Just out of curiosity...

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Thank you!

Lost Art of Self-Preservation

After over two decades of life, you'd think I'd have the hang of taking care of myself by now.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. It's not just me, though. Oh, no. It's an epidemic, infecting my peers left and right. Everywhere, I see people staying up into the wee hours of the morning, making Top Ramen and Mac'n'Cheese the main staples of their diets, watching sports instead of actually playing them, and letting their minds waste away with pointless time wasters, like TwitFaceTube. Many people I know, myself included, have not learned the art of taking care of themselves.

I believe our generation has lost the art of many valuable skills with the advent of new paradigms and technologies, and that this is one of the most important. I believe this common trend will affect the quality of our future lives, and by extent, of our children. Finding balance and maintaining personal health now teaches skills that affect our health and the rest of our lives. The habits we form now will stick with us for the next few decades, and will be harder to break the longer we continue in them. Eventually, these will be the habits our children learn from, that will in turn stick with them.

 

Other lost arts: sewing is incredibly valuable. Also, the art of manliness. If you haven't checked out their blog, DO IT.

For example: I learned to stress-clean from my mom. My parents have always been neat and tidy, a trait I've grown to be grateful for over the years. However, that means that when I get stressed, I morph into a whirlwind of Lysol wipes and dishwater detergent. That's a habit that's not going to change, so I wager my kids will pick it up eventually, too. A family heirloom for the personality, of sorts.

Another habit I picked up from both my parents was the ability to work hard. Anyone that knows me can tell you I have a solid work ethic. Staying until close at the library isn't uncommon. My natural inclination is to be lazy, but my parents wrung that habit out of me at an early age.** Thank heavens for that.

**Funny story: At one point, my neighbors actually called child services because the new neighbors (my parents) were putting their kids to work setting up the landscaping in the backyard. After a few years, the neighbors finally gave up and let it go. 

So, what's the point? Why am I writing about this now? Honestly, I would not want my future children to have the habits I currently do. In fact, I'd be horrified. (Sorry Mom. It's not your fault.) I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and I've done it before, but I haven't been consistent. I've heard from a lot of different places how important the little, basic things are, and I believe they're all right. I know I need to do better. So, as of the beginning of last week, I'm recommitting to the small, good habits that enrich my life. I'm working towards forming and solidifying the good in my life now. Not only for my sake, but for all the people I will influence in my life. 

Remote Meeting

I was at work when I quickly clocked out to do faux work. Well, technically, it was still legitimate work. School work is work, but it's not work work. Anyways. Enough on work.

For my communications class, my group was required to meet using some remote service to discuss our group project. There are actually a lot of great media we could have used to do this, and I partially regret we didn't look into other methods more, but we just used Google+ since we all already had an account.

Overall, the meeting went well. It could have gone better if we'd all done more work before the meeting that we could have reviewed, but we did nail down some valuable goals for our team. We set deadlines easier than we would have been able to via text or email. We reviewed one of Alexia's documents in real-time, giving quick feedback that we were able to give prompt clarification on if needed.

I've used the screen share option on Google before when talking with my family, and it was as usual in business settings as it was in personal matters. My only complaint was that because the document was on my team member's computer, I couldn't just click and fix errors I saw. I had to describe to her where exactly I was looking. Another form of media (e.g. GoogleDocs) would have easily fixed this issue. Next time.

Another drawback was that our group kept on losing connection to one of our team members. We'd keep going, then have to catch him back up when he popped onto the Google Hangout again. I could see how that could be extremely frustrating in projects that are more intense. I would probably look at either switching platforms to minimize the problem, or just require all group members to find the best possible internet connection available.

That, or just meet in person. Honestly, so much more gets done that way. Obviously in circumstances where physical meetings are not possible, I'd be grateful the option of remote meetings. But if I have a choice, physical meetings are the way to go.

My brother-in-law showed me this clip over the past summer. The only reason it's funny is because it is entirely, 100%, not-exaggerated-even-a-little-bit accurate.  In fact, I showed my group the video after our business was completed (using the screen share option, I might add). After wards, when we were saying goodbye, the same thing that happened to the main guy in the video happened to me. I feel you, man. The struggle is real.

