Rekindle the Spark

Looking back on old posts that I saved as drafts, I came across this one.  And overall, thought that this is a great one!  I have got to make an updated post and finish it.  So here it is! I used to make happy lists...my best friend and past roommate, Tiffany can attest to this. I would make a happy list for myself while I lived in the dorms, and I shared it with her. And she knew that if I was having a rough day or a difficult time, she would resort to my happy list to brighten up my spirits again. It really was an inspiring tool for me to use at times when I was sad. I think everyone should have a happy list, and constantly be make updates or modifications to things that make you happy. Hmmmm....I wish I kept a copy of my of my original "Happy List," so I'll do what I can and try to remember what was on my original Happy List, while conducting a new Happy List of things that make me happy today. Original 2004 Happy List: Puppy- My stuffed animal doggie that...

So...it’s been a while.  And bam!  It’s now 2020!  Wow, where does all the time go?  Well, here I am. In 2020, I am now 34 years old.  I have gone back to school for a Masters in Special Education, and am working as an Activities Director at an Assisted Living Facility.  The job is pretty good, it is something I enjoy, and my employer is hilarious, however, it is not the kind of job I can see myself doing for longer than the next 3 years, if that.  I would love to be teaching already, but at least I finally overcame my fear of failure, and went back to school.  It feels great to know that I am working towards something I am passionate about again. What got the ball rolling was that I found myself feeling stuck in a job that paid pretty well but that treated me horribly and did not value my work.  I felt like I had to suck it up, and be happy, because I had no other prospects.  These types of companies try to make you feel like you ha...

For most of my life, 3-30 years old, I was a dancer...and graduated from BYU as a Dance Major. I often have many people tell me, "How come you don't use your dance degree, and no longer dance? Or open an academy or studio?" It truly is a humbling question. I guess, because I felt that dance no longer served its' purpose for me, as it used to. As much as I loved to dance, nearly 8 years ago I was introduced to working in the field of disabilities, in order to help pay for my university studies. And since then, to my amazement, I have stayed working in this field. Working with disabilities, can be both challenging and rewarding. I never thought I would become a experienced professional in this field. But I realized, people with disabilities needed bright spirits, and smart people with great compassion to lead them, and work along side them. I found that I had a lot to offer to the people of this community, and in exchange, they had a lot to offer me in return. ...

Things that I recognized during Christmas...It's sort of weird how things never always end up like we imagined.  Here I am, 30 years old, single, just graduating with my Bachelors in Dance from BYU...and finally, my whole immediate family has relocated to Utah.  So no more going home to California where I grew up for the first 18 years of my life.  Baby it's cold outside, and I'm dreaming of a white Christmas have now become realities.   My older sister has 5 children all of whom are just the cutest kids ever.  I currently work with people with disabilities and absolutely love it, I have been doing this work for the the last 5 years of my life, and I don't believe there is any other work I would rather be doing right now.  I mean, I am so grateful to be where I am today, but I am not sure I would have ever guessed that I would get here the way that I did.   Anyways, here is what I realized over Christmas break that made me smile and feel very blessed i...

I don't know why I cycle back to this problem all the time.  I go a long time without praying, even though I have such a genuine understanding that prayer really works, and is a comforting experience of communication with my Heavenly Father.  I have no problem praying for group settings, the problem is just praying by myself.  It's the private prayer that I have trouble saying.  I don't want to say lazy, but I guess in a prideful manner, I don't find myself wanting to both The Lord with my problems.  However, the longer I go without prayer, the more pain I carry, and the more alone I feel.  It is not that prayer alone solves my problems.  Prayer gives me peace that my problems are not  eternal.  That I may feel alone, or scared, or disappointment, but that I have no need to fear.  That my Heavenly Father has eternal duties for me, and my duties here are in earth are minimal, short lived, and narrow viewed.  I like to think I have ma...

How do you make a modern dancer breathe? That is a very good question. In my modern dance class we are working on a few different concepts, one concept being breath. Breathing is essential to any dancer, athlete, or person for that matter. Ask any runner, or weight lifter. They all know there's a skill to breathing. Our bodies have this quick impulse of tightening up when we don't breathe, hoping that holding our breath will give us more strength. When holding your breath really just does the opposite, it limits your full range or motion. Without breathing in a dance sequence, the body will naturally tire faster. Have you ever just sat quietly and heard yourself breathe? Breath is what gives life to the body. The chest rises, the chest falls. It is the first thing we do in this life when we come out of our mother's womb, and the last thing we do on this earth before we die. I feel like after many years of dancing at BYU I understand this concept a lot better th...