Change

A story is told of a caterpillar named Yellow who was trying to find out what she should be doing
with her life. In her wanderings she discovered another caterpillar seemingly caught in some
gauzy, hairy filament. Concerned, she asked if she could help. He explained that this was all part
of the process of becoming a butterfly.

When she heard the word butterfly, her whole insides leapt. “But what is a butterfly?”

The cocooned caterpillar explained: “It’s what you are meant to become.”

Yellow was intrigued but a bit defiant. “How can I believe there’s a butterfly inside you or me
when all I see is a fuzzy worm?”

On further reflection she pensively asked, “How does one become a butterfly?”

And the answer? “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”
(From Trina Paulus, Hope for the Flowers [New York: Paulist Press, 1972], pp. 6775.)


I guess this RA studying stuff is good for something.

For the whole talk about change by Wendy Watson, click here.

Genetic Blog {Five}

In SFL 210, child development, a lot of emphasis is placed on how parents influence development in children. This can be cognitive, emotional, social, or moral development. How we are raised determines how we will grow in the world. If our parents are kind and warm in rearing us, and teach us how to react with others we will reach social competence and be able to contribute to the world.

We will be able to show empathy and sympathize with those around us.

We will learn the value of hard work and realize that effort is greater than ability.

We will understand morality and treat others with kindness and equality.

We will serve those around us.

And most importantly, we will prepare to raise our children in such a way that they, too, will be influential in society. 

I have never been more grateful for my parents until I came to BYU. I appreciate their sacrifices more, long to be near to them, and strive to better our relationships in every way possible. Learning about the roles of parents in our development have encouraged me to reflect on my childhood and realize how successful it was. Not only am I learning ideas that will help me pass the test, I’m learning about myself and my relationships with my family and that is the most important concept I will learn by far. 

Genetic Blog {Four}

One quote that has always stuck with me through my life is

Gordon B. Hinckley

It has been on my fridge for as long as I can remember and has become a motto of sorts for my family. We struggled as I grew up, but our little family of three – my mom, my brother, and me – held strong in the knowledge that we no matter what happened we would be together.
Being here at BYU has brought its challenges; some I thought I would never encounter in my life. It has been one of the biggest trials and blessings in my life. In my Book of Mormon class a few weeks ago, we studied 2 Nephi 5. Brother Merrill emphasized how every element of happiness is described in this chapter: work, the temple, the scriptures, the commandments, etc. As the weather changes, bringing longer nights and cold weather, attitudes change. It is important to focus on the good things that are happening in our lives instead of letting the bad aspects affect us.
In our lives as students specifically, we need to understand that trying our hardest is a positive things. And as long as we know that we have gained a knowledge, our test scores should not affect our well-being. Also, being away from home can leave us longing for that which we left at home: our friends, our family, our communities. But Provo is our new home and we need to build it up even here and take it on as our home and look for the good around us instead of wishing we had the past back.
The most important thing for us to focus our efforts on is the Gospel, and everything else will fall into place.

Genetic Blog {Three}

Anyone who has gotten to know me knows my love for Disney movies, the Disney name, the company - anything Disney makes me light up like a kid at Christmas time. Recently, I have had the opportunity to apply for an internship with Disney. I can't think of any other way I'd want to spend my summer now that I know about this amazing experience. Disney is every little girl's dream! Walking into the park and feeling like a princess is something she'll never forget. Each time I go I have new memories, and they're always the best. 

My seminary teacher once told me that she equated the Celestial Kingdom to Disneyland. It takes sometime and effort to get there as well as a whole lot of planning, but the best experiences result from it. We get out of this life what we put in. The more I think about it, the more I realize how great of an analogy this is for the Plan of Salvation.

We are here on this earth to work toward returning to our ultimate goal. If we prepare accordingly by recognizing our worth as children of God (princesses and princes of a Heavenly King) we will get to return to our Heavenly Father and he will even have a mansion for us there (much like a princess castle!) I'm pretty sure that the Celestial Kingdom will be spotless like Disneyland is, too. Eternal life truly is the greatest "Happily Ever After."

Genetic Blog {Two}

Passion: a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.

