Day 21... Just Counting The Best Of The Best! (March 2)

Mental

I am throwing people into the mental category today! Surrounding yourself with wonderful people leads to a peace of mind and an overwhelming sense of love and confidence! I had a dinner party tonight with a couple of people and this led to me feeling extra grateful for the people God chooses to bless me with.

From L to R: (Jay's big hand, Ryan, Me, Jay, Chris, Angelique, & Taylor)

Coco, Me, & Angelique

I have so many wonderful things to say about all of these people. Frankly, I don't know where to start.

Ryan

We met on social media first and then met in person a few months ago haha. Ryan has a heart of gold and has an amazing countenance. His optimism astounds me, especially with all he has experienced. I've never been so intrigued by anyone ever! He is such an example to so many people and quite the pillar of strength. I can't get over how great he is! If you don't know Ryan, well, then that is a shame.

Jay

We grew up in the same area, but didn't meet until we were in college through our mutual friends. Jay is hysterical! I like having this guy as a friend and plus he's always up for coming with me to try new food!! Jay is extremely talented and also incredibly humble. Jay does things because he has passion, not because he looks for recognition. 

Chris

Chris Chris!! I have known Chris for a few years and have shared many laughs with him. His friendship means so much to me and I have always appreciated the way he makes light of things. I have a permanent smile whenever I see him! Aside from that, he has the voice of an angel! He doesn't like to sing in small intimate settings, but when he does, he melts every heart! His band The Strike is performing at Velour on March 22nd for their EP release so make sure you attend! 

Angelique

Where do I even start with her?! This girl has been my bestie for a long time and I adore and love her so so much! She's taught me many lessons and has been there for me in times where I'm weak and where I feel lost. Ang has also been through a roller coaster of experiences in the last couple of years and I've never been so proud of her! The way she tells the world to just "shove it" makes me laugh and also makes me wish I could be like her sometimes. Because of her experiences, she's taught me how to expect the best for myself and never let anyone make you feel otherwise. We keep our secrets in our "vault" and I am so happy to have her as a confidant and friend.

Taylor

I haven't known Taylor very long, but he is BRILLIANT! The man reads a few books a week and just finished writing his very own book recently! One of the things I like about Tay is that he is extremely witty and whatever he says next is even better than what you would've expected!

Coco

She and I met on this night. She is Ryan's older sister and I just adore her. Coco is incredibly sweet and is really funny! Ryan said before I met her that she was a hoot. Boy did she live up to that and then some! I like her! She's great!

This then led me to think of another very important group of people. This group has been through EVERYTHING together. We've seen each other cry, endure heartbreaks, survive the worst of the worst, have teased each other to the point where we get mad at each other, and mostly we've all experienced the purest form of love being friends with one another. We call ourselves the "Crew Crew" and I think my life would be boring without them! 5-6 years of being in each others lives has meant knowing anything and everything there is to know about one another. No group of friends is as loving, dysfunctional, and meant for each other all at the same time!

Darin, Jillian, Garrett, Angelique, Chris, Me

Spiritual

I met with my bishop in the morning and wanted to talk to him about some of the hard times I have been experiencing (as alluded to in my last post) and how it has effected me spiritually. There were two things he said that stood out:

1) Believe in miracles. Not Moses parting the Red Sea kind of miracles, but everyday life altering miracles. The kind of miracles that change the hearts of others, the kind of miracles and bring peace, and most importantly the kind of miracles that reinforce your love for/belief in the Savior.

2) Don't forget about God. He made me set an alarm in my phone so that every evening, longgggg before I go to bed, I drop everything and say a prayer and get to know my Heavenly Father. It is so easy for us to just pray before bed, but he said why not pray more. Prayer will help us realize who we are in relation to our Father in Heaven and help us to align our wills with His. 

He said that if I can create a foundation made up of knowing who I am (a daughter of God), who God wants me to be, loving and trusting my Savior, and believing he can make miracles happen, then I will be able to get through the trials in my life and witness the work of the Father and the Son.

My bishop is truly inspired and I am grateful for him and his ability to serve us individually.

Physical

Body Image has been something that I have always struggled with. I constantly battle not feeling pretty enough or being skinny enough, etc. Part of that comes with being a girl, but most of that comes with needing to see myself as God sees me. That has been my main focus these past 3 weeks and to strive to not give up. I have lost over 5 lbs and my body is physically changing. I am not doing this because I want to look good for someone else or seek out attention. This is about me taking care of my body and working to make it strong and healthy. 

