Music...revisited

Today's topic is MUSIC. I know it's cheating a little to blog about what my blog challenge is, but A simple blog challenge can't  sum up the way I feel about music. Music flows in my veins. I always have a song in my head. When I wake up, it's with lyrics on my lips. I can't go a day without listening to music...and I wouldn't want to. Music is my life. I love listening to it, playing it, and (toying around with) writing it. Anyway... Here is the challenge.

Day 13 – Your favorite musician and why?

This is a seriously hard question...mostly because I love music so much, and I have many musicians that inspire and motivate me. SO, I'm going to cheat and name off more than one.

Family--First and foremost are the musicians that are in my family. My dad, my brothers, my uncles, my aunties, my grandparents...I don't think that I would be the same person if I didn't grow up in a musical home. Each of them has inspired me and molded me into a better person.

Fleetwood Mac--I am relatively new to the Fleetwood Mac fan club, but I LOVE their stuff!

Average White Band--A Jazz/Funk band from the 70s. Can't get better than "Cloudy."

Earth Wind & Fire--EWF. They were and are still a musical phenomenon. What else can I say???

IDK who else to put down as of this moment. I have so many musical influences, from Hawaiian music to Rock and Classical.

I would say that if you are a true music lover, it's too hard to pick just one group or artist that is your favorite, because every piece of music has the potential to fundamentally change your life. :)

Here is a song that will get your toes tappin!

Two Blogs in One Night

Man...I need to learn how to get my readership up! :)

Once again, my roommate is the only one that has noticed that I need to catch up on my blog challenge. :) Thanks Amy. :)

Anywho--since I have done a lot of free writing, I'm moving on to Day 12.

Day 12 – 15 Random Facts about you.

1. I look amazing in the color BLUE. 

2. My hair is awesome. Seriously... I don't really know anyone that is wash and wear like me. :)

3. I have an obsession with flashlights. And ball point pens.

4. I just got back from a vacation in Portland. It was AWESOME. :)

5. My feet are my best feature overall. :)

6. I use emoticons ALL THE TIME. :D

7. Things that are sparkly make me happy.

8. My ring size is 12.5.

9. If I could do one thing right now, I would make a chocolate souffle.

10. I secretly love school because I get to learn new things everyday. (Guess the secret's out! ;) )

11. I want to get a new car, but I love Blanche too much to really put effort into the search for one.  That, and I am the best procrastinator EVER!

12. Having a post office box makes me feel like an adult.

13. When I was on the plane ride home (from OR) I saw a girl knitting and thought it was amazing. I still like crochet better than knitting, but I thought that was random enough for inclusion in this list.

14. Sometimes I feel like I'm an "animal whisperer." I do really well with animals...and kids for that matter.

15. I was thinking the other day about dreams. Wouldn't it be cool if we transported every night to another dimension through our dreams, and that is why sometimes they are super vivid and stuff? I like to think about things like that in my spare time.

Anyway. I know that I've been sort of a slacker lately, but I promise that I'll be better about posting. Have a great night!

Drinking for 11
by: Mad Caddies

Drinking for eleven, that's just what I do,
When I'm not with you, my heart goes to bed

End of the bar, that's just where I'll be,
Don't try and come find me,
'Cause I'm already dead

With one eye tied upon the open road,
I feel your presence and I can't let it go
It moves so slowly as it creeps into my mind,
Steals every breath I have and leaves my heart behind

I wanna know what you're feeling if you're feeling alone,
I wanna hear if you still care
The last time I remember you was the last time I wasn't scared

When the night starts fadin' and the mornin' arrives,
I wanna still feel you around
Will you creep into my head again and pick me up off the ground?
Once more, tell me what you're fighting for

Gotta try, gotta try for tomorrow
you can't see through today
Gotta try, gotta try for tomorrow
you can't see through today
There's nowhere left to stay

Sometimes I feel like I'm out here all alone,
Just one in a million stuck with no place left to go

Fear steps up to me with every move that I make
Following close behind my soul it wants to take

I wanna know what you're feeling if you're feeling alone,
I wanna hear if you still care
The last time I remember you was the last time I wasn't scared

When the night starts fadin' and the mornin' arrives
I wanna still feel you around
Will you creep into my head again and pick me up off the ground?
Once more, tell me what you're fighting for

Gotta try, gotta try for tomorrow
you can't see through today
Gotta try, gotta try for tomorrow
you can't see through today
There's nowhere left to stay

Drinking for eleven, that's just what I do,
When I'm not with you, my heart goes to bed.

