Fun one: "Mambo No 5 by Lou Bega
I chose this song because it brings back memories of childhood. Life felt so much simpler then! I remember watching the movie, "Time Share" with Jenni around this period of my childhood and the family in that movie danced to this song in it. I know the message is not necessarily the best- the guy is basically bragging about his smorgasbord of girlfriends. Yeah, no, I just love the beat- it gets you up and movin' & groovin'!
"A Million Dreams" in "The Greatest Showman"
This song is the heart of this post and the heart of my life, in a sense. I will never forget ushering in the 2018 New Year by watching "The Greatest Showman" with Taylor by my side! I had no idea what to expect from this movie and it definitely far exceeded my expectations! The movie felt so hopeful and it stirred such a positive feeling within me to strive to "reach for the stars" also known as my greatest aspirations in life.
I have definitely played most, if not all, of my life too safely. I have, unfortunately, lost some of my belief in myself as the years have transpired. I'm not exactly sure why this has happened and I don't think this is the result of just one thing. I've found myself doubting my abilities and never wanting to step into unknown territory, giving myself a million reasons not to do something. I've got to stop talking myself out of opportunities to grow and instead help myself to truly develop a "growth mindset," as I strive to teach to my 1st graders. I must develop an attitude of not being afraid to make mistakes in my life. It is crucial that I learn from failures and not look at them in such a negative light. Instead, I should view them as stepping stones to greatness.
This song reminds me that I should take the million reasons I talk myself out of doing things and throw them out the door! I need to change the negative monologue going on in my mind to a positive one, which focuses on the "million[s] of dreams" I should be aiming for! This song made me tear up in the theater when I first heard it. The little boy's voice singing it at the beginning sent me back to the little Stephanie from 1994, who, as a Kindergartner, looked at the world with such optimistic eyes! The world was at my fingertips! I had so many dreams and I wondered where I would be, what I would be doing, etc. when I "grew up." It is painful to me to recognize that many of the dreams I had for myself didn't come true, not even close, in many cases. My life has not gone according to plan. By this point, I had hoped I would have been married with several kids in my family to take care of and rear up in this crazy world. I wonder often, Why has it gone this way? Why am I going through this? Why has finding someone to share life with seemed so effortless for others around me, but seemed so difficult for me? Will I be alone forever? Gosh, I sure hope not. This post is not meant to throw a "pity me" party or make anyone feel badly for me. Rather, I am just being authentic and transparent about my current situation. Though I wish life events had gone according to my plan, I have to trust that they're going according to the plan Heavenly Father has for me. I am not going to lie- this is not an easy thought for me to handle. At times, I feel I could shrivel up and hide under a rock for the rest of my life, wallowing in my hopelessness, despair, and doubt. Yet, I know that doing so will not accomplish anything.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy." Certainly, it's much easier to be happy, hopeful, and positive when everything is going well in one's life. Yet, as King states, it's in the moments that someone is struggling... fumbling... clinging for dear life, at times, that true character is revealed. Amidst the grit and the bumpiness of life, through the scratches... the bruises... in the pits of despair, a person can make the choice to react negatively or positively. I look at the alternatives quite simply and I recognize that I'll make them sound far simpler than they are, in actuality. For me personally, when I get depressed, when I doubt, when I fear that things will never get better, I have to seize hope and optimism with a death grip, as if my life depends on it! I can laugh or I can cry and I'll choose laughter any day over the sadness or crying! I'm pretty sure I've got the ugly cry face and this girl ain't got time for messing up her makeup! I work hard on my eye looks, lol! ;-) Why am I talking about a man's character or the need to remain positive in the face of adversity? You may be asking yourself that question right now. Both points connect to the beautiful, masterpiece of a song I've chosen today in my song challenge.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, a former apostle in the LDS church, once gave a talk that pierced me to my core- I've never forgotten it since I heard his meaningful message. He relayed the story about our dear Savior dying on the cross on a Friday. The level of sadness and darkness the world experienced on that day was so terrible, I'm sure many doubted they'd ever come out of such a depressing, sorrowful state. Yet, simply put, the world did. Sunday came and the Savior was resurrected, free from the pangs of death and physical pain. He was made whole again, His spirit reunited with His body, never to be separated from it ever again. His resurrection made it possible for each of His brothers and sisters to do the same when their time in mortality would come to an end! In relation to our lives, which in my mind, are like a scatter plot filled with what can feel like random bits of joy and happiness as well as trials and suffering, Joseph B. Wirthlin said:
I have definitely played most, if not all, of my life too safely. I have, unfortunately, lost some of my belief in myself as the years have transpired. I'm not exactly sure why this has happened and I don't think this is the result of just one thing. I've found myself doubting my abilities and never wanting to step into unknown territory, giving myself a million reasons not to do something. I've got to stop talking myself out of opportunities to grow and instead help myself to truly develop a "growth mindset," as I strive to teach to my 1st graders. I must develop an attitude of not being afraid to make mistakes in my life. It is crucial that I learn from failures and not look at them in such a negative light. Instead, I should view them as stepping stones to greatness.