I have loved incorporating my mental, spiritual, and physical progress these last 3 weeks and am looking to start over with a new 21 day plan! I want to break these down and focus in on those changes I have made. I am grateful for great friends that make me happy and who give me strength. I already feel different in many ways and am looking forward to always becoming better.

Day 12 - Day 20 Healthy Optimism (Feb. 21-Mar. 1)

I am combining 8 days of learning into one post. It may look like I am being lazy, but I can honestly say most lessons I learned were pretty spanned out and ultimately made me better.

Mental:
The last 8 days have pushed me into a state of optimism. I had a fairly rough start to my week, but carried it out like a BOSS! Remember how on day 1 I posted the music video for Pharrell Williams' song Happy? That song boosted week! I was instantly in my element: planned a dinner party, had dinner with great friends, played Cupid, had fabulous workouts, and omg... THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT!!! The last week of February and it was nearly 60 degrees! How?! I actually don't care how because what matters to me is that it just happened! Lots of sunshine meant lots of mental happiness and stability for this girl!

Spiritual:
I have been praying about some very serious decisions lately and I've realized how important it is for me to be connected to the Lord. For a few months, I have been going through an extremely difficult time that almost no one knew about. I kept most of it a secret, save for family and close friends, and just kept a smile on my face. Although Elder Holland says it best when he quotes Rudyard Kipling,

If you can smile when things go wrong 

And say it doesn’t matter, 

If you can laugh off cares and woe 

And trouble makes you fatter,

If you can keep a cheerful face 

When all around are blue, 

Then have your head examined, bud, 

There’s something wrong with you.

For one thing I’ve arrived at: 

There are no ands and buts, 

A guy that’s grinning all the time 

Must be completely nuts.

I believe this to be true. Even though I had a week that taught me to be optimistic, I recognized that that came because I took the time to grieve and to seek out my Savior for comfort. How can we ever really be happy unless we know the peace that the Savior can give when we're sad? The Lord blessed me with some very important people that came into my life and helped me to see how much he cares for each of us. Some of these people knew what was going on, some did not. Some were examples in the way they lived their lives, some were there for the physical hugs when I needed them. Nearly 3 weeks of mental, spiritual, and physical training has truly given me a great start to being on a great path full of peace.

Physical: 

My body has become extremely important to me. At this point, I feel sick when I have too many carbs or sugar. My body is starting to reject things that just aren't healthy. Also, I am sold on XOJO. In these last 3 weeks, I have lost over 5 lbs and am still going! Not only have I lost weight, but I have toned up and am getting ready for warm weather that is already upon us. 

I am grateful for a body and the chance to learn to care for it. Caring for our bodies is such a struggle at times, especially when we are tempted by everything around us. A healthy body will help us to have a healthy mind and spirit; this is what I am building upon. Step by step, I am learning to see my body as a vessel, as an instrument available to be of service to the Lord.

Day 11... Work Hard, Love More (Feb. 20th)

Mental:

As mentioned before, I am blessed to work for an amazing firm and to have the opportunities that I do. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the craziness of it all and forget to remain calm. Our firm is headed by a brilliant business man who shares great advice. 

Last summer, Lloyd Blankfein gave great advice to the summer interns (see below video). "Work hard, try to get it right, and be a little less anxious..." I think this applies to everyone! Whether you are an intern or a full time employee, whether you work at the firm or not, just work hard and don't stress out to much! 

For some, it is harder to turn off the stress switch once it comes off. But I think if we can try and do our best and accept what is our best instead of thinking it is our worst, we can move forward a little more each day.

Spiritual:
I came across a beautiful quote today that made me think of my Savior and his love for me.

One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving - Paulo Coehlo

The Savior didn't need a reason to love us. He just did. I wonder what my life and my relationships would be like if I reminded myself that I don't need a reason to love anyone. Not to beat a dead horse to all of my single friends, but sometimes I wonder if we focus so much on finding reasons to love those that we meet or finding excuses as to why we don't need to love them, that we miss out on great opportunities. I don't mean to say that we need to fall in love instantly because that may be a little overboard... To love someone for who they are and to respect them and to give them a chance to show you who they are is an expression of love in and of itself. We love our fellow man not because we need a reason, but because we are wired to love people just because. Why focus on finding reasons not to love when we could just love and let that be a start.

