March Musings

February's been a busy month; I feel like I've neglected a lot of things (like laundry) and I'm glad that the next two weekends = no plans and relaxation.  Then it's off to Asia for 2.5 weeks.  I already feel behind in planning for that.

The work part of the trip seems overwhelming at the moment, and I only have two weeks to pull together all this fantastic data to present to about forty people in a room who are all going to be listening to me for a solid week.  This does excite me to some degree, it's just a little daunting to think putting it all together perfectly right now.

I have a new suitcase, which I'm excited about using.  Dumb, right?  I'm scheming a way to pack all my work clothes into one, leave them behind in HK at my hotel or airport, then pack a small backpack so I can island-hop through Thailand.  I do not do well at packing light, hence I am starting today.  HK is pretty fashionable, especially at the office, so I need to step it up from this business casual (focus on the casual) thing that Phoenix has going.

Speaking of neglect, a friend posted this article on Facebook yesterday, and I thought it was a great reminder on spirituality - back to basics is always good. Ten simple steps/questions to increase your spirituality and know that you're on the right track.

1. Read scriptures daily.
2. Really pray and not just say prayers.
3. Fast meaningfully.
4. Go to bed early and get up early.
5. Be of good cheer.
6. Work hard.
7. Be more concerned about how than where we serve.
8. Love everyone, but keep romantic feelings in their proper place.
9. Become more nearly one between our ideal and actual selves.
10. Open our mouths and bear testimony of truth.

Number Ten:
Another area in which I feel I should step it up, especially with all the news the church is getting with BYU basketball honor code shenanigans and potential presidential candidates.  I should take more pride in my church membership and be a better example.

In thinking about that this week, I reflected on my time of  being one of the few members of the church during my time on the east coast.  I almost feel it was easier to be outspoken about being Mormon - it's the thing that makes you stand out in the crowd, and people were fascinated and respectful, and I took more pride in sharing that.  And here, sometimes I feel like it's the thing that makes you blend in with everyone else.

Face it - this place is a bit of a Mormon Mecca.  Which isn't bad, by any stretch.  It's been so nice to be surrounded by great people with the same values and it's probably kept me out of a little trouble.  I've just gotten a little bit slacker about sharing my spirituality with others because it seems like everyone else is the same.

Here's to living those ten principles and more easily sharing my spiritual thoughts with others.