What this young pup learned from an old dog!

Today I flew home from school to be with my family for the Christmas holidays. There are always a number of little hiccups anytime I travel (Losing my wallet, learning you can't punch holes in your license...) but I won't bore you with those, haha... another time perhaps. My dad picked me up from the airport and we had a pleasant conversation as we drove home.

Typically when I walk in the home I'm greeted with a yippy little creature, that I guess you can call a dog, named Tess. It had been so long that I almost overlooked that momentous reunion with a treasured family member! Tess has been around a very long time... very! She's survived the, sometime painful, actions of careless children and a run in with coyotes. She's faced the stern instruction from a scary German owner/dad, marked plenty of territory and has fearlessly defended it from dogs 10x her size with her obnoxious squeak of a bark... and now she looking to fight time for all it's got.

It's perplexing to me that we can understand the mood of a dog so well. As part of our family, I have seen Tess excited, happy, upset, confused (complete with head tilt, haha), sad, irritated... It's a dead give away when she's the least bit scared or unhappy, her tail tucks down between her legs. I was surprised that my reception this time home was one of fear and sadness, complete with hidden tail! What had changed so much about me that she didn't recognize me? I did the usual high pitch, talk to a dog, voice, I gave her a good pet... she still would not cheer up. Granted, I did walk in with dad, and she usually goes into "I'm in trouble" mode around him. But, even five minutes after the fact, I greeted her again and, I still has a sense that she didn't know who I was. It wasn't until I sat down at the piano and played one of the few tunes that I play that she perked up and ran over to enjoy the sound, curled up in the corner where she would always lay. Now things are back to normal, she must now know that it's me, a friend.

Could it be her failing sight, her old age, her poor memory? or did I really change that much? I'm not sure why my longtime companion failed to recognize me more readily, but it got me thinking. Not only did I wonder about how I'll miss her when she's gone... but also how we communicate and remember. We have triggers, things that resonate with us particularly well because of experiences, interests and natural tendencies. When I lived at home there we're some things that I would always do with Tessie near by. Piano, TV, Movies, Books, Homework... for years I would have Tess even sleep on my bed! I had established a distinctive whistle that would always seem to bring her back when she would run off, and apparently one of the few songs I know on the piano drew us back together!

I can't tell you how many times I couldn't remember great experiences and stories until one key element resurrects the entire memory. Perhaps this is why we're counseled that life's more about people and serving than about where you end up. I hope that when I'm old I can sit and enjoy many treasured memories because of triggers embedded years ago. I can see Grandpa Steve sitting in the recliner, surrounded by the little grand children, shuffling through the objects, horded over years and years of life, each attached to a story or a beautiful moment ready to be relived.

Yeah that'll be a good day :)

...assuming the world doesn't actually end at the end of this week

Germany Trip Blurb

My mom asked for a blurb about our trip to Germany... this is what I wrote. I thought I'd share it with you:

It was exhilarating visiting Europe again. I had heard Dad and Mom talk about there trips to Germany when Dad would go on business, I always thought it would be neat to go! What I loved most about this vacation was our family unity. I can't recall any significant tension during this trip, and that's quite the success. Memories that I will treasure came from each of the places that we visited. I definitely won't forget the huge family van/tank we drove around Europe. It continued the Branham legacy of keeping the search for parking as exciting as possible. I loved the immediate and overwhelming green hills and trees that we passed on our way out from the airport, everything was so green! I won't forget that cheese! That huge wheel of cheese that we found in Riquewihr and the piece that fed us for days! The French vineyards were way more imposing than I would have imagined. They seemed to go on forever!! They reminded me of the corn fields around the central US. I really liked the view from the top of Haut Koenigsbourgh. The eerie mist reminded me of all the Medieval movies that I've seen. German spa.... wow. Buchen was a huge highlight of the trip of course. It was really exciting to recount the infamous Buchener story and see the legacy embedded throughout the town. Being there and kissing the actual brass behind brought additional depth and connection to Dad's birthplace. I enjoyed seeing the street that Dad was raised on and imagining what it would have been like. Exploring the town and even it outskirts were a treasured time to be together (Ben!!!!). Rothenburg was extremely cool. The views from the old town where we stayed were amazing. I had the added privilege to go on a morning run in that town and I got to delve a bit more into extremities. There was a picturesque bridge and a peaceful path through the woods and then I made my way over to the new part of Rothenburg where I got the modern view of Germany (a part I think we avoided during our trip in general) and it was cool to see some residential homes and streets and how they differed from the historic towns were in. I also really enjoyed the watchman tour, walking/running around the city wall and standing at the top of tower in the city center. And that Christmas store!!! What a place! Salzburg was excellent because of all the Sound of Music stuff. At first I was skeptical of the bike tour idea but I really really enjoyed it! My favorite was biking down the road between the trees, past the "Von Trapp Mansion", with peaceful field aside and glorious mountains in the background. Fussen blew me away because of the Castles. I wasn't expecting Neuschwanstein to be as fantasy as it was explained, but it truly was! I need a man cave like his, eh? Remember when we got that troubadour to have Laura crank his instrument so her could sing her a song that included the harmonica? That was awesome! Swans are huge!! My absolute favorite part of the whole trip were the experiences in Lauterbrunnen Switzerland!!! The views were spectacular and those mountains were... beautiful!!! I knew that mountains got big but those were just ridiculous and they were accompanied by waterfalls, crazy base jumpers, sausage, amazing lakes, water bottle kick and catch, sheep with bells, glaciers and Ben!!! I just could not get enough! What a great family trip! I'm thankful for the smiles, excitement, debates, conversations and even the disagreements we share together! We are truly blessed! Thank you for such a great time!!