Physical:

Sometimes we slip up and when we do, our bodies can tell the difference. I haven't had sugar in awhile and today I had a giant cookie. I felt sick to my stomach!! I completely lost my appetite and had no desire to have sugar again! Of course that last part is a bit dramatic, but sugar and I are not close friends anymore...

Day 10... Appreciating The Little Things (Feb. 19th)

Mental:

Growing up, our family was very into the arts. We spent weekends in museums, read poetry and Shakespeare during quiet time, and listened to operas and classical music before bed. We were nerdy kids... While we probably should have spent more time playing tag outside, I am grateful for my parents teaching us the importance of trying to understand the world around us. I regret not jumping out of trees, but I don't regret studying the beautiful language that can be found in all of the arts. 

This has followed me into my adult years and I continue to do these things for fun. Tonight I went with Sarah Orme to the Utah Symphony for Harry Potter night for her birthday. Sarah LOVES Harry Potter so I figured it would be the perfect present! We both enjoyed it and sat there mesmerized by the magic of the music! Mentally, this is what I needed. I needed to spend time with a great friend, I needed to relax and listen to beautiful music, and I needed the time to come home and reflect. Music, no matter what the tune or theme may be, always moves me to think on things that are just as beautiful. 

Spiritual:

On my Daily LDS Scripture app, the scripture of the day was 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of things that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

The last part really hit me. "having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof..." We all have a form of godliness within us because it is a part of our divine destiny. Because of the natural man, we often deny the power thereof. This breaks my heart because I know I am guilty of this. We are blessed to become so much more, but how often are we focused on this? I think that is why we are asked to return to the temple again and again. The blessings we receive in the temple remind us of what God has in store for us especially if we are to keep the covenants we make with Him. 

Physical:

Today I was grateful for my health. I am much more cautious about what I put into my body and how I treat it. While focusing on eating right and exercising, at this point I have now lost 4 lbs! It's a wonderful feeling to get rid of fat and to replace with muscle. I am constantly amazed at how our bodies can transform within a short period of time. My legs are looking more toned and I certainly have more energy! I drink XOJO during each of my workouts and I can see how it is increasing my performance. Seriously, if you haven't tried XOJO, I highly recommend that you do.

Day 9... Gratitude (Feb. 18th)

Mental:

All I can remember about this day is being stressed out. 3 day weekends are nice, but the beginning of a 4 day work week is not fun... I don't remember much of today except for the fact that I was looking forward to institute and seeing good friends.

I just need to mention a couple of things here. This week taught me a lot about friends. I learned that friends are people who are kind to you and who care for you. Friends are people who have your best interest in mind. Friends are people who smile when they see you. Do you ever wonder about that? When I see friends, I light up. It is instinctive for me to smile when I see the people who make my life that much greater. It is harder to smile at strangers and even harder to smile at people who may have done you wrong. But today I was grateful to smile at those who give me something to smile about.

Also, speaking of friends. I need to take the time to thank Jimmy Rex for being a great friend. I didn't always know Jimmy very well, but he is becoming one of my favorites very quickly. This guy is sharp, funny, and overall a good hearted person! He's been helping me out with a big decision in my life right now and honestly, without his help I would have no idea what I am doing. Aside, from just helping me out with this decision, he has just been a great person to be around. He sends out lots of positive vibes!

Spiritual:

If you don't attend institute, I highly recommend that you do. Johnny Gray taught an excellent lesson based on Elder Holland's talk from General Conference in October. This talk moves me to tears just thinking about it. It is so beautiful and such a testament of the Savior's love for each of us. All of us at some point in our lives are going to endure trials that will drag us to near depression, if not completely immersed in depression. I believe the Lord lets us have these moments, whether short or long term, because it is an opportunity for us to feel His love. Having faith throughout depression is a difficult task, but with the Savior, all things are possible. Our minds are just as fragile as our bodies. At the same time though, our minds can be strong like our bodies. We use different resources to make our bodies strong and to keep ourselves healthy, so we should do the same with our minds. Whether it is medication, deep reflection, etc., we need to do all we can to care for our mind, body, and spirit.

Physical:

Tonight I cried. I see that as a physical expression of my thoughts and emotions. I cried because I was grateful. I was grateful to be spiritually uplifted, to be reminded of my Savior's love. I was grateful for my friends and for people I continue to meet. A good cry was what I needed tonight. 

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before -- more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle."

- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Day 8... Miracle Formula (Feb. 17th)

Mental:

Today I had the day off of work. That meant I was doing my best to enjoy thinking about other things! I slept in till noon and took my time getting ready, I ate a healthy lunch and then spent an hour in Crate & Barrel. Anyone who knows me, knows that entertaining and home decor will put me in the greatest mood. My mind just kicks into full gear the minute I start planning events, dinners, etc. I slowly examine every shelf in the store and imagine them on my table at home. I think of all of the meals I could put on a serving platter and then think of color schemes for the table linens. It's a problem, I recognize that, but for now it makes me happy. With a day off, I just wanted to do something that would make me smile and scouring my favorite home decor store was just the thing to do!

Aside from making myself happy with home decor, keeping up relationships with close friends will really boost me up. I spent a couple of hours in Provo and visited my dear friends Jillian and Darin Tuttle. These two are such great examples of love and of marriage. They are so kind to one another and serve each other without even having to think about it. I admire the way they care for one another and for other people.

Watching them made me reflect on the type of marriage I want. I desire to have a marriage where serving each other and the Lord is our top priority. I believe committing to a marriage is one of the most selfless things we can do. Getting married is different than being in a marriage. A marriage, to me, means setting aside yourself and focus on joining with someone else. This doesn't mean you subject yourself to them, but I think joining in with someone means admitting you can't walk this life alone, that you will let yourself be vulnerable to let someone else care for and love you, and that you care enough to see to it that they experience the joys of eternal life as well. 

Spiritual: 

Today I thought a lot about miracles. Nearly 4 years ago, a friend told me about the "Miracle Formula." This can be found in the Bible Dictionary. 

Prayer + Felt Need + Faith = Miracles

"Miracles were and are a response to faith and its best encouragement. They were never wrought without prayer, felt need, and faith."

I am always amazed at when miracles occur in my life. I guess if it wasn't that way, it wouldn't be a miracle. The most recent miracle has been the blessing of my job. I am still at the same firm, but moved into a new position. I had been praying since last year to move into this position for very personal reasons, most of which had nothing to do with my career. The more I prayed, I found that this would not only benefit my personal life, but would actually in the end better my career path. The opportunity came when I wasn't expecting it, but it was clearly the right moment. It may not seem like a miracle to some, but to me, it brought great blessings. I think most of those are too personal to share with everyone, but it brings me to tears just thinking about it. It has been an experience that has testified to me that the Lord hears my prayers. This wasn't something I had originally planned on, but when the initial desire came, I knew I needed to be prepared for it. Never have I felt more thrilled to go to work, mainly because I know it is a blessing for me to experience the joy of my job.

I have used the Miracle Formula as a way to align my will with God's and to ask for things that I know he will see fit to bless me with. The prayer aspect has helped me to understand things as God would like me to. I am a child to Him and need to learn from Him. Understanding my relationship to my Father in Heaven helps me to walk a path that He would have me walk and to embrace it. I challenge everyone to apply this formula and to watch miracles happen in your life!

Physical:

Tonight I was upset because I know how important sleep is, but it just wasn't happening! I couldn't fall asleep for hours. It wasn't until 1:30am that I FINALLY got tired. I love sleep and I was beyond upset that I couldn't sleep. By midnight I was too afraid to take any sleep aids for fear of not being able to wake up on time. So then paranoia kept me up... Not cool. After thinking about miracles today, it would've been a real miracle to have fallen asleep...

Day 7... Obedience (Feb. 16th)

Mental:

After coming home from Church today, I decided to let my mind take a break. I didn't want to think much because it's what I do every single day. So instead I watched 3 of the Harry Potter movies. That series just makes me feel all warm inside. Not much to report for today in the mental department except for the fact that my mind was feeling good!

Spiritual: 

Today my mom and I discussed the prophets of the Old Testament. My mother is not Mormon, but she is one of the most well-versed Christians I know. We used to fight when we had spiritual conversations, but now we've agreed to discuss where we agree and to help each other grow in those areas. We both have a deep love for the Bible and so to share that with her is extra special to me. We talked about Abraham today and his obedience. 

We must be courageously obedient - James E. Faust

What I love about President Faust saying that is the fact that he recognizes the difficulty in being obedient. We are sinners and therefore, sinning will come easy to us. To overcome our mortal selves is going to be a challenge and it will be obedience that will help us. It take courage to do what is right and I believe most of us, if not all of us, experience that on a daily basis. Abraham is a wonderful example of obedience because he did not hesitate to do what was asked of him. I often wonder how my days would turn out if I was completely obedient. I don't struggle with extreme sins, but hey, we've all got our vices and none of us are perfect. Obedience is something we all are going to have to develop the courage to do in this life.

