You Are Not A Bottle

If you are anything like me, you don't enjoy feeling painful emotions.

If you are anything like me, you prefer to not feel grief or heartbreak or loss or deep sadness at all.

If you are anything like me, your tendency might be to squish those feelings deep inside you, crammed into a tiny bottle that you cork with a determination to ignore it forever.

From firsthand experience I can tell you:

This is a terrible plan.

Because, inevitably:

It's simply not healthy to shove emotions deep inside a locked cage. The whole "Conceal, don't feel" mentality is not a good idea. Just watch Frozen; you'll see what I'm talking about.

Believe it or not, feelings are meant to be felt.

Okay, all Frozen references aside, though: I'm not saying that it's a good idea to express your pent up anger by punching a no-good prince in the face (okay, that was the last one, I promise). Lashing out or completely dumping your emotions on those around you is just as unhealthy as keeping them all inside.

But give yourself permission to feel what you feel.

It's okay to be upset. It's okay to cry, to scream, to throw things (as long as you don't break anything important/that doesn't belong to you). It's okay to shut yourself in your room with ice cream and a Disney Channel Movie.

Just don't keep that door closed forever.

Take the time you need to let the feelings out. Once they're out, though, don't gather them back in to push them out again and again. Don't stay in sweatpants forever. Find your smile again. Put the cake down. Open the blinds and let that sunshine back into your flushed out soul.

You are not a bottle.

But you are not a fountain either.

Yes, it hurts. Yes, you can let it hurt. But eventually, you need to let it heal.

You are not a bottle.

You are not a fountain.

You are a human being.

Don't hole up your emotions.

Let them go.

And then, when you've let your pain or sadness or frustration run its course,

let it go.

Garden

This post is based off of something I saw on Pinterest (which acts as the equivalent of glitter and sunshine in my life) that I really liked. This post begins by saying

"I dearly wish that people would view their bodies as they view flowers."

In the beautifully diverse garden of the earth, I have noticed flowers of all shapes and sizes, all beautiful in their own way. Our bodies are the same!

Whether we are big and voluptuous

Or small and dainty,

Whether we have freckles or moles,

Or have frizzy hair,

Or poofy hair

Or hair that just sticks up funny,

Whether you have some splotches or stretch marks,

Or a few pieces missing, 

Whether you are short,

Or tall,

Or maybe you just feel like you look different,

Really different,

You. Are. Beautiful.

I challenge you to look at your body as if it was a flower.

A unique, gorgeous, bright flower with a beauty all its own.

Grow, precious flower.

Soak up the sun.

Brighten up the world.

Save Room For Hope

Life is hard. Life is really hard.

Right now I'm stressed about approximately ten billion things. My body, heart, and mind are constantly exhausted. There are things I want that I can't have yet and things I don't want that I'm buried in, but through it all, I think back to the beginning of the year, when I made a decision.

There may be some days when you want to throw in the towel. When your body is tired and your heart is empty and your spirit is spent.

When these times come, feel free to cry. To be mad. To throw your homework across the room and scream into a pillow. 

But do not give up hope.

Life is constantly changing. 
You will never be stuck in one place for long. 

This hill, this obstacle, these blows that keep knocking you down, they will all fade. The sun will come out again. Your grades will recover or you'll realize they weren't what mattered most anyways. You will figure out which classes to take and how to buy groceries with pocket change and which career to pursue and even how to do this whole dating thing. Sickness, heartbreak, and emotional distress will all be resolved and you will have peace again.

If your heart is anything like mine, it is full of a hundred different desires, a hundred different worries, and a thousand people to love, and you might feel like you're coming up short everywhere you turn.


 Within that jumbled mess of light and dark, 
known and unknown, true and false,
always save room for hope.

Press Play

This fine March day, I just want to give you a bit of a boost.

One of the most sure-fire ways to get me motivated or boost my confidence or give me an extra dose of happy is through music.

Music is powerful.

It sends a message.

Need proof?

Imagine you are sitting in the movie theater, the screen is black, and as the Warner Brothers logo fades into view, you hear the distinct tinkling notes of Hedwig's Theme. 

Can you feel the thrill of magic?

Or imagine just this past Christmas break, where you are waiting on the edge of your seat in another dark movie theater. Suddenly the Star Wars logo appears and that well known theme is blaring in your ears, making your heart go to light speed.

Or imagine what a scary movie would be like without any music at all.

Not super scary anymore, is it?

Music. Is. Powerful.

So today, I'm going to give you a playlist.

Here are some songs that help me feel good about myself, about my life, and about other people.

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

Great message, and a beat that will make you dance around your room in your Despicable Me onesie.

Enough - The Mrs

Yep, this is the song from the Magic Mirror Part Two post a couple of weeks ago. Super great for jamming out in front of your mirror.

You'll Be Okay - A Great Big World

This is a great one for when time are rough and it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Smile and Keep Your Head Up - Us the Duo

Lighthearted, great band, and good reminder.

Have You Ever - Brandi Carlile

Good song for taking a walk, realizing how good life really is.

Hold On Tight - Electric Light Orchestra

This one is perfect for dancing in the kitchen in your mismatched socks.

Although this is just a start, I hope it gives you some songs you can use to get a little more happy in your smile, a little more spring in your step, and a little more hope in your heart.

Here's the playlist,  all ready for you:

I'll continue to add to it as I think of more and as you give suggestions!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPO8GO4vHLDdBWeI4wMydAquc6n5q_5-5

So press play!

Your Body

It's under constant scrutiny.

It changes, breathes, moves. 

It is part of you.

Or is it you?

Our bodies go through more than we sometimes realize. They are discussed or ignored. They are abused or spoiled. They are criticized, analyzed, and cast aside.

With everything our bodies are put through, it is easy to lose sight of what they really are. Is a body a blank canvas? A gob of fat and skin? A vehicle? A disappointment? A tool?

My goal today is to give us all a bit more perspective, to remind us of what your body is and what it is not.

1) Your body is a masterpiece

Your body was handcrafted by the same hands that created worlds, by the Master Creator himself. It is unique. It is a masterful work of art that functions beyond that of anything else on earth. It is complex and beautiful.

2) Your body looks like God and Jesus

"And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them." (Moses 2:27)

 God created you to look like Himself. How would you feel if someone said "Wow, she looks just like you! I hate her hair. And she's too fat. And what's with that acne on her chin?" How do you think God feels when we insult our image? The image that is His own?

3)Your body is not yours

Yep, you read that right. Your body is a gift that God has given to you. You owe everything you have and are to God and Jesus Christ. 

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Christ paid an infinite price for you. So why are you insulting the gift of your body? You are priceless. Your body is a gift that deserves to be awed and thanked for, not criticized.

4) Your body is part of your soul

If you saw a human soul walking towards you, how would you treat it? What kind of thoughts would you have about it? Would you immediately look for the negative parts of it? Or would you just be amazed to be looking at a soul?

Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 says "And the spirit and the body are the soul of man."

This means that every single day you see hundreds of souls. The person with a teal mohawk, the old lady wearing pants past her belly button, your own imperfect reflection. These souls are precious and dear. They are sacred and divine. Your body is one half of that soul. Why insult or degrade something so precious as a human soul?

I hope you gained a bit of perspective on your body today.

It is more than flesh and blood.

It is more than an ornament or tool or vehicle.

It is a masterpiece.

It is God's own image.

It is a gift bought with a price.

It is part of a soul.

Please look at your body with these things in mind.

Don't try and find the parts of it that don't meet arbitrary standards set by those who have forgotten these truths. Don't degrade or defile it. Don't criticize or abuse it.

Your body is amazing.

Don't forget that, please.