Take Interest, Take Notice, Take ME with you.

Why was the boy covered in gift wrap?

His mom told him to live in the present.

1. Take notice of the world around you. No matter what you're doing, try to find something beautiful around you. Maybe on your way to work or school, you go over a beautiful bridge, or you get a view of the sunrise behind the city buildings. Realizing these small things can bring life and happiness even to the most boring or routine days. Be thankful for those little things.
2. 

   
   Focus on whatever you're doing. Even if you're just walking, or wiping the counter, or shuffling cards - how does it feel? There's probably some kind of commentary spinning through your mind, and it probably has to do with something other than what you're doing. Let those thoughts go and focus on what is (not what was, or what could be). In Buddhism, this is referred to as mindfulness. Pay attention to your senses - touch, sight, smell, sound, and taste. Pretend it's the very last time you'll ever experience whatever you're experiencing. Have you ever been so engrossed in something that it seemed like the rest of the world just disappeared? Living in the moment is about creating that state of mind at any time. Slow down, and try to savor the present.
3. Smile when you wake up. You can set the tone of appreciation and awareness for the next 24 hours by simply waking up and smiling.^[1] Don't wake up with a groan and a smash of your alarm clock. There's scientific proof that the expressions that you make with your face can actually influence how you feel.^[2] In particular, true happiness is most closely tied to a Duchenne smile which involves smiling with your eyes, as well as your mouth.^[3]
4. Commit random, spontaneous acts of kindness. Whether it's donating 1 dollar to a fund at the pharmacy, picking up litter, or helping victims of natural disasters, keep alert in every moment of your day for some way in which you can make the world a better place. Even the smallest thing, like complimenting someone, can bring joy. It's the most spontaneous and unexpected acts of kindness that produce the greatest impact, and you can't be sensitive to those kinds of opportunities unless you're living in the moment.
5. Minimize activities that dull your awareness of the moment. What are you doing that tempts your mind to run away from the present? For most people, watching television puts you in a passive state of mind, and time slips right by. Daydreaming and getting lost in a good movie or book isn't bad, but it's not living in the moment because it places your concentration on something that isn't right here, right now; it's a form of escapism. Don't zone out; zone in. Do things that are active, and that encourage you to look around and engage the world in that moment. Gardening, playing a game, knitting, and playing an instrument are all activities that lend themselves to mindfulness. So get off the computer after reading this article! http://www.wikihow.com/Live-in-the-Moment

I catalog these steps now
Decisive and intentioned
precise and patterned specifically to yours.
I'm talented at breathing
Especially exhaling
So that my chest will rise and fall with yours

I'm careful not to wake you
Fearing conversation
It's better just to hold you
And keep you pacified
I'm talented with reason
I cover all the angles
I can fail before I ever try

Try to understand there's an old mistake that fools will make
And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away
Wont you hold me now (I will not bend I will not break)
Wont you hold me now (I will not bend I will not break)

I am fairly agile
I can bend and not break
Or I can break and take it with a smile
And I am so resilient
I recover quickly
I'll convince you soon that I am fine

Try to understand there's and old mistake that fools will make
And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away
Wont you hold me now (I will not bend I will not break)
Wont you hold me now (For you I rise, for you I fall)

Just hold me close to you, just hold me close to you
Just hold me close to you, just hold me close to you, to you

And try to understand there's and old mistake that fools will make
And I'm the king of them, pushing everything that's good away
So wont you hold me now?
Wont you hold me now?
Now, now, now, now, now
- DB

I VOTED! It was stressful but I did it. And even though I live in Utah and the state is pretty much all republican, I'm still glad I voted. I did my part. I'm American.


So a funny thing happened monday night at FHE. First off, I was not excited to go because I didn't really know anyone in my group except my roommates, but I went anyway. So we played this game were you just pretty much introduce yourself and say something unique about yourself. I, like always say that I'm adopted and my new roommate whose name is Rachel gasped "Me too!!!" so she asked where and I said "louisiana" and she gasped again and said" ME TOO!!!!!!" and you can kind of guess what happens next. Turns out we both we born in Baton Rouge!!!! insane right. Two girls named Rachel both adopted from the same city living together! We both went crazy. Laughing and crying at the same time. I loved it. After FHE we immedietly called our moms to tell the news. I'm glad I finally feel like I've found my place here in Provo.
I love my roommates.

So I want to be like Elyse in that i want to write 77 blogs posts. so my goal is to write a blog everyday this week!!! and then some in the middle. So tomorrow is the big day the 2008 presidential election!!!! My mom doesn't think i will vote. She's explaining that by me voting, I'm leaving my fingerprint in life. This election will make history. Meaning who every takes office is going to change the economy for the better or the worse. I'm kind of excited for Tuesday, I will be fun.
NEXT......
So I'm really not liking college. I mean that Ihate taking pointless classes that I learn the things I already know. I'm not saying that I know everything but all my GE classes are really boring. I sit there and just have to suck it up.

I hate that feeling that you can't do anything about your life. like its on pause and nothing good/or bad is happening. For the past 3 days I've felt like that. Being sick makes you want to enjoy things longer and more often because in that moment of being sick you cant do anything but feel sorry for yourself. When you're sick everyone talks to you in a baby voice like that when you're sick you turn into some baby, because as said before you cant do anything for yourself. The only good thing about being sick is that you can be super lazy and wear the clothes you wore yesterday and no one is going to nag on you. They understand. When your sick you hallucinate. For instance, last night i watched every cw show that I've missed for the past 3 weeks [so I'm happy to say- IM ALL CAUGHT UP!!!!] So anyway I watched at least 5 hours of Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and 90210 and I kept looking at the clock and it would always show 1:12 then 3 hours later it was 12:12, I freaked out. How was that possible huh?! Yeah crazy. So another thing you do when you're sick. make lists. like what I want to accomplish this week or year
THINGS I WANT TO DO THIS WEEK.

• Go to every single class this week
• Don't be afraid of rejection or acceptance
• Smile more
• Call the parentals more and tell them "I love y'all"
• Laugh over the silly unimportant things
• Remember who I am when I walk out the door
• Think of others in my doings
• Stop being a paranoia freak
• Think before asking questions or making comments
• Love the skin I'm in