Yeah, Yeah, I'll Floss...No Really, I'll Try Again

Went to the dentist today. It's been a while. Even so, I got the same message I've received from them every other time I've been there: "You're doing well, but remember to floss after you brush. If you don't, you'll get gum disease." I knew they would say that, and I knew they were right. I decided, however, that I was going to get back into flossing.

I've told myself that before, and I've done well...until I forget and retreat to the bad habit of omitting the floss. Perhaps I'll forget again after a while. Perhaps this time I'll make a more permanent change in habit. Either way, I'm trying again. It can be discouraging to go through this cycle of trying and forgetting and trying again. But, as long as I have the time to try, why not? I am grateful for the work of the people in the dental office. They reminded me to floss again, and I will try again to integrate that habit into my routine.

At Home with Other Young Single Adults

After church, I spent a good portion of the day enjoying the company of some local friends over meals and board games. I met some new people too, friends of friends. I am grateful for opportunities to be involved in activities and get-togethers with people in my age group wherever I go, whether at school or in my hometown.

Shopping with Mom and Dad

Today was a shopping day. I needed some things, and my parents were looking for a few things as well. I will admit that I don't always enjoy shopping with my parents. Before elaborating, may I mention that I truly appreciate how much they are willing to support me and help me, even now.

But, knowing that doesn't always stop me from feeling frustrated sometimes. My parents, especially my mom, like to take time to weigh all the options. Even when something is bought, there's a real chance that it will get returned for something better or cheaper. Sometimes, the shopping process seems to take for...eh...ver. I tend to take a lot less time. Take shoes for example. I look around at the specific category of shoes, find a few that I like, try them on, and narrow it down. Sometimes I have criteria in mind, but I like to think I'm easy to please. It also takes a while to convince me that I need to go shopping for a few more shirts or a new pair of shoes in the first place, if I think what I have is entirely sufficient.

Naturally, there were some clashes in shopping approach and philosophy today, mostly from me. I've gone through it all before in my growing up years, and some old habits die hard. After a store or two, I decided to be still and listen to my parents more often. They are helping to support me, in many more ways than one, for the school year ahead. As frustrating as shopping can be (especially when it drags on for hours and hours at a time), I took time to appreciate the fact that I was with my parents for a few days. I also remembered a statement I encountered earlier in the day: "I hope you enjoy every moment with your family." I am grateful for that wonderful reminder. At the end of the day, I am grateful for all we've accomplished, and for the time we spent together today.

"I'm His Son"

I went to a barbecue this evening, a party for my dad's work. The people who were there were my parents and myself, along with my dad's co-workers and their families. I thought it was neat that some of those co-workers came up to me and greeted me cheerfully. I think I've met some of them before (at other such barbecues and get-togethers), but most of them I haven't. I am grateful for friendly conversations I had with my dad's co-workers for two reasons:

1. It is clear to me that my dad mentions important events in his family to his co-workers from time to time. I've noticed my mom does that at her work too. This shows me that even as my parents are focused on their work, they have their family as a very high priority.

2. It was nice to receive support for my upcoming internship. I am excited for it, and friends and family have told me that they are excited for me. It was neat to receive some additional support from my dad's co-workers, these semi-strangers.

Overall, I really didn't say very much at this barbecue. But in those moments when I chatted with my dad's co-workers, I felt happy to introduce myself as his son. The smiles on people's faces at this recognition was encouraging, and I am grateful for their support of him and of me.

A Publisher At Home

Continuing with the errands while at home. Our electronic tools are truly marvelous. As much as I like mail, I appreciate the efficiency of sending documents electronically to wherever I need to send them. This reminds me of something that was discussed in some of my editing classes this past year:

Several centuries ago, Gutenberg created a printing press. This allowed anyone to be a printer, which was revolutionary. Documents and books could be copied and distributed, allowing more people access to information.

In recent decades, we've experienced another revolution. The Internet, along with small electronic printers, allows anyone to be a publisher. Not only can anyone read, but now anyone can write and publish. I am grateful for all the good that is being written and distributed with these contemporary tools available to us. As an aside, I am also grateful to have a computer and a scanner available to me so I can continue to get things squared away for my upcoming work.

Who Needs Second-Hand Stores?