Physical: 

One of the things I love best about Sundays is that it is a day of rest. Let me tell you, no body loves rest like my body does! 

Day 6... Gym Comes First (Feb. 15th)

Mental: 

Today I woke up in a much better mood and didn't want that to change. One thing that brings me peace is reading books. I enjoy reading books by classic American novelists, so I decided to start with John Steinbeck. My favorite Steinbeck novel is The Pearl, but this time I decided to read Tortilla Flat. I read nearly 40 pages between working out and having my hair colored. I truly believe in the power of reading and increasing our knowledge. We can increase our knowledge by reading fiction too, not just non fiction. When I think of the smartest people I know or who even exist, most of them have a love for reading and can relate fictional stories to their lives. Doing so helps to shape their character and help them think creatively. Interestingly enough, Tortilla Flat has helped me realize today what kind of person I want to be. There are characters who make decisions based on their own desires, but not for the benefit of everyone. I began to reflect on my relationships with my friends and those I care about and question my own ethics. I know there are people I can be better friends to and I think those 40 pages today helped me realize that. 

Spiritual:

Today was a milestone for me. It has been exactly 7 years since I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't even know where to begin in telling you how grateful I am for this Gospel. I think today I thought more about how the Gospel has changed me. I am amazed at how the Lord knew the right time in my life to introduce the Gospel to me. When I think about who I wanted to be at this age several years ago, it doesn't even measure up to the person I am now. I don't mean to say that I am this magnificent, perfect person (because we all know I am not), but the things I've accomplished and the character I've developed is far greater than I could have imagined. I know I make mistakes and that I still have a long road to being who God wants/needs me to be, but I am glad I am a much better version of myself. 

February 15, 2007

Physical:

It was another sprint interval day. XOJO is becoming my best friend. I love the way I feel when I workout and I feel like it is making a huge difference. I used to get incredibly tired during my workouts, but when I use XOJO, I am fueled to keep going and not give up. Running intervals is making a difference in shaping my body and helping me see the results I want. I grew up doing physical activity where my legs were my greatest asset. I was a gymnast, a dancer, a sprinter, and a cheerleader. Therefore, muscular legs will just always stick with me. I am extremely self conscious of my legs and often wish they were leaner. I know that years of building that leg muscle will take awhile to trim down, but I am trying new ways to fully engage my body and see the results I want. 

My best friend for the day

Day 4 & 5... I can't even deal right now...

I am combining today's and yesterday's posts into one. Sometimes, you need a little bit longer than one day to learn important lessons and sometimes those lessons require more thought.

Mental:

I don't even know where to begin on this one. First, let me tell you about my mental state the last two days. Yesterday, I was so out of it, I couldn't even tell you what was going through my head. I barely remember what happened. Today, I would pay someone to make this day disappear.

All I remember about yesterday was that I sat in back to back meetings all day, was running back in forth between both of our downtown offices, ate way too much at Cafe Rio as my "cheat meal" and then came home to do P90X (to which I am now in pain for). Definitely was not thinking about much yesterday except maybe about the fact that I just wanted to be in my bed.

Today, well hell... That's the best way to describe how it started. I woke up in a frantic panic, sweating, and almost falling out of my bed! Why?! Because I had a bad dream! Oh and it gets worse. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to text my friend who was in the dream at 6 AM!!!!! Listen, the dream was ridiculous and I ended up being all riled up from it. But was it necessary to text ANYONE at 6am?! No! 

Dear friend, I apologize for my frantic text that probably woke you up and from which you probably thought I was clinically insane. 

Here's the other thing: I guarantee it that I am making a bigger deal about my mishap this morning than I need to. There is nothing I hate more than feeling vulnerable and telling way more than I need to. I try and always keep myself composed and on top of my game. That wasn't the case at 6am... So again to my friend, 

I am not insane and I usually keep myself in check. 

How does any of this relate to what mental improvements I am making? I don't know... Maybe I will take away from all of this that I need to think before I act? No idea and frankly, right now, I am not in the mood to care.