Norm Nemrow is my Hero

I spent two-and-a-half years of my college life floundering around, wondering what I should do for the rest of my life. I'd worry for hours on end about it, which was useless. I researched majors anywhere from music, arts, mathematics, humanities, English, you name it. I was interested in all of them. I had too many darn options. It was awful.

Finally, this past Fall semester I took Accounting 200. One lecture from Norm Nemrow was all it took to set my mind at ease. Basically, he said that very few people go through life knowing what they want to do. The majority don't. But really, those that don't know what they want are just as blessed as those that do. They have the opportunity and ability to explore, to try out new things and have a wider experience. The people that know their destiny? Well, they're kind of boring, aren't they? They're stuck in one field for the rest of their life.

Since that day, I've been able to move forward. I thought about that lecture this week, as I've started preparing to apply to the various fields I might want to go into; accounting, information systems, and general management. Whichever of these fields I get into will bless my life, and I'll be able to work with them from there. I'm excited for whatever direction my life takes from here, because they're all good options.

I realized that I'd taken Norm's lesson to heart this week. I truly feel that I've learned a lot of useful skills (my meanderings through all my GE requirements actually paid off) and that I'm capable of many potential life endeavors.

So, where do I go from here? Technically, anywhere. But, to start, I'm going to apply to the Marriott School of Business at BYU.

Happiness in Any Circumstance

In the past week, I had the chance to hear Stephanie and Christian Nielson speak. In 2008, they were in an airplane crash with a close friend of theirs. Their friend died, but they miraculously escaped alive. 60% of Christian's skin was burned past the point of recovery, and 80% of her own was burnt to a crisp.

Stephanie described the arduous, exquisitely painful road to recovery. The details are hard to hear, and she could tell it better than I can summarize it, so check out her blog if you want to read the full, harrowing, inspiring story.

She is an incredible woman, the kind of strong, faithful woman I hope I am. Before the crash, she was gorgeous. After the crash, they had to replace the skin on her face with skin from her scalp. As a result, the skin grafts appear pinkish and deformed. She lost her beauty, but none of her inner glow. She says that every morning, she wakes up and looks at herself in the mirror. She clearly sees her imperfections, how ugly and weird her skin is, but she also sees hope. After hearing everything she went through, I understood how meaningful that word was to her. She said that she saw her face, but she also saw a strong, faithful, resilient woman. She saw a survivor who found happiness in the promises of her beliefs, her family, her husband. She did not let her circumstances define her life.

I learned so much from Stephanie and Christian that night, but more than anything, I learned that we can be happy no matter what happens to us. Happiness - I'm talking the sincere, deep feeling of joy - is entirely our own choice. It depends on how resilient we choose to be. If Stephanie can not only get over her past, but then re-live the terrible moments of her past to strengthen others, yet still be joyful, then what excuse could I ever have to not be?

Here's To You.

You know those friends you have that no matter where you're at in life, no matter what you're doing or how long it's been since you've seen them, you just pick right back up where you left off? 

Rebecca is one of those people, and I'm so lucky to have someone as incredible as her in my life. She was in my ward freshman year at BYU, and we ended up together in the same ward sophomore year, too. We got each other through a few rough times last year, and she's still someone I go to whenever I need to celebrate, rant, or just party. She had spring break this week, and chose to come down to little ole Provo. We went to the Food Truck Round-Up for dinner and got some kick-taste-buds Korean BBQ. 

BEHOLD, THE WONDERFUL WOMAN HERSELF:

Yeah, she's a babe. 

She has an inspiring story, too. Like I said, Rebecca was in my freshman ward here at BYU, but she now attends USU up in Logan. How did a true blue, cougar through-and-through end up 2 hours north? For a lot of reasons, she was meant to be up there. 

