The Average Human

The average human isn’t perfect. We were made that way, we stumble, we fall, and we get back up. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to make mistakes. Even though most people will disagree, it really is. If we never made mistakes, how would we learn? We would all be a bunch of arrogant pricks running around with inflated egos. We’d probably never take the time to teach and learn from other people.

If you’re anything like me, you probably strive for perfection every single day. It’s a tiring job, trying to be perfect (It’s also irrational considering we never will be perfect). Yet we strive for it anyways.

Nobody likes to mess up and anybody who tells you otherwise, is a big fat liar. Nobody likes to be the one who screwed something up. It’s not a good feeling to know that you let someone down. But here’s the thing, we are too hard on ourselves. We live in a society where perfection is expected and nothing less. They expect you to have the perfect body, the perfect looks, the perfect job, and the perfect family. They basically have us striving for something that doesn’t exist. Life is messy; it’s never going to be perfect. No matter what you do, your kids will make a mess, and they will disappoint you, and they will mess up, but if you can see past all that, they will also bring you greater joy than you could have imagined. All those messy moments of childhood, the time they drew on the wall, or finger painted the table with pudding, will become memories of the good times. Those are the days of innocence and fun that you can never get back once they grow up.

In our pursuit of perfection, we don’t realize that we are often missing out on the moments that really count. Yes, it’s good to strive to be something better, but when you do that are you forgetting to take a moment and just breathe? Are you enjoying the curveballs that life throws your way? If you haven’t learned the great secret of life yet, I’m about to share it with you: LIFE NEVER TURNS OUT THE WAY YOU PLAN. Sure, your general idea might come true, marriage, kids, job, family, etc. But you might have it planned out to the T what you want in life, and I guarantee you, probably 10/10 times, those plans won’t come true.

The smart people learn to accept that, and they see that usually the parts they didn’t plan are the best parts of their lives. The not so smart people grumble and complain and talk about how nothing turned out the way they wanted, they choose to be unhappy and unaccepting. They’re being selfish, thinking only of themselves and the map they laid out for their life. People like that need to take a step back and look at what their life has really become. They need to appreciate the moments where they laughed so hard they couldn’t breathe, or the day they spent lying on the beach listening to the crash of waves and soaking in the warm sun on their skin. They need to remember that even though they didn’t plan on being a parent, they are, and those precious moments with their child are what they’ll remember in the later years. Not the long nights working overtime to get a big paycheck. They need to see the good instead of the bad.

Don’t live an empty life of fake perfection. Learn to accept the messy moments, learn to love and appreciate them. It’s in those moments that we have the chance to truly become who we want to be. We are able to learn from our mistakes and grow and become better. I’m not saying don’t strive to be better, because we should all have that ultimate goal, but we need to remember that it’s okay to mess up, it’s okay to fail so badly at something that you can’t imagine how to make it better. Don’t be so hard on yourself, remember to take a step back and give yourself a pat on the back for all the hard work you put in. When you’re up close it’s hard to see the progress you’ve made, but when you step back and look at the big picture, you will see that you actually are doing well. You’re doing better than you think, I promise. So don’t beat yourself up, learn to celebrate the small victories, because those are the ones that matter most.

^Human-Christina Perri

Forgiveness is Divine

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all heard that cheesy saying, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and realize the prisoner was you.” The first time this little meme popped up on my timeline I didn’t think too much of it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true it is. When you aren’t forgiving, you’re grudging (Yes I just made that word up). Which is not a healthy thing to do. If anyone can hold a grudge, it’s this girl. However, something I’ve learned in the past few years is that sometimes you have to just let it go.

I know, you’re probably thinking, “This chick’s crazy. I can’t let that go. They hurt me.” Well, you don’t have to take my advice, but it’s dang good advice. (I can’t take all the credit; most of it came from general conference talks) So, here’s my advice: learn to accept an apology you may never get, and when someone does apologize, accept it, and mean it.

One of the worst things in the whole entire world is when someone tells you that you’re forgiven, and they don’t mean it! You think everything is fine and dandy, then BOOM, you hear they’re still talking about how mad it made them. If you’re going to give someone forgiveness, truly give it to them. You need to forgive them with your whole heart, not just half of it.

Think about it like this, what if our Savior, who paid the price for our sins so that we could be forgiven, didn’t forgive us? What if he gossiped about it, and held onto it until he thought we’d suffered a sufficient amount before finally forgiving us? That would be terrible, absolutely and undeniably terrible. That’s not how it works.

 Forgiveness is a process, it’s more than uttering the words, “I’m sorry.” It takes effort. When you want someone to forgive you, you need to show that person how truly sorry you are. You need to prove that you can change, and try your best not to hurt them like you did before. When they are able to see that you are truly repentant, it will be much easier for them to forgive you.