Spiritual:

Let me start with reminding you all that today sucked. After my bad dream and my crazy 6am text messages, I dealt with a rough work day. I needed to work on so many things aside from the interviews we were doing all day and I just needed a break. That break never came and by the time 3:30 in the afternoon rolled around I ran into the bathroom and let myself shed a tear or two... or three. I NEVER CRY AT WORK! When I first started working at this company, someone told me, "no matter what, never let anyone see you cry here. And if you just can't help it, let it happen only twice max in your career." Was that the best advice? I don't know and really I try not to think too much about it and would rather do what I want. But I choose NOT to cry at work because it forces me to stay composed and remain logical and realistic. The downside to this is that I can sometimes use that to build defense walls in the workplace and at home. How is this spiritual? I'm getting to it...

I have an app that gives a daily scripture, quote, and hymn. Today the scripture was John 13:34.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Once I read this, for a moment I forgot myself and just tried to focus on having more love in my life like the Savior. There were people today that made some bits of it bearable and almost fun. The fact that they love me and I love them made it even better. I have wonderful coworkers and a fabulous family. Being with them was all I needed today.

Physical:

All I can add is that I'm getting in the habit of caring for my body without having to think too much about it. I worked out last night before bed and survived thanks to XOJO. I ate pretty healthy throughout the day today and was proud of myself for not falling for the awful things that could go in my body. And now, I just want to rest. Because my body really needs the rest.

Honestly, as much as I had a hard time with today, I'm still glad it happened. At the end of the day, this venting is healthy and really the bad experiences make the good ones even better.

Day 3... What If Love Were Our Only Motive?

Mental:

Today I tried my best to focus on love. Maybe I should have saved that for Friday (Valentine's Day), but I don't want to get into that... It started today by loving my teammates. I truly appreciate all that they do for me and how much they support me in all that I do. The Lord gave me an opportunity by celebrating the success of one of our teammates. She got the position on our team she had been hoping for and I couldn't be more excited for her! 

Russell T. Osguthorpe said,

"When others' needs start to matter more than our own, and when others' successes are more exciting to us than our own, we are beginning to experience the kind of love that our Father in Heaven and our Savior have for us. It is a love without dimension. It has no boundaries, no limitations. It is pure. It is infinite. It is eternal. Oh, how I want to have more of this love for others."

Seeing how happy she was made me feel so much love for her. I've listened to her excitements and her frustrations over the last few weeks, so to see her light up made my day. I know that I will spend my entire life learning to love as God loves, but He gave me a chance for a second to feel that love for someone else and rejoice in their success.

"When love underlies our actions as learners and teachers - as human beings - everything gets better."

I had other experiences today where I was able to feel love for others and it truly did make everything better. 

"The Savior's life on earth was short, but He was always reaching out in love every step of the way. He helped so many while He was on His way to help someone else. He noticed what others needed, reached out to them, and helped them - sometimes in simple ways and other times in miraculous ways. Every miracle He performed, every word He spoke, He did out of love."

Loving others brings peace to my mind and helps me to feel centered and focus on what is most important. If my thoughts can be guided and motivated by love, perhaps I would have more peace in my life.

Spiritual:

A few years ago, I created a study/lesson for me to follow on the prophet Joshua. Oftentimes, I feel like Joshua and greatly need to feel the Lord's love for me. I reread my notes on this and I want to share those scriptures with you. I know that if we can put ourselves in Joshua's shoes, we can see how the Lord can make us strong even though we may be scared and feel weak at times. Joshua had such a pure heart and it was so tender to read how the Lord sent Moses to remind Joshua of his love for him. I want to get to a point in my life where I can ask for more "mountains" as Joshua did (Joshua 14:11-12).

My notes/scriptures of the Lord preparing Joshua

Physical:

I am day 3 with no sugar and I am drinking a XOJO a day with my workouts. This post is focused on Love as my motive and if I apply that in a physical sense, I need to have the same motive in taking care of my body. To show the love for my body, I need to watch what I am putting in it and need to make sure I am respecting it. It makes me sad to see so many people disrespect their bodies. 

**Side Note** Speaking of disrespect, I was reading an article last night about this woman Gloria Steinem and her views on women in today's society. She addressed something that I think more people need to acknowledge. Pornography. It is such a filthy, dirty business that tries to make what is meant to be beautiful, and then distort it to be ugly and disrespectful. Her comment on this made me want to say AMEN!

"Pornography is to women what Fascist literature is to Jews."

What Jewish person would embrace the views and conduct of Fascism?! Hopefully none! Therefore, what respectable woman would embrace this filth that is pornography when it degrades the very being that she is?

To bring it back to love and love for my body, I am grateful for the bodies that we are given and the responsibility we have to love and care for it. 

Day 2... "You Must Break Down Your Muscles To Build Them Up"

Today was all about realizing that sometimes we just need a little break in order to catch up and be stronger than we were before.