For her two years at BYU, Rebecca worked hard to get into the Music Dance Theatre (MDT) major. She auditioned multiple times, but for reasons no one could explain, she didn't make it in. Everyone she knew in the major assured her she would get in, that with her talent there was no way she wouldn't make it in. But, again and again, the MDT major refused her. It was heart-wrenching every time she was rejected, especially because no one could give her a good reason. She'd spent over a year and a half of her life pouring her heart, life and soul into preparing for this, and the only reason they gave her for why it wasn't working out was that "it just didn't work out." It was maddening for me to just watch her go through that, so I can't even imagine how she was feeling. 

Finally, she felt like she should start looking elsewhere than BYU. She didn't want to, but she knew what she wanted to do with her life, and BYU wasn't giving that to her, as much as she loved it. So, she drove up to Logan and auditioned. Then and there, at her first audition, they offered a full-ride scholarship for Vocal Performance at USU. She took her chance and ran with it. 

Within 6 days, she'd decided to look elsewhere than BYU, auditioned at USU, was offered a scholarship, accepted, and transferred. If I'm remembering right, this was all during finals week at BYU. Talk about life changes. 

The reason I find her so incredible is because she didn't let something she loved get in the way of something she loved more. She is following her passion for music, despite how hard and uncertain her future is sometimes. She knows music is a hard career to be in, but she wouldn't do anything else. She isn't willing to give up on her dreams. To someone who gave up on her love of art and music for accounting, that's amazing to me. Through her example, I again find the inspiration to keep my other passions alive. I started looking for inspiration for a larger watercolor piece, and suddenly I'm seeing everything with an artist's eye again. I notice how the light falls, how colors contrast and meld together, and I imagine how I would make those colors come to life on the page. Our passions never die, but lie dormant until we give them the freedom and energy they need to thrive once more. Thanks to Rebecca, I'm going to be paying more attention to that in the future. 

Rebecca, you're incredible and I love you. Thanks, girl.

Bollywood, Bollywood, Very Very Hollywood

I just watched Bride and Prejudice (a.k.a. the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice). Oh, the terrible decisions I make at times.



The horror of how terrible it was is still fresh. I'm making it sound like I hated it because of it's Bollywood influence, but nothing's further from the truth. I love Bollywood. My favorite Bollywood is Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani (Go Bunny). That movie is a blast to watch. But this movie -  this Bride and Prejudice - this abomination - was not Bollywood. It was faux Bollywood at its worst. It was just too American. The beauty and energy of Bollywood was ruined by the American filter. I'm still reeling at the fact it was in English.

Here's my issue: I like American movies. I like Bollywood. Why do I hate them together? Isn't the fusion of cultures supposed to be celebrated? Isn't that how we overcome differences/achieve world peace/etc.? If that's what they were trying to do, they failed.

Bride and Prejudice shows just how important staying true to your roots is.  I hadn't realized how much I would dislike a diluted Bollywood movie. Bollywood is beautiful because of the wonderfully un-American enthusiasm for vibrant colors, for the distinct flavor of ancient traditions swirled together with the modern world, for its unashamed cheesiness. I don't think trying to mix the two cultures together here is the solution to bridging the gap between cultures. Accepting another culture as is - that's where the beauty of our meshing world comes alive. That's where the beauty of each culture still comes through fully and completely. Warping them together - destroying the distinct beauty of each - leaves a jaded shadow that leaves so much wanting of each.

So, to get preachy: Accept the differences. Celebrate your own. Everyone's better off.

YES:                                                 YES:

      

NEVER AGAIN:

You've Done Enough

Life is being really, really kind to me right now. Honestly, it's scaring me, because I just know something hard is coming if life is this awesome right now. Classes are great, my job is great, the guy I'm dating is great, my friends are great, my calling as a Sunday School teacher is great, everything is great. That being said, so much good can be a lot to handle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for so many blessings. But with so many wonderful things to devote my time to, how can I manage? Sometimes I wish I had an extra day a week and that every day was about 8 hours longer. It's hard to feel that I'm investing as much as I should into all these wonderful pieces of my life. Sometimes, I'm left wondering if the effort I put in is enough.

