Thank you so much for all the support! :) I can't wait to share all of my Swiss adventures with you!
T-Minus 19 days!
xoxo,
Rebecca
Showing posts with label human. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Pageviews & Gratitude
Thank you so much for all the support! :) I can't wait to share all of my Swiss adventures with you!
T-Minus 19 days!
Friendships Developed From Humility
Meet Annie.
This beautiful woman is the co-owner and artistic director of Quickstep Dance Studio, where I work. We've known each other since high school, but I wouldn't say we've ever really been friends (until now). And that is 100% my fault.
You see, I've always been really intimidated by Annie. Don't get me wrong, she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She is kind, beautiful, smart... but I found her intelligence threatening. But more so than my intimidation of her, I was majorly jealous of her. She is a PHENOMENAL dancer, and I just always saw her as the embodiment of every dream I had and wanted for myself as a dancer. She was on BYU's youth ballroom formation teams, then eventually BYU's tour team, and even UVU's tour team. She competes nationally and internationally and recently acquired her own studio. She is, in a word, amazing!
In high school, it was painful to even look in her direction; I constantly compared myself to her when I was around her, and I desperately wanted everything she was achieving. She was living MY dreams. Ultimately, I just decided I didn't like her much and avoided her presence.
Jealousy is stupid and it makes you act like a moron.
Learn this lesson early people: someone being smart, or pretty, or just plain awesome doesn't make you the antithesis of those things, or mean you are lacking those things. There's lots of smart, beautiful, awesome people in the world. It doesn't undermine your value. My lack of understanding of this concept and poor self-esteem was the key to this particular downfall of mine, and the result was a cold-shoulder approach to an undeserving Annie.
Recently I've realized though, that yes, I am definitely not the GREATEST dancer. But for me, getting a degree in dance, was the one thing I could have picked that would challenge me to the highest degree. I am gifted in "book smartness"; I can be lazy, but given the time and the effort, I could memorize whatever I needed to for med school, or whatever other kind of "fancy" or "prestigious" degree there is. But dance took me out of my comfort-zone and BEYOND, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And the lessons I learned in that journey are priceless. I wouldn't change any of the growth I've experienced in pursuing this education for anything. Whether or not I "amount to anything" in the eyes of my fellow dance peers hardly matters when put into this perspective.
I've also realized that it's OK to dream, and it's also OK to outgrow dreams. That doesn't mean you STOP dreaming or that you shouldn't continually reach for greater knowledge and self-improvement. As you grow, things might change. If God is at the helm of your life, have enough faith in Him to know that He will lead you in the direction that will make you the happiest, and will also be of greatest use and value to Him.
Anyhow, given this one-sided history, I was a bit apprehensive at working not only for Annie, but for my best friend (the other half of the co-ownership). I decided though, that I couldn't let pride deprive me of an opportunity to work and gain experience in my studied profession right out of school, and I was pretty sure we all had the maturity to maintain an appropriate level of professionalism required to work together without damaging any relationships. Plus, I really did want to help my Bestie out :) So, putting aside these negative feelings and emotions, I humbled myself and gratefully accepted an instructor's position.
Literally, one of the best decisions I've ever made. I cannot thank Annie and Laura enough, for the opportunity to teach in a place where there is mutual respect, communication, and engaged students, eager to soak up any knowledge you hand them. I love my students and I love teaching them and giving them tools to help them reach their own goals and dreams.
And during all of this, I've been blessed with opportunities to get to know Annie a lot better - I'm pretty much an idiot. haha.
I wanted to share this post that my Bishop put on our ward's Facebook wall, which seemed oddly fitting given the subject matter of this particular blog post:
The most encouraging word in the Christian vocabulary is "Repentance" it is simply the scriptural invitation for growth and improvement and progress and renewal. You can be anything you want to be in righteousness. Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make. But it takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, "I’ll change"—and mean it.
So, to dear Annie,
I'm sorry I let my insecurities deprive us of a spectacular friendship for so long. But I'm grateful for your grace and patience and forgiveness towards a stubborn and sometimes hard-hearted girl. I truly feel that we can and will become best of friends - the kind that last forever :)
 |
| ( I totally stole this photo off her Facebook page... ) |
This beautiful woman is the co-owner and artistic director of Quickstep Dance Studio, where I work. We've known each other since high school, but I wouldn't say we've ever really been friends (until now). And that is 100% my fault.
You see, I've always been really intimidated by Annie. Don't get me wrong, she is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. She is kind, beautiful, smart... but I found her intelligence threatening. But more so than my intimidation of her, I was majorly jealous of her. She is a PHENOMENAL dancer, and I just always saw her as the embodiment of every dream I had and wanted for myself as a dancer. She was on BYU's youth ballroom formation teams, then eventually BYU's tour team, and even UVU's tour team. She competes nationally and internationally and recently acquired her own studio. She is, in a word, amazing!