Mental:

I woke up in the middle of the night absolutely frantic! It was 3am and I could not understand why I was so riled up. When my alarm finally went off, the same thing happened! I laid in bed and pondered what in the world was wrong with me. Then it came to me... It is just too noisy in my head. I never have peace and quiet! I am constantly having background noise and I think it is just making it harder for me to sleep. 

So that's what I did. I was quiet. Only problem is that now I can hear my thoughts and I am tired of hearing them. This is probably why I don't keep things quiet... Although, I've been able to address things the way I should now that I've taken the time to pay attention. Keeping things quiet today made me feel less stressed and overwhelmed. I recommend everyone take a day to just make everything around them chill out. We need to take better care of what is on our minds and just be aware. It took too much noise for me to realize that I needed it quiet, completely silent!

Spiritual:

I had to be at BYU today as we were conducting interviews for my job. I work for such an amazing, diverse company and it's sort of refreshing to be around some people who don't believe what I do. Why is that refreshing? Because I get to tell them how much I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ when they ask. And believe me, they ask quite frequently. I want the people I work for to know that I am committed to following Christ and His teachings and that I am open to discussing it whenever they'd like to. 

On that note, my teammate asked me in the car on the way home, "Liese, if you met a non-member and fell in love with him, would you marry him or would you not because he isn't LDS?" Because she and I have a great friendship I simply told her this, "Listen, the most important thing to me is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, I want to be married in the temple and I realize that because it's the bar I've committed to set for myself, it may take a little bit longer for that person to come along. I go on dates with non members because I don't see the harm in being friends. I wasn't always a member of this church and now that I am, I have a glimpse at knowing the extent to which I can be blessed. Temple marriage isn't one of many options for me, it truly is the only option. Nothing would make me feel more honored in my life than to kneel across an alter in the the temple of the Lord to the man I will marry. I am set on time and all eternity, not til death do us part." 

I was worried that I had offended her, but her response was perfect. She said, "That makes complete sense." And that was it...

Draper Temple Sealing Room

When I got home I really thought about that and felt overwhelmed with gratitude. I have the opportunity to be married in God's house and return to live with Him and my future family forever. I don't care how long it takes, I am set on that being the only way. 

I know when I get on my knees tonight, that is what I will be thanking my Father in Heaven for. It was a wonderful blessing to be reminded of that and I know that is exactly what I needed to keep me motivated in remaining hopeful and strong. I sometimes forget how perfect that blessing is. It took someone putting me in a scenario of me maybe not having it to realize how much I NEEDED it.

Physical:

First of all, my body is in pain from my sprint intervals. Second of all, I would do anything to eat Italian food, specifically warm bread with oil & vinegar or a bowl of rigatoni & sausage. BUT I WILL NOT LET MYSELF GIVE IN!!!! 

Another thought I had when I woke up this morning was how much I hated getting up earlier than usual. Here's the thing... I am a morning person, but I need 8 hours of sleep. I can handle my alarm going off at 5:30am as long as that meant I was in bed by 9:30pm the night before. That didn't happen... So to take care of my body today, I am going to bed early. Mainly to recover, but I guess I need to be prepped for tomorrow too.

I work really hard during the week and often I am just exhausted. But sometimes we need that in order to become better. President Henry B. Eyring said, 

"It is like building muscle strength. You must break down your muscles to build them up. You push muscles to the point of exhaustion. They they repair themselves, and they develop greater strength."

Day 1... "Can't Nothing Bring Me Down"

***Disclaimer: My writing isn't what it used to be since I have been out of college the last couple of years. Keep that in mind as you read the below... I expect my posts to have more substance and meaning as each day goes by. This is only day 1 after all. Also, don't forget to encourage me whether it is via text, comments on this blog, Twitter, or Facebook. I am determined to create better habits and a better me over the next 21 days. Cheer me on!***

***See previous post if you have no idea what this is about***

Mental:
My main focus today was on being happy. Happy by Pharrell is the perfect song for this and you better believe I was allll about this when I woke up this morning! Like he said, "can't nothing bring me down."



Spiritual:
I cleaned my room last night and it made this morning more of a spiritual experience for me. I am a believer that your room mirrors the state of your life. My room was in complete and utter chaos when I woke up Sunday morning and my life felt the exact same. However, when I woke up this morning, things were peaceful and I felt like I could make my day that way as well. I believe it is very important to me to develop those habits now and create a place where the spirit can dwell. I don't picture the spirit dwelling in a mess...