Who needs second-hand stores when you have the house you grew up in? As I continue my preparations for an internship, my parents helped me go through some of the clothes that have been hanging out in the closets. I was low on business suits and were several of them that still fit me well, from earlier days when high school activities and LDS missions required suits to be worn more often. We will get those suits cleaned up, good as new. I am grateful to have my home as a resource for second-hand clothes. It's quite handy!

Paperwork

Worked on some paperwork today, and it was related to an internship I will start soon. The paperwork itself isn't all that fun, but the fact that I've been working on it shows that it's official. This is really happening! I am grateful for paperwork because it is solid proof that my plans for this coming semester are really coming together.

I Can Talk With Them About Anything

I believe everyone feels the need to have someone to talk to. For some it is a friend or family member. Even if you feel you have no one, I firmly believe that God has a sincere interest in your well-being and happiness.

I am grateful to have someone in my life with whom I feel comfortable talking about anything. I feel especially grateful to have two such people in my life, and they happen to be my parents. Right now I feel my life is continuing in a positive direction, in many ways. There are exciting prospects with regards to my education and career as well. I feel comfortable talking about these things and anything else with my parents, and our conversations help to keep things in perspective. We had a nice walk this evening in which we talked about my plans for the near future. Today, I am grateful for that.

"God Cares That We Keep Trying"

That was something we talked about over dessert tonight at my aunt and uncle's home, and tonight was a great example of that. We believe that Sunday is the Lord's day, and a day of rest. There were times today that were far from restful. There were three little kids in the house, which makes family prayer and scripture study rather challenging. But, I saw my aunt make it successful. I think about all the crawling and the screaming and the giggling and the running around, all of which was only occasionally interrupted with the reverence and peace that should be part of the Sabbath Day.

The kids are still learning, and their mother kept trying to teach good principles to them even when it was hard for them to listen. I know, however, that the parents of these children are doing a great job raising them. No one is perfect now, but they're getting there. God cares that we keep trying. I believe He is less concerned with our present circumstances, and more concerned with how we are doing in those circumstances. God cares about our spiritual direction, whether we are improving or not, and He gives us what we need to improve if we choose to do so. I believe my aunt and uncle's family are in the long, worthwhile road of improvement and progression because I feel there what I've felt in my home: love, joy, and compassion. I am grateful to see a real example tonight of a family that keeps trying.

From Problem to Teaching Moment

I am at my aunt and uncle's house this weekend, before I return home. At one point I was playing with one of my youngest cousins when he started to cry. I guess he thought I was playing too rough. I felt sorry, but his mom (my aunt) told me he was fine. In fact, it became a good teaching moment because this young cousin sometimes played too rough with his baby sister. So, my aunt was able to show her toddler son how important it is to be considerate of others.

I feel that I learn a lot about parenting from this aunt and uncle. In this situation, the mother turned a small problem into an opportunity. I am grateful to be able to see other examples of good patenting outside my immediate family.

Finding Goodness...in a Video Game

I like good video games, not just high-quality video games but games that are good, games that make me smile. Every so often, I'll come across a game that makes me think. Today I took a little break from packing and cleaning to go on YouTube to watch a run-through of the video game Journey, made by ThatGameCompany for the Playstation (PS3 and PS4). Since I don't have a Playstation console, I watched the games being played on YouTube. Journey is arguably a work of art. There is no dialogue at all, and the story is simple: your character takes a journey through a desert to the top of a mountain. Also, it only takes a couple of hours to play through the whole game.

Despite its apparent simplicity, the narrative is very moving. The music is dynamic. The journey you see on screen becomes an emotional and perhaps a spiritual journey as well. It tells a story that would be very difficult to articulate the same way in words. I saw many connections between what I saw in Journey, and the truths and principles I cherish.

ThatGameCompany did a great job in creating a unique and memorable experience in a video game. They've done pretty well with a couple other games as well. They are doing something good with the video game genre, and I admire that. I am grateful for their work, as well as the fact that they are one example of the many ways people create something good and share it.

Thinking About "Drama" While Watching a Shakespeare Story Set as a High School Drama.