Now, there is always that rare case where you’ve offended someone who is so immature and unable to look past it that they are angry forever. In that case, tell them they suck and move on with your life. Just kidding. In this case, as hard as it may be, you need to love them, and keep showing them you are sorry. If they still don’t forgive you, that’s their own problem, and you really will just have to move on with your life.  It happens.

Here’s another thing to remember: most of the time people hurt us on accident. They didn’t do it on purpose; they didn’t do it because they’re evil. Honestly, 8/10 times, they did it because they love us. Sometimes when the people who love us try to help us, they end up hurting us. That’s a very important thing to remember when you are angry with someone. Try putting yourself in their situation. Try imagining what they were thinking and feeling and why they did what they did. I guarantee that you will be a lot more forgiving when you do that.

Plus, let’s remember, you’re not so innocent yourself. How many times have you hurt someone’s feelings? Everybody does it. We’re all just a bunch of imperfect humans running around trying our best not to screw everything up. Which is humorous because usually by doing that we screw things up. But hey, that’s the beauty of earth life. We break things and then get the chance to fix them again.

Sometimes, in the most unfortunate of cases, we are hurt so deeply we might think we’ll never be whole again. We curse the person who hurt us, and swear to everything that we will never forgive them because gosh dang it, what they did was despicable and they don’t deserve to be forgiven. Well, newsflash, that’s wrong. Trust me, I know what it’s like to feel that way. There are some messed up people in this world, and they do some pretty terrible things. They leave scars that may take years to heal. It’s not your place to punish them. We don’t have that right. Jesus Christ forgives everyone, and He loves everyone. There isn’t one soul that has ever lived that he doesn’t love. Remember all of the stories and parables in the Bible? When have you ever heard of Christ not forgiving someone?

We need to find it in us to forgive and forget every terrible thing that someone has done to us. You’ll be happier, they’ll be happier, and your Savior will be so proud of you for taking one more step in the direction of becoming more like Him. That’s why we’re here, we came to this earth with the goal of returning back to our Father in Heaven and becoming as Christlike as possible while we’re on earth. We didn’t come to do anything else. That is the big picture. If you focus on that, you’ll find it easier each day to love, and serve, and find peace in doing those things. Nothing will bring you greater happiness and fulfillment than knowing you gave someone peace of mind. So please, take my advice and forgive people. It’s the least you could do.  Don’t let yourself be a prisoner in your own life.

Much love,

Katie

Check out this fabulous talk by President Uchtdorf:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-merciful-obtain-mercy?lang=eng

The Fairytale Life

Taylor Swift may get a lot of crap for her relationships and all the songs she sings about them, but if you listen closely, you’ll find a lot of truth in her songs. One of my favorite lines from her newest album is, “Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right.” Oh, how terribly true that statement is. Love is like a game of Russian roulette. You take a shot and hope you don’t die because of it.

Here’s the thing, we all think that our life is going to be a fairytale, that the man of our dreams will come up to our door and tell us they are madly in love with us and can’t stop thinking about us and plant a big smooch right on us that will take our breath away. Of course, there is always that 1% of the population who does get that romantic and happy ending. But for the rest of us, it’s not that easy. We go through rejection after rejection, not knowing what we did wrong. It’s the worst. Especially when a guy tells you they like you, and then decides to suddenly change his mind. There is nothing more confusing.

How many countless hours do we spend listening to Taylor Swift and eating ice cream just hoping and praying that they’ll see the light and realize how they feel about us? The sad truth is, they just might not like us the way we wish they would. I believe there is someone out there for everyone, but more often than not, it comes in a way completely unexpected. We have all these unreal expectations from all the romance novels we’ve read and romantic comedies we’ve watched. In the end, what it comes down to is that we just want someone to love us.

Every girl is the same when you get rid of all the surface stuff. We just want someone to notice how unique and beautiful we are. Is that so much to ask for? So many people make fun of Taylor Swift for her songs about her countless failed relationships, but here’s the thing, Taylor Swift knows, man. She writes about real stuff. If you’ve felt it, she’s got a song about it. And let me tell you what, it is much better to put yourself out there and to get your heart broken over and over again than to never take a chance. Yes, it may hurt, but at least you’re trying, and with every broken heart you are able to come back stronger, and learn from mistakes and learn what you like and want in a person. And even more important, you are learning about yourself.

Something that most people don’t realize is that you can be happy all by yourself. You will never really be happy with someone if you aren’t happy by yourself first. You have to realize that it may be a very long time before someone comes into your life to stay forever. Instead of moping around and being sad about it, take that time to start developing all the qualities that you would want in a significant other. If you focus on becoming the best you that you can possibly be, eventually, when the time is right, a wonderful man will walk into your life and make you so incredibly happy you’ll wonder if your life is a sappy romance movie.