Sister Julie. B. Beck, former General Relief Society President said in a CES Fireside in May of 2008,

"Most of you will also be fathers and mothers who will create righteous homes for your families. When I was young, I was taught by my mother that while I was single I needed to learn how to take care of one life and one room so that I would be prepared to take care of several lives and several rooms.

In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord gives a pattern for a Spirit-filled home. It should be “a house of prayer, a house of fasting, [and] a house of faith” (D&C 109:8). It should be a house where the Lord’s Spirit can abide, where no unclean thing is permitted to enter, and a house of learning where there is a study of the best books, which includes the scriptures (see verse 7). That inspires the following questions: Is the home or room where you currently live that kind of house? In your room, do you have prayer, do you fast, and do you read the scriptures? Do you live in a place of order or a place of clutter? Do you allow unclean things to enter it by way of movies, books, or the Internet? Do you fill it with uplifting things—the best things? Is your current home a place where the Spirit of the Lord can abide?"

Physical:

Today was day 1 of clean eating and working out hard. I usually do some light lifting at the gym, but not much to kick into fat burning mode. I did not eat sugar AT ALL! At the gym, I did sprint intervals, squats and dead lifts. I can already feel my body hating me... I have some serious fitness goals for these 21 days and I am hoping all goes according to plan!

I am also putting one of my new favorite products to the test. For each of these 21 days, I am going to be drinking 1 XOJO. I want to see if I can see the results over a period of time. I know I feel good when I use it during my workouts, but how does that play out over time? You should look into XOJO and pick up some if you can. It is sold at Harmon's, Maceys, and Fresh Market. I bought out 1/2 the stock at the Harmon's Brickyard off of 3300 South in Salt Lake City, so don't expect to find much left there... (whoops!) 

XOJO... let's see if you can pay off over a long period of time instead of every few days. If you can, I will never stop buying you and I will continue to tell all my friends about you. I pinky promise.

I matched my workout clothes to my XOJO today on accident... Not even mad about it! (Not pictured: my lime green tank top)

The greatest feeling is knowing that I am taking care of my body at the end of the day. I know so many girls who choose not to eat at all during the day or some that eat whatever they want. No matter your metabolism, eating junk or depriving yourself altogether is harming your body. It is my responsibility to have a clean vessel and create a place where the spirit can dwell within me. Just as we would never defile our temples, we also take the time to give them their proper maintenance and keep them clean. Our bodies should be the same.

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles stated in the October 2013 General Conference,

"With your body being such a vital part of God’s eternal plan, it is little wonder that the Apostle Paul described it as a “temple of God.” Each time you look in the mirror, see your body as your temple. That truth—refreshed gratefully each day—can positively influence your decisions about how you will care for your body and how you will use it. And those decisions will determine your destiny."

Day 1 was great and I am looking forward to Day 2. I have a long day ahead of me, but I believe that means I will have much more to experience and appreciate. Tune in for tomorrow's post!

21 Days... What is this all about?

They say it takes 21 days to break a bad habit. I also think it can take 21 days to create good habits. That's why, starting February 10th, I am going to record 21 days of bettering myself. Each day I will post about how I became physically, spiritually, and mentally better just by making some changes for 3 weeks. I tried to work on some things through New Years resolutions, but so far I've only been able to keep 2 of the many I attempted to keep.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said in the January Ensign,

"Even though we might fall short of our finish line, just continuing the journey will make us greater than we were before."

We always fail... ALWAYS!! But it's the desire to be better than we ever were that makes us that much closer to becoming who we are meant to be.

Man is a spiritual being, a soul, and at some period of his life everyone is possessed with an irresistible desire to know his relationship to the infinite... There is something within him which urges him to rise above himself, to control his environment, to master the body and all things physical and live in a higher and more beautiful world - President David O. McKay

I am putting myself through a betterment bootcamp... I wont tell you ahead of time what my goals are for the day, but I will post it all at the end of the day. I want you to know where I succeeded and where I failed. I want you to realize that we are all human and that no matter what, we are all doing the best we can.

Please encourage me where you can. On this blog, on twitter, or on Facebook. I am working harder to be a better person and will need the "cheers" of all of those that I consider to be my friends.




***Also, be prepared for product placement. I have extreme brand loyalty and I am sure you will see that along the way... Shout out to XOJO, Smart Pop, Fage Yogurt, Samsung, and many many more!