Sometimes, I struggle to accept that my best is enough. I've gotten better at it, but it's one of those things that comes back to haunt you right when you need it the least. Nagging thoughts find you when you're struggling to find a balance between all the good things in your life, and coerce you to feel guilty for not doing more.

Whenever I feel the wave of commitments begin to overwhelm me--like this past week--I remember a lesson Brother Griffin taught me over a year ago from John 6. Christ has been ministering to a multitude, but it's nearing the evening. They're in a desert place, so there's nowhere to buy food for everyone. The disciples are concerned for the crowd, so they encourage Jesus to dismiss them to find food. Instead, the Lord asks a young boy nearby for his five loaves of barley, and two small fishes. Imagine how insufficient that young boy would have felt. In front of you is a crowd of four thousand people, and all you have is a basket with a few morsels. He would have known that his contribution wouldn't be enough, yet he chose to do as the Lord asked of him. Instead of refusing out of embarrassment, pride, or selfishness, the boy gave everything he had to the Lord. And then, the miracle. The Lord accepts the boy's meager offering and performs a miracle. He takes those loaves, those fishes, and feeds all those that had listened to Him.

The Lord only asks for what we can give, and then takes our sacrifices and makes them into more than we ever could alone. He sanctifies our sacrifice. He knows what we can handle, and will fill in the blanks when we fall short (if we're doing our part).

When I feel that I'm not doing enough, I remember that I'm doing what I can. I'm putting sincere effort into the good things in my life, and I know the Lord has let my efforts have a greater impact than they should have. So, what I've learned from this week is to always strive to do more, be more, be better--but remember that what I'm doing is enough.

John 6

You Decide How Hard Your Life Is

It's an unavoidable fact that life will throw some nasty curve-balls your way. Either it's happened to you and you know I'm telling the truth, or you will soon.

In the few years of experience I have, I've noticed how attitude is everything. That's a phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but I doubt that people really let that sink in. I firmly believe that attitude entirely governs your experience on this life. 

There are two people that jump into my mind that prove this point to me. One of them is consistently, persistently happy, despite the flood of trials that seems to follow her like her own personal rain cloud. Despite personal health issues, disease, surgery, her mother's death due to cancer, and various other challenges, I've rarely seen her without a smile. She takes life head on, and actively shapes her life into something positive.  

The other person I think of has been blessed in so many ways. She has it all; a good home, a loving family, a wonderful college education, etc. Yet she always finds something wrong with her life and fixates on that, rather than the positive. Her attitude drains the joy and energy from the incredible experiences she has. 

I've been reflecting on this for the past few weeks. It's not because I've been going through trials, interestingly enough, but because of the opposite. On the contrary, my life has been absolutely perfect. I have incredible people in my life, I know what I'm doing with my life and I love it, and everything is falling into place. What I realized is that I'm not marginally happier now than I was when my life wasn't a bed of roses. Because I don't let my circumstances dictate how grateful I am for the life I lead, but rather choose to be grateful for every experience I'm given, I find joy in every day. That includes the days that throw those nasty curve-balls.

Gratitude enables me to make more of my life because I'm living my life with my Heavenly Father in mind. With this in mind, I challenge myself to write a list of 20 things I'm grateful for every night (no repeats). Not only will this help me be grateful for the day I've had, but will instill a spirit of gratitude for the coming days as well.

If You're Going to Worry, Worry Right.

Today in my accounting class, my professor, Jim Stice, gave all of us some beautiful advice. He invited us to look back on the past five years and to look at the Lord's hand in your life. He asked us to contemplate how we've been guided, even when we thought we were on our own.

Often when we're thinking of the future, we become overwhelmed at the prospect of what we have to overcome. We only see the many challenges we face matched with our many inadequacies, and we don't see how we're going to be able to get through it. We forget that the Lord will be there with us in the future, just as he has been in the past. 

