Return to Racquetball

Today I played a real game of racquetball for the first time in years. It was great fun and great exercise too! Racquetball is so much fun and so easy too, because it only requires two people. In other words, I only have to recruit one other person to join me instead of trying to get at least 9 other people for other team sports.

Playing today made me realize that enjoy my hobbies more. I'm still pretty good at racquetball and I love playing, so why don't I do it more often!?! I really need to get out and develop my talents while doing the things I truly enjoy.

I have decided that I am going to organize a racquetball tournament for my friends and fellow ward members. It's going to be awesome. I'm really going to try and not miss out on my fun college years.

Remote Meeting

As part of our Team Project this semester, we met through a Google+ group video chat. It was really nice to be able to meet from the comfort of our own couches instead of having to reserve a room on campus and go up there at 7 o'clock at night. It wouldn't be the best way to actually practice the Oral presentation (in-person meetings worked best for that), but it was effective to just talk and plan and make sure we were all on the same page. And we barely even had any technical difficulties, it was a miracle! :)

Thanksgiving Service

I enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday break with my family up in Salt Lake this week. My brother and I stayed with my other brother and his wife and we were able to help them out with a few service projects they needed help with. We emptied out their sand box and took out 5 huge bushes, which was a huge help to them, especially since they're busy preparing for their first baby that's due in 2 weeks.

My family has always had the habit of 'vacationing' at different relatives' homes and spending a good portion of the time helping out with different projects around the house/yard. My dad is the main reason for this tradition and as I get older I realize more and more why, it's fun and it makes you feel good! Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you have to lounge about not doing anything.

So now I won't try to avoid all the service projects on our family vacations. And I think I'll start this Christmas break by fixing up my dad's rental house in Colorado! :)

Gary during dentist

So went to the dentist this morning to get some fillings done and the dental assistant asked me if I wanted to get 'happy gassed' and watch a movie during the procedure. Now I had never tried happy gas before but she said it was free so I decided to go for it. She strapped on the nose-mask and after a few deep breaths through my nose I started feeling weird, and I didn't like it! :) I'm not a fan of drugs in the first place, so I started to get worried and almost ripped the mask off. But then I got tipsy and a little giddy, so I just rolled with it. :)

I learned today that drugs are powerful things and can totally mess with our brains! Whenever I thought about the fact that I was breathing happy gas I would just start laughing, then I would laugh because I realized that I was only laughing because of the drug, and my meddled brain thought it was funny.

So my take-away from this experience is that I still don't trust drugs and I while it did feel kind of cool/fun to be a tipsy, I think it's a little dangerous. So I probably won't take the happy gas the next time I go to the dentist, I prefer to not have chemicals messing up my mind.

Mini-Conference

This week I took part in a business conference about technological business tools. The first day I learned about LinkedIn, how to dress for success, how to manage my email, etc. It was pretty valuable information to help me use technology to be more efficient. The second day I presented about Personal Websites, I learned a lot about how to make a great personal website and why it is so important. I also learned how to effectively do a flip-chart presentation (after 4 attempts).

This knowledge and these presentation skills are important for me because they will help me communicate better in the business world and different professional settings. And all of the technology/internet tips will allow me to work much more efficiently.

So I plan improving my LinkedIn profile so I can better network with other professionals that can help and that I can help. I also plan on making my own personal website because it is a great personal branding tool and one of the best ways to establish a personal web presence.

Basketball Referee

This is my newest shirt. I just started this week as a basketball referee for the Provo City Recreation Center. I've learned a lot these past few days, mostly about how much I don't know! :) I've learned that NBA referee earnings are in the 6 figures for 6 months of work. I've also learned why, because it's a really tough job. You have to worry about 1001 different things all while running up and down the court with players and fans yelling at you, all with whistle in your mouth.

So this means that I have a lot of studying to do so I can officiate a game with confidence. It's important to me because the hourly pay is really nice. :)

In order to improve how I want to, I decided to become a certified High School Arbiter in the state of Utah. Hopefully the certification will help me learn the rules better and thus be able to officiate games more accurately and more confidently.

Mock Interview

I participated in a mock job interview today. It was conducted via Google+ and was quite enlightening. After overcoming some technical difficulties on both ends, I was interviewed by the 'Banzai Hiring Manager'. I feel that I was able to connect with the interviewer and answer his questions well. One thing i noticed and that the interviewer later told me is that I need to quantify my accomplishments. I need to play up my strengths and not be as humble, I need to sell myself better to the company I want to work with. Overall, it was a great learning experience.

*POP!* goes the Hammy

That was me on Saturday. It all started the weekend before, when I strained my hamstring while playing soccer. Then on Saturday I played flag football with my brother. My leg was hurting enough that I was just limping across the field, but when I caught a touchdown, I decided to kick the football for the kickoff. In my head I knew it was a terrible idea; I instinctively knew that i would hurt myself, but I ignored those rational thoughts along with my brother's warning and I kicked the ball. *Pop!* goes the hamstring! I then proceeded to drop to the ground and writhe in pain.

So what did I learn from this? One, don't play intense sports with a strained hammy. Two, don't do something you know is going to hurt you. Three, acknowledge and heed warnings from your family and from the Spirit.