Greater Purpose

I was taught some interesting things today. Our Elders quorum lesson was on fear... and our hometeaching visits and the Christmas devotional were about refocusing on Christ through service, love... From those things I made this connection. Sometimes I do not serve because I am afraid. I'm afraid that people will judge the talent that I'm sharing, that people will examine with scrutiny the words that I have to say, that my efforts will be insufficient, that I'm not worthy/able to meet the need... I realized that my fear basically boils down to my pride. I am so concerned about how an unfavorable outcome will affect my happiness rather that focusing on the act of reaching out. I feel that this balance is most obvious to me while singing. When I perform a solo and I am concerned about what people will think about ME and MY voice then I can hear the nervousness affect my singing. When I perform with the intent of sharing the message and put my efforts into expression the music just eases out of me and most likely sounds 10x better. I've noticed the ability to perform with excellence in anything is much easier, and more effective, when I focus on the importance of the service/action/person rather than myself. I'll never excel if my motivation is myself. Find a better reason to live!

Matthew 14:26-31

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.  

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.  

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Pride -> Fear, Love -> Faith 

Sound of Silence

Let me tell you about one of the most glorious things in the world. We had our Christmas concert the last couple of nights and there's a moment in it that I wish could of lasted just a bit longer. We sang a version of "The First Noel" that just melts the soul. The music itself is quite wonderful, but what just floored me was the contrast that takes place in the last chorus. To me, silence was the most powerful instrument in that performance. To see what I mean check it out (Link). To listen to the whole song go to 1:21:15 and to just catch the last chorus jump to 1:25:10. With all of the choirs combined on this song we have well over 600 voices plus and orchestra, you can imagine the amount of sound in there as we hit that climax. Just now I've been replaying that spot over and over... It doesn't really compare to being there, but it's the closest you can get now... and it's still amazing. In the concert hall that silence was incredible. In the video you can even hear how the sound echoed into silence (so cool!!!!). There are few experiences I've had that equate to the peace, stillness and majesty that lingered there for just that split second. I wish everyone could experience what I did these last few days in that concert and, specifically, in that beautiful song.

Skit-tells

So I stayed up super late tonight... I had my roommates, Duck Dynasty and some skittles to keep me company. I don't think there has ever been a really good reason that I've been up at 2 AM. Yeah there have been the late night walks with a sweetheart, the call of urgent need and a few other respectable reasons... tonight certainly was not one of those! A word to the wise, if you think you should go to bed... you probably should :) I've put it off long enough, so that's what I'm gonna go do right now.

If you can't sleep, meet my friend Trale Lewous... he's funny (especially late at night!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyYJlYxVJDc

Consistency

Ready for me to bore you with my musings? I've decided (haha, lets see if this works) that in order for me to ever really get consistent at blog posts that I'm just going to have to start, no matter how short, boring or unintentionally my posts turn out to be. Eventually I'll get more efficient with my time and produce higher quality stuff quicker. But for now you'll have to suffer through poor grammar and mundane anecdotes.