We're prone to worry. Where is my life going? What's going to happen? Professor Stice says, "Good.  Good is going to happen. It's going to be fine." And really, that's so true. God is investing in us, the future leaders of his church. If we don't make it into the major we were wanting, or if we don't get that job we wanted, or anything else happens in a way we were hoping it didn't, it's all fine. Maybe God is helping us dodge a bullet. Maybe it wasn't right for us. Whatever happens, we are in the Lord's hands, just like we always have been. 

Professor Stice asked us to learn the following simple truths from someone who learned the hard way. 

"Worry about the present. The future will take care of itself. Worry less. Enjoy more."

The simplicity of his message struck me. I know that the Lord is looking out for me. I know that everything that happens, the perceived good and bad, is all from His hand, and I trust Him. With that trust, what then do I have to worry about? Knowing that He loves me removes so much of the negativity from life. Every experience can become positive when we look at it with God's perspective of time, destiny, and growth. 

My challenge to myself is this: follow Professor Stice's words of wisdom. My stress levels have been slowly building up for the past two weeks, but I realize that though my circumstances aren't in control, my attitude about them is. I can choose what I worry about, and I'd rather worry more about the things that I actually have the power to change. I will take the actions I need to for my future, but I'm going to worry less about it. If I do everything I'm capable of towards my future, I should be calm knowing that I've done all I can, and that the Lord has helped me every step of the way. 

Good things come... to those who actually try.

I wish I'd had a Han Solo to set me straight before I took a test on Monday. Sadly, it was failure and not a stylish Harrison Ford that led me to re-evaluate a few things.

I almost have my minor in mathematics. Back in high school, I took enough math classes that I figured I only needed 3 more classes at BYU to get my minor. I've taken Fundamentals of Mathematics, Linear Algebra, and Ordinary Differential Equations, and enjoyed them all. (Not even kidding. Math classes can drive you mad, but there's no denying that you get tight with the people who go through the inferno with you. Math friends are friends for life.) I thought I'd taken all the classes necessary to add a nice little bullet to my resume, but turns out the joke was on me. By the time I got around to actually declaring my minor, I found out I hadn't gotten credit for a Calculus class I'd taken back sophomore year of high school. I'd only gotten a 3 on the AP test, and BYU requires a 5. Turns out, I'd have to take a substitute class. The adviser recommended Math 118, Finite Mathematics.

I wasn't very enthusiastic about having to take a 100-level math class, but I sucked up my complaints and signed up for the class. I figured it would be a joke, and I could breeze through no problem. Please, I had my Math Minor (almost).

And so began my downfall.

I went to the first three lectures and then ditched the rest of them. I can honestly say that until this class, the only class I've ever intentionally skipped was my Flexibility class last semester. The professor took 75 minutes to teach what I thought should have taken maybe 30. It was all probabilities and sets, nothing I hadn't dealt with before. I figured if I could do the homework and glance at the textbook occasionally, I'd be just fine.

I took the first midterm for the class this past Monday, and I did not do well. So many things went wrong, and it was all because I hadn't prepared like I always, always, always do. 

As much of a shock as those numbers were on the screen, it was also a much-needed humbling experience. I'd tried reaping the benefits of success without putting in the hours. Consequentially, I'd learned that it doesn't work. (duh). I'm well aware I have the potential to do well in the class, but I won't get there without effort. Life's like that in a lot of ways--the potential is there, but it takes hard work, motivation, and consistent dedication to realize those fruits. That's how it is with dating and relationships, with musical talents, with athletic abilities; why wouldn't the same rules apply to education?

Thanks to this test, I know I need to put more effort into the areas I want to succeed in. That'll take more prioritizing, but that's just life. I still won't be going to lectures (because I got cocky and said I could work during those hours since I didn't think I'd need to attend the lectures) but I'll be carefully reading the text, taking down good notes, and frequently heading back to my old stomping grounds, the Math Lab in the Talmadge Building. One's thing for sure - you can bet I'll be staring at a "Fantastic!" the next time I walk out those testing center doors. 

I Got Lady Skills

I’ve heard it said that “you learn something new every day.” I wish I could say that this past Wednesday was the first time I’d learned that sprinting uphill in a pencil skirt and heels is a terrible, difficult idea; but, alas, it wasn’t.

