in her backpack because they knew she was terrified of rats. The thing I have regretted ever since was that I was a by stander. She wanted to be my friend badly! I was never mean to her, but never made an effort to be nice. I would do anything to avoid talking to her and when others laughed, I would chuckle along, never standing up for her. This continued into high school.  The other day I had an interesting dream. I was given to opportunity to apologize to Courtney and become her friend. I found in the dream that I thoroughly enjoyed her friendship. I woke up wondering why I had such a vivid dream about someone I hadn't seen i...

What is the meaning of suffering? Why do we have to go through life with different trials and challenges? My favorite book as a child was “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. It portrays a family who is searching for a bear and in order to get to the cave, they have to overcome a set of obstacles. Every time they reach a challenge they repeat, “We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, we’re going to have to go through it!”  I feel this way with trials and suffering. There is simply no way to avoid certain struggles. However, I believe that as we “go through” challenges, we learn who we are. Through suffering we are refined and molded into the people that we are meant to become. We suffer so we can help others who suffer. I have found many times in my life that after a trial, I am able to help someone else go through something similar. We suffer because if life was easy, we wouldn’t know or comprehend true joy. The greater sorrow we feel, the greater capacity we have to feel joy...

FOMO: the reason why we go places when we don’t feel like it. The sinking feeling we get when we don’t have anything going on. Why do we as humans have a fear of missing out? What is the reasoning behind it? Let me tell you about an experience that I had the other night. I had plans with my boyfriend, and all the sudden they were cancelled because his car broke down. So, there I was sitting and doing homework instead of going out on a beautiful, warm, and clear Friday night. I decided to resort to my bed and mope to myself. While I was I was sitting there I decided to scroll through my Instagram feed. I started to feel really sorry for myself because I saw pictures of people out having fun and laughing and there I was, doing nothing. I had contracted a serious case of FOMO.  FOMO has the following side effects: moping, feeling sorry for oneself, deep cravings for a full pint of Ben and Jerry’s half baked, and severe overthinking. I got a sinking pit in my stomach and started ...

I believe that any form of communication can be persuasive based on what the communicator wants to portray. In fact I think that comedy is a very effective persuasion technique because it lightens people up and subtly mentions opinions and ideas without coming across as pushy or invasive to another person's opinions.  Ryan Hamilton in his bit "Happy Face" is an example of persuasive comedy. In his sketch, Ryan briefly mentions the fact that he's not a drinker. He pokes fun at himself for not being social because he is not a drinker. However, he also pokes fun at drinkers. He talks about how he can't be social, because when he goes to events and doesn't drink, people get embarrassed because Ryan actually remembers what they did the previous night. By poking fun at himself it shows his confidence and helps the listener feel more confident and comfortable with the fact that they are not drinking. I am grateful that comedy is around to persuade because it makes ...

I decided to do the 3-week challenge to write in my journal daily highlighting the positive aspects of my day. I was excited to start this, because for the previous month I had been feeling bogged down by school, work, and my dating life. Nothing seemed to be going right, and I would come home every day feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. Sick of feeling this way, I had hope that this experiment would work, and I would experience more excitement and joy in my life. Not only was this experiment a success, but I learned and experienced a new way of living that was better than I could have imagined! I will carry this attitude over in all aspects of my life, improving the quality of life for my future family. First, by keeping a positivity journal, I was able to have a positive impact on my relationships and the people around me. Instead of hearing me complain about how hard my life was, my friends and I laughed and smiled more together. I learned that my negativity was someth...

I have always been fascinated with God’s creations. In fact, my favorite place to be is on the peak of a mountain observing the exquisite scene set before me. Knowing I am one of His designs, I have learned to embrace who I truly am. When I sing, I sing loud. When I laugh, I can’t stop. Chocolate and chicken nuggets are my weakness. My biggest fear is the darkness. Although I am fiercely independent, I am still one hundred percent dependent on my Father in Heaven who has made me who I am.