I watched the film "She's the Man" with some friends this evening. I'm a fan of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," so I already appreciate this movie for basing its plot and character names from the play. I had forgotten that the movie takes place in a high school. Wow, so much drama! I did see some drama when I was in high school, but never that much. I am grateful for that. Also, I'm grateful that with what drama there was in high school, it only takes a few years for it to be overshadowed by college. Even then, things generally work out from a long-term perspective. That has been my experience, and it is very helpful to me whenever I feel frustrated or discouraged in the present. I remind myself that many things I worry about and stress over will be fine. I believe it is important to be able to distinguish between problems with lasting consequences, and problems that won't matter so much a month or a year from now.

A Successful "Failure"

I have many things I could say I'm grateful for today, but I'll share this.

At a geocaching adventure this evening, the score of successfully found geocaches was 1 of 6. That's roughly 16%. My college mind looks at that number and sees an "F" grade. But of course academic grades don't apply in geocaching. In fact the entire adventure was a wonderful success because it was a great time.

I just want to say that I'm grateful that the best, most fulfilling moments of life cannot be expressed with percentages or letter grades, nor are any of us expected to be at an "A" or a "B" immediately. I am grateful that the things that matter most have nothing to do with how perfect we are, but have everything to do with the direction our lives are going.

Get-Together at the Bishop's Home

There was a get-together tonight at the home of my bishop (local ecclesiastical leader). There was food, socializing, a great discussion on a few spiritual topics, ice-cream, and more socializing. I have been very fortunate to have wonderful church leaders throughout my life. What I appreciate about this bishop is that he takes time to teach spiritual principles, but he is also very personable. He might also drift off-topic to mention how much he appreciates his wife or his children (and then his wife eventually reminds him what the original topic was). His conviction of the gospel of Jesus Christ strengthened me tonight. He is one of the people currently in my life who helps me become a better person. For this bishop and his efforts to be of service to the individuals in the congregation, I am grateful.

Discovering Improvement, While Looking Back

I may have mentioned before how much I appreciate journals, including my personal journals. I discovered another unexpected benefit today, which had to do with the GRE exam I recently took. I thought my scores were average, and perhaps they are. But, I was looking back in my previous journal entries today and I found a page in which I wrote out the scores I got in previous GRE practice tests. Compared to those practice scores, my real scores from yesterday are actually a bit better. I had in fact improved a little since my last practice test! I wouldn't have realized this if I did not have this record of previous practice scores. I am grateful for the record I have in my journals.

Big Test Day, Many Acts of Kindness

Practically this whole day I have benefited from someone willing to help me. A great friend was kind enough to take me to and from a testing center for a large exam I had this afternoon. This same friend, as well as his family, invited me to his home for dinner (which was delicious!). He also took me and another friend shopping later today. These are just a few of the many good things that happened to me today. I am very grateful for a good friend who was willing and able to help me in so many ways on a big test day.

A Dream About Happiness

I find dreams fascinating. I like to write down dreams I remember. Some of them could make a great story for fiction or poetry or the theater. My favorite dreams are those with a happy ending. If not with a happy ending, at least with a lesson to take away from it. Last night's dream had a happy ending and a lesson. I felt safe and secure in the company of a friend, even with a lot of commotion around us. I felt very happy, and I woke up slowly in that moment as I realized it was a reminder of what true friendship, true charity, and true compassion. My friend and I provided support and encouragement in a troubled time. In this situation, I felt truly happy. I am grateful that I can learn and experience true principles even in a dream.

The only bad thing about the dream was that it caused me to sleep in, making me late for work...oh well.

Nearly Four Hours

I had arranged to meet someone this evening for dinner. I had met this person once before (through a mutual friend), and at this point we were good acquaintances. I expected the meal and conversation to last a couple of hours at the most. I was wrong. We chatted for nearly four hours! The conversation topics went all over the place, and it made for an enjoyable outing. I was impressed that we could keep talking for that long. This doesn't always happen. I've been on dates or other social outings in which I and others didn't have much to say. We wouldn't find many things to talk about. Sometimes, though, a four-hour conversation happens. When it does, it is remarkable to me.

Once I heard a man who, when asked what he was grateful for said something like this: "A simple, intelligent conversation means a lot to me." I agree. I am grateful for a simple outing that resulted in nearly four hours of great conversation.

