Remember Attitude

Remember. It's been said to be the most important word in the dictionary. I believe it.

If I remembered all of the lessons I've learned over the years than I wouldn't have to RE-learn them all the time. I am unsure why I forget the things that the Lord and life has taught me. As I am a blogger you can hopefully assume that I have kept a journal (you know those ones that you actually use a pen) and I have, since second grade. I tend to look back on what I've written and it's amazing at the things I forgot about and the lessons I learned even in those early stages of my life. 

Sometimes what we need to remember hasn't come to us through experience. In church or discussions with friends I can learn things from  them that I don't necessarily have to go through myself. I can avoid the situations, temptations, or unnecessary steps because of their advice. I've heard this is the difference between wise people and super-wise people. But there are times when you have to go through things yourself not matter how wise you think you already are. This is the only way to truly learn the lesson taught. It's when I go through similar experiences I can take their stories or advice and apply what they suggested instead of trying and failing on my own. That's what the hope is, that we'll apply what was taught to us. The tricky part was we need to remember what was taught.

I have recently forgotten. That word too is often used by us mortals because we have to have things drilled in our heads all the time. Anyways, I digress because I need to get to the point. The POINT is, I forgot the simple lesson:

Attitude is Everything.

I have made my attitude adjustment and recently found (yet again) how great life is when you are positive and when you don't let the little things get you down. I guess happiness really does run in a circular motion...everything always come full circle. So I'm not sure who needed the reminder but I really needed a wake up call... Attitude is Everything.

Remember,
Arica

Two Fold: A Lesson in Procrastinating

I'm not going to apologize and say how long it has been since I've blogged. I have recently been blogging on another site. It's at Words of A Kind (a little button is over on the side too). It's called "micro" blogging. I really like the idea because there are things I read, hear, see, or do that I want to document but don't want to take the time to sit and write about it all. Plus I don't always have something incredibly noteworthy to write a whole post on. For the every day stuff you can read that blog. :)

I am still working at The Cyzner Institute for the time being (it's almost the end of the school year) and Tutor Time. Things are up in the air for summer and fall and I have some decision making to do in my career department. More to come on that in the future. That was just a quick update.

What I really want to talk about is procrastination. We all do it. I'm not saying I'm the worst but there are things in my life I just ignore and it's detrimental to that part of my life. A little back story to help you understand my little pedestal I'm about to get on. Most of you know that I am diabetic. I have been for almost 11 years now. When I was diagnosed I was so good at taking care of myself and being pretty strict on my carbohydrate intake and taking my blood sugar. I was a great patient for my doctor. Around college time I think I just let go because I had an insulin pump and expected that to fix everything. I've been in some sort of denial for a loooong time. I'm not blaming anyone but myself. I told people to stop asking what my blood sugars have been like or if I'd been checking or if I gave myself insulin for a brownie I ate. I would get moody and mad if they asked. So eventually they stopped. It was, after all, what I wanted.

I've finally been stationary for more than 3 months at a time since college started. I have been able to see my doctor regularly. Back in February we made a plan to get back on track with my blood sugar testing and giving myself the right dosage of insulin. I was good for about 3 weeks...when I needed to extend that to 3 months until I saw the doctor again. It was Friday and the doctors office called to remind me of my upcoming doctors appointment for Tuesday. I forgot. I told myself, it can't be 3 months already. I didn't have enough time. I need to be better about my health but it's too late to try and change it in the course of three days, it just wasn't going to happen.

I had procrastinated taking care of my body.

I suddenly had a spiritual perspective to this. It was so amazing how quickly the parallel came to me. So many people do this same thing I had done or will think the same things I thought when I found out about my appointment. They will think this on their death bed or at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

'I didn't have enough time. I need to work better on my eternal salvation but it's to late to try and change it now.'  The truth is we will eventually run out of tomorrows. They will say:

'I have procrastinated the day of my repentance.'

Let's continue about the doctors visit. I went. I didn't change the appointment. I decided to accept my consequences for not taking care of my illness. I sat in the waiting room and thought about how mad the doctor would be at me. I didn't do what he asked in the least. I tried at first but failed.

We all will be in a spiritual waiting room. Waiting to meet the Lord our God. I am hoping I do not feel like I did that day at the doctors, that my Father would be angry with me.

I went into the exam room and waited for my doctor. He was pleasant. He asked how things were going and I was honest with him. I didn't want to lie. He wasn't mad. He offered education for better treatment. I told him I knew what I needed to do but I just didn't do it. He said, "This is something that is not going to go away. You have to motivate yourself." He was disappointed because I had the tools to take care of myself and I wasn't using them to my advantage.

See, like the doctor, Heavenly Father does all of this for us as well. He gives us scriptures, the Prophet, PRAYER, temples, the Holy Ghost, covenants, and JESUS CHRIST. He offers us education if we need it (and honestly who couldn't use a little more understanding of God's plan for us?) and spiritual medicine...but we have to motivate ourselves to use it. Our sins and shortcomings are not going to go away unless we utilize the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the other tools we have been given. Heavenly Father won't be mad at us...I'm sure He just can't understand why we didn't do our part.

I learned a lesson two fold on Tuesday.
Physical
I am taking care of my health. I am trying to be better about checking my blood sugar and giving myself proper insulin. I have to say I'm proud of myself these past couple days actually acknowledging that this needs to happen and doing it. This is not going away and that is kind of hard for me to grasp it. When the doctor said that it affected me and I can see that I really am sick. I don't have cancer and I'm not dying but if I'm not careful it could become worse. A cure for Diabetes would be amazing but I can't hold out for that. In the mean time I'm going to prepare to meet my doctor in another three months.