Recently, I discovered how important passion is in the world. It is the driving force behind many things in this world.

As I began brainstorming on our Personal Essay topic, I was at a loss. For the past 8 years, I lived in a small town in Northern California that I had grown to love. I appreciated every aspect of the area, simply because I knew one day I would have to leave and all I would have to go on was memories. 

While I devoted myself to the betterment of Lake County, I didn't really have a global perspective on certain situations. Sure, I was passionate about the area and the people there and the activities I was involved in, but it didn't extend past the county lines.

I realized that passion causes us to do wild, unthinkable things. Those moments when we look back and think, "How did I make it through THAT?"

Passion is what pushes scientists to spend sleepless nights doing research in labs.

Passion is what makes a young man leave all he's comfortable for two years to serve the Lord.

Passion is what causes music to touch you.

Passion is what is felt in good writing, home-cooked food, and art.

It is what brings the world such wonderful things. If Edison wasn't passionate about the lightbulb, we wouldn't have it. If the Founding Fathers weren't passionate about freedom, we wouldn't be where we are today. If Joseph Smith wasn't passionate about the Gospel, I would bet that he wouldn't have endured all his trials.

So maybe my passion has been Lake County for the last eight years. Maybe I dabbled in other areas as well. But now, my passion can benefit the people of the world. I just have to decide what that passion is.

"You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." - We Bought a Zoo

Genetic Blog {One}

Okay, this is my first blog post for my Writing class. And I decided to post it here first before I have it get torn apart by the teacher. PLEASE tell me what to fix to make it better or if its confusing or anything. It's a grade! Thanks :)

One of the major components of our Heavenly Father’s plan for us on this earth is knowledge.

In Proverbs 8:10-12, it says “Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

We are taught in Doctrine and Covenants 130 that knowledge is that which rises with us in the resurrection, and in Doctrine and Covenants 88, the Lord encourages to gain knowledge “That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you,” (v. 80).

Just as it is vital to our eternal salvation to gain knowledge of the spiritual ideas of life, it is equally important to gain a secular knowledge of the workings of this Earth so that we, as a human population, may better our surroundings.

In Human Development 210 (SFL 210), we learned about the state of Romania orphanages through the 1990s. Because of the turmoil of the state and increased poverty, large numbers of children were abandoned. This led to overcrowded, understaffed facilities in a very short amount of time. Those that were deemed ‘normal’ around age three were sent away to specialize in a trade. The other children were labeled as irrecoverable and were separated from the outside world. These children were malnourished and neglected, simply from lack of knowledge.

Many of the children had developmental disabilities.  Many of the children who were severely neglected suffered from Reactive Detachment Disorder (inability to bond securely or otherwise, even with caregivers who have secure working models of attachment relationships), Nonorganic Failure to Thrive (A growth disorder usually present by 18 months of age that is caused by lack of affection and simulation), and Deprivation Dwarfism (A growth disorder observed between 2 and 15 years of age caused by severe emotional deprivation).

This institutional care is a concept almost incomprehensible; but, the serious state of these orphanages grew from a lack of knowledge. It was not until the last 20 years when research proved that developmental damages from lack of interaction in the early years of a child’s life are critical to their foundation of growth for life.

The same idea of knowledge being essential can be applied to nutritional problems in America. There are two types of scientific approaches: the traditional way which requires the use of the scientific method to come up with hypotheses and eventually and theories, and the modern idea that does away with the trial period and hopes to produce effective results as soon as possible. The problems with this second method are a lack of surety and an increase in skewed information. In Nutrition 100, the professor asked us what knowledge we wanted to gain from this class – the answers had a wide range, the reason being a lack of knowledge. Every student had gained their own perspective on what was healthy based on what they had been taught growing up. Often these ‘facts’ are drawn from bad information on the news or tradition, or even religious beliefs. If one does not take the time to seek out the real answer from research done by those educated in nutrition, the opportunities to be misinformed are endless.

Both of these instances showed me the importance of education. In a world that is constantly pulling you in a million directions, the only way to know the truth is if you seek after it yourself, whether that be in the Gospel, Nutrition, Human Development, or any other part of life, learning is imperative to success.