Thought burst

Things I've thought about blogging, but never really got around to making them into full blog posts:

1. Guys, if you're trying to win over a girl with a missionary, it's not wise to insult her, her choice, or her missionary. Not insulting her is a no-brainer, but guys still do it. Don't insult her choice to wait and date, or wait, or whatever the details are. She already feels alone and what she wants is a friend. If you're her friend then you have a much better chance at winning her over. Insulting her missionary is no good either. This is someone she cares about enough to consider waiting two years for. He is her love. If you insult someone she cares about deeply, she won't like you.

2. Stop playing these stupid games! Games and drama just hurt people and cause unnecessary stress. If you like someone, then act like it. Don't try to distance yourself. Don't tell everyone except that person. Don't be ridiculous. Just act true to your feelings. If you feel something and it doesn't go against God, be true to that feeling.

3. Speaking of feelings, how do we master them or get over them. Here's my approach. I'm in a near constant battle with depression and anxiety. I've taken antidepressants and been to therapists. Nothing worked. Well with prayer, scripture study, and church and temple attendance I was able to find what works for me. If I'm having a particularly hard day and someone asks, "What's wrong," my normal inclination would be to say, "Nothing" or to make something up (because with depression usually nothing really is wrong except how you are feeling.) Instead I say something along the lines of, "Oh I struggle with depression and it's just getting me today." By acting like this feeling is no big deal, it becomes nothing and I can overcome it. If you allow your feelings to control you by convincing you that you need to withhold some things from people, then you give them power over you. Be honest and open and you will gain mastery over your feelings.

4. So I've noticed that I have a very angry "thinking face." Those of you who knew me freshman year probably saw it more than others (apparently I was more of a deep thinker freshman year than any other time. Ha ha! Kidding, I just had a lot going on in my life. Hard times. Anyway...). It looks something like this, but more angry. Also the quality of this photo is crap. That's photobooth for you. One more also, I'm not entirely sure why I took a picture of my thinking face a year ago, but I did. Maybe it was just for this blog post.

What does your thinking face look like?

5. My missionary man has been out for five months! Oh my cuss that's crazy! Time is flying and I am loving life!

6. Last friday marked two years since we got together. It doesn't even feel like that long at all! It seems like just last summer we were running through the streets of Nauvoo and I got a chigger bite because I refused his offer to carry me across the grass at the park. Instead I ran across it with my bare feet. Also, chigger is a fun word to say.

7. Remember said face in number four? So imagine a girl with that face. Wearing dark jeans and a black hoodie walking around campus. She's got headphones in her ears. If you were to listen in on what's going on in her head, what music do you think you would hear? Wrong. This is what you would hear:

I am hooked on quickstep music. I love dancing quickstep and I love the music!

8. Dancesport is on Saturday. I'm competing in Samba. I'm way nervous because I've never been this unprepared. In dance 180 we competed ChaCha. That was the second dance we learned and I got a lot of practice because I went to practice labs. Dance 280 I competed in triple step swing. I went to practice labs and my partner and I practiced outside of class. Dance 184 we competed in quickstep (love!). We had the class spring semester and dancesport wasn't until summer semester. So my partner and I got together once a week and practiced. We got fourth place overall. (Go us!) Well... the samba. We just finished learning the routine. I've been to zero practice labs, and my partner isn't very available to practice. I don't really know the routine and I was gone the day we learned the last (and most difficult) figure. On top of all of that, my latin technique is crap. So I'm nervous. Last night I had a dream that I was trying to practice, but every time I went to practice I could only remember my quickstep routine. I wish I was competing quickstep.

9. I have friends now. It's nice to have friends. Sadly, I see a storm brewing on the horizon. Blah. Stupid drama.

10. I'm not taking Italian next semester. So this is my last of Italian. It was fun, I learned a lot (not as much as I should have learned). I'll be sad to say goodbye, but I need to focus on graduating in something.

11. They also dropped the two majors I was considering. School of Family Life with an emphasis in marriage and family studies and social work. Lame.

12. Did I tell you I'm a gospel doctrine instructor? Well I am. It's been a great blessing. A great big nerve racking blessing. I'm enjoying it even if it makes me very uncomfortable. I'm just sad that we're through with Isaiah.

13. November is national novel writing month. I'm failing miserably. It has something to do with the fact that I have friends, but more to do with the fact that I'm lazy. Blah.

Well cyberspace, that's it. I have to go to class now. I'll likely be late, but at least I'll get there. Ciao ciao.