Take Risks

Little Acts of Kindness

• I was in such a hurry, I needed to be on time to have pictures taken at my friend's wedding. I had been packing the whole day to move to another city. Shannon, my roommate started to iron my bridesmaid dress and I was able to get out of my house on time.

NYC

• I was in New York City for the very first time, I had posted on Facebook a picture of me in Times Square,  I got a phone call from a friend that lived there, he told me he saw on Facebook that I was in NYC so he invited me to spend the night at his place so I did not have to go all the way back to Connecticut late at night where I was staying with another friend.

• A very busy day and I had not had the chance to fold my clothes after doing my laundry. I went to work and spent the whole day there and when I got home, Lauren, one of my roommates had folded all my clothes.

• Worried at the hospital on Christmas Eve, my mom was very sick with blood in her brain, I was there by myself and my friend Fernando brought me a delicious dinner, chocolate cake and a drink from his house. He cheered me up.

• Not even asking for a ride from the airport to a place I had never been before, Mary offered to go pick me up before I asked, she bought me some food and let me stay at her house for a week until I found a place for me.

When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. ~ Dalai Lama

Happiness

I have always believed that happiness is also a habit.

It's Hard To Say

It looks like we get to the point where we finally figure it out, but it takes a long, long time.
I really wish some people would've got it all figured out a long time ago; otherwise, maybe I wouldn't have turned and walked away.


I don't believe in leaving doors open "just in case" someone wants to go back. It is hard to say I kept some hope with me about someone getting back with me. I knew the best was not to be with this person. It is true, time cures. The best part is that we can choose how long time we want to suffer. Lesson learned. The faster we realize that each relationship, good or bad, is a gift and an opportunity to learn from ourselves, the faster we will be able to cure and start loving and living again.

It is hard to say what is in some people that we always want to be with them. I feel I have learned about the feeling of knowing for sure when I really like someone; to the point that I don't care about many things. I don't care about the things this person doesn't have. I don't care about many circumstances. I don't feel like trying to fix this person.

They say love is blind but I have never been that blind, I promise I always have had my feet on the ground; however, when I have been with someone I really like, I have not cared about anything else, I could have spent every single day with this person and everything else probably would have not mattered.

Future

And this is how I feel about my future. It is now or never.

In Love or In Lust?

I loved reading articles about developing love for a special someone and I love learning from what others think about it. I am talking about romantic love.

Joseph B. Whirtlin said that "the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend," so this makes me think about how important is to do little things for this special someone like writing a little note, a letter expressing some feelings or serving this person with sincere intention. I have noticed that love grows so much in a very special way by doing these things. I have felt it even with members of my family.

True love is a process, it requires personal action and it takes time. I think that when someone is truly loving or being loved, can feel that love cares, protects and enriches, which takes to sacrificing for each other.

"Love is far more than physical attraction," said Spencer W. Kimball. I wonder if most couples are really in love or if they understand the kind of love they have for each other.

Many people are in lust, but not in love. Although, they think they are in love.

What Matters

And when you have to decide between one thing or the other...

Rhythm of Life

So I'm now part of the BYU University Orchestra. I joined the Viola section. Yeah, I always wanted to be part of something like this. I come from El Salvador, I have small and big dreams. Dreams like coming to BYU and getting a great education, leave everything behind and come here to make my wishes what I want them to be. Music is a great part of who I am, just a few people know about the impact it had in my life when I started. It changed me a lot, I really can say music is powerful. I am not a professional in neither of the instruments I play but developing my talents has helped me to believe in my capacities and have discipline in my life.

I do a little bit of everything and I want to be good at something, I'm working on getting a degree in Finance. It's a very difficult major, I am really scared of not being accepted in the program. Gosh! It is so competitive and they only accept grades from 90-100, pretty much! It's a school for smart people, I know my stuff but I struggle when taking tests. Ugh! I like a lot what I have learned thus far about Finance, it is tough but I know I can do it. I feel I am very good dealing with life and having a good attitude towards difficult times. It seems like it flows naturally, but when it comes to wanting to do what I want, all I get is difficult stuff that costs me a lot. It's true, "nothing good comes easy," says David A. Bednar.

Making use of my talents has helped me to believe a lot in myself, I gave gained a lot of confidence when trying new and difficult things. That's how life is! I first got scared when I played the music in the first rehearsal but as I have been studying I have realized that it is not impossible and that is something I really can play. I am pretty sure I am the least experienced member there because most of those kids have started playing an instrument since they were 8 or 9 years old. I started when I was 16.

I am back in the business and trying hard to be in shape with my instrument. I love arts. Music means a lot to me and I'm glad I am forcing myself in a good way to study and practice more often.

Like A Star

Take advantage of the times of darkness because...

As Now I Take The Sacrament

As now I take the sacrament, my thoughts are turned to thee, thou son of God, who lived for me, then died on Calvary. I contemplate thy lasting grace, thy boundless charity; to me the gift of life was giv'n for all eternity.