"Youtubers"

I spent a few hours admiring the work of a few "youtubers" this afternoon. A "youtuber" is, I believe, a person or group who makes videos on YouTube. Along with that, they have enough of a following (usually with millions of views and thousands of subscribers) that they make money through their videos, which allows them to make more. Some examples of such people include Peter Hollens, Lindsay Sterling, and The PianoGuys. A lot of them make music videos, but there are other kinds of youtubers as well. DudePerfect makes trick shot videos, and there are a few good cooking video channels out there as well.

I am impressed with these people. I somewhat know what it is like to create content like this, especially music. It is very time consuming and you need quality equipment to make your work look more professional and legitimate. I've sometimes thought that it would be a really cool way to make living (for those people who make it big), and that it would be a great way to expand one's influence to share goodness.

In any case, I am grateful for the people who share goodness through the internet this way. I am grateful for their inspiring work.

The Beginning of the End: A Library Project

I've been organizing this large project at the library. It is an indexing project that has been going for over a year (maybe two years; I can't quite remember). Today I looked at the books we still had to process, and we are so close to finishing the project!

I will probably treat myself or do some small personal celebration when it is finally completed. It may also be such a highlight of my day that I end up mentioning it again in this blog. But for today, I am grateful for good success in a library project, and that the end of it is in sight!

With Help, It All Works Out

These past couple of days, I was trying to solidify some plans that I was making for this coming weekend. It will be a busy weekend for me, and I was getting frustrated that things weren't lining up very well on paper. After all I could do, I decided to sleep on it and get it figured out by Sunday (today).

So today, I got in touch with a friend who gave me some updated information that affected one of the events I was trying to plan, moving it earlier in the week. It was really a relief. I realized that things were going to work out after all! With all that taken care of, I am now really excited about the things I have coming up throughout the week!

This is yet another real-life lesson to me that the best solutions are often achieved with help from others. I was reaching dead ends by myself, but with help I can see now that it will all work out. 

Showed Up to a Good Show

I saw an unfamiliar musical tonight, and I brought several friends with me. The only real reason we went was that we all had a friend in the show. We got to greet our friend and congratulate him after the show was over. I remember my involvement in high school theater productions. I remember how good it felt to see friends in the audience and to talk with them after the show. I know it is a happy occasion on both sides, for the performer and for the audience member.

Yes, I enjoyed the show, but I am especially grateful to be able to give my support and my time for a good friend tonight.

A Time to Talk, A Time to Dance

It seems that good things have been happening to me in twos lately. There were two main events today that I enjoyed.

First, a small symposium in which my classmates and I discussed our final papers and how they related to each other. The professor organized it like a real panel discussion at an academic symposium, and it was a real pleasure. It was an intellectual and spiritual experience, since many of the papers had some aspect of gospel truth in the texts they analyzed. Anyway, it was an unforgettable "final exam," and it was a lot of fun as well.

Second, I volunteered at dance competition. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the dancers as they performed on stage. Everyone seemed to be shining. Perhaps it was the glitter on faces, hair, and costumes. Perhaps it was the joyful smiles. :)

I know just yesterday I expressed gratitude for a couple of culminating experiences for my summer term at work and at a music club. Well today, I am grateful for the culminating experiences of a symposium and a successful competition to wrap up the time I've invested in a class and in a dance event.

Wow, I am working at all levels! Dance competition (physical), school/work (mental), daily devotions and today's symposium (spiritual), and meaningful interactions with people (emotional). What a summer this is turning out to be!

I Am Truly Living

I had an evaluation interview with my supervisor this morning. These evaluations happen near the end of every four months.

I was involved in an a cappella performance, as well as a video recording session of our songs after the performance. There were some challenges with the sound system and our own intonation, but everything went really well.

Each of these events represents a current aspect of my life (work, music club). In each event, I felt a small sense of happy reflection. I've been involved with both of these things for a couple years now, and I felt very happy and fulfilled. I felt valued and appreciated as an employee, with all the things I've learned and accomplished. I felt great satisfaction in laughing and singing with a cappella club people I now consider to be friends.

