Three Special Names

Brianna asked me to post a couple of poems that she has written while on her mission. Enjoy!

(Brianna's mom posted these!)

Three Special Names

By Sister Brianna Brough

I have a special nametag that I must always wear

Identifying who I am and the message that I share.

Each day I wear this nametag for everyone to see

On it is three special names that mean a lot to me.

The first is from my father, it is my family name.

I strive to live up to it, and not bring any shame.

There is a reputation of what it means to be a Brough

It’s putting trust in the Lord, especially when it’s tough.

It’s having faith and pushing through and giving it your all

It’s never once giving up, and rising when you fall.

The second name is of my Church; it’s who I represent.

It’s the message that I carry and the reason I was sent.

It’s the Church of Jesus Christ here in the latter-days

We learn of His teachings; we follow in His ways.

The third is of my Savior, the one whom God did send

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, my brother and my friend.

All of this I do for him, because of what He’s done for me

Throughout my life, on the cross, and in Gethsemane.

He suffered and He died for me, my burdens he did bear

And now in return He’s asked that I His message share.

He’s done so much in by behalf; it’s the least that I could do

So now I’ll share the gospel to these blessed chosen few.

So there they are, three names, three stories, three different parts of me

Showing others who I am, and all that they can be.

So, I wear this special name tag, it’s simple, small and black

It gives me faith and hope and strength and the courage that I lack.

They are not just names to me; it’s who I am and what I do

Because knowing who I am, gives me hope and gets me through.

Becoming a New Me

Becoming a New Me

By Sister Brianna Brough (Aug. 13, 2011)

Every day I’m striving to be better than before

To take what I learn each day and infuse it in my core

To recognize my weakness and make it be my strength

And if I can do that, I will conquer at great length.

Each and every day I change a different part of me

So that I can become who I truly want to be

I look to my Savior as my friend, my help, my guide

Anything is possible with the Savior at my side.

So here I am in Tennessee, for a few months of my life

Tracting through rain and heat, enduring through pain and strife

Teaching of Christ’s gospel to people who’ve been prepared

Studying morning, noon and night for lessons to be shared.

Giving all my heart to the Lord holding nothing back

Asking Him with all my heart to give me what I lack

Piece by piece and day by day it’s easier to see

Exactly who I am today and all that I can be.

So much potential, so much growth, so much more to learn

Precept on precept, line upon line, based on what I earn

Always seeking knowledge, purity, love and light

Reading scriptures, talks and books, prophets teach us what is right.

Trusting in the Lord each day for strength to get me through

Praying daily for guidance to know just what to do

Answering the call to serve in Knoxville, Tennessee

Piece by piece and day by day becoming a new me!

One Day At a Time

No matter what your age, life can be overwhelming. Everyday we are faced with decisions. Some are simple decisions that we make every day, others can be life changing. And it is the life changing decisions that can be overwhelming. I think what makes them so overwhelming is that we can not predict the outcome. We have no way of telling how our life will be effected five or even ten years down the road. We can make guesses that may be pretty accurate, but ultimately we cannot tell how we will be effected until the decisions is made. I have always been one who over thinks everything. When I have a decision to make I think of every possible outcome, and then from there I try and think of how each will play out down the road, and for me, that is when it becomes overwhelming. But, I have found a solution that works for me. And that is to trust my gut instinct, and take it one day at a time. I have found in my twenty-one years of experience, that ninety-nine percent of the time my gut feeling is right. It's that natural human instinct (also known as the Holy Ghost) that leads us to do what is right. And then after you make your decision, stick to it, and take it one day at a time. Some of the decisions we make will be hard. They will try our strength and our will power. Sometimes it will be easier to just quit, but that is when we really have to dig deep and find our inner strength. That is when you take it one day at a time. Each day it will get easier, you find strength that you didn't have the day before. Plus, as you strive to do right you are blessed. Life is tough and it can be overwhelming. But, if you take it one day at a time you will find that it isn't too bad. It won't be more than you can handle. You will be able to make it through and find the courage it make it another day.

So, just remember take it one day at a time, and follow your gut :)

Oh, and P.S. if you want a good song that goes a long "One Step At A Time" by Jordin Sparks is your song.