Something that has been on my mind a lot lately is the idea of consistency. I used to think that doing the same thing all of the time was boring and monotonous. However, lately I've recognized, more than ever, how necessary routine and sameness is! Regular study hours leads to the mastery of the material, daily practice at a skill produces artists and consistent scripture study is, in part, the foundation for spiritual giants. These things I know (and knew) but I would get distracted by doing other things, stretching myself in different directions, consequently destroying my routines and good habits. Let me give you a real life example... So I am in a Dance class. Why? A number of reasons, but for now lets just say to impress the ladies and to have fun. Did I need to take this class? Nope. Could I have done something less time intensive? Yep. The reason I'm semi-unhappy with my choice to take the course is that all too often I did not get to sleep early enough the night before and to keep up with my daily routine I need to be up at 6 in order to study the scriptures, exercise and get to dance by 9. The pressure to get all that needs to be done in the mornings often destroys my morning study. Dance is just one of the "extra" things that weight down on the shoulders. I'm an EE major taking 8 credits degree relevant courses, a religion credit, two activity courses, the aforementioned dance class, BYU Singers (singers.byu.edu), a seminar course, I'm the president of a club (venture.byu.edu), I pretend to be a TA, I'm neck deep in a brand new fellowship on campus (crockerinnovationfellows.com), I have a church calling, I'm in a dinner group, I'm starting a business with my brother, I'm trying to have a social life, stay in shape, and go climbing from time to time... (a bunch of things I listed in my "expert" post) and I like to sleep. I didn't list these things as a "badge of honor" (President Uchtdorf's Talk) but rather to illustrate how many ways life can be demanding. How am I supposed to be consistent with all of this going on? The answer I've come to... you can't!... at least the way things are. I'm convinced that people can handle the amount of interests that I have (because I've met them) but they are wizards at this time management/consistency game. This winter semester I'm taking a step back. I don't need to be involved in a billion different things. I need to be focused and dedicated to less (still diversified) causes. I need to finally take the advise from President Uchtdorf's talks and learn to appreciate the moments. I need to internalize principles and create things of real value. Racing to the finish has left me with half developed talents and a shoty memory of foundational principles. Taking the needed time and being consistent with a few things will be a much better way to live. Anyway, it's bed time. Food for thought. Please share your insights. Till next time.

Spiritual Haven

This happened awhile ago and I meant to post it then:

A cheery mood rested on the room as bishop raised his hand to make a comment with about 5 minutes left to go in the third hour... 

Let me set the stage: It was the 5th Sunday Lesson so naturally we met as a complete ward for the third hour. We are fortunate enough to have our meetings in the testing center and we enjoy spending our 3 hour block in the same desks where we often scrape our brains for a recollection of recently studied material. They split the beloved room in two for a sacrament room on one side and a classroom on the other. Those of you who know the building could probably see us piling into the seats of the aforementioned classroom ready for the impending message. We knew going into the meeting that we were scheduled to discuss the converse of a typical 'dangers of technology' agenda. Our conversations were to be about the good uses of tech and media, built off of the analogy that we ought to spend our times in spiritual safe harbors. We had a great meeting sharing scores of uplifting ways to use computers, the internet, etc. Many of the comments were insightful and occasionally we had an experience or example shared that just came out funny. We have a guy that ___ and one that even indexes while biking (... stationary or course). I was thouroughly enjoying the sincere suggestions as well as the fun, witty musings of others.

I was in this elated state of mind when bishop volunteered his thoughts. He began to explain again the purpose of discussing the topic, Satan is out to destroy us and his favorite tools reside in current technology so we must prepare a technological 'safe harbor'. And as he reminded us of the temptations so prevalent throughout the digital world I heard faintly from the adjoining sacrament room...

...the wrath of the stormtossed sea

or demons or men or whatever it be...

I didn't think too much of it at first, but then they kept going. Bishop was still enumerating the evils so available to us and the music. It was at this point that I leaned over to Matt and whispered an "Are you hearing this?", with affirmation we began to chuckle...

...No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean and earth and skies..

What made it even better... the second that the music goes into peace Bishop shifted his comments to illustrate the idea of a haven, a way to safely navigate the dangers of the web...

