How to Find Happiness - Thursday Thought #14

You know, I don't think my life is all that grand. I have to live with trials and, most unbearable, my mistakes. At the same time, I consider myself a happy person.

"WHAT?!?" you say. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

No, really. Let me explain.

Millions of voices try every day to bring outsiders to their way of thinking. Religions clash over doctrines and lifestyles. Political parties tear each other down. Even athletes tug on the arms of those living the sedentary lifestyle. Everyone wants everyone to know that the way they live is the best, the ultimate, the pathway most likely to lead to happiness.

Then there's you. (Ok, maybe it's just me). I don't always know the happiest path to take, and as such, engage in frequent trial and error. Sometimes, I find something that makes me genuinely happy. Other times, I really regret my experimentation.

The thing is, I think that's how anyone finds out what makes them happy. People join groups and engage in certain lifestyles because that is the best of what they've discovered up to that point. People keep what matters to them in their life, and discard the things they decide don't matter.

There comes a point in everyone's life where something they originally thought sweet turns sour. An example of this includes moments when individuals remove TV or their smart phones from their lives in favor of simpler, less obtrusive activities and tools. In the same way, happy people do the same, taking time to evaluate what aspects of their lives make them happy, and what aspects of their lives keep them from being as such.

So, in summary, a happy person is someone who constantly determines what is best for them and then brings more of that into their lives, while removing the things that prove a hindrance to their happiness, even if it's a train of thought, a mindset, or a personality trait.

I'm still trying to figure out what makes me happy, but I do know that I've seen the happiness in my life grow as I hold on to the things that truly make me happy, and then shun the rest.

Which Insect Did You Choose to Exterminate? - Response Saturday #23

This last week, I asked you to determine the fates of spiders and mosquitoes via a strange apocalyptic computer log.

It makes more sense if you click the link and read the original post.

Since this seemed to be quite an engaging topic, lots of you responded!

So after peeling back the proposed compromises and other options, it seemed as though 66% of you wanted to see the end of all mosquitoes, while 33% of you wanted to kill all the spiders.

As for me, I'm definitely a 'kill all the mosquitoes' kind of guy. In fact, one of the reasons I'm such an ardent defender of spiders is because of their natural ability to keep down mosquito populations. I experienced first-hand proof of this last summer, when I was working with the sports camps attending BYU. One of my supervisors called in an exterminator to kill the spider population living in one of our building's basements, and in the aftermath, mosquito bite complaints went up by a ridiculous percentage.

As for the fallout, CougarMan hypothesized that if all the mosquitoes died, then all spiders would starve. While I will point out that spiders do eat other things besides mosquitoes, entomologist Grayson Brown agreed with this theory to a point. At the same time, according to Quora, removing all the spiders in the world would damage the ecology of the world to a greater extent.

Either way, it's probably good we don't have a 'kill all' button in an underground shelter. After all, God knows why these things exist, and if there weren't a reason for them, then He wouldn't have put them here.

Of course, it certainly is fun to think about, isn't it?

How I Use My Time (And How I Want to Improve) - Response Saturday #20

This post is in response to this past Tuesday's thinkjoust.

I would argue that I am not a lazy person. Let me break down my average schedule for this past semester.

When I wake up in the morning, I go to my part-time job at Future House Publishing. In the evening, I go to work one of my other two part-time jobs. I 'donate' plasma twice a week. In addition, I work on online coursework, work on creative projects like my novels and this blog, and even throw in some exercise here and there. When I'm finished with all that, I'm afforded a few hours of free time a day.

The question is, what do I do with that free time? Lately, I've been playing video games.

The thing is, I swore off video games for a while there. I started back up this summer because one, all I was doing was working (which meant I was getting burnt out), and two, I wanted to be more informed about narratives in video games, seeing as how becoming a writer in that industry is a possible future career path for me.

The thing is, when I say I use my free time to play video games, I mean all of it. When I'm home, away from work and projects and school, I'm either eating, sleeping, or gaming. That's it.

In the meantime, my impressive stack of books I have yet to read grows instead of shrinking. I've still mastered only one or two chords on my guitar. I haven't figured out how to properly fly a drone yet. I haven't made a YouTube video in months. Except for when I do some one-on-none basketball, I don't go out to appreciate the beautiful summer weather, or take a drive, or do anything physically engaging.