Motivation

I've been thinking a lot about life lately.

What defines success in your life??? Or success in general?

I know there is the 'typical' view of success, but what is success for you?

If you aren't successful are you automatically a failure?

I always thought that success would be marriage, a great job, a big house, a nice car, and raising my own family. Did I mention that I wanted to achieve all of this within the first 25 years of my life?

It may seem to be strange that I would want to do all of that so early in my life--but that is what I wanted, and what I was taught meant success. Not attaining what I perceived as "success" in life meant I was a failure.

Now, I am 27 years old, and I haven't done any of those things.  At one point in my life I felt like a failure. A HUGE failure. How could I move forward in life if I was such a huge failure at EVERYTHING I wanted for myself?

However, as I have matured I can honestly say that now I feel accomplished and overall...just GRATEFUL for what I have. I have been able to achieve so much and do so many things that I have always wanted to do. And I still am.

I was talking to a friend of mine and we were discussing things that we have done and things we hope to do in the near future. I'm not really the type of person to make an actual list of things that I want to do during my life, but during this discussion I realized that I have done a lot in my life. I am a successful woman. Even though my culture, religion, and even at times my family and friends have told me that I'm not enough, I know that I am.

I don't know why I'm writing this right now. I felt like it was important...so I'll leave you with a thought.

Discovering and achieving your dreams is not easy. You may not always be the best at whatever you are doing. You may not be following the "success timeline" you or someone else has set up for your life. However, it is never too late to find what you are passionate about. It is never too late to live your life.

Life is here for the living. We aren't meant to whittle our time away because we are afraid or because we don't think we have the ability to attain our dreams. If you want to do something, do it. If you want to go somewhere, go! Life is too short to limit yourself because of fear. Success is achieving your dreams. But happiness and fulfillment are found in the journey.

Get out there and start LIVING YOUR DREAMS!!!

Instead of lyrics, here is a little something from one of my favorite websites holstee.

Radio

I

am

so

EXCITED!

:)

In just a week or so, I will start training for my first ever RADIO show! :) I am SO excited. I can't even start to tell you. It's going to be epic! Me and my friend Susi will be featured in a show called "Island Fever" on KTIM, which is a grassroots community radio station here is Southern Utah. It's going to be EPIC. Seriously. When we start doing podcasts, I'll let you guys know. :)

Anyway, today was a day for learning things. I learned how to put up a large banner with stakes and zip ties. I also learned how to make a ringtone from music files! :) I made one today from one of my favorite video games, Bust-A-Groove, called Kitty-N's theme. Check it out. It's AMAZING. Anyway, I made it on a website called Myxer. It's pretty awesome! :)

Anyway, General Conference was amazing. I don't think I've ever had more spiritual guidance in a conference before. :)

Have a great week!

Weekend

Aloha!!!
How have you all been? Here, life has been pretty awesome and crazy and stressful, and overall... life! :) This weekend was the Young Single Adult Conference for our stake.

It was...AMAZING. More than amazing. I just posted this on my facebook, but it was a life-changing experience. I went to the conference with a lot on my plate and a lot of questions. I left with a light heart and a happy feeling. I haven't really felt that happy in a LONG time.

I am just SO grateful for this life. I am grateful for the love that is shown to me, even though I know I don't deserve it most days.

I took a personality test the other day with my brothers, and I was faced with the Karyn that they have known their entire life. It wasn't pretty.  I would be lying if I said that their portrayal of me and the clarity in which they have seen me in the past wasn't hurtful. However, it was true.

Too true.

I have made a resolution to try to be better. I don't want people to think I'm critical of them, or that I won't listen to them if they need me.

This weekend was the best place to see that I need to focus on what really matters. I get so...distracted by things that are so trivial. I need to take a step back and refocus my life.

A really good friend of mine is moving this week to Vegas for a job.

I am SUPER happy for him. He has been looking for a while and is going to start working at a company that offers really good opportunities for advancement.

BUT, I am WAY sad about it...even though it's only 2 hours away. I guess what really makes me sad is that I can't just drop by his place or tell him to come over to hang out. He's rambunctious and loud, but he's also really fun and we have the awesomest conversations about stuff. lol.

It's such a mixture of emotions, but I keep coming back to happy. I'm glad that he has this opportunity, and that he's moving forward with life. :)

Anywho. Life is good, and will keep getting better. I just need to get back to the basics. :)

Okay. I don't listen to a lot of country, but this one is for Chris - who played this on his iPhone three times this past weekend. lol. I think he likes it, but I can't be sure. ;)

Enjoy!