The Only Way to See the View is to Make the Climb

This morning me and my family took a hike up Waterfall Canyon in Ogden. It had been quite some time since we had hiked that trail, and my mom had never hiked it. It isn't too tough of a hike, but it taught me a lot. As we were hiking a long, we came upon a couple of forks in the trail. The first fork we came a upon was the trail head for a couple different hikes and had a sign that pointed to the trails, so we followed the trail that led to our desired destination, which ultimately was the waterfall. The next fork we came upon had no sign and the trials led in opposite directions. One that followed the river, and the other that lead away from it. So, using my logic I said we should probably take the one that follows the river since we want to get to the waterfall, and the other path leads us away from that. So, we took that trail and kept hiking along. As we got higher up towards the waterfall, the trail became harder to see, and got very rocky and rough and at one point we had to cross the river on a make shift bridge. Because of the large amount of runoff water we have this year, in many places the river has shifted courses to accommodate the amount of water coming down. As we were climbing across the rough terrain, my mom made a comment that really made me start thinking. She said, there has to have been another way to get to the waterfall, because this terrain is rough and there really isn't a trail. Sometimes the only indication we had that we were going the right way was that other people were coming down. Well, we continued the hike over rocks and river and we did reach our desired destination. The waterfall was extremely pretty, and with all the run off was pretty big! But, on my way back down the mountain I really got thinking about what my mom said, and this is how I related it to life..

We are all here on earth on our our own hike. All with a specific desired destination, like the waterfall, or in our case back to our Father in Heaven's presence. At the beginning of our hike, we are told where what our destination is and we are sent on our way. Sometimes there are signs that will point to our destination, other times we must choose which way we think will lead us to that destination. There will be multiple trails that lead us away from our destination, so we must think things through and decide which trail will ultimately lead us where we want to go. There will be things that will help indicate which path is right (like the river). As we travel on our trail of life, it won't be easy! We will have to climb over rocks, and cross gushing rivers, and continue on even when we can't see the trail clearly. Sometimes things will get in the way that will make our path change every once in a while. We will have to hike on a little bit tougher terrain because the path isn't clearly paved before us. We might get tired, we might doubt ourselves and our direction, but if we look around, and really assess our lives we will know if we are on the right path or not. Life was not meant to be easy, it was meant to be trying and to test us, and to see if we really can make it to our final destination. If we want the blessing of Celestial glory we have to put in the work to get there, just like if you want to see the waterfall you gotta make the hike.

Life won't be easy but it will be worth it because, "The only way to see the views is to make the climb." (Elder Paul V. Johnson)

I Have Been Changed For The Better :)

As the days fly by faster, and faster to July 20th, I have found myself reflecting on many different things, not totally sure how to capture my thoughts into words, but then I heard this song this week on GLEE and it captured them perfectly for me.

"It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime
So let me say before we part,
So much of me is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me like a hand print on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend. "

This verse is like my thoughts exactly! My friends are all getting home from missions, getting married, having children and pursuing their own lives. Who knows what will happen when I am on my mission. They will continue to pursue their lives (get married, move away to school, etc) and some of them I may never see again. As I was thinking about that the other day I knew I needed to let them know how much they mean to me! How much they have changed my life for the better, and how much I appreciate their friendship now and forever. Even if I never see them again. I know a lot of the people I care about may never read this, and I plan to tell each person how much they mean to me personally, but nonetheless, I must tell you all how I feel :)

To all my friends, loved ones, young women leaders, co-workers, classmates, any and all others that I have come to know and love... THANK YOU!!! Because of you, I am the woman I am today! Each and everyone of you has left a hand print on my heart! You have influenced me more than I can ever express! The example you are to me will forever be with me. Your love, friendship, and support has gotten me to where I am today. I have definitely been changed for good. Like the song says people come into our lives for a reason. To teach us something, to help us grow, and then we help them in return. I don't know how much I have helped all of you in return, but for the things that you have taught me, and for the growing you have helped me do, I am forever grateful. I cannot even imagine the person I would be if it were not for meeting all the amazing people that I have! So once again THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart! I am forever changed for the better because I knew you!

