I'm a school Nerd

I hate to admit this but here is a vision of me in class with my hand raised because I always have something really important to say. Yesterday I was the only student who had done the reading for the week so the teacher and I had a great discussion. I remember when I was in college in my first life and thought what nerds those older students were. They were always prepared and raising their hands. Yesserie Bob, tape a sign on my back that says "kick me." I am a total nerd but I love learning and the really good thing is that I don't care what the younger students think. In 30 years they might understand. I am now an official member of the NERD HERD.

Swimming Laps

It is a good thing that there is this line at the bottom of the pool when I swim laps. It keeps me on the straight and narrow. Whenever I swim without that kind of guide, I don't end up where I planned to go. I just can't swim a straight line on my own. Such is life. I need that iron rod.

Also Remember This

At the same time that I want to remember how good it feels after I go swimming, I also need to remember how lousy I feel after downing a half of bag of these. It seems like a cruel trick that the things we do that feel so temporarily wonderful and luscious will ultimately haunt us later on, and the things that are so great for us in the long run, are more difficult and take much more willpower to make ourselves do it. Heaven knows there is no willpower involved in being able to rip open a bag of chocolates and downing them, one right after another after another after another (you get the picture).

The key for me is to remember the past results, and to realize that no it's not going to be different this time. I am going to still feel great if I do something that is good for me And I am still going to feel lousy if I do something that is bad for me. No matter how many times I keep experimenting with that bag of chocolates, I am still going to get the same results. Face it, Tanya, you are an idiot if you keep trying to get different results.

Remember This

I got up Saturday morning and wanted to go swimming. After spending a long time reading and writing, I almost decided that I wouldn't go because it had gotten so late in the morning and it would take so much time to drive down there blah, blah, blah. But then I remembered...

I remembered how absolutely fabulous I have felt the other days after spending an hour doing laps. I also remembered how great it felt to be in the water swimming. I grew up spending a lot of time at swimming pools and I do love it. It feels like I am revisiting my childhood (and at my age, that's no small thing), and in the water I feel lighter (again, no small thing!).

So now when I feel inclined to talk myself out of something, I will remember how really wonderful it is.

What Steven Tyler has taught me

Life has a way of teaching some essential lessons. My experiences have taught me to look beyond people's appearance and even their behavior and look at their heart. I have to say that when I first saw Steven Tyler at the beginning of this current American Idol season and saw the bleeping of his foul language, I kind of went back to my old rigid programming and automatically thought I wouldn't like this guy. I have since learned how dramatically wrong I was to base my judgment on his appearance or even on his foul language. I have since learned to love this guy because I took the time to notice what a kind and compassionate heart he has and I really enjoy what he has to say. No, I still don't have to like the foul language but I realize that that isn't who he is and that it pales in comparison to the greater good that he does. I also have found it interesting how much that foul language has diminished.

Now here's what I know to be true. Within everyone is some goodness and I would do so much better to look for and focus on the good part. Not only will it bless those that I come into contact with but it will give me more faith that others will do the same for me. Thank you Seven Tyler for teaching me.

I'm uncomfortable with people who hate

I am currently attending the University of Utah and consider myself a Ute fan. However, I am not a fan of hating another school or team. I have seen friendly rivalry which I can appreciate, but I have also seen rivalry that seems hateful. I can enjoy fun-spirited rivalry, but I am really uncomfortable when people take it to a level that seems vicious. I am uncomfortable with this church billboard that seems to declare a hate for a school instead of promoting their own preferred school. Maybe their intention was to just have some fun and so I realize that I shouldn't be quick to criticize. I am just saying I feel uncomfortable with it.

The same goes for politics. I don't care what political persuasion anyone is. I like to hear the positive things people stand for instead of taking shots at the opposing viewpoint. In hearing other people out, we might all learn to understand each other and hopefully care a little more about seeing people as people if there was a little more understanding for different viewpoints. I'm uncomfortable with all the hate and mudslinging.

Today I also learned a valuable lesson from my daughter. Let us all stand up for what we think is right without focusing on or judging what choices other people make. To promote what I believe doesn't mean I should tear down nor condemn what someone else believes or does.

Sorry. I will get off my soap box.

Uncomfortable

Okay, I miss doing this blog every day. What I miss the most is the pictures that show up when I google a certain topic. Today when I googled "uncomfortable" I got this gem and had to share because it made me laugh.

The quest I have been on this new year isn't about self improvement but it is about more self awareness and discovering truth. The truth about myself and how I am in or out of line with truth. I have come to really understand and now believe is that I don't want to be on a quest for self improvement, just that quest for truth--the truth that resides deep in side of me that is connected with my Heavenly Father. As I align myself with truth and the author of all truth, self improvement will take care of itself.

One thing that I know is true is that I will feel uncomfortable when I am living in a way that is out of line with truth. I have become more aware of when I feel uncomfortable and see it as a sign that it is not in harmony with my true self. I have discovered that having too much fat on my body is uncomfortable. Feelings of hate and bitterness is uncomfortable. Focusing too much on worldly things is uncomfortable. I am committed to seeking that which feels comfortable with my authentic self and not with the bad habits that I have gotten use to.

Visiting Teaching

I just got a new visiting teaching partner and new sisters to visit. Because I don't want to be one of those visiting teachers that annoyingly imposes my needs on the people I am "suppose" to be serving, a sent out an email to better know what their needs are. I wanted to share the email message I just sent them.

Blankety Blank and I are your new visiting teachers. Go ahead and do a little celebratory dance and I will wait a minute. Seriously though, we want to know how to best meet your needs, however that is. Please check all that apply:

1. A home 3 hour visit with flannel board presentation, role playing, testimony meeting, handouts, etc. If 3 hours of church on Sunday is good then another 3 hours in the month would be even better. Extra Credit, you know.
2. A short home visit with abbreviated message. Let us know if you want to cover all the ward gossip.
3. Brief 2 minute visit on your porch with a treat to show how much we really care and value you as an intimate friend.
4. A cute, catchy note and a treat left on your porch. Don't check this one if you have a dog that might eat up the evidence of how really thoughtful we are.
5. A phone call that can either be actually talking to you or just a voice message. You might want to elaborate on how extensive the message should be. Do you want the VT message or just a quick Howdy Hi Ho?
6. An email message with cute Youtube videos inserts to add to the message
7. A text message with or without abbreviated spelling. U no, lol.
8. An actual face to face greeting at church with or without eye contact. Specify your preference.
9. A wave and a smile across the chapel at church. Let us know where you normally sit so we don't have to scan the whole audience--that would be too much effort.
10. A quick drive by your house and honk. Maybe a time of day preference.
or my personal favorite
11. Meet for lunch.
Seriously though, let us know what best meets your needs. Love ya, Tanya

I just realized that I forgot to include a face book message option. How silly of me!