16 Things I Learned in 2016

Wow, I don't think I've ever had a single year where I have learned so much about myself, and my gratitude for that is great. So, without further ado, here's sixteen things I have learned in 2016.

1) Be present and be engaged. This seems to be a challenge society faces today with social media always being there. It can be an absolutely fantastic thing when used correctly. This year I have learned that although social media will always be there, precious moments with friends and family won't. It is so important to be all there in these moments, because the memories will be far greater than seeing the latest post, which will be there when you're done, too. I promise.

2) God will send angels to assist us. Although some are unseen, and are literal guardian angels sent to protect us, and help us, and carry us, some are most definitely seen every day. I have been blessed this year to come in contact with some of these angels. Each of them have been an answer to my prayers time and time again, and I am so very thankful for them. They are fantastic humans, and they make life so much better.

3) Never underestimate yourself.  You can do hard things - really hard things. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. You are powerful, and capable.

4) Always look for the good. Look for the good in others, and look for the good in every situation. It's there, even if it is just a small silver lining. Life will change as one sees the good.

5) Trust God. Everything happens for a reason, and it's so essential to let go of what needs to go, and embrace the next opportunities in life. They will come.

6) Say yes to new adventures. Whether that means you pack up and leave, or if you try a new kind of ice cream, say yes to new adventures. There is probably something wonderful that you will love, and it's so important to go find it, whatever it may be. Step outside your comfort zone, climb a different mountain, and never turn down the chance to live through another adventure.

7) You are loved. Even when it seems the world is against you, there is someone out there more than you could possibly imagine. There is someone out there who has your back, and who would do anything to help you out in a bind. These people are fantastic, and I am so grateful for them.

8) Tell people how you feel. If you are grateful for someone, tell them. If you appreciate what they do for you, tell them. If you admire a quality they have, tell them. If you love them, tell them. It could change their whole day, they might need to hear it more than you know. Even if they don't, it's always nice to know, you know?

9) Balance. Although maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important, ice cream is fantastic as well. Although I absolutely love rodeo, and basketball, sometimes a break is necessary. Balance in all things can be, well, a balancing act, but it needs to happen for physical and mental health to prevail.

10) Find joy. Joy is to be found in the day to day details, and not just in the "events" or "episodes" of our lives. Never give up. Keep going forward. Go forward with hope and an attitude of faith. Find the grit you need, and keep grinding. Life is fantastic, and there is so much happiness to be had.

11) You are worth it. You are beautiful, even on the days you don't feel like it. You are worth it, today, tomorrow, and always, and don't let anyone treat you like you aren't.

12) Everything will work out. If you don't know what to do with your life, or where to start, or what to do, know that as you move forward with goals and dreams, pieces to the puzzle will start to fit. You will see why nothing fit before, and everything will work out in the end. If it isn't working out yet, it's not the end!

13) If you like the picture, post it. Post it even if you already posted that day, or the day before, or if your friend posted a similar one. If you like the picture, post it. The "rules" about social media are overrated. Don't become obsessed with likes or comments or retweets or collection updates. My social media accounts are mine, and if you don't appreciate my rules (which are nonexistant) I'm fine with that. I post what I like when I like because it means something to me!

14) Failure is not fatal. Mistakes, to some extent, are inevitable. Failing does not make you a bad person, or a failure, it means you took a risk and it didn't work out. Dare to stand up, dust off, and try again, this time with the new knowledge you acquired because of your fall. Failing is not going to kill you, so dare to fail on a large scale. Set yourself up for success, but if you fail, it's totally okay!

15) Unlikely friends can be the best kind. I have a few new amazing friends from the last year who could definitely qualify as unlikely friends. Don't let that stop you from finding fantastic people.

16) Pursue excellence. Whatever you set your mind to, do it fantastically. Don't allow mediocrity to become a regular occurrence in your life. Do things on a grand scale, and allow yourself to dream on that same scale. Life is a wonderful thing that needs to be lived, not just survived. Excellence is around every corner, so don't settle for less. Don't finish books that aren't worth it, don't do things that aren't worth it. Live fabulously, and pursue excellence.

I hope you enjoyed these, or learned something from them. Here's to an amazing 2017!

Hallelujah

The thoughts behind this post derived from the song, Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley. The song itself is catchy, but the lyrics are a little bit weird. Regardless, one line in this song particularly caught my attention: "And love is not a victory march, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah."