...They all shall sweetly obey thy will: 

Peace, be still; peace, be still.

They all shall sweetly obey thy will:

Peace, peace, be still.

And as if right on cue, Bishops comments ended with the final note of the verse... You could not have planned it better... but it got better!!!! After the comment Brother McClellen, who was teaching, gave us the final minute or so to reflect on how we could make better spiritual safe havens. As the room fell silent music seeped in again, they still had two more verses!!! Oh... and it gets better! I couldn't help it, I found this way too coincidental, I had a fit of silent laughter for the duration of the "silence." The instant that the music stopped Brother McClellen was again in the front of the room concluding the lesson (right on cue). He added his final thoughts closed in the appointed way and someone came up for the closing prayer. I bet you can imagine what happened when the prayer was over... The pianist in the other room began their postlude and what was played? A repetition of 'Master the Tempest Is Raging'! It was just too good!

Day 1: France

The first day of our vacation was amazing!! After landing at around 7:30 AM in Zurich we waited through customs, collected our baggage and went outside to grab our rental car... Car... It was more like a bus!

In a land of small, fast, zippie cars we are driving a bohemath, the small streets and interesting parking situations have made it rather fun to try and get around without scraping walls, breaking mirrors or frustrating the locals (we've definitely done two of the three). From the airport the first thing to notice was the color. There were green rolling hills!

Coming from the drought and fires of the dry US west, this was a big deal! It was amazing to see and feel the rain again, it had been so long! So in our crazy big van and dipped into French wine country (miles and miles of beautiful green rows of grape vines.)

We pulled into a small French town, Eguisheim, looking for a festival. The rain kept them from throwing the party but we enjoyed looking around the town, admiring the architecture, looking for storks and eating some quiche.

Leaving that town we plunged through more wine country for a larger town, Riquewihr, to explore and after some interesting driving manuvers down the tiny streets in our big van, including one the left a bit of a scrape, we bought a large piece of some 'stinky' cheese. This lady had some huge wheels of cheese, it was one of the craziest things I've ever scene. We were lucky to have Aarika pulling together some french to coordinate the purchases. When, for lack of her actual name, 'the cheese lady' went to cut us a slice she used a blade that was equally as huge as the wheel. She knocked off a piece that was about an inch thick and we started to tear through it. 20 euros seemed like a ton for a chunk of cheese, but we munched on that thing for days!

There were 8 of us (including infant Ben) and it took us three days to finally kill that thing, not a bad purchase!! Riquewihr turned out to be a fun little place to walk around and the French weren't as stereotypically mean as we often hear. The only slightly strange moment I had with the French was when i took a picture of a gelato stand and the owner came over and asked that i not take pictures of his food! Well, at least he said please...

We had a good time eating crêpes & macaroons, analyzing the architecture and exploring cultural differences.

Leaving Riquewihr we headed for our first castle visit at Hautkoenigsbourg. The rain had calmed to near nothing by this point but it was still a soggy drive and walk up to the castle grounds. It really reminded me of typical portrayals of Mideval times in Europe. When we finally got to the foot of the castle a light mist hovered around generating a damp, chilly sensation, it felt as though a French guard out to lean out from the wall, shout "you mother was a hampster and you father smelt of elderberries" and proceed to launch cows at us.

It was great to walk around and see how these people lived and operated back in the day. As we avoided crushing some precious escargo, on the way back to the car/van, we reflected on how funny it was that because of our oddly shaped vehicle we have been getting some unique privileges. When looking for parking at the castle we parked on the road dedicated for tour buses and ours must qualify as a bus because a guard came by and directed some other cars to leave and just walked by us with a pleasant 'bonjour.' As we moved on to Baden Baden for our first nights rest we could look back and see the castle atop its great green hill that overlooks all the small wine towns below. 

We got in town with time to do one of the most anticipated activities of the trip, relax and rejoice in the 'baths' of Baden Baden. From what was explained to me, Baden Baden is a retirement-esk city where some of Germany's wealthiest individuals chose to live. Apparently it's also a hot spot for spas... Literally... It's water it heated geothermally!! Our hotel was just around the corner from on such bath so we went on in. I felt like i was in some classy James Bond ritzy hang out. They had lockers for each guest activated by wristbands and nice showers for rinsing before you walk into the indoor pool (bath) area where there are no children splashing, running and laughing but rather adults relaxing and soaking in a many different levels and temperatures of pools. After some soaking and exploring we found sauna rooms, aroma sauna rooms, heat lamp baths, hot tubs, cold tubs, bubble seats, massaging jets and some... nude only locations. Say goodbye to travel stress, that Bath just soaked and soothed my worries away. Some Chinese food and a good nights sleep, not bad for the first day of our european vacation!