And "just to clear the air," I want to say I AM SORRY to all those of you, whom I may have hurt and any point in time. Whether it were words or actions I am truly sorry! I have grown a lot for situations good and bad. So I apologize for any harm, hurt or damage I have done through out the years. I am not perfect and I hope that someday I will be able to obtain your forgiveness. As I am taking the next step in life, it makes me sad to think about the people I have hurt, and hope that one day I will have made up for all the bad I have done, with good. I hope to one day help others change for the better.

As we continue on our own journeys through life, I hope that I meet up with you again. That in two months it won't be goodbye, but see ya later. But just in case it is, I want you to know how grateful I am to you all. That you will know that you have forever touched the life of Brianna Brough. Once again Thank you to every person I have met. Whether we have dated, are or have been friends, have worked together, laughed together, cried together, what ever it is THANK YOU! I cannot express properly the effect you have had on me and my life! My life has been forever changed because I knew YOU!

Ten Truths

I am stealing this from my "little sister" Courtney. I saw this on her blog and loved it!! So, I hope she doesn't care if I steal it from her.

Here are my ten truths:

- I am a hopeless romantic! Almost to the point where it's pathetic

- I love my Savior Jesus Christ more than anything!!

- I am very nervous to serve my mission, but I can't wait to get out there! ( Two more months!)

-I want more than anything to fall in love <3

-My biggest fear is failure

-I will do anything & everything for those I love

-To this day, I still sleep with a teddy bear...

-I have a hard time communicating my true feelings to people

-I have experienced my fair share of trials, and each one has made me STRONGER.

-I have made many mistakes, and learned from every single one.


Telling the truth whether out loud or written down, makes you admit it to others, and most importantly to ourselves. We cannot learn from our mistakes or change things, if we can't even admit them. So, take the time list your truths. It makes you take a step back and really look at yourself and who you really are. :)

Howdy Y'all!

Well today I opened my mission call! I am going to be serving in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, and I report to the Prove MTC on July 20! I am so excited and absolutely cannot wait! July seems so far away! I know it will go fast, but it still seems like forever!

I couldn't be more thrilled with where I am going to be serving! I have always wanted to be a southern belle, and now i will be able to even if it is only for a year and a half. There is just something about the south that I am drawn too. I hope that I come home with an accent, because I LOVE southern accents!

As I thought about where I might possibly be called, I never thought I would serve in Tennessee, but I am SOO excited. I cannot put into words the feelings that I have felt today. I cannot wait to get in the midst of the people of Tennessee and start serving the Lord. I have never been there, but I am super excited, and have heard it's beautiful.

3 months and one week from now.. But who's counting right?

Sunshine!

Can I just say how much I LOVE the sunshine? i can't even express how happy I was to see the sun today! It has been several days since the sun has really been out, and I can't believe how much different it makes things. People are so much happier when the sun is out, and the world just feels alive!!! I absolutely love this time of year and the world begins to come out of winter, there is so much color and life! It just makes me so happy! I have been sad that we have had so much snow and rain and that we have gotten such a late start of spring, but it just makes me appreciate the sunshine that much more!! I am so grateful that I live in a state that has seasons and that i can enjoy many types of weather, but my favorite is Spring!

I Love to See the Temple!!

"I love to see the Temple,

I am going there someday.

To feel the Holy Spirit,

To Listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God,

a place of love and beauty

I'll prepare myself while I am young.

It is my sacred duty."

On Thursday night I was able to go to the temple and do baptisms for the dead with one of my really good friends. I was very excited to go to the temple because it had been quite sometime since I had been, and the Bountiful temple is one of my favorites! I am very grateful to have the opportunity to have so many temples close by. My visit to the temple on Thursday night was short, but exactly what i needed. I have had a rough couple weeks and my head was on overload with so many different things, that I was struggling to really get any clear direction or really anything from my thoughts. After leaving the temple, my mind was very clear and at peace. I didn't receive any big answers to my prayers or have any miraculous experiences, but I got exactly what I needed.. Peace.