Just so you know, hallelujah means God be praised.

 Let's replace love with life, or learning to love God, or becoming more Christlike. Any of things seem to fit in to the line, as none of these things are easy at any given point in our lives, but especially when life is hard.

Becoming more Christlike, or learning to love God is not a victory march, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah, not because we are alone in the endeavor by any means, but because it's difficult, and can seem impossible and extremely daunting. There are days when our efforts may not seem sufficient to us, but as we continually work towards the quality we are so desperately trying to achieve, God will assist us in our efforts. People are not out to show off their Christlike characteristics, at least I would hope not! That would entirely defeat the purpose of striving to become as He is, since humility was often used to describe Him. Throughout His life, I'm sure there were moments where He felt alone, and cold, and possibly broken, but without fail, He continually praised the Lord.

When we each make an effort in our lives to continually praise the Lord despite, or rather, in spite of our circumstances, we will see that we are most definitely not alone. Whether it be in a calling, in a job position, in parenting, or in any other struggles, we are not asked to accomplish what we need to alone. There are times when we feel that we are not doing enough, or worse, we are not enough. I promise you that you are enough. With the help of God, you will be able to overcome the obstacle, no matter now insurmountable it may seem, you are facing. During the times we feel we are not doing enough, or that our efforts are not making a difference, we need not fear, but rather continue pressing forward, continually singing praises to God. On those days when we feel we can no longer sing them aloud, we should sing them in our hearts. It may seem like it would be easier to just not, to hide and retreat, but this is not for the best. God will assist us, and He will carry us when we cannot walk alone.

As we head into the Christmas season, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a new initiative called Light the World. It starts December 1st, and the goal is to provide service on a global scale on each of the twenty five days before Christmas. If you are interested, more information can be found here. There are a lot of people around each of our communities, or perhaps in our families, that are doing their best to continue forward in their lives, but their spirits need to be lifted, and this is the perfect opportunity to reach out and help. Maybe these people are not people we know, but maybe they are, and they need a little effort from you to lighten their spirit this season.

Life is not a victory march, it's a cold, and it's a broken hallelujah.

Failure Is Not Fatal

I have been thinking about failure and how people respond to set backs lately, and a couple recent conversations reopened the vault in my mind again, so brace yourself!

We all know that mistakes in this life are inevitable, and we are supposed to learn from them and try not to make them again, and when you make one you are supposed to say sorry, and blah, blah, blah...Am I right?!

There has to be more to it than that! It isn't just about trying to avoid the same mistake, it's about allowing the mistakes to change us, to change our behavior, to change our thought processes. It's more than trying again, it's trying again with a renewed desire to be better. Mistakes can be, and often are, preparatory stages in our lives, so we are better able to handle similar scenarios the next time they may present themselves in our lives.

I'm going to share three points about failure I feel are important.

1) Embrace mistakes to a certain extent. Dare to take risks, even if it may not turn out the way you imagined it would. Sitting still, and never doing anything in order to not make any mistakes is a mistake in itself, so I don't recommend taking that route. Getting outside of our comfort zones and allowing ourselves to be necessarily vulnerable will inevitably lead to mistakes of varying size, but in that process, we can learn from those mishaps and let changes occur in our lives. Although taking risks is important, and indeed, essential, we need to make sure we aren't taking risks just to take risks, because that isn't the point. There are times and places to take risks, and times and places not to take risks. This judgement comes after we allow ourselves to grow after we fail. There is a point after failing in which we can develop a better version of the person we are, but we have to choose to work at it; we don't magically become whole after being broken without some healing, or some time. Mistakes are inevitable, but we need to be careful to only take necessary risks.

2) Failing does not make you a failure. Failing means you stepped outside your comfort zone and experimented with something new, and it didn't work that time. There's a chance it could happen next time, so don't give up. If you stick your neck out and take a risk, and it doesn't work out, I applaud you! It's hard to do things that doesn't have guaranteed success, it's scary and leaves you feeling vulnerable. You are not a failure, even if you make mistakes. Success and greatness are built on failure upon failure upon frustration upon occasional catastrophe. Don't give up, don't give in, don't quit. (Unless you are trying to sew something, in which case, it's totally acceptable to quit.) You are remarkable right now, you were remarkable before your last failure, and you will still be remarkable after you fail again. If you fall, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again. And again. And again. Eventually, if you continue to work hard, your time will come. Don't let failing at something convince you that you are a failure.

