"Comparison is the DEATH of contentment" (John Powell)

This quote has always been one of my favorites. Think about it... the times that you start comparing yourself to others brings doubt, confusion, sadness, or even pride. In my experience, nothing good has ever come from comparing myself to my sisters, to my friends, to models, or to complete strangers; yet, sadly I still do it. I start hoping for another body type that would be impossible to achieve; or wishing I had money to buy the newest gadget; or desperately wanting to be in a relationship like many of my friends or acquaintances.

When we start to compare ourselves with others, we neglect the good things in our lives. I take for granted the fact that my body is working and healthy. I might not have arms that are completely toned, but I have arms that allow me to hug others, to do pushups, to write this blog post, to paint my new office, etc. Have you ever stopped to think about what it would be like to live without arms? We have to love what we’ve got!

Coveting what others have or do (new phones, traveling all around the world, or living the lavish lifestyle) is flat-out depressing. How can anyone keep up with the Jones’? I thought I was super cool when I bought my $200 Captivate phone almost 2 years ago. I felt like I was the “ish” walking out of the AT&T store. I think maybe a little bit of pride was creeping into my heart… that feeling quickly faded when a few months later a better version of the phone came out. WHAT? How am I supposed to keep up with that? Of course, I repented of my prideful ways and realized that I have what I need. I am blessed with a job (or two) that allows me to live my life with comforts to which half the world doesn’t have access. We cannot lose our grasp on perspective.  Gratitude turns what we have into enough!

As for the relationship part… that’s a complicated topic when it comes down to comparing lives. There are times when I see friends that are happily married, and I yearn for a relationship. I see my single life as dull and stagnant. However, I also see marriages that are failing left and right. At that moment, my single life feels like heaven. What have I learned from this bi-polar thinking? I need to stay in the moment and appreciate the time that I have to grow and learn. And, when/if the time comes for a serious relationship, I will learn to grow and adjust then, too.

“Our experience teaches us that our worth is measured by comparison—against our siblings, classmates, peers, and co-workers… Comparing ourselves to others in order to determine our worth makes as much sense as one TV looking at the others in the store and wishing it were 40 inches (102 cm) instead of 27 (69 cm). It doesn’t make sense, for “which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature” (Matthew 6:27) or one inch to your screen size? The Apostle Paul warned that people “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).”  (Adam C. Olson)

Let’s be wise in seeing the good in ourselves and appreciating what we have. Don’t let yourself or others destroy your happiness through comparing… let gratitude turn what you have into enough.

As I am getting older, I feel the pressure to get married (especially in the LDS culture). It's just not that easy. When I was in my early 20s at BYU, I thought I hit the jackpot of single, LDS men. However, I was no where near ready to date seriously, let alone get married. I had a lot growing up to do. I am now one of the many people who left BYU unmarried, which hasn't phased me so much until recently. I am fighting the internal battle of becoming complacent with being single and being overly anxious to get married. It's hard to find the middle ground when I know the next step is marriage, yet I still enjoy the single life.

I like this phrase, "Be someone who makes you happy" because while I am fighting my internal battle, it easy to forget about my self worth. I want to be happy; married or not.

What it comes down to is there is no specific time line that everyone needs to follow. The grass is always greener on the other side... This is my life, and I am happy to be living it.

We need each other!

Every time I see this, my initial reaction is pride in the women! Go WOMEN (my somewhat feminist side comes out). However, the more I think about it, it makes sense that the genders would punctuate the sentence two different ways. Isn't it always a battle between men and women? What gender is better? Can women compete with men? 

Ultimately, what it comes down to is that we need each other! No matter what gender, what color of skin, your socioeconomic status, etc.

What it needs to say is:

Humans, without each other, are nothing.

We are all on the same side, fighting the struggles of life and sharing in each other’s joys!

Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

1Corinthians 11:11 

Service

I have had a burning desire to serve. As the laziness of my days kick in, I usually disregard the urge to find service. Call it what you will, but I think I can find time to lend a hand or two. As this thought keeps creeping into my mind, I read this quote the other day:

Perhaps when we face our Maker, we will not be asked, "How many positions did you hold?" but rather, "How many people did you help?"

This quote definitely struck a chord- YES- how many people, Skye, have you helped lately? Let's face it; I am still in a very selfish time of my life. I focus on my work, I focus on food that will sustain me, I focus on my workouts, I focus on my car (that breaks down all the time), I focus on how much sleep I get, etc. Now, I am not going to ultimately say that I am so self-involved that I don't care about other people or their needs- I mean, working in the Public Health field gives me an advantage in being able to help people. However, I want to go beyond my public service and sincerely help others.  