I am so very grateful for the temple in my life, and I am so excited for the opportunity I will have shortly, to receive my endowments as I prepare to serve a mission. I am grateful for the peace, comfort, direction, and love that i feel every time I go to the temple. I love that as soon as you enter the grounds, you can feel the change of atmosphere. The temple is truly a very sacred place, and I cannot wait until the day that I will be able to be sealed for time and all eternity in the temple!

Drugs and Alcohol Are Bad

******WARNING******* should not talk while under the infuence.

I am proof that drugs do crazy things to you... Last Thursday I had surgery on my knee. My dad took me to the hospital and wait while I had the procedure, and was with me in recovery. He being the genius man he is decided that he would write down all of the crazy things i said.. He even got a little voice recording on his phone because apparently i like to sing.. But just to prove to you that drugs do crazy things to you I will share a few of the best with you..

Me: is that my drink?
Dad: Yes
Me: Do you think that the nurse will bring me a beer?
Dad: probably not
Me: oh yeah it's against the law or something
Dad: Word of Wisdom
Me: Yeah that one, tell the nurse i can't have beer

Me: My favorite color is pink. It makes me very happy. What is your favorite color?
Dad: Blue
Me: Is that because of Jimmer Fredette? I hear he is a good player

Me: Drugs and alcohol are bad

Me: (to my dad and the nurse) I am going to play for the Jazz one day
Nurse: Really
Dad: Yeah really?
Me: Yeah dad, i am just that good. Haven't you seen me play? I didn't get that from you!

Me: If Superman and Nephi got in a fight, who would win?
Dad: Nephi
Me: Good Answer, he is my favorite

And for my personal favorite (other than the singing)

Me: Tell Uncle David he is crazy
Dad: Why?
Me: I don't even know.. I am just really worried about him. He lives so far away and works for that FBI (my uncle david lives in West Point and works for L3, but apparently i am very concerned)


All of these along will 3 whole pages of things are true. I am proof that drugs do bad things, and that they really do make you crazy. I wouldn't have believed it myself, but my dad recorded some of it. I sounded like i was a five year old. haha we have laughed for days. Let's just say that i wont be taking up any sort of habits anytime soon...

Food, Fun, and Fantastic Friends!

So, I have again decided to post something that I am grateful for, everyday for a week. I did this a few months ago and it helped me be more aware and appreciate the things that I have been blessed with.

Today I am thankful for three different things.. Food, Fun, and my Fantastic Friends.

For the last week, my family has been out of town. I have had the house all to myself, and it has been quite nice. The down side to this however is the fact that I have to make my own dinner... and for those of you who know me, know that I can't cook. So, I have had things like frozen pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. These things aren't too bad but they definitely aren't my mother's cooking! I am so grateful for my wonderful mom who takes time everyday to make sure that we have a nice home cooked meal.

Next is fun. While my parents have been away, I have had all sorts of fun. My cousin came and stayed with me for the whole weekend. We had so much fun together! I absolutely LOVE that girl! She cracks me up. We laughed so much, there wasn't a dull moment the entire weekend. We made crepes and two different desserts which turned out to be quite entertaining...Since neither of us cook. But it all turned out delicious! We went shopping and to lunch and just did whatever we felt like. I am so grateful that I have the opprotunity to have so much fun. Life is for living and enjoying and we all need to make time for fun! It makes the stressful time so much easier to deal with.

And finally my fantasitic friends!! I seriously have been blessed with the BEST friends in the entire world! I don't know what I did to deserve such amazing people. In the last few months I have gone through so tough stuff, and my friends have stayed by me through thick and thin. They have been there for me no matter what. Whether it is to hang out, listen to me vent, give me advice, or just cheer me up when I have had a bad day, they are always there! Even from across the world. My friends mean the world to me! Some of them are my family members, others might as well be. So, to all my friends, you know who you are! Thank you! You will never know how much you mean to me, and how much i truly appreciate your friendship!

Just a Few Things That I Love

Knowing and acknowledging the things that we love, helps us appreciate what we have and never take them for granted. We all have the things that make us who we are. That make us smile, and that can cheer us up even on the worst of days.