3)Failure is not final, it is not fatal, and it is not forever. This is pretty self-explanatory, but I am going to suggest that perhaps the "failure" is actually a door of opportunity which may not have otherwise been opened. The very thing we failed at could lead us to greater prospects further down the road.

Henry B. Eyring said, "If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill." It's going to be challenging, it's going to test you, and there will be times you will fail. Don't give up! You can do things you never imagined possible, just don't give up.

Broken Crayons Still Color

I'm going to share something a little bit personal with you today.

Are you ready?

Here it is:

Broken crayons still color.

Novel, right?

Just kidding, I'm sure you've heard that phrase, or read it somewhere multiple times. In fact, if you're like me, you've probably been exposed to it so many times, it lost its punch a while ago. My goal today is to revive it, because it is so unbelievably valuable to anyone who has been, or currently is, broken.

Broken. Maybe you are literally physically broken, in which case, I am sorry, and I hope you have a speedy recovery. Maybe, though, you are mentally, or emotionally, or spiritually broken, and this is who I feel this will apply to more.

I have felt broken a few times in my life. I can tell you from experience, it is not a pleasant journey, but it can be one filled with joy. There are times you feel there is no way you could ever be whole again, there is no one who still loves you, and I testify to you that is false. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR LIFE, GOD STILL LOVES YOU. HE STILL KNOWS YOU, HE STILL CARES ABOUT YOU, AND HE WILL NOT FORSAKE YOU!

(No, my caps lock did not get stuck, I needed to use my online outdoor voice to make my message clear!)

While Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not approve of sins, they do allow us opportunities to repent, and not only do we have that chance given to us, they will also take our broken hearts, and broken minds, and broken souls, and heal them. I do not mean that any mental disorders will immediately be resolved because we ask them to do that, but They will give us the strength to handle them. You see, we do not need to pay for our own sins, because Christ already did. That's why He suffered and died for us! As we turn to the Lord with our entire heart to help us overcome our adversities, and to allow Him to heal us, we will be filled with peace, and understanding. I promise.

As I was sitting in church today, I felt my ankle throbbing from an injury two years ago. I sprained it in basketball, and although I can still do everything I want to, it does bother me occasionally, and I have to wear braces for both basketball, and rodeo. If you ask my family, they say I need them to walk across the field too, or else I will roll it again. Even though it is healed, my ankle is still weak and it hurts and I have to make sure I take care of it. This is not true with the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It heals us completely. There will be times when we cannot understand the process, and it will be painful, but the pain of it can be swallowed up by the joy found in Christ, and in His Atonement.

Just because you break does not mean you are worthless. You are loved, you are known, and you are worth it. Christ suffered on the cross for you, He already paid the price for you to return to Him.

President Thomas S. Monson said, "Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final." How awesome and empowering is that! No failure ever need be final, because a failure is a chance to start again, to become who we are destined to be. I personally do not believe in rock bottom. I feel that if we turn to Christ, He will not let us ever hit such a low point, He will carry our burdens, that they may be lighter, and bearable for us as children of God.

Broken crayons still color. If you feel broken, please don't stop living. Don't stop coloring, even if the broken crayon makes your artwork seem blurry, or dull, or you color outside the lines a little bit. As you push forward, you will see that the crayons don't become how they once were, but they change, and perhaps they become how they were destined to be all along. Before long, you'll look at the big picture and come to love those broken crayons, and the enthralling masterpiece they helped create!

Slumps, Bumps, and Grit.

There is a thing in rodeo you see,
and at the moment, it's well-known to me;
hopefully you are having better luck,
trying your hardest not to suck.
But alas, I'm sinking in the standings,
and nothing is holding me up except my fan-lings.
Unbeknownst to me and maybe you,
this poem somehow became a little askew,
and I find it fitting,
life seems to head like that since the Beginning.
Don't sit in despair!
No, don't be scared!
How? Why?
Life can be a tad bit dry,
But, nonetheless, life of your hearts
and be of good cheer;
don't believe all your eggs are in one cart,
and it's about to smash and smear,
because that's simply not the case!
Your mind is set on a good base,
so the bumps won't hold you down,
or leave you flat on your back with a frown.
I've seen it deep within you,
that mentality where you refuse to lose,
NO MATTER WHAT!
It's that grit,
that ability to dig down and never quit
that sets us apart from the rest,
and someday, we will be at our best!
All these slumps, and bumps bring out our grit,
it's just the way it goes - no need to throw a fit!