In high school, it was painful to even look in her direction; I constantly compared myself to her when I was around her, and I desperately wanted everything she was achieving. She was living MY dreams. Ultimately, I just decided I didn't like her much and avoided her presence.
Jealousy is stupid and it makes you act like a moron.
Learn this lesson early people: someone being smart, or pretty, or just plain awesome doesn't make you the antithesis of those things, or mean you are lacking those things. There's lots of smart, beautiful, awesome people in the world. It doesn't undermine your value. My lack of understanding of this concept and poor self-esteem was the key to this particular downfall of mine, and the result was a cold-shoulder approach to an undeserving Annie.
Recently I've realized though, that yes, I am definitely not the GREATEST dancer. But for me, getting a degree in dance, was the one thing I could have picked that would challenge me to the highest degree. I am gifted in "book smartness"; I can be lazy, but given the time and the effort, I could memorize whatever I needed to for med school, or whatever other kind of "fancy" or "prestigious" degree there is. But dance took me out of my comfort-zone and BEYOND, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And the lessons I learned in that journey are priceless. I wouldn't change any of the growth I've experienced in pursuing this education for anything. Whether or not I "amount to anything" in the eyes of my fellow dance peers hardly matters when put into this perspective.
I've also realized that it's OK to dream, and it's also OK to outgrow dreams. That doesn't mean you STOP dreaming or that you shouldn't continually reach for greater knowledge and self-improvement. As you grow, things might change. If God is at the helm of your life, have enough faith in Him to know that He will lead you in the direction that will make you the happiest, and will also be of greatest use and value to Him.
Anyhow, given this one-sided history, I was a bit apprehensive at working not only for Annie, but for my best friend (the other half of the co-ownership). I decided though, that I couldn't let pride deprive me of an opportunity to work and gain experience in my studied profession right out of school, and I was pretty sure we all had the maturity to maintain an appropriate level of professionalism required to work together without damaging any relationships. Plus, I really did want to help my Bestie out :) So, putting aside these negative feelings and emotions, I humbled myself and gratefully accepted an instructor's position.
Literally, one of the best decisions I've ever made. I cannot thank Annie and Laura enough, for the opportunity to teach in a place where there is mutual respect, communication, and engaged students, eager to soak up any knowledge you hand them. I love my students and I love teaching them and giving them tools to help them reach their own goals and dreams.
And during all of this, I've been blessed with opportunities to get to know Annie a lot better - I'm pretty much an idiot. haha.
I wanted to share this post that my Bishop put on our ward's Facebook wall, which seemed oddly fitting given the subject matter of this particular blog post:
The most encouraging word in the Christian vocabulary is "Repentance" it is simply the scriptural invitation for growth and improvement and progress and renewal. You can be anything you want to be in righteousness. Of course there will be problems to work out and restitutions to make. But it takes exactly as long to repent as it takes you to say, "I’ll change"—and mean it.
So, to dear Annie,
I'm sorry I let my insecurities deprive us of a spectacular friendship for so long. But I'm grateful for your grace and patience and forgiveness towards a stubborn and sometimes hard-hearted girl. I truly feel that we can and will become best of friends - the kind that last forever :)
xoxo,
Rebecca
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Packing & Moving
Phew!
Today I spent a couple hours moving stuff from my apartment back to my parents' house. So tired! haha. As someone who has moved 10+ times, can I just say that packing/moving SUCKS. It makes me want to throw out all of my stuff... but I'm too sentimental to actually do that. Now I must sort through everything to see what I am actually going to take with me to Switzerland and what my parents get to store in their house :P they are so nice!
I'm on a little break, and I wanted to share this awesome video my friend showed me:
Today I spent a couple hours moving stuff from my apartment back to my parents' house. So tired! haha. As someone who has moved 10+ times, can I just say that packing/moving SUCKS. It makes me want to throw out all of my stuff... but I'm too sentimental to actually do that. Now I must sort through everything to see what I am actually going to take with me to Switzerland and what my parents get to store in their house :P they are so nice!
I'm on a little break, and I wanted to share this awesome video my friend showed me:
Perseverance people. It's the key to life. :)
xoxo,
Rebecca
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Beauty Is Pain?
Oh mah gosh.
Today I went and got my lower legs and underarms waxed for the first time. My beautiful friend Sarah is a student at Aveda and is currently raising money to go to New York Fashion Week! I figured I could kill two birds with one stone, you know, support my friend, and get mah smooooth on ;) haha.
HOLY. SHIITAKE. MUSHROOMS.