Here are a few of the things that make me who I am, that make me smile, and that I will always be a part of me...

-my Family
-Cherry Pepsi
-Chick Flicks
-Slurpees
-girly books
-Country Music
-Action Movies
-black & white photography
-CUDDLING

-My friends
-Quotes
-chocolate
-shoes
-Laughter
-Red roses
-Singing at the top of my lungs
-Babies
-Music
-Angry Birds
-meeting new people
- My Savior Jesus Christ
-the color pink
-clothes
-piano music
-Going for drives
-sunsets
-starry nights
-bike rides
-campfires
-Summertime
-playing in the rain

As random as these things may be, they are the things that make me, me. That contribute to the crazy girl that I am. Even on the worst of days these things make me smile, cheer me up, and remind me how good life really is. Every single one of these things reminds me how blessed I truly am, and that I am surrounded my SO MANY good things, and that I shouldn't take them for granted. This list is just a few of the many things that I LOVE!

Good.. Better.. Best!

Good, better, best. Never let it rest, til your good is better and your better is best!

I learned this little phrase when I was in the second grade. It is one of those things that I have for whatever reason just always remembered. But this week it really hit home for me. I have had kind of a rough week and have been struggling with things in my life concerning the good things I have and the better things that can ultimately lead to the best things in life. I realized that no matter how good something might be, if it is just good, it is not good enough, we need to be actively pursuing the BEST things in life. This life has so much to offer, and if we settle just for the good, then we aren't living life to it's fullest potential. With some of the things I have been struggling with, it was a debate on whether or not to pursue something in my life. This thing I have been thinking about pursuing is a good thing, it's not a bad thing by any means, BUT it's not the best thing. There are other things that I can and should be chasing after if I want to accomplish my goals. Today I heard quote that I really liked, and that is so true. It went something like this... The enemy of the best, is the good. or something to that effect. Basically saying that good will stop us from becoming better which stops us from becoming the best we can be. We ALL deserve the best in life, and we can have it if we really truly put our full energy into it. Life has so much to offer and we can truly accomplish it all.

One of my most favorite quotes is by Miss Marilyn Monroe...

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can
learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right,
you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself,
and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."

I love this quote, because it sums up life pretty well. But my favorite part of it all is the last line. "sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." Just because something in our life is good, doesn't mean it is the best. And just because something good falls apart, doesn't mean that there isn't other things out there. Life is so good and we truly can have the best if we really want it. It is all about setting our goals and never settling for less than we deserve! May we all pursue the BEST things life has to offer!

Good, better, best. Never let it rest, til your good is better and you better is best!

Life is a PARTY!!!

Simply put life is a party!! haha okay so maybe not, but it can be. Life is tough and it has its ups and downs, but you have to make it fun! If you don't make life fun, than you will never enjoy anything you do. You will be stuck in a life of day-to-day monotony. Doing the same things over and over. And what fun is that. Don't get me wrong, life can't always be partying and fun stuff. But you can make anything you do fun. My co-workers and I have this down to a science. We work at a bank, so it's the same old thing day in and day out. Five days a week I go to work for six hours and do the same thing, BUT I love my job because we know how to make it fun. We know how to laugh, and enjoy the things we do. And that is what life is all about. Making life worth living. Throughout our lives, we will experience some crappy things, things we never wanted to have to experience, or never thought we would. Whether it was a choice we made, or something that just happened, we all experience them. BUT if we have a positive attitude and try and make the best of every situation, we will enjoy life so much more. When life gets tough, if we get down on ourselves and start thinking that life sucks... it will. We won't be happy and won't see the good things we do have in our lives. No matter what comes our way, we can choose to be happy :) Life is so good, and there is so much to enjoy. Keep life positive and make everything you do a PARTY!

Not For Me .. But Thank You!

So, yesterday I was reflecting with a friend about guys that I have dated. The good, the bad ... the ugly. The way they treated me, the way our relationships ended, and the relationships that never actually happened. We decided that I should write a book because I have had quite the luck with guys... or not!I have had a lot of fun dating experiences good, bad, and embarrassing. I have had so many good times, but I have had too many painful experiences as well. But as I was talking with her and reliving the memories of the past I realized that as crazy and full of drama my dating life has been as of late, I don't regret any of it. Because each and every guy I have dated has taught me something. I have learned exactly what I want in a guy even if it was learning everything I don't want. It reminded me of the song "Not For Me" by Marshall Crenshaw.