Running from the car to the school seemed like an eternity. My shoes were weights. The concrete, thick sticky tar. My mind flashed back to a few hours earlier. My sister Savannah and I are polar opposites when it comes to our attitude in the morning. This particular Saturday morning, I woke up late and groggy as usual. Savannah was already up singing Taylor Swift at the top of her lungs—of course! She was blowing her hair dry and curling it before she put it in a ponytail with a bow. Today was her sweatshirt day, but she always said if she wore a sweatshirt she had to wear a bow in her hair. I threw on my favorite jeans and a crew neck that I found on the floor, the smell of campfire still lingering from the night before. Annoyed and overtired, I stumbled in the bathroom to brush my teeth. I don’t remember what Savannah said or what I said, but all I know is as I left, I slammed the door shut steam coming out of my ears. In a huff, I got in the car and drove to play practice. I go...

This Thanksgiving weekend I have had a lot of time to ponder on what I am thankful for. Each year I try to think of something elaborate or different, but I have realized that real gratitude comes when I take time to notice the little ordinary things in my life. Here is my thankful list this year! things I am thankful for: Chicken nuggets Chocolate milk   Loyal friends who genuinely care about me no matter what The Plan of Salvation The Atonement   My family, especially their unconditional love and support for me   The opportunity to live in the United States of America and be born into freedom Temper-pedic beds and down comforters The seasons A strong and healthy body Opportunities I’ve had in my life to fail Scented Candles Tacos The opportunity to study at Brigham Young University with the incredible faculty Air conditioning/heat Naps Music Nature, especially the luscious forest in Washington and the grandeur of the Utah Mountains Technology so ...

I can smell the salt in the air as I feel the crisp ocean breeze brush over me. . .  Today is perfection.  I watch as small children play in the sand, hands crusty from the half dried, half wet sand they have been building sandcastles in. I look to my left and see a group of pre-adolescent children throwing a volleyball over a net and collapsing with laughter as they come to realize they are not even close to going pro. And I sit here. I sit on the pier watching as the sun slowly sets over the water.  I notice a group of surfers swimming their way to deeper waters as they attempt to catch a wave. After what seems like an eternity, one surfer finally catches the perfect wave, rides it in all its glory, and then paddles right back out to the water to wait for another one.  I’ve never surfed before, but from only observing, I think I will leave that to these guys. I am mesmerized by their patience and dedication.  One wave comes and washes right over them....

Christmas morning. The aroma of cinnamon rolls and bacon floats into my room, gently coercing me out of bed. I sit up, stretch, and grab my fleece robe, wrapping around me like a warm fuzzy cloud. Faintly I hear my mother humming the chestnut Christmas song while she is setting the table. I make my way over to the window, pull open the blinds, and gaze out at the grey sky and soggy evergreens  through a water stained window. It is a perfect morning. I have grown to LOVE the rainy grey Christmas's in Seattle Washington. To me, Christmas is all about being home. There is nothing more like home than breathing in the fresh smell of wet grass and soil. One of my favorite Christmas songs perfectly sums up the way I feel about Seattle Christmases. Christmas in the Northwest Is a gift that we can share Christmas in the Northwest Is a child's answered prayer Take away the presents  And they still will have a tree For Christmas in the Northwest  Is a gift ...

I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining I believe in love, even when I feel it not I believe in God, even when He is silent These touching words were found on the wall of a concentration camp at the end of World War II. This simple, yet profound poem has really inspired me in the past few months. Life is full of of uncertainty, unfairness, and difficult times. Sometimes it is hard to imagine a God who would allow the sun to stop shining, or love to fade. However, I know that God is always there and that he loves us. He allows for the sun to shine down on His children so they can find joy, but he also allows for the sun to stop shining so they can grow. Although the sun may not be shining, it is still always there. It is a gift from God that provides light and warmth. As I have gone through difficult times and remembered this principle, it helps me have hope. Because I know the sun is still there, I know I will feel it's warm rays in the future.  I ...