In the meantime though, you might have to be a little lonely and unhappy. You might have to deal with being “just friends” with the person you like a lot. Sometimes it’s not the right timing, and that’s okay. Patience is a virtue, and in the end it really pays off to wait for what you really want instead of settling for something crappy because you didn’t want to wait. It’s like Mother Gothel said in Tangled, “All good things to those who wait.” Even though she was evil, she was right when she said that. Take it to heart. Keep your chin up, things will all work out in the end and you’ll find yourself looking back at this time in your life and laughing about how distraught you were over all of this. Life is a crazy ride, learn to enjoy it while you can.

The Greatest Gift

Life is hard. Anybody who tells you it's not, is a big fat liar. While we're here on earth, we go through all kinds of trials. It's all part of the plan, our Heavenly Father created us and sent us here so that we could experience life. He sent us here so we could feel, and make mistakes, and get the chance to pick ourselves back up. Sometimes we have to fall so hard, that we can't rely on anyone else but our Savior and Heavenly Father to pick us back up and dust us off. It's not uncommon to hear people complaining about how hard life is, or how unhappy they are because certain things aren't how they want them to be, or what they expected. Well, newsflash: Nothing ever turns out they way you want it to. It is so much better. The funny thing is, we think we know best. We run around doing what we think is best for us, and for the people around us. Here's the kicker though, we don't always know what's best for us. Sometimes unexpected things happen to us and we think, "Why me? What did I do to deserve this?" But we have to look back and remember that Heavenly Father gives us these trials because He knows best. He knows what we need in our life, and He knows what we need to improve. It's easy to get angry and give up because sometimes the trials he gives us are just too hard. But we can't give up, that's what our dear friend, Satan wants us to do. I know from personal experience that he will literally go to any lengths to get us to give up and be miserable like him. But we have to fight that. Choose to be happy. Don't focus on what's bad in your life. I've learned that when you do that it only makes things worse. There are a lot more things good in life, than bad. So what if the guy you like doesn't like you back? Yeah, it hurts, but you don't need him to be happy. So what if your friends are being mean? Kill them with kindness. Christ loved everyone. Even the people who spit on Him, hated Him, and put a crown of thorns on His head. He loved every single one of those people. The only thing you need in life to truly be happy is the love of the Savior. Know that He loves you, more than anyone in the entire world. That knowledge alone should make you the happiest person in the world. Focus on that, and every little stupid (or maybe not so stupid) problem will seem a lot less pressing and a lot easier to tackle. There is a lot about life to love, even when you think your life sucks, and it couldn't possibly get any worse. Just remember your Savior who died for you, who felt everything you're feeling, and I promise you will be a lot happier. 

Much love,

Katie. 

The Valentine's Day blues

Ahhh, Valentine's Day. The holiday filled with romantic gestures, lots of chocolate and in my case, a table for 1. I like to think that usually I am pretty okay with being single, I've got enough going on in my life to keep busy. It also helps that I'm mentally dating a few celebrities. (Currently,  Leonardo DiCaprio and I are together, he is just so dreamy.)

Now, like I said, for the most part I'm okay with being single. But I have to admit, when Valentine's Day rolls around I am definitely not okay with it. Is it so wrong to want someone to buy me chocolates and a cute little stuffed animal? I want someone to take me out to dinner and do something sweet for me. But, alas, it's just me this Valentine's Day. So, instead of getting taken out to a fancy dinner,  I will be curled up at home, with the chocolates I bought myself, watching The Notebook and the movie Valentine's Day.

What are you doing this Valentine's Day? Anything exciting?

Cheers to love.

Much love,

Katie.

Food, glorious food!

Today is Fast Sunday, and we have afternoon church, which means that right about now, all I can think  about is FOOD. So, to help me with that, I am going to write about some of my favorite foods.

If there is one food I love, it's pizza. I cannot even begin to describe my love for pizza and all of it's cheesy goodness.

Another food I love is lasagna. (I think there must be some Italian in me or something, because I love Italian food!) 

I have to admit, I know this meal is possibly a death sentence, but I don't care! I love McDonald's fries and their McChicken sandwich. I would probably eat two a day if I hadn't seen Supersize Me.

Oh, food, glorious food! How I miss it in my tummy. Only a few more hours till we are reunited. Until then, I think I'll go get ready for church.

Love,

Katie.

The Cure

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” 

I've found it! The cure to all of life's problems, laughter. Have you ever had yourself a good laugh fest?   If you haven't I highly suggest you do. It is a WONDERFUL thing. There is nothing as great as sitting there laughing until your stomach hurts and no sound is coming out of your mouth. Yes, you may look ridiculous, but who cares?! I have been doing a lot of random research lately on how laughter benefits us mentally, physically, and socially. I was surprised to find that there are actually a ton of wonderful things that come from laughing. 