Yeah I know what happened last time
And someday you'll wake up to find that
You've be waiting around
for something You'll never see

I don't have to wonder I know definitely
That it's just not for me

So I know what not to do
Cause I learned it from you yeah
Now I feel sorry for you
And I hope that someday I can thank you

So, to all the guys that I have ever dated... the good and bad...THANK YOU! I say thank you for everything you taught me. Even though I can now say that you were not for me, you have made me a girl who is smarter and stronger than before. You have helped me so that maybe the next time around I will get it right. I am a girl who has laughed, cried, and loved, who has been broken, played and lied to, but ALL of these things made me STRONGER! Even if I did have to learn things the hard way. :)

Defining a New Me

"Life isn't about finding yourself, its about creating yourself."

A common phrase that we hear as an answer to a question about one's life is that they are trying to "find" themselves and who they are. I never quite understood this answer, because I grew up knowing who I was and where I came from, but nonetheless, it has provoked a lot of thought over the years. Questions always came to mind like "How do you "find" yourself?" "Where would you look?" and "How will you know when you have found yourself?" Then, I found the quote that i shared above, and it summed up how I felt perfectly. All the time and energy people spend trying to find themselves, they could be using to create themselves. Instead of trying to search for something we are not sure of, why not create something we are. We are all given different hardships and trials that we have to face, but that is not what defines us. It is how we react in the situations which we are placed that does. And each and every reaction, for the good or the bad, defines who we are. Through the way we react we create a definition for ourselves. If we are faced with extreme difficulty and walk away because we think it is too tough, we are defined as weak. If we stand and endure everything that comes our way, we are defined as strong. Who we hang out with defines our "popularity", what we wear defines our fashion. And although these definitions most often come from other people, we are the ones who create the basis of the definition. Everyday, we label things. We are human it is what we do. BUT, just because others are the ones placing the labels, doesn't mean that we can't be the ones to write them. We are in control of the way we handle the situations that we face, we are the ones who choose what we wear and who we hang out with, and whether we like to admit it or not, ultimately we are the ones who define the labels we are given. If you are given the label of stupid, are you going to go along with it, or are you going to prove them wrong? No matter what the label, whether positive or negative, we define who we are by the way we act.

So, in my efforts of bettering myself, I have decided that I will I will define who I am in a new way. I will live up to the positive labels that I have been given, and disprove the negative ones as well. And in the end, people will still think what they want, but I know that I will have defined myself in the best way possible. I will not let labels restrict and prohibit me from achieving my dreams and my goals, and I won't let them intimidate me either. Because in the end I define who I am. I am the one who will decide how I will handle a situation, or portray a desired image. I decide who I am, and because I do, no one else can.

No Regrets, Just Life Lessons!

Some of you that know me, know that I live my life by the motto "No regrets, just life lessons." There are many times that people ask the question, "If you could go back and relive part of your life, or change one things, what would it be?" When I was younger, I would respond something like "oh when i was younger I did..." but after thinking about it for awhile I realized that I wouldn't go back and change anything. Because as I reflected on my life, the trials I faced, the decisions I have made, and the things that I have done, I realized that the things that I learned when going through all these things made me who I was today. The lessons that I learned are priceless to me. I would not have learned them if it weren't for my trials and decisions. Even when I struggled, or made poor decisions, I came away a better person. Life is way to short to have regrets. Every trial we face, every decision we make is an opprotunity to learn. Every day we are presented with many chances to learn somthing new and to better ourselves. It all depends on our attitude, we are the ones who have to open our eyes and look for the lessons that can be learned. There are lessons in everything, it is up to us to see and learn them.
We all make mistakes and do things that we aren't proud of, but why live life regretting something that you can't change, when instead you can learn from and make sure that you don't make the same mistakes in the future.

