The funny thing with reading is usually I get flustered at that as well. I just find it irritating that the characters seem to be able to do and accomplish so much while I am wasting my time reading about it. This time however was thankfully different. Sanderson does not just write amazing characters who do amazing things, he explains their development, attitudes and characteristics that help them achieve these grand feats.  He is also very realistic in his time frame.

With his books I have been able to get the much needed escape from my mind as well as improve myself by learning much about the desired characteristics I would like to build in myself.

This is a short post, but big changes will be coming soon.  Areas of emphasis will be more precise and search-able.  When you are as multifaceted as a Rozelle Diamond it is important that the faces fall in coordinating order else one cannot see the order in the chaos and enjoy the complex beauty!

This is a very important question…when you start to dig deeper and aim higher the answer is nothing short of astounding. But, I regress and begin with what joy is NOT: Joy is not merriment. Else the scorn at the statement ‘Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die,” would not make sense. Merriment is but a fleeting happiness here one moment and gone the next. It must forever be sought out and outdone.

Joy on the other hand is everlasting. It does not fade with the evenings festivities. It does not experience a roller coster of peaks and valleys. Rather, it is a constant increase, like good stock that no matter the day to day effects on it over time will always increase.

A deeper study of the term Joy (when it comes to scriptural refrences, expecially those comming direct from God through his prophets) Leads me to believe that Joy is Everlasting Happiness, and for it to be everlasting happiness must needs be that it is Eternal and Exhalted.

Eternal…because it cannot end or else it would cease to be Everlasting and Exhalted because without which it would not have continual increase and therefore would not be that good stock and Happiness would be lost.

I look at it this way: When are we truely happy? After searching every possible answer I have come to the conclusion it is only when we are fufilling our true and God given potential. I assume this is true for every species on the planet. A pansy seed is ment to grow and develop into a pansy..if it does not it becomes something less, something diesased or unnatural.

Each of those words, less, diseased, unnatural…conjures feelings contrary to that of happiness and joy. Thus, it is when we do what we were ment to do that we excell, are blessed, and happy. However there is a hitch here. We must choose to do it.

I have known several dancers who though excelled at physical movement and had every advantage and potential to become great, were miserable because they felt forced into following a path that they did not choose. My brother on the other had choose to pursue a desire to play football. Now while his potential in the given sport was not as great as many others…he’s under 6ft for one. He did have a measurable amount of potential in that field.

When he was told by others that playing first string in highschool would be the end of his experience he refused to give up. He knew he had not achieved his potential for the field and would not give it up until he had achieved maximum with it. He walked on to a college football team and after a year had earned a scholarship spot. Many of us closest to him felt that he had achieved his full potential in the field and congratulated him. It was not easy for him, but he was always happy.

Even when times were rough, and no one believed in him…I could see that inside he was content and happy. Much more than the athletic guys I watched the games with who had given up on their potential and always complained with regret how they could do it better. So sad.

So here we are to have joy, then why is it so difficult?

2 Nephi 2:27 says, “Wherefore men are free according to the flesh:and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.”

So not only is Joy a choice, but Joy is the result or outcome of a choice. When we choose eternal life and liberty (freedom from sin)..we recieve Joy. And yet there is one who desires not our Joy but rather our misery. All things in their opposite, afterall. It is inner critic, the little devil on our shoulder…pointing our faults, hiding our potential from us. Encouraging us away from being what we are ment to be.

To use the army slogan, Be All You Can Be is such a great way to remember just how to have Joy!

Beauty!

There are a few things Iwant to focus on today!  They have been on my mind the past few weeks. First of all the purpose of this blog, second individuality, and third scripture! Oddly enough they all relate to one another. Infact everything in this world relates, but that is for another day!

I must apologize for setting up this blog and then disappointing all of my followers by not posting for a little over 3 months…You can only guess why. Well yes sir I am pregnant with our second child!

This is rather exciting and while we thought it was the right time…planning the spacing of your children and all….I completely forgot what pregnancy does to ME!!! That and how much more challenging it would be with a 1 year old around! It is funny with all the planning and plotting how such a little thing like my health could go amiss!

And yet I am sure many other Moms whether they work from home or are out in the work force can be sure to find themselves in the same prediciment. Now if I may preface. Unlike most women I do not get sick during the first trimester. …. Well not puking my guts out anyway!  It is actually rather interesting to deal with what I have.    I don’t know if you have ever had mono…but that is what I feel like when I am pregnant.

You can see how easily that could go amiss.  I have two girlfriends who are also pregnant and while the one is puking every hour and the other is at risk of fainting constantly, I hear their husbands say to mine, “…and your wife geeze she is perfectly fine!”   Perfectly fine that is with enough naps in the day!!!

Naps which I do not get!  I am grateful that my son finally started taking regular naps. That is when I accomplish the most work as my most important calling and job is being a great mother.  It is far tooo true that, “NO success can compensate for failure in the home!” If I am going to bring children into this world than I am going to personally see to it that I am blessing the world with productive, innovative, and caring adults. The kind who get stuff done!

Enough of my ranting needless to say I ended up sleeping the only time I can and that is when the baby sleeps!  As for now I am back in a constant grove, but do not feel too amiss if I lax off come Winter as I will be BIG with child!  Untill then I have lots to do, lots to say, lots to give, and lots to share!

TTFN

Bridget S

I cannot say enough positive things about the two of them.  But that is not my purpose here today.  I wanted to do a little blog post to share the cool stuff with everyone and help Facebook Rock Your World!

First off to anyone who is new at marketing an monetizing the web 2.0 sites take this bit of information to heart.

“Do not jump in and broadcast your business and links all over the place!”

Honestly it’s like peeing in a pool, everyone will get out! Do you really want to be nicknamed a pool peeier? I am going to coin that and start spreading it.  Maybe everyone will start calling social spamers pool peeiers! That would be    a w e s o m e

You have to build realtionships first. It is so easy and so fun, I don’t know why anyone would not do it first, but you see it everywhere! Unless you are at a sporting event and hocking beer/popcorn you would not even think about shouting, “GET YOUR GOODS HERE!” before saying, “hello…”

So say hello.  And here is a tidbit straight from the teacher, build a friend list of at least 1000 and have some type of relationship with them before you go all buy my product on them.

You know success is so easy it comes down to this one simple common denominator : ACT

You know be involved, communicate, live! Seriously Live your life is what you make it.  From the writers of Cabaret,

“What good is sitting alone in your room, come to the Cabaret!”

I’ll see you all at the Cabaret!