"It's Time" for Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons... LIVE.


I would pay to see them again at the drop of a hat and recommend one of their concerts to anyone.



 Why? Oh, I'll tell you.

They have: 

1. Great songs. There's a mix of intensity and fun--all of it is clean and uplifting.
2. Epic drum breaks.
3. A drum big enough to hold at least 6 adults inside of it, not to mention a few children.
4. A foxy lead singer with even foxier pipes.
5. Swell lighting.
6. Glow-in-the-dark beach balls.
7. Fantastic energy!
8. Beats that rock you right to your center.
9. Humility and sincerity in their performance--these guys are grateful for the opportunity to share music.
10. A tight sound that maintains a fresh quality.

I have been aware of Imagine Dragons for  about a year and a half now, and I'll admit: my love for them was always a little hesitant and half-hearted. I wasn't sure about all they had to offer as a band. However, seeing them perform live changed everything: I now consider myself a true fan. Thanks for getting me a ticket, Dave.

If you have yet to give Imagine Dragons a listen, I will tell you now: "It's Time."

Do a Little Dance Dare

About a year ago, Ellen Degeneres challenged her viewers to do what she called "Dance Dares." This is a game where you go up behind an unsuspecting person and dance behind them without them knowing. If they catch you in the act, you lose the game.

Sounds okay, right?
Well let me tell you something.
Dance Dares are way more than just okay.
Dance Daring may be the most fun you ever have.

If you ever find yourself in a crazy mood, just do a little Dance Dare.
If you're ever at a mediocre social gathering, spice it up with a Dance Dare.
If you feel like getting a good laugh, try out a Dance Dare.

I have yet to find someone who feels disappointed after exploring their own Dance Dare capabilities. But I have found plenty of people who have never even heard of such a thing. You should try it. Truly.

Here are some of my favorite official Dance Dare videos from the Ellen show.





...Aaaaaaaaaaand here's a video my friend Lacey made of some Dance Dares we did at a church activity back in December. (?) I may or may not have shimmied behind an unsuspecting missionary. That's fine.

Valentine's Day... what's that?

Valentine's Day. It comes and goes, year after year. And every year, this girl is without a valentine. Every year--no buts about it.

It seems like, as a single twenty-something, the constant reminders of love on Valentine's day can either make you or break you. You embrace the holiday, shelling out affection for your family and friends, or you completely shut it out, and close yourself off to the entire world for a day--too afraid of the possibility of a little heartache. There's also the few that rub their independence in the faces of others, saying that they're single, and that's the way they want it to stay--because who even wants the responsibility of having to celebrate on Valentine's Day?

All I know is, I don't want to be that person. You know who I'm talking about...

I don't want to be the person who makes excuses for their situation, blaming others or themselves for not being able to find love.

I don't want to grow bitter from feeling a few pangs of loneliness.

I don't want to resent the people around me for happiness they have found with their boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, or husbands.

I don't want to be the person who groans with envy after seeing a co-worker receive a bouquet of flowers and oodles of candy from a secret admirer.

I don't want to be that person because, let's face it, nobody likes a bitter, stank-face female who can't find her happiness without a man by her side. I wouldn't even like myself if I lived or thought that way. 

I just want to be me. I choose to love everyone, I choose to be happy with the blessings I enjoy right now in my life. (Because, let's face it--my life is pretty dang awesome.) I will not live in denial, saying that a "valentine" is not something I desire, but I will live with hope, that maybe next year will be the year. 

Maybe.

*The most romantic gesture I've gotten on Valentine's Day was when I worked at the YMCA. There was an old man, probably in his 80's who came in every day. His name was Richard and he was a sweetheart. One year, on February 14th, he brought me some roses. He handed them to me unceremoniously and said with a wink, "Here you go. Happy Valentine's Day. Don't tell my wife."

Brilliance Abounds

Sometimes I think about my friends, and how talented they are. I am so blessed to be surrounded by people who inspire me with their various skills in music, dancing, drawing, film, writing, photography, acting... flying.

Quite recently I watched a short film, made by my friend Alyssa Tolman, about the differences between Modern and Ballet dancers. I love it. She portrays classic stereotypes in such a witty and clever way, and the whole thing is so well done. My friend Jamie Myers portrays the Modern dancer in the movie, and she's nothing short of brilliant.

Please watch a lovely piece of work... broaden your mind, and maybe (just maybe) laugh a little bit. :)

Thanks, friends, for inspiring me to be better. And thanks, Jaime, for this: "In Modern dance it's like... how does my... how does my kidney feel about today? ... What does the  shoulder want to say today?" Fantastic!

Tricks of the Trade: 2012

*In this instance the word "trade" meaning...living life in general.

About to cross the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon

1) Hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim is just the hardest thing ever. But, it is in these types of experiences that we can learn what we're made of.

2) A session on the swings can really help you clear your head. I had a euphoric moment on the swings this year, complete with a perfect breeze, the sun warming my skin, and the feeling of weightlessness and release that comes from each back and forth motion. Don't overlook this childhood staple.

3) Coconut Caramel Coffee-cake will change your world if you let it.

4) Go to concerts. See shows. Feel the energy.

5) People are not consistent. We are ever-changing, learning creatures. We must have patience with ourselves, and others as these changes take place. We also need to allow changes to happen.