So, my motto is "No regrets, just life lessons," and I strive to live by it everyday. Life is way to short to have regrets, we can be so much happier when we choose to learn lessons from our mistakes instead of living with regret for the rest of our life.

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, take. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

Because I Was Taught To Dream

"And when you dream, dream big
As big as the ocean blue
'Cause when you dream it might come true
When you dream, dream big"
"Dream Big" Ryan Shupe

Life is tough, life is hard. But, when you have dreams you always have something to work towards. To help you through the difficulties of life. Dreams are goals to work towards. There are no better goals than your life long dreams.

I have been told many times before that I am a dreamer. That I often hope for things that are beyond my reach. That the things I want are unattainable. And to the people who tell me that, I say that is not true!! One of my favorites quotes (because all my quotes are my favorite) is "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt. I love this quote because it is so true! When you believe in your dreams, the future truly is yours. You are in charge of the out come of your life. If you believe in your dreams pursue them. Don't let anyone or anything come in the way of you achieving them. So many people today don't believe in their dreams, or the dreams of others, and they go around trying to get people to give up. But, if everyone gave up on their dreams, where would our world be today? People everyday are living their dream. There is a client that comes in to my work on a regular basis, and every time you ask him how he is doing he replies "I am great, just living the dream." We all laugh, because he says the same thing every time, but I have learned a lot from him. He is a very positive, happy guy. He has his struggles and what not, but he really is living the dream. He is living the life that he chooses to. We can all do the same thing. We can all "live the dream" if we really want to. It is up to us. We can believe in ourselves and accomplish great things, or we can let others tell us that what we want is impossible to achieve.

I have set some big goals for myself. I know where I want my life to be, and although I don't know exactly how to get there I know I can. I don't care what people say, I can achieve anything I set my mind to. I am a dreamer, I have dreams, and I will accomplish them. Life is meant for fulfilling and living out these dreams. We are given no other time to live. Our time is now. I believe in myself, and know that I can do it. I know what I want in life, because I was taught to dream!

Some of my Favorites

So if you don't know already, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE quotes!! I have quite the large collection of them, and refer to them frequently. Well I was talking with a friend the other day about quotes, and decided that I would share some of my favorites. Quotes that define me, my life, and what i would like to become.. So, here we go.

"Love me or hate me, I promise it won't make or break me." -Lil Wayne

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

"I believe that everything happens for a reason, people change so you can learn to let go.
Things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they are right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

"Happiness is not a goal, but a way of life."

"Decisions determine destiny."

"Life isn't about FINDING yourself, it's about CREATING yourself."

"Either you define the moment or the moment defines you."

"Pain is weakness leaving the body."

"Character is not made in a crisis- it's exhibited."

"Whatever you are, be a good one." - Abraham Lincoln

"Wherever you go no matter the weather, bring your own sunshine."

"I have made mistakes in my life. I've let people take advantage of me, and i've accepted less than i deserve. But I have learned from my bad choices and even though there are some things i can never get back, and people who will never be sorry, I'll know better next time, and wont settle for anything less than I deserve."

"Letting someone help you doesn't mean you have failed, it just means that you aren't alone."- Messer "Life As We Know It."

"Cinderella is proof that the right pair of shoes can change your life."

"Everyday may not be good, but there is good in everyday."

Those are just a few of my favorite quotes, I have so many it is hard to choose from, but these quotes have definitely helped me through trials of mine and help define me as a person, and life in general. There are so many quotes out there, which ones define you?

Sometimes life is tough

Have you ever felt like nothing in your life was going right, that no matter how hard you work, nothing ever comes through, and that you are always left disappointed, hurt, or back at square one?