Again, I don't think I'm lazy. But I'm not doing enough with the time I'm given. I can only 'research' video game stories for so long before I'm just wasting time.

So what about all those questions I asked on Tuesday?

Basically, I balance my time between 'working' (which includes my employment(s), my online 'business,' and other responsibilities like school) and video games. As it is, I feel like I have become a slave to routine. I don't do anything because I want to, or because I am reaping true satisfaction from it. Instead, I'm just mindlessly doing the next thing on my check list.

An easy solution would be to take a leaf from Casey's book, but I need modern conveniences for a large variety of reasons, including my work and other things. Sure, what helps me produce blog posts (the internet) may also distract me from improving myself, but the solution may be better time management on my part as opposed to blaming the machine. If I'm being distracted, that's pure user error right there. After all, I know activities that better myself offer the most value in my life.

Either way, the most important thing for me to remember is that life is about living, about loving what you're doing every day. If all I'm doing is working toward goals, always seeking the next 'ending,' then I fail to live in the moment and enjoy what I'm doing. I need to be happy no matter what I haven't accomplished, be it a novel, my education, or even finding a future spouse. I can be happy, right now.

And that's all that matters.

Daily Adventure: Red Rock Canyon Hike

Micah 7:12 - "In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain."

So after my friends and I chilled in the sun, we finally roused ourselves to go on a hike up red rock canyon.

The red rock part of the canyon.

The triumph and the moon.

Thankfully, only three rescue crews were required to get them out of there.

The canyon prepares to sleep as the sun turns out the lights.

Only four rescue crews were required to get them out of that one.

We didn't have cell phone service. We took a route up a cliff that was less difficult going up than would have been going down. We wandered around for a bit, trying to find sea level without dying. We laughed and ate a picnic lunch and just enjoyed being out in the rough.

I want to do stuff like that more often. I want to feel closer to my roots. I want to dig my fingers, toes, and soul into nature and breathe it in. I want to leave technology behind and find peace in the beauty God created for us.

I'm so grateful when I do.

Finding Peace: Early to Rise

D&C 88:124 - "... cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated."

I've been waking up really early as of late. Sometimes, I wake even before the sunrise.

I rise before most, if not all, of my roommates. I study my scriptures, I prepare for the day, and then, I leave.

The streets are quiet. The occasional car passes by. The driver and I, we nod at each other. I'm left alone to think about life, where I'm going, what I want to do. The solitude gives me perspective on things I can't achieve when I'm enjoying company. 

Later on in the day, things get hectic. I blog, I check my finances, I go to class, I go to work, I write, I do homework, I spend time with my loved ones, I run from appointment to appointment.

But lately, I've been giving myself time to pause, getting up first thing in the morning like that. It's a pause I need and relish, and even though I'm often tired at first, the rest of my day always seems more smooth and anxiety-free.

Today's challenge? Give it a try. Wake up at 5:30 AM sometime. I'll be right there with you. In my own timezone, of course, but you get me.

Appreciation: Spiders, Mosquitoes, and Beetles

Genesis 1:26 - "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion ... over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Don't forget to add your voice to Tuesday's thinkjoust! The poll is located just to the top of the column on the right-hand side!

I'll be honest with you; this beetle has absolutely nothing to do with the post. This particular insect was just more visually appealing than the other subjects we will be discussing presently.

Several of my comrades have returned from their forays into the basements of my workplace complaining of a most insidious group of marauders - the deadly spiders.

Of course, from what I can gather, most people only dislike spiders because of the way they move. Something about the way those eight little legs churn give people the willies. I've also heard that a lot of people are scared of being bitten by a poisonous spider. That's a genuine fear--I've seen horrible pictures of the effects some spider venom has on human flesh--but it's rather racist to assume every spider you run into is poisonous. Look up the poisonous spiders in your area so you can identify them. Odds are, 95% of the spiders you run into are completely harmless, right?

Right?

No? You still want to assume all spiders are poisonous? All right, I'l try a different tack.

The common house spider is one of the least proactive predators on the planet. Seriously. It weaves a web and waits for something to fly into it. Yes, I'm aware some spiders are more hunters than fishers, but let's be honest here; the spiders we're familiar with are probably all web weavers.