Germany: Getting There

It's just the end of the third movie on the flight overseas. I don't really know what it was about... Steve Carell was trying to be serious? Awkward. If you've flown overseas you may be able to relate to how i feel right now. It's kind of an interesting situation. I tried the head on the table, I've tried the head tilt back (they don't build these chairs for the vertically blessed), I tried the equilibrium position yet efforts remain fruitless, i've drifted in and out of a sudo sleep with no refreshment, simplyfree frustration. Maybe you have also gotten to the point I have, where frustration has led to submission, "it is inevitable that i must remain awake." The result of this unfortunate position is that i caught the last ten minutes of a strange film and am now left in a perfect position to compose the first blog post of this awsome journey to connect with the family roots! I'm worried about how the first couple of days will go based on the unavoidable consequences of the current circumstance. Let's quickly evaluate these repercussions... First, and most prominant, the mother of all irritation, a headache. It will not only be the result of the sleep lost now but it is compounded by the last few crazy Provo nights (and that's crazy, believe me, haha... No regrets) before the trip. A headache is a problem that no amount of awesomeness can really resolve. If it hurts to think, it hurts to be. That's not a good state to be in when it's vacation time with the family. I believe that headaches are an extension of a much more common international travel ailment, energy drain (jet lag). It'll be hard to enjoy the European countryside if you can't stay awake to visually perceive and analyze it. Why be somewhere so cool if your out cold for a majority of it? My last worry is also related to the above concerns. I believe in metaphysical inertia (I love this topic, look for a post on it later), the angry will remain angry, the sad sad and the happy happy until some force initiates a change. If my vacation starts unpleasant I fear it may stay that way. How am I going to combat all this? I have learned a couple principles from two remarkable women that apply so perfectly and could make all the difference for this trip. Let me start by saying that the mind is a very powerful tool, you can control so much in your life if you learn to control your mind. For instance, climbing is a mental sport, as is running and most other endurance related activities. To succeed you teach the mind that your body can do so much more than what it's used to. Alright, principle number one I learned from an absolutely amazing girl whose wisdom far surpasses mine, I think you will agree that her council is undeniably sound. "You shouldn't worry about things over which you have complete control" (ooo, airplane breakfast just came! :). We may resolve that I don't have complete control over whether or not I get a headache, if i have enough energy or if i'm in a pleasant mood, but the second piece of wisdom argues that I do. Sister Hall, perhaps the best professor at BYU, shares with her choirs that "energy is a choice." We spend the beginning of each rehearsal ridding our minds of the stresses of other non-choir issues so that our time together is effective and meaningful. If you come in tired, you decide to be full of energy. If you come in stressed, you decide to be stress free for at least that hour, and so on. It really works!! I am going to put the combination of these two thoughts to the test. Regardless if I have a 'headache' or 'no energy' I will refuse to let it ruin the short time I have with my family in this beautiful country. I can do that because attitude, energy and enjoyment are all things that I control. Plus, I can always recover, sleep and worry later, but this time... This time is to be full of life and enjoyment. And who knows, maybe all of this positive thought will just cure the ailed mind and give my energy a boost! Looking forward to a great trip! I'll put my obnoxiously happy face on now!

Expert

Let me start by crediting a new friend and her blog for motivating me to record my thoughts today in a place that the whole world can see... Thanks Chantel!!! Disclaimer: This blog post is much longer than I originally intended... Sorry and be warned. Now, I must give you some context to my thoughts today. Here it is: 


I believe that my blog is aptly named - Eclectic - which means (according to the google dictionary): "Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources." I feel like my life has been shaped by ideas from all over the place. I've tried to learn how to code, to build, to lead, to follow, to play... and I just haven't found one skill that I want to be the absolute best at or to make a living off of. Part of the reason I chose to graduate in Electrical Engineering was because it was something to work toward (rather than taking a bunch of random interesting classes). 


Where do I want to be?


