Reflections of a True Millennial

I've always liked the idea of making resolutions at the beginning of each new year. Even though January 1st is essentially no different from any of the other 364 days on the calendar, it feels like a good time to start fresh and become a little bit better. For several years when I was younger, I would prepare an annual "time capsule" for my family, where we would reflect on the previous year and make a few resolutions for the next year. Because youth is usually marked by rapid change and growth (in schooling, extracurricular activities, etc.), it was always exciting to see the difference from one year to the next. In our time capsule, I would even include pages for each person to trace their foot. Of course, I was eager to see how much bigger my feet were after a whole year, but I now realize that it probably wasn't as interesting for my parents to trace their same-sized adult foot every twelve months. Anyway, despite my now constant-sized feet, each year seems to b

Apparently I only ever feel inspired enough to write in my blog when I visit a National Park. About a year ago, I visited Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, and just last week I went down to Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. I promise that lots of other notable things have happened in the past twelve months despite my lack of writing, and I hope to be a bit better at writing during the next twelve months... Anyway, it really is true that a lot has happened in the past year. I am entering peak millennial status as "young adult." That's the phrase used to describe someone who is definitely old enough to start acting like an adult, but definitely does not feel like they are old enough to start acting like an adult (which describes me well). In about seven months, I will be done with college and free to do adult things like get a job, move somewhere new, mow the lawn, watch cable news, talk about finances, etc. All of that sounds nice, but I'm kind of sc

I think it is safe to say that everyone has nagging thoughts in the back of their mind of exciting or useful things that they should finally get around to doing. Maybe you frequently think about getting back into an old hobby, trying a new sport, or getting to know a certain person. In the two-and-a-half years that I've lived in Utah, one of my lingering desires has been to get out and see more of the beautiful nature that we have here. There are always lots of excuses not to (e.g., school), but somehow last weekend worked out perfectly for some friends and I to travel down and see Arches and Canyonlands National Parks near Moab, Utah. It was an awesome weekend with great friends, and the landscapes were beautiful to see in person. Arches National Park was definitely a must-see on my mental list of things to do and places to visit. Any visual reference to Utah you have seen probably includes a depiction of the famous Delicate Arch. When you drive into Utah on the interstate or

If you know me, you probably know that I love most sports. I could easily spend all day watching football, soccer, basketball, or most other sports (probably not baseball, sorry). I love the action of the games, but I also enjoy learning about athletes who excel as people and stand out as strong role models. One such athlete for me has been Chad Lewis, who was a tight end for BYU and the Philadelphia Eagles. I don't think I ever actually watched him played (he retired from football in 2005), but many years ago I read his memoir, Surround Yourself With Greatness . The details of the book have mostly faded from memory, but the message has recently been impressed on my mind: to be your best self, you must surround yourself with greatness. This advice carries several different meanings. First off, we must fill our time and our efforts with great things. We can't expect to shine if we waste our time doing things with no real value. We should actively be pursuing our goals and dre

Well, it's that time of year again! I love the Christmas season. Everything just feels merry and bright in my eyes. However, for the next few weeks at least I am here in Utah, where everything seems to also be cold. I guess for most people winter and snow are the best part of Christmas, but I greatly prefer 85 degrees and 100% humidity. Luckily, I'll be able to escape to the tropical weather for a few weeks during winter break. Anyway, it may sound cliché, but I really do love the feeling of this time of year. It's a time where we can do our best to take down the barriers we have and show love to one another. During the last week or so, I have been remembering how things were this time last year on my mission in Chile (as for the weather, it thankfully was at about 85 degrees). It was a very busy time for my companion and I in the mission office as we tried to organize Christmas zone conferences, prepare the mission Christmas video, maintain all our other office responsib

Yet again, it has been way too long since I have last written. (I'm sure that no one else has noticed, but for me it has been too long). For the past few months I have been back at BYU, and things have been going pretty well here. It certainly has been an adjustment, since I had previously been living a completely different lifestyle for the past two years as a missionary. Additionally, I am not from this part of the country and I have lots of questions regarding life and the future. I think that new situations like this can be overwhelming for most of us. Life does not seem so hard when we have everything figured out, but change and uncertainty often invoke strong emotions. Depending on how we choose to react, we may end up feeling overwhelming eagerness and optimism, or crippling negativity and doubt, or something in between. This spectrum not only applies to monumental occasions of our lives, but also to the many personal anxieties that we might face each day. How can we avo