I feel like the screaming pain my calves were experiencing is the pain that guys think a Brazilian wax is like; dude, I will take a full Brazilian wax over legs any day of the week. My poor friend had to deal with all my screaming and head shaking hahaha, I'm sure it was hilarious.
*Side Note: So the manager/teacher came in and informed us that some dude was getting a facial across the way... "I know it hurts, but...." Oh, you are not serious right now lady. You're telling the woman getting hair ripped out of her skin to shut up!? Maybe you shouldn't have the waxing station and the facial station NEXT TO EACH OTHER!
Anyway, my legs feel fine now, but I may just stick to shaving. I am NOT looking forward to doing that ever again... although, the first time is always the worst... *shrug* we shall see. Underarms weren't as bad, but they're still a bit sore. It's nice to be all smooth though!
If you're in the Provo area, hit up Aveda Institute (ask for Sarah! she did a FABULOUS job) for hair, makeup, waxing, facials, etc. Treat yourself! You deserve it! :)
Today I went and got my lower legs and underarms waxed for the first time. My beautiful friend Sarah is a student at Aveda and is currently raising money to go to New York Fashion Week! I figured I could kill two birds with one stone, you know, support my friend, and get mah smooooth on ;) haha.
HOLY. SHIITAKE. MUSHROOMS.
I feel like the screaming pain my calves were experiencing is the pain that guys think a Brazilian wax is like; dude, I will take a full Brazilian wax over legs any day of the week. My poor friend had to deal with all my screaming and head shaking hahaha, I'm sure it was hilarious.
*Side Note: So the manager/teacher came in and informed us that some dude was getting a facial across the way... "I know it hurts, but...." Oh, you are not serious right now lady. You're telling the woman getting hair ripped out of her skin to shut up!? Maybe you shouldn't have the waxing station and the facial station NEXT TO EACH OTHER!
Anyway, my legs feel fine now, but I may just stick to shaving. I am NOT looking forward to doing that ever again... although, the first time is always the worst... *shrug* we shall see. Underarms weren't as bad, but they're still a bit sore. It's nice to be all smooth though!
If you're in the Provo area, hit up Aveda Institute (ask for Sarah! she did a FABULOUS job) for hair, makeup, waxing, facials, etc. Treat yourself! You deserve it! :)
xoxo,
Rebecca
Friday, June 27, 2014
Book Review: "Man's Search for Meaning"
I received a book entitled "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl, as a graduation present and I finally finished reading it a few days ago.
WOW! This is one of those books that will seriously change your life, or at least your perspective. Utterly inspired. This is definitely going on my "favorite books" list. I highly recommend it, and just to tease you into reading it yourself, here are some of my favorite excerpts:
"Frankl saw three possible sources for meaning: in work (doing something significant), in love (caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it." (from the forward by Harold S. Kushner)
"An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior."
"A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. The I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love."
"Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance."
"As the inner life of the prisoner tended to become more intense, he also experienced the beauty of art and nature as never before. Under their influence he sometimes even forgot his own frightful circumstances."
"Humor was another of the soul's weapons in the fight for self-preservation."
"No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might not have done the same."
"Nietzsche's words, 'He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how'..."
"Human kindness can be found in all groups even those which as a whole it would be easy to condemn."
"...there are two races of men in this world, but only these two - the 'race' of the decent man and the 'race' of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people. In this sense, no group is of 'pure race'..."
"The crowning experience of all, for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear any more - except his God."
"A man's concern, even his despair, over the worthwhileness of his life is an existential distress but by no means a mental disease."
"...something which in itself is meaningless cannot be rendered meaningful merely by its perpetuation."
"Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself." (also "...happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.")
"...we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."
Seriously people, READ IT. It is worth your time, I promise!
"Frankl saw three possible sources for meaning: in work (doing something significant), in love (caring for another person), and in courage during difficult times. Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it." (from the forward by Harold S. Kushner)
"An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior."
"A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. The I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love."
"Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance."
"As the inner life of the prisoner tended to become more intense, he also experienced the beauty of art and nature as never before. Under their influence he sometimes even forgot his own frightful circumstances."
"Humor was another of the soul's weapons in the fight for self-preservation."
"No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might not have done the same."
"Nietzsche's words, 'He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how'..."
"Human kindness can be found in all groups even those which as a whole it would be easy to condemn."
"...there are two races of men in this world, but only these two - the 'race' of the decent man and the 'race' of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people. In this sense, no group is of 'pure race'..."
"The crowning experience of all, for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear any more - except his God."
"A man's concern, even his despair, over the worthwhileness of his life is an existential distress but by no means a mental disease."
"...something which in itself is meaningless cannot be rendered meaningful merely by its perpetuation."
"Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself." (also "...happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.")
"...we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips."
Seriously people, READ IT. It is worth your time, I promise!
xoxo,
Rebecca
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