I think being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints allows me to ponder on this notion quite often. In fact, I just had a lesson about service this past Sunday. Here's the kicker, though: I learn about SERVICE all the time (repetitious lessons are key to learning), but what needs to happen is the ACTION. Where is the action? It's one thing to know about service, but another to actually do it. 

This week, I made a goal to make a positive change in my life. I decided to find service...I mean REALLY find some service. You want to know what's great about making this goal???? I have found numerous opportunities to serve. I get to help out a sister in my ward that needs a place to stay; I get to help clean the church building; I was able to get into contact with a friend that needs a pick-me-up. 

These might not be grandiose opportunities, but they will surely make a difference in my (self-centered) life. Cliché as this sounds, helping others, helps me. Service gives me purpose; gives me a sense of duty. Will I always being willing to serve and overcome my laziness- I hope so! But, I might fall off the wagon. This will be a lifelong goal...kind of like staying healthy or reading the scriptures. I might not always be 100% at achieving my goal, but I can keep trying to improve my life…so when the time comes to answer the question of, "How many people did I help?” I won't be able to give a definite number because there were too many!

And I Am Back.....

I thought I was over blogging, but I have had an itch lately to get back into expressing my thoughts on the World Wide Web. So, I am back in the game!

The Most

The most destructive habit.....................................Worry
The greatest Joy...................................................Giving
The greatest loss...............................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work............................Helping others
The ugliest personality trait.............................Selfishness
The most endangered species...............Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource...........................Our youth
The greatest "shot in the arm"..................Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome............................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill...................Peace of mind
The most crippling failure disease.......................Excuses
The most powerful force in life...................................Love

The most dangerous pariah.............................A gossiper
The world's most incredible computer.................The brain
The worst thing to be without.... ............................ Hope

The deadliest weapon....................................The tongue
The two most power-filled words............................"I Can"
The greatest asset................................................Faith

The most worthless emotion..............................Self-pity
The most beautiful attire.....................................SMILE!
The most prized possession............................. Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.......Prayer
The most contagious spirit..........................Enthusiasm

This is ringing true today...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!

I am 28! My 20s are almost gone... I better live it up until they are gone forever.




I always feel a little awkward when people sing to me! All the attention is on me and I turn BRIGHT red. Luckily, it's a short song =)




I like this reminder...I always feel a little uneasy about another birthday (getting older is a little depressing sometimes). However, I like this quote because getting older is a blessing. We get to learn and grow and gain experiences that would not happen if we did not age. So, here's to another year full of many adventures =)

Isn't this the Truth!

This is for anyone who puts headphones in your pocket (or purse/bag)...I am sure you can all relate!

AMAZING Cauliflower Pizza!

Here's just the crust and it is DELISH! I am in love with this pizza =)





The final product looks too good to eat, but I definitely scarfed it down. Here's the recipe:

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings*

Directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

Enjoy!

*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Facebook Fast

So, I have come to the conclusion that I am slowly giving up on Facebook. I will keep my profile, but I am tired of feeling like I have to check FB all the time. I KNOW I have other important things to do with my time. My goal is to just check it once a week. Seriously, I do not need to check FB every day... no one's life is that important that I need to follow it on FB (sorry sisters, but it's true). Call me or email me the deets of your life.

I was also reading an article about how FB makes people depressed. I can agree to that. I have had moments when I am looking through my friends and I see their amazing life and wish mine was that amazing. With these thoughts, I tend to start heading down the path of depression. "Comparison is the death of contentment" and I don't need to compare my life with others.

Moral of this story is I am going to focus my efforts on more positive activities, rather than hang out on FB.

I LOVE the Gym!

I am not sure if it is because I have grown up lifting weights (started in high school) or the fact that I have been active all my life, but I absolutely love going to the gym. My number one reason why:

--We are all there to accomplish the same goal- GET HEALTHY!

Yes, some people might be more vain than others. And yes, there are women that look this:


I get a little self- conscious and start doubting myself.

However, I quickly remind myself why we are all here: To maintain a healthy body. I look around and I see people sweating, making silly faces as they lift, and some are doing obscene moves. Yet, it all brings a smile to my face because we are all taking part in an effort to stay healthy. Gyms are not for everyone- but they sure do make me happy.