The cool thing about these web weavers is that they straight-up protect us from far more aggressive insects. Take the mosquito, for instance. Not only can those little blood-suckers fly, they are able to maintain a near-invisibility when their nighttime hunting begins. They leave bites all over your body, which itch like the dickens, and you can be sure they didn't sterilize their proboscis after biting your friend and then coming after you.

Spiders eat these things. By the dozens. Spiders are useful. Spiders are our friends.

These arguments fell on deaf ears. An exterminator was called to eradicate the spider population in the basements. Though I never saw the sight, hundreds upon hundreds of our mosquito-eating friends lay prone on the floor, their legs pointing toward heaven.

I kid you not, literally a day after the extermination, I heard people complain about mosquito bites for the first time all summer.

I truly do believe God puts everything here on earth for a reason. "Why did he put spiders on the earth, then," someone might ask. I would respond that the spiders are here to protect us from mosquitoes. "Why did God put mosquitoes on the earth, then?"

So we can appreciate spiders all the more.

You, too, have a purpose here on earth. There are so many things you do, every day, that someone notices and admires. No matter how insignificant or disregarded you may feel, your contribution means something. It has worth. Don't be afraid to let your light so shine.

Sunset (with Added Commentary)

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

I reserved some time yesterday for some introspection.

I went up to the hill by our house, whereupon I'd watched fireworks on the fourth of July, and just watched the Colombia River Gorge as the sun set off on the horizon.

I considered where I've slipped in my own spirituality, what activities I could be improving on, what I wasn't doing at all.

I read scriptures from my smart phone, snapping photos every so often.

I'm not perfect. I recognized many things that needed to change, either for the better or completely.

I nonetheless felt a peace overcome me.

Upon returning home, I led a devotional for the teacher's quorum here at our ward, who were all spending the night in anticipation for assisting with a move this morning.

Dad and I sat and talked about my dreams and aspirations for a spell before we both finally staggered off to bed.

I thanked God for his love, all that he has given me, and all that he will give me.

Hey, there! I wrote a commentary about this post on November 27 of 2014. Click here to read it!

Unplugged

Luke 21:36 - "Watch ye therefore, and pray always..."

I had a couple of neat experiences today. I guess I don't really have too much of a 'change' to report, but at least I have several moments to cherish.
I had an opportunity to sit down and really talk with Doctor Marc Davis, my chiropractor here in Vancouver, about what's going on with my aching back. He showed me some videos regarding what causes back pain, and I was blown away. I finally began to understand how the spine actually works, how our nerves are protected, how subluxations occur, how they're repaired, how the body compensates for spinal damage, how everything in the body connects together ...
Sitting there, watching all of this, I couldn't help but notice that everything in my body had to have been designed. The theory that our bodies were formed by chance is just so ridiculous to me. By that logic, I could be walking through a forest and find a wild computer sitting on a tree branch furiously spitting out equations. How could such a thing come about by chance? All you have to do is look at the central nervous system and recognize just how much like a computer we are. An errant firework can not produce a smart phone.

I attended a religious institute class yesterday, and I really enjoyed it! However, after the teacher closed us off with a prayer and the students began to socialize, I immediately felt out of place. I've lost my ability to make small talk without bringing up missionary work or the Gospel in some way, and so after a few failed attempts to strike up a real solid conversation, I just decided to duck out.

On my way home, I kind of got in the zone way out on the highway, and I didn't even notice until my GPS started screaming at me to turn around. Unfazed, I headed back toward my neighborhood through a back entrance. Even though I've only been here a couple of weeks, I was feeling confident enough to distrust my GPS' directions  through the back entrance, and cockily took a different route than what was asked of me.

My five minute trip abruptly lengthened to twenty.

I was still unfazed. I was jamming out to my tunes, I was enjoying the lush countryside, and I was perfectly all right with everything. I'd been sufficiently humbled. Life was good.

But then, I started thinking. What if God allowed me to be stupid so I could be on this road for some other reason?

I turned my music off and listened.