As now my mind reviews the past, I know I must repent; the way to thee is righteousness, the way thy life was spent. Forgiveness is a gift from thee I seek with pure intent. With hands now pledged to do thy work, I take the sacrament.

A Little Bit of Everything

As it is

Almost end of semester. I am petty much done with all my classes now I'm getting ready for finals. I am in the point where my body is so exhausted that it is even really hard for me to get up every morning for the last 3 weeks. I did not have a problem getting up at 5 or 6 AM every day but now it is ridiculously hard.

I had a good day so far. I went to bed at like 2 am and I went to work from 8 am to 1 pm with one class in between. I was so hungry when I got off work but I did not have time to eat because I had to finish up a presentation for my next class. I did that right on time, I presented and it went really well. I talked about something that means a lot to me and that I had researched carefully. Shortly after that I ran to grab something to eat really quick and went to the TA for help in one of my classes, then I went to my other class. I was dying, I started to feel so sleepy. One of my classmates asked me to go on a date tomorrow. He seems to be a really good guy, I hope to get to know him more.

Right after that I went to the math lab and I realized that I could not keep going, so I stopped and laid down for a little bit. I had a 30 min nap and then I went to the math lab for help in one of the problems I missed in the last test. Dang! I have to become more effective when studying. I am getting used to the system here and I have to improve because I don't want to be a mediocre student. It is hard and requires hard work.

So far until today I have accomplished many things in my life.  I have ended up accomplishing other things without having them in my plans but I feel satisfied until now. I have a lot of time ahead I dare to say and I want to go for more.

I have also been thinking that I should give back. I have received so much. I really want to give back. I think I will follow my bishop's counsel: "Make it a goal." If I plan to serve, I will do it no matter what and I'll stop postponing it.

I'm here back at the library to study and try to figure out my homework, I went out to get something to eat and drink. I called my mom to let her know I was cold, hungry, tired and with lots to do. It feels good to know that she is always there for me. I'll miss her so much when she departs from this earth.

This is a lil bit of how I roll... Very good days so far. I'm alive and protected. I'm loving and smiling.

One of my professors told me today: "Your smile will change lives." I don't pretend to mention this in a cocky way whatsoever but I always get compliments from people about my smile. Of course, it cost me 4 years of braces! True thing is that laughing hard and smiling is my thing baby. That's what I'm talkin' bout!

People say I am crazy in a good way. Yeah, I accept that description and I love it, I'm crazy in so many ways but once someone gets to know me it's a completely different story. I keep myself authentic, I am crazy here and there but I am also very serious. I do a little bit of everything and I am a little bit of everything.

When I die I want to be buried right next to my husband and I want to have this phrase engraved on our tombstone, "always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name..." (Murder in the city, The Avett Brothers). If tattoos were not bad for my body I would totally have that tattooed in my back.

Good break, buh!
Back to it!

To the South. Picture from last weekend.

My Craziness

Making someone laugh : ) Hah!

Going To New York City For The 3rd Time

I went to NYC for the very first time at the end of March 2012, it was an incredible adventure and I had a really amazing time. Some of the coolest things in this adventurer life happened to me and they made me very happy. 4 months after I went again with one of my best friends, and I got to see so many other things that I could not visit the first time I went. Now, 4 months after I'm going again but this time is for a different purpose. I'll be there for a leadership conference in the big apple. I'm very excited to visit NYC again, so many things to see and do. I love NYC! I wanna dream like New York.

If I get murdered in the city
Go read the letter in my desk
Don't worry with all my belongings
But pay attention to the list

Make sure my sister knows I loved her
Make sure my mother knows the same
Always remember there is nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let us share our name

And If I Say I Really Knew You Well, What Would Your Asnwer Be?

And if I say I really knew you well, what would your answer be? Well, knowing you, you'd probably laugh and say, that we were worlds apart. But as for me, I still remember how it was before and I am holding back the tears no more. What about the time we met? Well, I suppose that you could say that we were playing hard to get. What about the night we cried? Because there wasn't any reason left to keep it all inside. Never understood a word, but you were always there with a smile. 

Life Goes On

When I ponder about my life I always recall memories from previous years. There are a lot of people and things that I wish they had remained the same until this day but transitions are part of life. What was part of my life once, it is not anymore.

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." - Robert Frost. I want to take advantage of the time I have right now to laugh hard, to build strong and long lasting relationships, network, love much, do the things I love and enjoy life in a good way.

My parents will pass away someday, I will miss them more than anyone in my life. I have many good friends that I love and I know they love me but knowing that one or both of my parents are gone will really make me feel lonely. It will be very hard I know and I hope I do not have to go through it by myself. Hopefully I'm married and with children by then.

I have done a lot of things in the last three years that have made me grow and I have also met people that I have come to appreciate a lot. Time is flying and I am about to finish another period in my life. After that, I will move far away to start another part of my life. Then in 2 or 4 years I might be at the other side of the world making my dreams and life happen.

I will keep leaving things, places and people behind. They will never lose their meaning. But life goes on, and so do I.