Well, that was my week last week... I felt like no matter what i did, things kept falling through the cracks, and my hard work didn't pay off. I wrecked my car, i learned some things that hurt pretty bad, things happened with some friends of mine, financial issues... by the end of the week I was spent, and to be honest with you, I still am. I feel like I am still in the state of exhaustion. I can't shake this funk.. and I hate it. I am sick of feeling like I am not good enough, like my hard work is going unnoticed, and that no matter how hard i am trying to get somewhere with my life, i am not. For a little while there, I thought I was finally catching a break, that things were finally going to go my way.. at least i felt that way until about the middle of last week. But while wallowing in self pity and feeling sorry for myself, i realized something.. Something that i hope will help me rise above this, and conquer whatever it is that has me this way. What i realized was, that things will rarely go my way, and it will be a very rare occasion that i will "catch a break." because these things all come without work, without effort. If I constantly got what I wanted and had things just lay out in front of me as i go a long, I wouldn't learn anything. If i have learned anything in my 21 years of experience, it would have to be that nothing comes without work. That nothing is free, and that if you want something bad enough, that you will find a way to make it happen. My parents have done a great job of teaching to work for things I want. They have taught me responsibility, and how to work. I can't think of anything better than that to take into the world. I know so many people my age that still have things handed to them by their parents, and i feel sorry for them because they don't appreciate what they have because they have never had to work for.

I can honestly say that in the last year of my life i have learned that being hardworking is a good quality to have, because it will get you a long way. If you know how to work, you can achieve anything you want. So, this week I say to myself, sometimes( if not most of the time) life is tough. Things won't go my way, and i might not catch a break, BUT.. If i work through things, and i put forth effort, I may not get what I want, but i WILL get what i need. If life is easy then I am not learning, and if i am not learning I am not progressing, and without progression my life goes no where. Yes, life IS tough, but it is definitely GOOD! don't let the hard times get you down. and after all... " You were only given this life because you are strong enough to live it."

2010! A RECAP!

2010 was a year of laughter, tears, learning, growth, change, love, heartbreak, responsibility, friendship, ups, downs, hellos, and goodbyes, and emotional roller coasters, BUT overall it was a GREAT year!

This year has truly been one CrAzY year from the very beginning to the very end! Let me give you a little glimpse of what my year was like...

In January, the closure of good old Barnes Bank was announced, which left me unemployed, but not for long. The last month Barnes was open was insane! I didn't know what i was going to do and felt very lost. The economic situation really hit home for me. That situation is not one that i would like to relive, but am definitely glad that i experienced. Two days before Barnes would close it's doors forever, I was offered a job at Zion's Bank, a job that i am extremely grateful for. The next month was full of training, and traveling to different Branches. I met lots of new people and learned a lot. In march, the Syracuse Branch of Zion's Bank was opened. This place is a second home for me. I love working there and have made so many new friends. My co-workers are amazing. Also in March I went down to Louisiana to spend sometime with my grandparents who are serving a mission down there. I flew for the first time by myself, and enjoyed every minute i got to spend down there. It was a much needed vacation. The next few months were full of many difficult decisions. Decisions like whether or not to serve a mission, who to date, if i should attend school, some very difficult decisions, possibly the most difficult decisions in my life! My summer was full of making new friends and meeting new people, spending time with family, and mending relations that i had broken. In August I bought a new car and started my first semester of college! I started at Weber State studying Business Administration. My classes were rough, but I loved them. I loved interacting with people my age and learning. I love to learn and am very grateful that i have the chance. September was a month of many events, my branch was combined with another ward which meant a lot of new faces and friends, my brother received his mission call to Honolulu, Hawaii, and I turned 21 and that seemed to start the hardest 3 months of my life thus far. I struggled with, things that i never thought I would. With this struggle came much learning! For Thanksgiving, my cousin and I flew down to Louisiana to be with my grandparents. MOST FUN week of my entire life! I love her to death! She is the best!! December was a month of change within myself. Things finally started to click, and my hard work finally started to pay off. I saw life in a whole new life! This year I met some of my very best friends! People that have changed my life, they know who they are and what they mean to me :)

2010 taught me how to forgive and forget, live with no regrets, smile through the hard times, laugh when you wanna cry, love those who hate you, to be myself, to not be afraid of doing what is right, to fight for the things i want, to believe in myself, to make tough decisions, and to learn from my mistakes. If I can handle 2010 than I can handle whatever 2011 has in store so BRING IT ON :)

2010 has been an amazing journey, but I cannot wait to see where 2011 takes me! Stay tuned there are many stories to share on this crazy Journey We Call Life.