This song reminds me that I should take the million reasons I talk myself out of doing things and throw them out the door! I need to change the negative monologue going on in my mind to a positive one, which focuses on the "million[s] of dreams" I should be aiming for! This song made me tear up in the theater when I first heard it. The little boy's voice singing it at the beginning sent me back to the little Stephanie from 1994, who, as a Kindergartner, looked at the world with such optimistic eyes! The world was at my fingertips! I had so many dreams and I wondered where I would be, what I would be doing, etc. when I "grew up." It is painful to me to recognize that many of the dreams I had for myself didn't come true, not even close, in many cases. My life has not gone according to plan. By this point, I had hoped I would have been married with several kids in my family to take care of and rear up in this crazy world. I wonder often, Why has it gone this way? Why am I going through this? Why has finding someone to share life with seemed so effortless for others around me, but seemed so difficult for me? Will I be alone forever? Gosh, I sure hope not. This post is not meant to throw a "pity me" party or make anyone feel badly for me. Rather, I am just being authentic and transparent about my current situation. Though I wish life events had gone according to my plan, I have to trust that they're going according to the plan Heavenly Father has for me. I am not going to lie- this is not an easy thought for me to handle. At times, I feel I could shrivel up and hide under a rock for the rest of my life, wallowing in my hopelessness, despair, and doubt. Yet, I know that doing so will not accomplish anything.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy." Certainly, it's much easier to be happy, hopeful, and positive when everything is going well in one's life. Yet, as King states, it's in the moments that someone is struggling... fumbling... clinging for dear life, at times, that true character is revealed. Amidst the grit and the bumpiness of life, through the scratches... the bruises... in the pits of despair, a person can make the choice to react negatively or positively. I look at the alternatives quite simply and I recognize that I'll make them sound far simpler than they are, in actuality. For me personally, when I get depressed, when I doubt, when I fear that things will never get better, I have to seize hope and optimism with a death grip, as if my life depends on it! I can laugh or I can cry and I'll choose laughter any day over the sadness or crying! I'm pretty sure I've got the ugly cry face and this girl ain't got time for messing up her makeup! I work hard on my eye looks, lol! ;-) Why am I talking about a man's character or the need to remain positive in the face of adversity? You may be asking yourself that question right now. Both points connect to the beautiful, masterpiece of a song I've chosen today in my song challenge.
Joseph B. Wirthlin, a former apostle in the LDS church, once gave a talk that pierced me to my core- I've never forgotten it since I heard his meaningful message. He relayed the story about our dear Savior dying on the cross on a Friday. The level of sadness and darkness the world experienced on that day was so terrible, I'm sure many doubted they'd ever come out of such a depressing, sorrowful state. Yet, simply put, the world did. Sunday came and the Savior was resurrected, free from the pangs of death and physical pain. He was made whole again, His spirit reunited with His body, never to be separated from it ever again. His resurrection made it possible for each of His brothers and sisters to do the same when their time in mortality would come to an end! In relation to our lives, which in my mind, are like a scatter plot filled with what can feel like random bits of joy and happiness as well as trials and suffering, Joseph B. Wirthlin said:
"Each of us will have our own Fridays- those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death- Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come..."
I, most definitely, have felt what Elder Wirthlin describes in that quote. Yet, I live my life recognizing that there are always others around me, who have been dealt a harder "deck of cards" than I have. Even though I have felt so low and as if my "Sunday" will never come, at times, I still and always will, choose hope in the midst of my grief. I have to; there's simply no other alternative for me. Technically, I could remain in darkness, sulking in my hardships, but I would be a prisoner, enslaved by my pain, if I did that. Instead, I must foster an attitude of gratitude in my heart, thanking my Heavenly Father and my Savior for all they have done for me. I know that being grateful and possessing a cheerful demeanor doesn't always come naturally. There are times when all you want to do is complain and yell at the world (that's normal and perfectly okay), yet I do believe that you can train yourself to genuinely be more happy. Every blessing counted fills up your "glass" of life. You just have to decide if it is "half empty" or "half full." The choice is yours to make. Therein lies the point of this post: "A Million Dreams" describes a boy, who never quits dreaming of the possibilities around him. He doesn't doubt his potential in the slightest even though others around him do. He stays on the path, trying, failing, failing, trying, and he makes his dreams a reality in the end.
So, Stephanie: what's it going to be? Are you going to keep yourself awake thinking about all the things that are "wrong" in your life, which didn't go according to your plan? Or are you going to lose sleep thinking about the "million dreams" you have "for the world you're gonna make?"