The problem is that I always budget my time a little too closely. The last time this happened, it was in Salt Lake City. My date and I were heading to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert, and we’d gotten stuck in traffic. In order to make it in before they closed the doors, we had to make a run for it. He at least had the freedom of slacks. I say again, I was in a pencil skirt. And heels.

This time, I’d just gotten out of my Accounting 310 class in the Tanner building when I realized I had a job interview in 15 minutes in the LSB. This was a problem. First off, I hadn’t had time to prepare for the interview. I’ve never had to officially interview for a job, since most jobs I’ve had have fallen into my lap because of networking. Despite my best intentions, I hadn’t gotten around to researching what I should know going into the interview. As a result, I didn’t know what to expect. Secondly, I was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Based on the second suggestion I read from the online article I skimmed as I sped-walked across campus, this was not acceptable attire. I live in Condo Row, which is just south of campus, so there was a possibility I would have time to go home, grab a skirt, and make it back to the interview in time. I would have to make a run for it. Literally.

Miraculously, this story has a happy ending. With all my running and frantic online-article reading as I ran in a pencil skirt and heels up the hill just south of campus, I made it to the interview 20 whole seconds early. I interviewed well, and ended up getting a call two days later that I’d gotten the job.

What can I learn from this “iffy” victory? I need to give myself more realistic time frames. Just because I can do something in a certain amount of time doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give myself a bit more breathing room. Generally speaking, time management is an extremely valuable skill to have (I also happen to think running in heels is a valuable skill, but that’s a different story). I’ve been working on my time management skills the past few months, but I still have some work to do. My main struggle is budgeting travel time between commitments. As a rule, it might be a good idea for me to start overestimating, rather than underestimating, my travel time.

Well, that, or stop wearing pencil skirts. 

The Power of One

I enjoy learning how little actions, little moments, have such large impacts.

A few days ago, I came across a photo on Facebook that Humans of New York (HONY) had posted. For those that do not know, it is a movement that a photographer named Brandon Stanton started a few years back. He finds random people on the street, takes a few portrait shots of them, and then asks them to share their story. Often the pictures he posts are accompanied by tragedy, beauty, strength, humor, and hope. Name any emotion, and HONY will make you feel it. It aims to humanize individuals in the mess of 8.4 million people swarming about in New York City.

A few days ago, a picture of a young boy from the projects came up on my newsfeed.

"Who's influenced you the most in your life?"
"My principal, Ms. Lopez."
"How has she influenced you?"
"When we get in trouble, she doesn't suspend us. She calls us to her office and explains to us how society was built down around us. And she tells us that each time somebody fails out of school, a new jail cell gets built. And one time she made every student stand up, one at a time, and she told each one of us that we matter."

Find the story on Facebook here.

I felt a flare of hope for the boy, and gratitude for the worthy educator who understood the influence she had. I thought about the picture for only a moment, and then moved on. After all, what could I do?

Today, I returned to Facebook to find Brandon Stanton, the mastermind behind HONY, had tracked down Ms. Lopez. They had brainstormed how to help the children of Mott Hall Bridges Academy. They realized they were fighting against the "limited horizons of disadvantaged youth," and that the best way to help them was to let them see a world beyond the projects they grew up in. As Ms. Lopez put it, "It can be very difficult for them to dream beyond what they know." So, Brandon Stanton set up a Kickstarter to fund field trips to Harvard for the students. In just three hours, the HONY community raised $185,000. It was enough to fund the program for six years. When I started writing this blog post, it was at $315,065. It's now up to $337,427.

***Update: As of 1/29/15, over $1 million has been raised***

Find the link to the Kickstarter here.

Hundreds of children’s lives, for years to come, have been changed because of the actions of one man. Brandon Stanton really didn’t do very much: he took a picture, he met with a woman for a few hours, and he set up a Kickstarter. None of that takes much effort. Yet, the impact he will have is incredible. Now, many of those children from the projects have the opportunity for brighter futures. Ask just one of those children whether they think Brandon's few actions matter, and I bet I know what they would say.

