"The Power is Yours!"

I think song number 30 would work wonderfully for this post, so if you will...and turn up the volume, it's just that good.

I was recently asked this question from my roommate Amanda: "If you could have any superpower, what would it be?" When ever I'm asked this question, I somehow come up with the same answer. It changes a little, but the overall tone is exactly the same. (I wonder if my subconscious is trying to tell me something.) Here is my exact answer, word for word:


"Hmmmm...to cultivate any talent I want. But it needs to be a talent; a good talent; a talent for good...like playing the piano."

We both started laughing because I was so serious while answering and the way I used inflection and level and speed of voice made it even better. (Okay. I have come to the conclusion that yes, I love developing new talents and I want to find a way to do everything I want...as long as it's something that will buoy up those around me, allow me to come to my fullest potential, and bring about some type of missionary experiences. That would be superb.)

As for Amanda's answer, it is to have the ability to change time. "If I were late to class, then I could turn back time about 10 minutes and be on time." But yet, time is a tricky thing. So much can happen within a short amount of time, so we set some rules. The most you can turn back time is 24 hours. Do something you wish you hadn't; changed! Wouldn't life be grand it we could change things like time? I guess that's why so many people wish they had this power. But then again, if we had the ability to change time, we wouldn't be able to learn from the past. But it would still be a super sweet power to have, if used correctly...just like having the ability to never get hungry...oh wait...I already have that "superpower!" Thanks Nancy!! hahaa (Actually, it's not to great of a "power." It makes a lot of people confused when I tell them I hardly ever get hungry.)



Now I turn this question to you! What superpower would you like to have?! There are endless possibilities! So do share, why don't you. :)

Extravadance....a!

It was hard for me to part from my "classical" music playlist; I just love it so much. Classical music does something for my mind that nothing else can. But alas, people who are doing their Spring cleaning need my other fabulous playlist to listen to, so I had to change it. ;)



EXTRAVADANCE!!! It was most fabulous this year...and not only because I was in it. haha Just kidding!! But really. I've had people tell me, as well as overheard people say that this year has been one of the best they have seen. Some of the dances even made me rethink why I love dancing so much, but I'll leave that for a later post. When I get the DVD, I'll try and find a way to post my two favorite dances.

What were my two favorites you may be wondering? Well, turn to song number 81 to find out! It was a compilation of "For Good" and "Defying Gravity." (Oh my goodness, just hearing this song gives my whole body goosebumps...and, yes, I just had a tear trickle down my cheek while listening to the whole song. :) haha) Words can't do this dance justice, so I'll just have you on the edge of your seat until I get the DVD. My other favorite (I feel really safe in saying this was a crowd favorite) was Dhoom Taana...my Bollywood dance. The crowd always loves the UPbeat, shinny, happy, colorful dances, and man, I'll tell you, they're the funnest ones to perform as well. I love that dance so much. Not only because it's fun to dress up in giant earrings and necklaces, 30+ bracelets, tinging ankle bells, and bright colors, but because it's a dance the gushes out joy. I'm pretty sure everyone in that auditorium was smiling during that dance.



There were also a couple cool experiences that happened during the show that I would like to share.

#1 - Okay, so this might not be so "cool" for the girl that this happened to, but it's a testimony builder. One of the ballroom girls got dropped at the end of their dance. (It was from only about 8 inches, but she ended up having to go to the ER. She's totally fine and was able to dance in the last show 2 days after being dropped.) Anyway, she had trouble breathing and walking, so people were kind of freaking out trying to get an EMS there and what not. Well, the first thing that came to my mind was, "Why has no one given her a blessing yet?!" So I told someone to go get some guys to give her a blessing; they were there in a flash. It was amazing what happened during the blessing. The music and audience that was blaring right next to us seemed to go quiet and everything was peaceful; that's one of the glorious things about the Spirit. I also find it a blessing that worthy priesthood holders could be found at the drop of a hat.

#2 - While we were out in the audience visiting after the show, two girls from my team where pulled aside by an Indian student. (The girls where wearing their Bollywood costume.) He was exuberant! He asked for a picture with them so he could send it back to his family in India. He then told them that we looked and danced exactly like the women in India and it made him feel at home. See, it's stories like that that make me love dancing so much. I don't dance for myself, but rather, I dance to bring joy to others.