So here I am going into my Junior core and I feel like I don't have a hard skill to contribute to society. I can code a bit of java, I can remember how to do some basic math and I have a good sense for organization and aesthetics... but is that enough? I feel like I waste space at the companies where I work. I feel like everyone else my age has buckled down and has really become amazing or knowledgeable in something while I'm sitting there trying to think of the next thing that I can learn the basics of.


I want to become an expert at something! And it must be something that I really want to do! So first I will start out with a list of what I've already got going:



I can...
program in java
calculate some high level math
perform vocally (solo or in choirs)
lift and move heavy things (that one comes in handy)
organize and lead a group of people
write legibly
think clearly
fall asleep really easia;ldkjguth;lj... just kidding (but really)
do basic web design (html, css, wordpress)
design basic electronic circuits and computer hardware
clean
read
act
play
pretend
create
understand difficult concepts
operate a computer (or really any kind of gadget)
play a couple intros to pop songs on the piano
bite apples in half
get down a double black diamond alive on a snowboard
climb mountains
buy things
phone a friend (or mom :) )...





Now a list of things that I'd like to be able to do:


Design epic (yet intuitive) websites
Program impressive (functional) mobile applications
Understand the mesh of all the different kinds of programming
Succeed in building a profitable business (Entrepreneurship)
Become a marketing/design guru (Innovation)
Be involved in the music business (hardware, record label, recording, singing...)
Retire and teach the upcoming generations
Design and develop consumer products
Smile as much as possible
Contribute collected, sensible and profound thoughts to society
Deliver my opinions and feelings in peaceful, uplifting, and at times, entertaining ways
Make an impact
Be the best husband, father and servant of the Lord I possibly can!


Neither list is absolutely complete but it's a good start. I believe that it's fair to say that ultimately I want to make a difference. Not only do I feel fulfilled when I have used my talents to help someone else but I know that their life is better because of it.


What have I been doing?


To get to where I want to be there is so much to be done. Right now I have a list of 15 books that I want to buy and read. Most of them are on the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation. I have an additional 5 or 6 which I own and have yet to read. I've also been telling myself that I need to buy and old marketing textbook and digest that over the summer. Knowing that I tend to get behind during the fall and winter semesters, I've also dreamed of reading ahead in the textbooks for next semester. If that's not enough to read, I seek to spend time in the scriptures and church books each day. Wow... you want to know how I've done on all of that? So far this spring I have completed 1 book, The Infinite Atonement. A good one to finish, but nevertheless a pitiful start to a spring and summer supposedly dedicated to becoming an expert.


From the paragraph above it sounds like I believe that reading books will bring the expertise that I'm reaching for. I realize that there is likely more value in trial by fire. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to get out build a company, design a product or start a record label either.


This is what I have been doing instead:
I've been to St. George a couple times to see family friends
I've been training early in the mornings for triathlons (Bought a Bike)
I've been interning full-time in Draper at a Home Automation company called Control4 (C4)
I've set up a poor excuse of a home theater with some equipment from C4 (Bought a TV)
I've been watching TV and Movies (Not so proud of that one)
I've been longboarding down the canyon trail (Bought a Longboard... and a helmet :) )
I've been climbing in Rock Canyon
I've been going on dates
I've been hosting parties
I've been playing pick-up sports with the ward
I've been going to ward and stake functions
I've been running races
I've been in church meetings
I've been working at my second job
I've been cleaning the apartment, doing laundry and shopping
I've been cooking dinner for dinner group
and now I've even been typing this blog

Rock Canyon 2011

Canyons Resort 2012

Regency Ball 2011

Of course, none of this is bad... but it becomes an issue of priorities, planning and evaluating "good, better, best". I've given myself a bit of everything to do, because I love to do just about everything.


What to do now?


To my mind comes a one word solution: Sacrifice. I have been so focused on doing it all, but I'm not meant to do it all and I can't do it all. I've become stretched so thin that I haven't been doing any of it at level that brings fulfillment. I need to put some hobbies and dreams on the back burner so that I can actually accomplish at least some of my goals. I'm not sure what is going to go, but something has got to give.



Let me know your thoughts. Some questions to get you thinking: How have you dealt with this situation? Is it possible to do it all? How do you become an expert? Why do some people accomplish some much and others achieve very little? Any tips on how to retain valuable information? How do you become the best you?