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”
~ Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

 According to studies done, laughter is a very, very good stress reliever. It relaxes the whole body, (after a good, hearty laugh your muscles stay relaxed up to 45 minutes after it! Isn't that so cool?!), it boosts your immune system,   it triggers the release of endorphins (body's natural feel-good chemicals), and it protects your heart. How does it do this you may ask, I'll tell you how. It improves the function of your blood vessels and increases your blood flow. Which protects you from heart attacks and other horrible cardiovascular problems. 
Along with physical benefits, there are mental and social benefits. laughing can add joy and zest to your life, it eases anxiety and fear, improves your mood,  strengthens relationships, helps defuse conflict, the list goes on and on. Who wouldn't want to laugh?! i mean really, come on. Laughing is great. Look at all the wonderful things you get from it! (Not to mention it gives you killer abs!) 
So, do the world a favor, LAUGH. A lot. It's good for you. Having a sense of humor can help you get a better perspective on things and just makes life more fun in general. 
If you'd like to read more about it, here's a good website. http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

^funny video

much love,
Katie.

A little inspiration

I love Sundays. It is a great day to just relax and  reflect on the week and what you've learned. It's a good day to do some meditating and remember Christ and Heavenly Father and every wonderful thing they have done for us. 

Earlier today I was looking up some quotes from C.S. Lewis, possibly on the greatest authors of all time. I thought I'd share some with you guys, because they are really good.

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” 

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” 

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”  

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” 

What an inspired guy. LOVE HIM!

love,
Katie.

Simply beautiful

You know what two words I love put together? Simply beautiful. It seems like such a small little phrase, one wouldn't really think much about it, but yet when you sit and think about it...there is so much more to it! Think about what those words mean alone, simply, a word that implies something is just basic, nothing too special or out of the ordinary. Then you have beautiful, which implies something is unique and pleasing. Put them together and what do you get? (Not bippity-boppity-boo, if that's what you were thinking!!) You get something that is wonderful. When someone describes something as 'simply beautiful' they are saying that its simplicity is what makes it beautiful. It doesn't need to be extravagant or out of this world to be amazing. Sometimes things are beautiful in their natural state. The simple things in life are the good ones. Words never cease to amaze me. It's simply beautiful how we are able to take such simple, beautiful words and string them together to create a wonderful piece of work. Seriously, is it not amazing? Sometimes the smallest words can have the biggest impact. How cool is it that you can create pictures, people, and even whole new worlds with the composition of simple little words. Alone, they may be boring, but together, they can create a masterpiece. 

It is simply wonderful. :)

Much love,

Katie.

Simple, yet beautiful. 

What Disney taught me

Disney movies are great. They can teach you so much. As children we  loved the stories of princes and princesses living happily ever after, but now as we grow older and watch those movies again you notice something else; the lesson embedded in the movie. As my little brother watched Disney movies frequently it gives me the opportunity to see them again and I have actually learned quite a bit. Disney movies are just so much more meaningful now that you can fully understand and appreciate what the hidden meaning in them is.

1. The Lion King

The Lion King taught me that you should not let your past ruin your future. No matter what happened you can change. Don't ever forget that you have a divine purpose in life and that you are a child of a King. It may not be the King of Pride Rock, but Heavenly Father is a king nonetheless and because of that you are special. 

2. Tangled

Tangled taught me to never be afraid of chasing your dreams. Rapunzel had never been out in the world and seh found the courage to chase her dreams. In the end she learned a lot about life and about finding new dreams after your old ones are gone. (She also taught me to always carry a frying pan, you never know when it will come in handy!)

3. Tarzan

This is one of my absolute favorites. I love the story of Tarzan. This movie teaches you about families and that outward appearance doesn't matter. My favorite part of this movie is when Tarzan's mother, Cala, is showing Tarzan that even though he might look different on the outside, on the inside they are the same. I think it is very important to remember that. Every person has feelings just like you and me, on the inside we are really all the same.

4. Beauty and the Beast

Don't be afraid to be different. It's like Dr. Seuss said, "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" I really admire Belle and the way she isn't afraid to be who she is. She embraces her uniqueness. And because of the attitude she has she is able to love other people for who they are, not what they look like. 

This movie also taught me that love can change you. Because of the love and kindness Belle showed to the Beast he became a whole new person (literally and figuratively). We need to have that love for people so that they can reach their full potential and love who they are.

5. Enchanted

"True love's kiss is the most powerful thing in the world."
Need I say more? :) True love conquers all. It is a light in a world of darkness. We should all strive to find that.

much love,
Katie.