Add another intense game of water basketball in the evening, and I think you've got a day lived to the fullest. What I am truly grateful for today is that not only have I had a successful and fulfilling day, I had experiences that helped me see that I've been having a successful and fulfilling time as a college student. Looking back on my work, my music club involvement, my friendships, I have no lasting regrets, only lasting gratitude. I am truly living a good, happy life. It doesn't always look happy to me when I look at some moment or some hour or some day in isolation. But, when I look at the results of months and years, I am joyful and grateful. :)

Grateful, After Some Thought

These were my thoughts as I sat down to reflect on the day:

"Oh gosh, this has been such an off day for me! 'This' problem seemed worse than I thought; 'that' didn't go well; I didn't get 'this' done and now I've got to cram tomorrow morning; I should've done 'that' but I didn't because I kept thinking 'this'..."

...and on and on.

I kept thinking of problems that seem very real and yet they bother the mind of any young college student. I then realized that all the times I was thinking about, when I felt embarrassed or shy or inadequate or wasteful of my time, that was really a relatively small portion of my day. There were many other things that went right, and I took them for granted just now. I had many small successes at work and in school today. I received an insight during a religion class that struck me and motivated me to be better. The weather was very nice today. Someone complimented my classy outfit.

...and on and on.

So today, even among what seemed like small failures (and some of those problems may not be anything at all), I am grateful to find many more small successes. I am grateful to find something to be grateful for today! I know I find something to say every day in this blog of gratitude, but today I am especially glad that I've found something.

I hope your day was as good as mine, if not better! :)

Water Basketball

It has actually been a long time since I really went swimming. When I heard that some friends were organizing a water basketball game tonight, I decided I was in. It was rough, especially on my feet, but it was so much fun! It struck me that I had forgotten how fun it was to go swimming, to enjoy the pool that is so close to where I live. I am grateful I took advantage of the pool today. I am grateful for a vigorous and very enjoyable water basketball game tonight. I was so exhausted after it was all over, but I felt alive because I felt I had done something new, or at least something I hadn't done in years.

Songs about the Rain

So, it rained this morning. Didn't expect that...and I couldn't find my umbrella. But I actually didn't mind walking to campus in the rain. It's not like I had a silk tie or anything. Besides, when I walk in the rain, I think about fun rain songs: "Singin' in the Rain," "Singin' in the Rain" with beat-boxing, "Rainy Day" by Coldplay, a fun a cappella song about weather that I completely made up a couple months ago, and a cello/vibraphone duet called "Inspiration by Precipitation." Those are all fun songs, and I think they help to bring out the beauty of rainy weather.

Oh, another one of my favorite rain songs is a church song from my childhood. It goes like this:

"I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain,
And ponder at the beauty of an earth made clean again.
I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain.
I want to be the best I can and live with God again."

The song has another verse about baptism, describing the symbolism of a person immersed in water and coming out of the water clean, renewed, and refreshed. It's a lovely song.

I am grateful for rainy songs. :)

Myers-Briggs

I was chatting with a friend this afternoon, and my friend mentioned a bit of advice he received from a Myers-Briggs test that he thought was particularly insightful. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a well-known personality test that uses four letters to describe someone's personality (example: ISFJ). It had been a while since I had taken that kind of test so I took it shortly after my friend left.

Of course, this personality test has its limitations. I actually took it twice today, at different times, and got slightly different results. Nevertheless, something in the results was oddly consistent with a personal goal I had set for this week: to focus more on the Christ-like attributes of love and diligence. Myers-Briggs said these two attributes were actually among my strengths for my personality type(s). It is interesting to see that a simple personality test predicted some of the attributes I tend to focus on, as well as the fact that I want to constantly improve. I find it rather fascinating. For all this, I am grateful for the Myers-Briggs test.

Blind Date, with Friends!

I am always flattered when a friend sets me up on a blind date. To me, it means that my friend trusts me enough to have me meet their friend (the blind date). I've been set up a few times before, and I appreciate my friends for that. I've never had a bad experience with a blind date, for which I am grateful. Tonight's blind date (a double date) was rather successful, meaning that it was fun, everyone traveled safely, and we all enjoyed each other's company and conversation. I am grateful for a successful evening, and for my good friends that were involved in setting it up. Also, I am grateful to be blessed with good friends. :)