6) Seeing movies by yourself is awesome. Everyone should try it at least once.

7) Sometimes we only hear the things we want to hear. Then we formulate opinions based on this selective in-take of information. This needs to change.

8) Drive as safely as possible. (Otherwise, you might get a ticket, or your car will get totaled, resulting in a perma-headache and infringement on your bank account.)

9) I stand by a lesson I learned last year: Let people know when you care about or just appreciate them. It will add value to their life, and yours.

10) Never let fear make your decisions for you.

11) Be honest with yourself and others. Especially when it comes to relationships. Accept the truth when there's someone you're interested in. The older I get, the more I believe this: 

12) When in doubt or discouragement, read the following quotes:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” 

--Martha Graham

"The future is as bright as your faith."

--Thomas S. Monson

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."

--Coco Chanel

“When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden.”

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Two-thousand and thirteen is here--can't wait to see what's in store.

Punting Pigeons

There is a gang of pigeons that gathers in the courtyard of the school where I teach. Some mornings, when I'm walking from my car to the dance room, a few of them cross my path. And do you know what I think?

I wish I could just kick that pigeon.

I wonder how far it would go.

Isn't that one of the most awful and inhumane things you've ever read? What did pigeons ever do to me? Well...they do poop on my car, make their homes where they don't belong, carry disease, walk around all proud and pompous, and Mike Tyson loves them. But despite any obvious offenses, it simply wouldn't be right to go around punting pigeons.

Sometimes thoughts like this cross my mind, and I think... Am I really the type of person that would go around kicking birds just for, well... kicks? Luckily, an experience earlier in the week helped me answer this question.

I was out in the courtyard with my students, cleaning up after lunch, and the pigeons were plentiful. They were walking around, enjoying the spoils from that day's spills, especially a spot occupied by a squashed muffin. I stepped very close to the muffin--only about a 6 inches away. The pigeons, startled at first, moved away quickly. But the fear didn't last long because they really wanted that muffin. One pigeon in particular. He meandered back to the treat, just inches from where I was standing So there I was--one foot away from a muffin-occupied pigeon, and I thought: Now is my chance. I could kick that pigeon.

I didn't, and I feel good about it. I just thought about how someone in the world loves pigeons, (besides Mike Tyson) and I need to respect that. I'm still not proud about my violent mental wanderings, but as the saying goes, "You are what you repeatedly do," (Aristotle...out of context, but still applicable) not necessarily what you think. (Otherwise, by now, I'd be a Jazz singer on the weekends.) Life is all about action.

Do I still think about wanting to punt a pigeon every once in a while? Yep. But I won't. Because I'm better than that--and so are they.

I was serious about that Mike
Tyson thing. It's an issue.

The World According to Mr. Rogers

I read a terrific little book just a few weeks ago... It is a compilation of quotes and thoughts by Fred Rogers and is entitled: "The World According to Mr. Rogers: Important Things to Remember." I loved it, and I wanted to share a few of the thoughts that impacted me the most, plus a little personal commentary...

"Confronting our feelings and giving them appropriate expression always takes strength, not weakness. It takes strength to acknowledge our anger, and sometimes more strength yet to curb the aggressive urges anger may bring and channel them into nonviolent outlets. It takes strength to face our sadness and to grieve and to let our grief and our anger flow in tears when they need to. It takes strength to talk about our feelings and to reach out for help and comfort when we need it." (There is so much value and importance in sharing how we feel in an effective manner, and letting people know what we want and expect. As someone who has a hard time expressing her true feelings, I really appreciated this thought.)

"It's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life that ultimately nourish our souls. It's the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is firm."

"One of my wise teachers, Dr. William F. Orr, told me, 'There is only one thing evil cannot stand and that is forgiveness.'" (So profound.)

"Mutually caring relationships require kindness and patience, tolerance, optimism, joy in the other's achievements, confidence in oneself, and the ability to give without undue thought of gain. We need to accept the fact that it's not in the power of any human being to provide all these things all the time. For any of us, mutually caring relationships will also always include some measure of unkindness and impatience, intolerance, pessimism, envy, self-doubt, and disappointment." (I think most people in the world today think that a loving relationship should just come easy, and that if work is necessary to maintain the relationship, you should just move on. That's a problem. Anything that is worth having, will take work, effort, and dedication. I used to be one of those people, who would just move on when things got hard. But I have since learned that my strongest non-familial relationships stand today because there was struggle involved at one point or another. There is only one exception that comes to mind, but I believe kindred spirits like that are few and far between.)

"The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self."

"When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong along with the fearful, the true mixed in with the facade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way." (I know this is factual. I feel that my love for others increased when I realized that I am imperfect, and I can't expect others to be more than I am.)

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has--or ever will have--something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression." (Amazing, that there is something inside you, and me, that is unique to ALL TIME. I believe it.)

"As different as we are from one another, as unique as each one of us is, we are much more the same than we are different. That may be the most essential message of all, as we help our children grow toward being caring, compassionate and charitable adults."

Oh, the wisdom! I'm overwhelmed. I don't care who you are--we can all learn a little something from Mr. Rogers, whether it be how pianos are made, how to play make-believe,  or how to be a good neighbor. What a guy. Thanks, Fred. Thanks for everything.