A Letter of Huge Proportions.

I might be biting off more than I can chew with this entry. I'm an avid reader of Psychology Today. Recently, there have been a lot of studies done based on the premise of evolutionary theory, or the idea that our behavior is merely a reflection of prehistoric survival instinct. I picked up my roommate's anthropology text book last night (yes, I read my roommate's textbooks to avoid my own homework) and the first chapter explained the evolutionary process of homo sapiens. When it comes to the evolutionary/creationism debate, I have found that  people tend to react in extremes. The two sides are completely irreconcilable so I guess this can only be expected.

Here is where I'm at on the issue as of now (it's always changing and I'm constantly adding and retracting my views. Tomorrow I might see this entry as totally inaccurate, who knows): 

I'm not sure how humans can claim consciousness as their own: which is something that natural selection insists that we do. If we evolved just like any other animal on Earth, where did this self-awareness come from that is not found in any other species? At what point did we become creatures capable of experiencing empathy, hate, love, joy, or motivation? If the world is survival of the fittest, what benefit does humanity's sense of wonder offer to us?  Psychologists have become obsessed with studying people objectively. It's the only way psychology can be defined as a hard science in this empirical world. But the idea is absurd. People are not rocks. People are not black holes. People are not simply a collection of atomic mass. The idea of a person trying to get outside of themselves to accurately measure another person is impossible and ridiculous. 

Tonight I went and listened to a speaker share some of his life experiences with a young audience. I watched the young audience carefully take notes and learn from the words he spoke to them. Later, I listened to someone play the piano in a way that seemed as natural to him as breathing. I watched a short film about a guy that has been deep sea diving for fifty years and has yet to tire of it or take its beauty for granted. People  recognize beautiful things. They marvel and wonder at new experiences. This characteristic of consciousness is unlike anything else on Earth and to claim it as something we developed ourselves seems presumptuous. I believe that consciousness is a gift from God. 

A Letter about Wit.

I appreciate this:

"I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I only claim to know how a story ought to be told, for I have been almost daily in the company of the most expert story-tellers for many years.

The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it; but the teller of the comic story tells you beforehand that it is one of the funniest things he has ever heard, then tells it with eager delight, and is the first person to laugh when he gets through. And sometimes, if he has had good success, he is so glad and happy that he will repeat the "nub" of it and glance around from face to face, collecting applause, and then repeat it again. It is a pathetic thing to see."

I bet Mark Twain was a babe back in the day.

I love to see the temple. I'm going there today.  

A letter to the stressed out.

Ideas I found that actually work for me: 
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk each day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
2. Try to get enough sleep.
3. Make time to pray.
4. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
5. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
6. Drink plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts.
7. Don't take yourself too seriously. No one else does.
8. Make peace with your past so it doesn't screw up the present.
9. Love and time can heal.
10. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes every day. Buy a lock if you have to.
11. Try to make at least three people smile every day.
12. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
13. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
14. Laugh more.
15. Remember that you are blessed.

A Regretful Letter.

"How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it; if you could really look at other men with common curiosity and pleasure...You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theatre in which your own little plot is always being played, and you would find yourselves under a freer sky, in a street full of splendid strangers."

- G.K. Chesterton 

I realized today that I've fallen into some selfish tendencies. I wrote this post to mark my conscious effort to change them.

I went camping this weekend and took this photo. I liked it... thus the reason you see it here. 

Thailand.

I am going to be serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints starting in January. I will be serving for 18 months and couldn't be happier. For those of you who aren't familiar with the mission process, I filled out paperwork with my personal information and had a few interviews. Everything was mailed to the church headquarters and a few weeks later, I received a letter in the mail with my assignment. The church sends missionaries all over the world and I have been assigned to serve in Bangkok, Thailand.

18 months is a long time for a college student to spend not doing college. 18 months is a long time for anyone to spend away from home. My mother is freaking out. But serving a mission has become the most important thing in the world to me.

A few years ago, I came to a point in my life where I needed to define what I believed the world to be and what the role of humanity is within it, more specifically what my role is within it.  I couldn't coast anymore. I have come to the realization that taking the time to identify what you believe truth to be can bring so much significance to your life. With time and patience, along with careful study, I continue to feel intellectually expanded little by little. While I am painfully aware of how much I don't know, here is my truth:

I believe in God. I believe in His son, Jesus Christ. I believe that people matter. We are all reflections of divinity.

If I really take my beliefs seriously, how could I deny an opportunity such as this? What could be more important?  

A Letter to Men.

Dear Men,

I've seen too many of you wearing skinny jeans on campus this week. Too many. Now, I'm not opposed to the occasional hipster but this is just too much. Also, take off that beanie. It's not even cold outside. In fact, it's 80 degrees. All you need is a nice, yet casual button-down shirt (if it says "Hollister" across the front, throw it out with the rest of your eighth grade mementos, please) and a good pair of Gap jeans. Add a reasonable amount of cologne from Calvin Klein and should we ever meet in an elevator, I will probably start making out with you. 

Just some words of advice. Don't take it personally and if you do take it personally you're probably just in a bad mood because your pants are way too tight.