Now I will spend the next month or so doing my own physical therapy and hoping I don't re-injure it. From now on, I will be much more careful about playing while injured and hopefully I'll remember this stupid mistake before I make another!

The 1st Habit

I have recently been read Stephen R Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As I finished reading about Habit 1, "Be Proactive", all I could think was, "Wow, I have a long way to go." Being proactive is one of the greatest habits to obtain in order to be highly effective. It's about being personally responsible for who you are and what you do. Covey explains that in between the 'stimulus' and the 'response', we have the 'freedom to choose'. No one has to do anything, we choose to act, or we choose to be acted upon.
We should also focus on expanding our Circle of Influence instead of focusing on our Circle of Concern, over most of which we have no control. One great literary example of struggling and finally succeeding to develop Habit 1 is Kaladin, in Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson.

The development of the habit of being proactive is important to me because I know I struggle with it and I know how essential it is for my earthly and spiritual progression.
I intend to develop this habit by consciously taking responsibility for who I am and what I do, as well as focusing my efforts on expanding my Circle of Influence. I know it's going to be very hard and take a long time, but the best things in life are always that way. It will be worth it in the end.

MoneyWise

Last night, I attended a great MoneyWise seminar about investing and tax strategy. The first thing I learned was how money is a tool to teach gospel principles. By delaying gratification now (e.g. saving a percentage of your income) we learn of sacrifice and we get a greater reward later (e.g. the ability to retire comfortably). We learned the importance of setting financial priorities and goals, such as (1) Emergency Fund, (2) House Savings, (3) Retirement Fund, and then (4) Children's Education. I also learned the difference between tax credits and tax deductions, tax credits are way better! The American Opportunity Credit is especially good for all undergraduate college students.

As you can tell, I get just a little excited about investing and such, and since i was very ignorant about taxes, this seminar was awesome for me! Now I can help others and myself save money on taxes and maybe even make money on the refund! And the investing advice is great because I would like to be a Financial Planner someday.

As soon as I learned about this, I told my mom and she hadn't heard about the AOC; now we can save $2500 on the 2011 tax year and this coming tax year. I definitely plan on saving and investing my money beginning now so time and compounding interest will work in my favor.

Entrepreneurship Week

The Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology hosted its 5th E-Week here at BYU this past week. At the Kickoff three BYU student-entrepreneurs explained how they were able to start the hugely successful businesses while still studying. At the Big Idea Pitch, 25 innovators shared their product and business ideas with hopes to win hundreds of dollars of seed money to grow their companies. And finally, the alumni Mentor Panel shared awesome advice on how to crush the competition and delight your customers.

As a future entrepreneur, this week has been very exciting and motivating. Hearing about all of the successful start-ups has really helped me realize just how possible it is to start my own business. It has also opened my eyes even more to the reality of the hard work required to be a successful entrepreneur.

So, these events have all combined to motivate me to concentrate even harder on my own entrepreneurial pursuits. I think one of the hardest things about entrepreneurship is taking that first leap of faith. It's pretty risky, but I think this E-Week has prepared me to make that leap.

Singing in the Rain!

I'm singing in the rain! As I play soccer! I learned just today that playing soccer in the rain is awesome. I could have stayed inside and watched TV because it was raining, but I decided to get out of the house. Was it cold? You bet. Am I still shivering as I write this? Only a little. The point is, I am glad I acted instead of allowing external circumstances control me.

I feel this lesson is important because we need to act and not be acted upon. As Elder David Bednar said, we are "endowed with agency." This helps me realize that I need to take control of my life, and not just go with the flow as many of us love to do.

So what am I going to change? I'm not sure yet, but I think it involves hard work, real estate, fun, and soccer in the rain!

Save the Temple!

   

     Or should I say, "The temple saves." This week I attended the LDS Regional Conference here in Provo. Two of the 12 Apostles spoke to us; which was awesome, but I learned the most from Sister Nelson. She declared (as far as I remember) that one of the best ways to prepare ourselves to receive the teachings of the prophets is to work in Family History and the Temples.
     This insight is very important because our Heavenly Father speaks to us through his authorized servants today. He offers us guidance, but if we are not prepared to receive that guidance, attending General Conference will do us no good. That's why I know that Sister Nelson taught me an important principle for my spiritual safety and closeness to my Savior.
    In accordance with this gained knowledge, I made the time to attend the temple this week and I could feel that gratitude of the people who could receive their saving ordinances because of my service. I also felt the amazing peace and Spirit that comes with temple service. It was great. I plan on making temple work more of a priority in my life.

Utlimate

I am a big Ultimate Frisbee fan. I started practicing with the BYU Men's Ultimate Club last week. I learned yesterday the importance of properly handling the disc. I learned how to reset the disc between the three handlers when the pressure is on.
This matters to me because I love the sport. I want to improve my game in order to play on higher-level teams in the future. As I learn how to handle the disc better, I will be able to contribute to my team's success better.
With this knowledge I plan to continue to practice with the BYU Club. One of the better players offered to help me and train me 1-on-1, so I'm going to practice with him to improve more quickly!