I've heard this alliteration before, I've seen cute signs in homes, and I decided I wanted that as my motto and I wanted to hang a sign like that in my home. Today I've been thinking of just how much this "saying" applies in my life right now - at this very moment in time.
Live.
There's a quote in the Disney movie Wall-E that on first hearing it seems an oxymoron, but it's a quote I continue to think about and strive to apply in my life. "I don't want to survive - I want to live!" We, as children of God, have been put on this earth to live - to learn through life's experiences. We were given the gift of agency so that we might make our own mistakes and learn. We cannot grow unless we face life's challenges, risk the safety of our homes and live! We were not put on this earth to give up our choices, to do only the things that will keep us alive. Where's the fun in that?
Living in Utah, particularly "Happy Valley" we are seen as protected - living in a bubble. Sometimes people look at us almost as if we are all restricted and not allowed to make our own choices. I disagree. I see it more as a choice we make. We can choose to go party and get drunk, or we can choose to be sober and have fun that we'll remember. We can choose to be intimate and give all we have to offer, or we can save that most sacred act of love for one person who we are truly devoted to.
Living isn't about partying; it's about getting the most out of life. "I don't want to survive - I want to live!" I want to have experiences in my life that will last a lifetime - that I will want to look back on and cherish for the years to come.
Laugh.
The past few weeks have been so great! After a dry spell of feeling down on myself I've decided to let go of my insecurities and have fun. It's something I always will need to improve upon - everyone could use a little more fun and laughter in their lives.
Today I had to laugh at myself. I was in my Interior Design class and I'm not sure what inspired the thought, but I decided that my future home is going to be Disneyland-themed. Not Disney-themed, but Disneyland-themed. You may laugh, I sure did! I often have to take a step back to look at myself and just laugh! I make all kinds of mistakes and words don't always come out the way I meant. Sometimes I'll atempt to say "shoelace" and it will come out "toe-lash". Sometimes I say "the water is melting" instead of "the ice is melting." Laugh!
In the Disney movie Mary Poppins there is a scene and a song "I Love to Laugh". We should all make that a motto to keep in our lives. Love to laugh! When life gets too serious, too stressful, or too sad find something to laugh about! Trust me, there's nothing worse than being a Debbie Downer.
Love.
This isn't necessarily a romantic kind of love. "Love thy neighbor as thyself." My roommates and I have gotten into a habit of saying "Love you!" instead of just "See ya!" when one of us leaves the apartment. Don't just tell someone you love them - show it! Love without actions is nothing. It's one thing for us to just say "love you", but it's another to invite someone to tag along to game nights; to stay up late talking about struggles and hopes; to show how much you care. Love your family. Love your friends. Love people you don't know - give service! You can even love your enemies - become the bigger person and you might be able to make a new friend out of an old enemy.
Romantic love is important too. I see my roommates with their boyfriends and I can't wait until I can find that for myself. Last night Arielle and Hillary were just casually talking about Ezra (Arielle's boyfriend) and how great he is for her. Hillary started talking about how she missed Nate (her boyfriend) even though she just saw him the night before. It wasn't a sappy, lovesick conversation - it was a happy one. One that didn't make me feel bad about being single, but made me know that there is someone out there that is perfect for me, that will make me happy. Right now I am happy about being single. It gives me time to focus on improving myself - to find out who I am and what I want to become.
Even though life isn't always perfect, it is amazing. To make it even more amazing I plan to live life to the fullest; to laugh out loud; and to love all those around me. These 3 ingredients are all that we need to become who we want to be. They will bring us closer to our friends, to our families, and to our Savior. These are the things we must to do to better ourselves, to give us the quality of life we are searching for.
Life is so good.
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