Spiritual
Last sunday at church we spoke a lot about obedience. I feel like this fit right in with how I paralleled my doctors visit to meeting my Maker. I want don't to procrastinate doing the things that are vital to salvation. I will not be in my spiritual waiting room wondering how upset or disappointed the Lord will be with me. I want to let Him know I tried my best and used the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life to bring me closer to Him. Procrastination in doing the seemingly simple acts could affect so much more in the eternal perspective of things. I want to do better and become better. This way when I meet God and His Son, they will say "Well done thou good and faithful servant."

I know the God provides times in our lives when a lightbulb goes on. This was one "ah ha" moment for me. I know it came from the Spirit's whisperings.

Always in Happiness,
Arica

The Ace and TJ Show

As I drive to work each morning I tune into a morning radio show called the Ace and TJ Show. I'm not usually a fan of these types of shows because I'd rather be listening to music instead of celebrity gossip and such things. BUT they have been on the air for a long time and my sister and I have been listening to them since they started. While they do have the sleeze on the fame out there that's not the whole show. They go outside the box of celebrity "hoo ha". Filled with entertaining polls for callers to answer, charities they support or started, and original segments; I like my fifteen minutes with them in my car ride to work.

A couple of days I go tune in to hear if they are talking about anything that interests me. As I do all I hear is TJ saying, "From my understanding is that it's sacred not a secret. That's what I've hear about the Mormons." This immediately caught my attention seeing as I am one. (A Mormon that is) Apparently they had played a song concerning Mitt Romney and mentioned his "Mormon underwear" as they were describing it. They didn't say they knew what it meant or even pretend to go into that subject, it was just a lyric. They wanted to know if mormons out there were offended and told us to call.

I called within seconds of them telling us to call. My phone went from my cup holder into my hand faster than you can say "dial". I called and told them "Hi, I'm a Mormon and I wanted to talk to Ace and TJ about it." They put me on hold for 10 minutes but finally got to me. I hadn't heard the song but this is what I said: "I didn't think the song would be offensive because no one tried to say they knew what 'mormon underwear' was. We are used to having people talk about things they don't understand. I think that TJ was spot on when he said 'its a sacred, not secret'. But I wanted to clarify a little bit about why we have them. We call them garments. As with most religions we are baptized, and I think you can agree that its an outward expression of an inward commitment." (they did agree) I continue and don't let them get a word in edgewise because I knew exactly what I wanted to say, "We believe that also but we believe that there are further ordinance and promises we need to make and we make them in our temples that are world wide. When we go to the temple we receive the garments because we make promises there and they represent the promises we've made. All in all I don't think most Mormons would get offended."

They were happy with that answer and cut the line. I suppose they have to draw the line at some point as to how long you'd let the person keep going or how much time you'll spend on one subject. I was going to add that there would be some of the Mormon community that would be offended with the lyric but that is with any religion. I just learn not to take offense to things people say when they don't fully understand them. It wasn't perfect, but I felt that it was a good explanation for the time allotted and that I did my part in some way to represent the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I wish I had more opportunity to go out into the community and just help clarify misunderstandings to those who'd like a better explanation. Not to have them convert but just so they know the facts from someone who tries to live the gospel the best way they know how. By so doing I wouldn't surprised if there people were touched enough to want to learn more and then receive the blessings we'd be discussing with them, but that'd be up to them.

I was thankful for the opportunity, no doubt directed by the Holy Ghost.

Potter Rock

I had a previous post about my search for a job. I mentioned the Cyzner Institute and how their program is exactly what I want to do. At the end of February I was at my day care job and thought how I really wanted to work with children with disabilities. It is my true passion. I love children and I love those who overcome hardships that have been given to them in their lives. Again rooting for the underdog. I had given them my resume but heard nothing from them. So I decided to follow up. They asked me to send them my resume again and I said I would love to interview. They took me up on the offer and I got an interview for the next week. As I walked into the building I got this feeling that I was in the right place. It was such a good feeling. I interviewed, and I'm not going to lie...I was nervous. At the end they said they'd let me know by the middle of the next week.

IT WENT BY SO SLOW! 

Then low and behold...I received an email. "Arica: We would like to offer you a Teacher Assistant position." I immediately called my mom and excitedly told her the news. I shadowed the current teacher assistant for a couple days and then I started. I've been working there for two weeks now and I love it. LOVE IT! There are great employees to work with and I'm doing what I always wanted to do. 

I work with a child one on one. I teach him all of the subjects and sometimes he groups with another class but I teach him for a majority of the day by myself. It's been a blast. First of all he's a HUGE Harry Potter fan so we have a lot to talk about, and I see the things I teach him really stick. The sad part is I have to let him go into a classroom next week. I will get another child but I will miss my first little boy. 

Tribute to him...this is his favorite song (he likes the original Party Rock too)

This job is only part time, I work from 9:30-3, so after that I go over to Tutor Time and work for a couple hours each evening. They were really cool about letting me go part time and let me know I was valuable. 

WHAT a blessing. Honestly, I see the Lord's hand in my life over and over. I don't know how many blessings that go UNnoticed. I just know that He loves me....that is FOR SURE!

Skip

Let's face it

straight to the point, square on, dead center

we don't know we're healthy until we're sick

we don't realize we're happy until we're sad

we don't see what we have until it's gone

skip the hurt

bypass the ache

let the sun shine like the rain

let the beams pour down on me

music and dancing are a must

if only you could see what I see

today is about being free