I don't know if you've ever been in a slump, but they aren't fun. They are a great chance to learn and grow and become something more, but they aren't fun. Sure, the practice pen is fine, it just happens to be a bit rougher when you actually get into a competition. I had a conversation with a girl who is one of the handiest girls in rodeo I've ever met, and we were saying everyone goes through them, some last longer than others, but sooner or later they end. It doesn't mean you never struggle again, but you find a rhythm again. There are only a few ways to get out of a slump (that I know of, if you have more suggestions, by all means, share them) and they aren't easy.

The first one is you have to change your mindset. Somehow you have to trick your subconscious self into believing this time it's different. Whether you change the way you warm up, or what you picture in the box, you have to find a way to understand this time it will be different. This applies to anything. If it's not working, change your mindset, and convince yourself this time it's different.

The second suggestion is to rope out of it. If you can't put a run together, rope. If you can't figure out your mindset, rope. You have to keep going; you can't get out of a pit if you sit and wait for a miracle. Miracles happen as a result of hard work. Keep going. Keep swinging. Keep your head up. It's gotta click eventually.

Bumps go along with slumps; they are upsets or disappointments in life that come up, sometimes out of nowhere, and slow down our progress on the Road of Life. They require patience and hope. I refuse to give up hope that maybe tomorrow, the challenge I'm facing will be manageable. There are two options for bumps: hide and wither away, or stand up to it, look it square in the eyes, and don't let it stop you. Seriously, look at it and tell it you won't let it control you, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

Grit is a dirty word and I love it. It doesn't come to those who give up, or those who want to just go with the flow. Grit is the determination that no matter what, you won't back off, you'll keep fighting, and you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. It's the raw endurance required in life. Grit is sticking to your goals and dreams day in and day out, not just for today, or tomorrow, or the rest of the week, or even the rest of the year, but until your dreams are your reality and your goals are accomplished. No grit, no pearls. Refuse to give in, stay with it! The challenges you are facing today are in your life for a purpose, it's most beneficial if you find out why, but that will require grit.

Here's to a fantastic week, full of ended slumps, overcoming bumps, and acquiring grit! God has your back, just let Him show you. 

Flying

Please don't be afraid to fall.

Wow, that was surprisingly easy to say. If only it was that easy to do...

Falling. The word is not very extravagant or fancy, its rather simple, but it has power. It has the power to keep people in their comfort zones, away from heights, edges, and mountainous cliffs. The fear of falling is intense, and can hold people back from chasing their dreams. Falling in front of peers, in our own minds, in front of our family, and in front of everyone watching and counting on us are all terrifying (to me anyways) and sometimes the tasks we have at hand can seem totally overwhelming. In fact, sometimes it can be crippling.

So, what keeps us going? Why do we still take risks? Why shouldn't we all just sit on Netflix ALL THE TIME? Isn't it safer?

Yes, it's safer. Yes, watching Netflix all the time can seem tempting, and it won't hurt in the end. The issue with this is we don't gain anything. We don't grow, we don't change, we don't learn.

Life is full of opportunities to grow and learn and develop ourselves. We need to make an effort to take advantage of these things. Don't wait for tomorrow, don't wait until someone else does it, too. Decide today, no, not just today, decide right now that you want to achieve your goals, that you want to fly. Don't be afraid to fall in love. Don't be afraid to fall in love with a person, or with life, even at the risk of falling. 

"There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask, "What if I fall? Oh but my darling. what if you fly?" Erin Hanson nailed it on the head. Flying is exactly what follows when we overcome the fear of falling. The feeling of liberation lets minds and hearts become peaceful, and content. 

God is good. In fact, He is really, really good. When you decide you want to fly, He will help you as your wings grow. Be patient, be humble. He will make you more than you ever imagined.

I hope someday I can look at myself in the mirror with laugh lines deeply engrained on my face, satisfied with the life I lived, and full of fantastic memories: some extravagant, some simple. I hope I will have surpassed my own expectations and helped people and never turned away a questioning soul. I hope my eyes still look for the good in people and I hope my heart overflows with gratitude for the wonderful life I have been given the chance to live, because it is fantastically beautiful, in every sense of the word.