Well, I didn't meet anyone whose car broke down, and I didn't see anyone who was in particular need of aid, and I didn't see any grand natural sight I hadn't already seen, but the silent fifteen minutes was amazing for me. Even though I was driving, I took the Savior's challenge to pray always, and I just started telling God all about my day, from beginning to end. I'm sure some of the prayer-sticklers out there would tell me I should have been kneeling with my eyes closed, but that was one of the most relaxing and invigorating prayers I've ever uttered, even I as was driving down the road with my eyes wide open and my feet firmly on the pedals. It made the relationship I have with God more personal. It reminded me what a blessing it is to be able to talk with God whenever we want. Some of my fears and worries were swept away. And, as I pulled into my driveway, I felt peace.

Maybe that's why I went down so many wrong roads. 

Going Viral

John 4:11: "...from whence then hast thou that living water?"

It's been a long time since I've had unlimited internet service. Yesterday, as part of my excitement, I went surfing for some 'free software.' Leave it to me to click on one, innocent-looking link and invite adware and malware to abruptly and completely infest my mom's computer.

Of course, as I battled the uninvited guests through manual searches, virus-detecting software, and an eventual system restore, I recognized a grand lesson. Sometimes, I allow myself to let my guard down around a spiritual weakness I know I have. When I let down that drawbridge of sorts, in taking 'just one drink,' more often than not, I find myself sliding all the way back down to the depths I'd plumbed during the battle I'd fought before. Yes, it is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that I can erase and remove the sin for good, as the system restore eventually removed the virus, but my life would have been a lot more productive and fulfilling yesterday if I wasn't working so hard at trying to overcome that past error. My life is always more productive and fulfilling when I never have to fight the same fight all over again.

Mom and Dad and I went on a hike of sorts up in Northern Oregon yesterday, visiting some of the natural waterfalls. We went all the way up to the top of one to see what the water sees right before it begins its descent. Along the way, we passed a couple of what looked like Tibetan Monks, one of whom was carrying an iPad. We were still boggling over that by the time we reached our destination.

I was again impressed by the little things that God has given us here on this earth. A waterfall really is a simple thing, if you think about it, but this place was packed, with people of all sorts coming to take in the sight. Of course, the park had franchised the whole thing, with hot dogs, fudge, wolf statues, and a fancy restaurant nestled at the base of the falls, but, to me, that was more evidence that people are still willing to really breathe in what God left us here, to invest in that which seems so underappreciated nowadays. Instead of staying home, watching TV, surfing the web, or playing Angry Birds, people were getting up on their feet on a Friday afternoon, no less, to go walk up and down a mountain. That's really it. I don't know that very many people were up there seeking anything but nature's sensory candy, from the lush vegetation to the spray to the fresh air ... and that was enough for me. If I can master the ability to unplug, then I imagine my connection with God will be all the more founded.



The Day Dawn is Breaking

Alma 30:44: "...The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God, yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

I have come to recognize something very important regarding the way I view those of other denominations. I find myself a very tolerant and open-minded person when it comes to talking about other faiths, even going so far as to defend them if someone even idly criticizes them, but sometimes, there just comes a point when I am the most intolerant and close-minded individual in the group. This leads my comments sounding quite aggressive and judgmental, presenting the impression that, on the inside, I have nothing but scorn for those of my brothers and sisters who are reaching out for Christ in the best way they know how. In all honesty, I have nothing but love and admiration for those of other faiths, who, like me, are fighting to stand strong when so many people stand for nothing at all. I want to be able to talk about other faiths in the way the Savior would, and refrain from taking the 'easy way out' by resorting to base - rather than intelligent - commentary.

I had the opportunity to travel, along with a few select members of my family, to a hiking trail overlooking the Colombia River Gorge. Funnily enough, as we approached the overlook, we came upon a large group standing where my parents had designed to go. Upon seeing us, a woman called out, "I'm sorry, but I don't suppose you can do us a favor?"
Mom is always eager to help. "Of COURSE we would love to take pictures for you!"
"Actually, we're scattering ashes and would like a moment."
Oooo... awkward.
So, we all beat a hasty retreat to give the group some time before doubling back to try again. The second time, the group had vanished, which allowed us to really breathe in the wonderful sight that lay before us. The picture fails to really capture the full extent of the beauty and grandeur the overlook has to offer, but it is enough.
As we stood there, just admiring God's creation, the hymn "How Great Thou Art" came to mind. I couldn't resist launching into the first verse, and, sure enough, the other members of my family joined as well, turning the simple family outing into a sacred, special moment. I was so grateful for that opportunity to be there, awkward moment and all.