Cell Phone Strike!!!

So I did some really sad math today. I looked at my minutes for November on my T-Mobile Account and I have exceeded 5,000 in a month. Not only am I getting brain cancer but I am also spending 18% of my taking life on the phone.

I am now trying to imagine if I just had 1/2 of that time back. That would be about 42 extra hours a month to live. 10 hours a week. Maybe 5 of those hours a week could go to community service, 2 could go to keeping my life organized, and 30 minutes a day could go to exercise. 3 big goals could be met in my life just by changing one priority. It doesn't mean I will no longer have friends as a priority, it just means talk to them less on the phone. Will my extra time I can email them, text, facebook, spend time with, and build better, stronger, more rounded friendships. Kinda like normal people do :)

So back to the title , "Cell Phone Strike".

I am going to give my little phone a break. For one week I will not use my phone as a way to "talk". I will use it for work, directions, texting, emergencies, email, and that's it.

I will blog the results and log my usage of my new found time. After this strike, I will go back to using my phone to talk on occasion, but no more 5000 minute months.

Wish me luck and hope I don't go through major withdrawals. Do they have detox for something like this?

Quotes

Ben Stein
from Motivational Quotes of the Day
"I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty...This is my highest and best use as a human."

Amy Bloom
from Motivational Quotes of the Day
"Intimacy is being seen and known as the person you truly are."

Paul Graham
from Motivational Quotes of the Day
"Nerds don't just happen to dress informally. They do it too consistently. Consciously or not, they dress informally as a prophylactic measure against stupidity."

Strength

Since I found so much insight in one word yesterday, I decided to figure out what another word meant to me.

strength n.
1. The state, property, or quality of being strong.
2. The power to resist attack; impregnability.
3. The power to resist strain or stress; durability.
4. The ability to maintain a moral or intellectual position firmly.
5. Capacity or potential for effective action: a show of strength.

1. The state, property, or quality of being strong.

I obviously would like to be a little more buff, bench like 1000 lbs, maybe even lift a bus, but for whatever reason, this is not my first priority when I think of building my own strength.

2. The power to resist attack; impregnability.

I think I have always felt under attack. Growing up, I felt perfection was my only measure I was allowed to live up to. That has carried into adulthood where I still feel completely under attack when I am not perfect. Who is really attacking me now though. Only myself. How do I become strong and resist attack. Find peace with in myself. Know that sometimes things are okay when everything seems not okay.

3. The power to resist strain or stress; durability.

Being durable, growing a tough skin, take punches, turn the other cheek. All things I don't like to do. I love to run. Moving and changing jobs are two of my favorite hobbies. I feel that if I just live somewhere new or change my line of work things will work out. Maybe if I make things work out with my job and where I live, everything else will work out?

4. The ability to maintain a moral or intellectual position firmly.

Being spiritually Strong. Sometimes I get so stressed with church or with culture, or life that I feel that means I have to give up spiritually. Being active in church and being spiritual ARE two separate things. I would have never started going to church if I didn't start to grow spiritually. I guess it is time to start from a seed again and grow some spiritually.

5. Capacity or potential for effective action: a show of strength.

From age 11-17 I really knew I would change the world. I really was going to in a big way. Now I am content in not messing it up too much more. I want to again have the capacity and potential to change the world. To make it a better place. Comfort those in need of comfort.

Independence

Not only only is it the starting place for every one's favorite computer game Oregon Trail, but it is also something that many of us strive for. If you are anything like me, being independent is something important, or at least I thought it was until lately.



I looked up what the word Independence means.



"freedom from the control...of others"



Oh how nice does that sound. Who wants to be controlled? But there are more parts to it.



"freedom from the influence, support, aid, or the like, of others."



I like good influences in my life. I want to be able to turn to those around me for support and aid when I need it.



So I still want to be strong. I don't want to be needy. I want people to be able to look to me for support and aid as well, but not bound to that person for everything. I want to be able to live my life with out people having more control over my life than I do, but I want people around.



What am I looking for if not Independence?



I guess I don't know. What I am learning more each day is I need to feel comfortable in my own skin. I feel like there are people who like me less when I am who I am. Growing up I was mostly alone, but very much true to myself. Now I feel like I have many good friends, but I am often times a people pleaser, doing things to make others happy and leaving myself behind.



I guess what I am really looking for is me.

"I'm only a man, In a funny red sheet" Superman, Five for Fighting

Friends

I am a little bit tired and starting this blog in the final minutes of my birthday so this will be short.

I just want to send out to the world how great my friends are!

I am so dang lucky!

Tonight was especially good. Brian and Julie made me a cake that was the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Other Friends who made this years birthday special...

Rich and Tashina + their families, Camille, Becky, and Ethan, Beth, Allyson, Ashley, RISE Team, Rachel, Marina, Marie, Chad, Alisha, Kevin, Laura, Josh, Kiely, Andrea, and Jenn Jam.

Thanks to everyone! I love you tons!

Commentary on Prop 8 from a friend

One of my friends sent me this email. I wanted to post it because I thought it was very worth while to read.
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Dear Friends,

I am writing to address the increasing concern over reaction to the church over prop 8 in California. I just want to send out my perspective into the world and hopefully it will give people a different view point.

I first want people to know that I have a firm testimony of Jesus Christ,His Restored Church, Joseph Smith, inspired leaders and especially a Prophet of God who leads us under the personal guidance of the Savior. I know I am a son of God.
The next thing you should know about me is I struggle with same sex attraction. Some people would say that means I'm gay. Many people today would say because of how I feel I should be out protesting temple square, fighting for gay rights, and leaving the church. To this I simply go back to my testimony, and that leads me to my thoughts...

It appears in the world and even in the church, people are losing focus of what is right and what is wrong. Some advocate that people are people, they should be treated equally (instead of fairly), and all should have the same life, no matter what their choices. My thoughts are this simple regarding same sex marriage. If people choose to live a lifestyle that goes against the majority of religions, they should choose a union created by man and not God and the majority of religions. Marriage, a sacred covenant, should be between a man and a woman.

On the other hand, in God's Kingdom, I am seeing some ignorance and almost hate towards people we may not understand. We sometimes look down on people with out knowing where they came from or what brought them to this point.

So what can we do?

Let's come together and learn. Let us build each other up. Let us pray for stronger testimonies and follow the Savior.

Here is a great link that I would love for everyone to read. I think it will give you some great council from Elder Oaks on Same Gender Attraction.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/same-gender-attraction

One closing ramble. Many feel unsettled in these times and that evil and wickedness are all around us. On my way to work this morning, I looked up to the cloud covered mountains and felt a tender mercy from the Lord. It was as though he created a special piece of artwork just for me. I testify that God is all around us if we look. He loves us, his Children. In this time of trouble, we are not being asked to abandon our temples or to die for the truth, but simply to have faith in God and trust him.

With all the love in my heart I plead that we may all become a Zion people,

-Name Withheld