Choosing Not to Rodeo on Sunday

This is my response I wish I had when people ask me why I don't rodeo on Sunday. I probably gave a four syllable answer, along the lines of I'm a Mormon, but that isn't a fantastic answer.

This is in NO WAY intended to say that Mormons who rodeo on Sunday are bad, or that I am better than them, or anything along those lines. This is why I choose not to compete on Sundays in the season.

First of all, when I was in grade nine, my dad said we wouldn't go on Sundays. If I would've fought him in this, he probably would have let me go. He told me if I didn't go on Sundays, I would be blessed. My naïve grade nine mentality thought this meant I would do well in rodeo simply because I didn't compete on Sunday. This was not the case. I didn't qualify for provincials in grade nine, and I was sure it was because I had only gone to the rodeos held on Friday and Saturday, and I wasn't totally sure if I ever would qualify for provincials, but that was alright with me at that point.

In grade ten, I qualified for provincials in one event tied for tenth. (They take the top ten in each district.) I then qualified for the Canadian High School Finals, which is the top six in each province. This was a huge testimony builder to me, and I continued to work hard to improve in the sport I love.

I used Hanna's horse for the fall of grade eleven, then I started hauling my own mare in the spring. Needless to say, it took us a few rodeos to get on the same page, and I fell down continuously in the breakaway standings. I was still for sure going to qualify in goat tying, but I was hoping to qualify in both events. It didn't look like it was going to happen. In fact, my dad told me even if I won the last rodeo, I wouldn't have had enough points to make it in the top ten, and I had nothing to lose. I won the final rodeo, and ended up tied for tenth again headed to provincials. The final rodeo of the season was snowed out, and so I made it. (My dad was a little off in his calculations, thank goodness.)

Provincials came, and I had a goal to make it to Nationals. I thought if I was going to go, it would be in goats, since I was seeded higher in that event.

On the last day, I knew I had to catch my last calf in breakaway to have a chance to win the average and hopefully qualify for Nationals. I did that, and I just went to get ready for goat tying, which was next. The girl who won Alberta came over, super excited for me, and told me I qualified to go. I was shocked; I had no idea I would qualify after coming in to provincials in last place. Literally. Last.

Nationals was fun, I learned so much about competition and personal growth and the opportunities available in this fantastic sport. I did alright in the second run, and felt confident going into Canadians.

I don't know why, but I was so excited for Canadians. I couldn't sleep the night before, I was shaking with excitement when we pulled in. I had been there before, and was ready for the competition.

I was one of three girls to catch two calves, I was third high call for the final round. I caught my calf, and waited to see how the other two girls would do. They both missed, and I was shaking again. I didn't stop shaking for a solid twenty four hours after that run. Multiple people asked me how it felt to be the Canadian High School Finals Breakaway Champion. My response was it felt good, it felt like everything I had been doing for years finally paid off.

The fact that I qualified for provincials was a testament to me that I was blessed for not competing on Sundays. Then I qualified for Nationals, and I could not deny the Source of my success.

Yes, it does put me at a disadvantage to only compete and roughly half of the rodeos in the regular season.

Is it worth it to me? Absolutely. Would I change it? No. Why is this my answer? It all comes down to one truth.

Rodeo is what I do, it's not who I am. I am a daughter of God, and I love Him with my entire being. I would do anything for Him. I wouldn't choose to rodeo on Sunday now, because for me, that means I would change my relationship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, and there is nothing, nothing, that would be worth that for me.

There are tons of quotes from General Authorities about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. I think it must be pretty important, it's listed in the commandments along with "Do not kill," and things like that. I'll share a couple of my favorite quotes.

The first one comes from Quenton L. Cook. He said, "Keeping the Sabbath Day is a refuge from the storms of this life." A refuge! How cool of a promise is that?!

Henry B. Eyering said, "When you do your part, the Lord adds His power to your efforts." I know this is true with my entire being.

I love rodeo, I love the rush, I live for the next run. But the high from competing is nothing compared to the love I feel from my Heavenly Father.

I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives!

Because I have been given many opportunities in life, as well as in this sport, I feel I should give, too. The Sabbath Day is something I give to my Savior, and that is why I choose not to rodeo on Sunday.