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?