everyday creativity.

have I mentioned how much I love SFL 480. because I love it a lot.

today we watched a movie. an old movie. a hysterically cheesy movie. but an inspiring movie. It was called everyday creativity- it was a movie about a photographer for National Geographic who talked about... you guessed it- everyday creativity.

i was scribbling down notes furiously the whole time. here are the gems i found.

- look at the ordinary and see the extraordinary in life
- creativity is falling in love with the world
- your life can be creative. everything you do you can make extraordinary.
- it matters what lens you use- what is you perspective when you look at a problem. there is always another perspective.
- there are thousands of ways to look at a problem- be creative, there is more than one right answer.
- don't just stop at one right answer
- embrace change- don't look at the world with restrictions but rather with possibility
- don't be afraid to make mistakes. if you dont take risks you wont get the best results.
- learn from your mistakes. make a win-lose situation into a win-learn.
- if we let our patters go too long unquestioned they become our prisons. break the pattern- do it better.
- put yourself in the place of most potential
- life had decisive moments and you have to be ready when the opportunity comes
- REALLY CARE about all those around you and all you do

like I said it was an amazing video, and I loved it. It is amazing the parallels one can find in life. He paralleled photography with living morally. I have seen a parallel between teaching and baseball. It is amazing how you can find learning opportunities in all you do if you take to really analyze the things around you in life. If you "debrief" your life. Good old EFY FHE games. You can apply anything to the gospel if you try.

new topic. I have found that life is what you make it.

It all depends on the effort you put in.

meet the beginning of my year: I had left the Colony, moved to Mountainwood. I missed my ward. I missed my friends. I missed Bishop Munoa. I missed it all. I constantly had the thought "what did I do?" I started dating someone, and put absolutely no effort into making friends.

fast forward to a month ago. I am no longer dating said boy. I am being friendly, and doing my best to say hi to others. If invited to something, I go rather than ignore the invitation. and no longer did the thoughts of "what did I do?" cross my mind. I went from feeling like I knew no one to feeling like I was friends with everyone.

Did the people change? no. but the effort I put in changed. I was talking to someone about if they were going to stay in the complex the other day. their response "no way- its the worst ward I have been in." It broke my heart. How could think the ward was awful- it was one of the best wards I had been in. I loved and raved about it constantly. We talked a little more, and he said that no one comes and says hi to him at church, etc. I asked him if he said hi, if he was friendly, if he made an effort. He said no- which was immediately followed with a "...BUT..." it is so easy to victimize ourselves. to think the world is out to get us. but when you look outward, and when you make an effort to make friends with those around you the effects are much greater, and life is filled with happiness. Truth- i could be better and finding those people who don't feel included and make a special effort to help them feel loved.

tonight's fun activities with the ward consisted of watching the edited version of Amalie, and having a going away party for Anne. how I will miss that girl.

other random tidbit- Katherine Whiting, one of the processors at work, is the sweetest people in the world. We have become friends over the phone in our 30 second conversations. A few weeks ago when I was sick she brought me a water bottle and herbal tea, and today she took me out to lunch. We both adore thai food so it was perfect. Mid-meal she expressed how she really wanted me to try the pad thai and got me and order of it to go. it will feed me for days. it was so kind of her- i was amazed at her generosity. i hope one day to have the money to be that generous.