Now that Extravadance is over, I have 5 extra hours in a week. Wow. What to do, what to do?! (That's an easy answer. Let's see who can answer it correctly!)
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UPDATE!

I'm sure everyone who wants to read this has already read it and either left a comment or not, but I thought I would add a little something. I just read my school's news paper and here is a quote coming from an article about Extravadance: "The river dance was my favorite. It's amazing what those girls could do with their feet." Yeah, pretty much, my team is amazing.

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I Missed It!!

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Uuuuhhhhhhh!!!! I have to express my frustrations somewhere and this is the chosen place. The two events I wanted to do this summer are full, maxed out, no place for me.

Second priority was Ragnar, or Wasatch Back; a 200 (ish) mile relay race with 12 people. Come to find out, it's "Sold Out." I wasn't highly expecting to do this one because I doubted I could find enough people that would actually want to do this seriously. Most people I've talked to about doing it said they wanted to do it, but I'm sure they wouldn't have really commited to it. Pessimistic thought, I know.

But my number one event, the one I have been planning on doing since November...registration closed early!!! Little Red Riding Hood was the event; a century race (100 miles cycling) only for women. I kept checking for updates on the site about registration and when there was finally something new, I let pride get in the way; "Beware of Pride, Girl" would now be most appropriate to say. haha I didn't want to ask for $$ for Little Red from my parents because I didn't want the feeling of taking advantage of them when they already do so much for me. I had full intentions of paying them back with the cash money I'll be making this summer, but noooooo! I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Lesson learned: Don't procrastinate and be humble.

Now to find some new events. Any suggestions?!

"Lydia, have smart babies."

The title is an EXACT quote from my Humanities teacher, Brother Davis. (The one I talked about in a previous post.) Obviously he still teases me like I said he would, but not as often.

Please turn to song number 61. It's my new favorite and I think I might be a little obsessed. :) (If you have the time, just listen to it, don't read my post while listening. And yes, it's being played with only two hands.)

During this specific class when my teacher told me to have smart babies, we were speaking about classical music and prodigies such as Mozart. There were countless amazing artists "back in the day": Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Raphael, da Vinci, Rachmaninoff, Wagner, and I could keep going. Question is, where are all these people in these times? There isn't a shortage of talent in heaven. There isn't only one great artist per century, so where are they?

There was a talk given by President Kimball where he speaks about this very subject. What he says is that as members of the church, we should be producing some of the greatest music, art, plays, and so forth that the world has ever seen/heard. We have the fullness of the gospel, we have the Spirit to guide us, and we're a clean people, so why aren't we producing such masterpieces?

"Take a Nicodemus and put Joseph Smith's spirit in him, and what do you have? Take a da Vinci or a Michelangelo or a Shakespeare and give him a total knowledge of the plan of salvation of God and personal revelation and cleanse him, and then take a look at the statues he will carve and the murals he will paint and the masterpieces he will produce. Take a Handel with his purposeful effort, his superb talent, his earnest desire to properly depict the story, and give him inward vision of the whole true story and revelation, and what a master you have!"

I agree! Won't it be awesome when members of the church start producing such great works of art?! We do have great artists now, don't get me wrong, but I'm sure better is yet to come. But I just want to know where these Mozart's are...as does my teacher.

Here's another part of the talk that I really liked:

"We must recognize that excellence and quality are a reflection of how we feel about ourselves and about life and about God. If we don't care much about these basic things, then such not caring carries over into the work we do, and our work becomes shabby and shoddy. Real craftsmanship, regardless of the skill involved, reflects real caring, and real caring reflects our attitude about ourselves, about our fellowmen, and about life."

I'd like to share with you one of my favorite quotes which I believe fits this quite beautifully:

Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons [daughters] and grandsons [granddaughters] are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty. Think big. - Daniel Burnham

With this said, I'll make big plans of having smart babies...my teacher commanded me to. And once I do, I need to send him an e-mail him letting him know how amazingly amazing my babies are. ;)