New Life

Lately I have been...

Hmm... I can't really think of the right word. Stretched thin? Over-extended?

Anyway. You get what I mean.

When I get like this (and it does happen from time to time) I try to avoid people because if you have known me for any length of time, I tend to be ... unpleasant. Grumpy. Cantankerous. (lol)

However, when you have someone who is typically in a good mood and really happy and doing what they are supposed to as your roommate (I'm talking about you, Amy), it is nearly impossible to have a bad day or to be in a bad mood for any length of time.

In fact, I find myself intrigued, enlightened, and amused at the smallest and least likely of things. It's been really cool. For instance, I made a calendar AGES ago for work, and the color combination I created on October 7th is phenomenal. It's like a spring green, orangey-pink and golden rod. It's seriously amazing.

What really inspired this blog though happened last night after a birthday party I went to. My good friend Wyatt was there playing volleyball, and he stopped playing the game and hugged me. He also told me that he missed having me around and that he wished I would make more of an effort to be a part of our social group again.

I was seriously surprised. I didn't think that it really made that much of a difference to people if I was around or not. I have been buried in school, and make that excuse to people when they ask me about where I've been, but it was nice.

Another thing happened last night that was cool too. My roomie came to my office (where I was doing homework) and just chilled with me until I was done. So, as we were sitting in the office, I finished a particularly difficult piece of my accounting homework and exclaimed, "I am amazing!"

Do you know what she said?

"It took you that long to figure that out?"

Not only was that super cool of her to say that, but it made me think.

I think I undervalue myself.

I mean...I'm not trying to be cocky or arrogant. However, I do "have a particular set of skills" (movie quote?) that I think are unique and are valuable. I think I'm pretty awesome at what I do. People come and ask me for things, and I can give them what they ask for. How fantastic is that?

I guess what I really want to say is...THANK YOU. Thanks to friends and family that support me, and inspire me to be better, and that love me unconditionally. This week I have definitely needed it, and you all have delivered beautifully.

Now, this song is the EXACT opposite of what I just said, but it has been in my head, so here you go:

I am an optimist.

I always like to look on the bright side of things. I guess I figure that it's too depressing to be pessimistic all the time. I do have pessimistic moments...I will actually seek out the worst case scenario, plan for it, and then hope for the best case scenario to happen. :)

I suppose that makes me a cautious optimist. lol.

Anyway. The reason I am writing this is because of one thing. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt.

People are sometimes bad and mean. They are sometimes hurtful and violent. However, I believe in the goodness of people. I believe that if you give someone a chance to prove themselves as a good and honest person, that they will.

Some people see this point of view as naive or foolish. Trust me, I know how it sounds. Rest assured that I will always have the little planner in  my head preparing me for the worst case scenario. However, most of me will trust people until they prove that they aren't trustworthy. Even then, I will give people second, third, even fourth chances.

I don't know exactly how I learned this, but I think I get it from my dad. He is one of the most forgiving and friendly people I know. I have seen people do some pretty messed up things to my dad, and he just lets it roll off his shoulders. I think I also get some of it from my mom...who invariably puts up with us (her family) even though sometimes we say or do things that are really hurtful towards her.

If you have read past posts I have written about my family, you will know that I consider myself the "black sheep" of the family. I have always gone my own way. I make my friends my family... especially when I am away from my actual family (like I am now). My brothers seem content to have their wives and kids, and that's it. I'm not sure if I would be that way.

However, I think that fact is the reason I am so forgiving of my friends. When they hurt me, when they betray me, etc. I forgive them...because that is what you do when it's your family.

I may not have the most perfect home life, and I never claimed I was anywhere near perfect. However, I DO think I have this right.

Forgiveness (is more than saying sorry! ;) What movie???) is something I am good at. Not only forgiving, but forgetting as well. I think there is a reason I have a leaky sieve for a brain. I can't remember stuff to save my life. (As is surely frustrating for everyone around me. Sorry. I can't help it.) I do remember love though. I love my family. I love my friends. I even love perfect strangers.

I know that there are bad people out there. I consider myself a pretty good judge of character, so don't worry. I won't be playing the martyr and getting myself into trouble with people that are sketchy.

I do know one thing though. People deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Challenge this week--trust someone. It might turn sour, I know... but maybe, just maybe you'll be surprised at the awesomeness that ensues.