This sequence of events hit home for me. Every decision I make has consequences, but I know some actions I take will have farther reaching effects than others. I choose to live my life with purpose, so that what I choose to do benefits others. The question is, how? For a start, I’m going to donate to that HONY kickstarter so that some kid from Brownsville, NY can develop into a backbone for the community. I’m also going to actually do what I’ve been planning on doing every year since I arrived at BYU: I’m going to volunteer with Y-Serve. I may not have the same influence to help as Brandon Stanton , but I can help in my own community, here in Provo, UT.

Now, what are you going to do?

Humans of New York Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork

My Skills Are Real!

MCOM 320 -- Week 2

Last night I listened in as my roommate, Jessie, participated in a Skype call with her new internship employer. The new employer guided her through what her purpose was, what she would do, and how she would do it. The company is creating a dictionary for closed captioning in Spanish. Many closed captioning services mark names or slang words as misspelled-even when they’re not-which is where this company comes in. Jessie’s job is simple: Go through all the words the service marked as misspelled, identify which were marked incorrectly, and then add them to the dictionary they’d created.

Everything sounded like it would run smoothly, until I heard how this particular company processes and stores the data they receive. My only experience with data storage comes from taking IS 110 last semester and IS 201 this semester. I am not an expert in data storage by any standards. However, I’d learned enough to know that trying to store data with Excel is a terrible, awful, shoot-yourself-in-the-foot-repeatedly idea. Unfortunately, that is what this company was trying to do.

Then came an empowering moment of realization; I could help these people. By the end of IS 201 this semester, I could design a more efficient and secure database for them. That’s what I was going to school for-to learn how to improve the world, to go forth and serve-and I had a golden opportunity. This was possibly the first instance I recognized where my education had a practical use. I felt that I could contribute in a significant way to improve a significant portion of this company. As soon as Jessie hung up, I mentioned what I was thinking, and asked her to see what her employers thought about the idea at the next opportunity. I’ll follow up with her a month before the semester ends, hopefully when I have more knowledge of data storage structures. Hopefully I’ll be in contact with her employers during finals week.

If the employers are willing, I will work with them to create a database that outperforms their current Excel spreadsheets. I will use the information I gain from the classes I’m taking and advice from my Information Systems professors to create a database tailored to this company’s needs.

A Test of Apple Loyalty

MCOM 320 -- WEEK 1

This week, I learned that my Mac is not my friend. Last semester in my IS 110 class, I found out that the Marriott School prefers laptops other than Macs. It made sense. The market of computers in the business world is dominated by HPs and Lenovos and other Windows laptops. But, out of loyalty to my Mac, I tried to make things work. This Monday, I found out things were only going to get harder the longer I tried to hold on to my Mac.

First off, all of my Microsoft Office applications crashed. I couldn’t access any of my documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. Since it’s only the first week of school, the effect wasn’t devastating. I didn’t have enough coursework yet to make me panic. It does make applying for a job difficult when you can’t access your resume, though. After a day or two of working on it, I got everything reinstalled and sorted out, but I learned the importance of keeping backups of important documents. If my situation had been worse and my computer had suddenly given me the blue screen of death, I would have lost everything. However, I was given a second chance, and now all my important documents are backed up, safe, and accessible. I’m going to make it a habit to continually back up all important documents, and look into purchasing some form of external storage.

Secondly, I need to run Windows for my IS 201 class. If I try to continue using my Mac, this requires a virtual machine that will run Windows programs within the OS X. After researching online and tapping into my network of computer science friends, I know how to proceed. Once again, I saw the power of networking this week. In September of last year, I met Taylor Funk, a computer science major. After describing my Mac issues with him, he sent me an email with links and detailed instructions on how to install a virtual machine. Even though it was months ago that he sent the email, it happens to be exactly what I need right now. I need to make sure and send him a hearty thanks for his help.

ACTION PLAN:

1. Make it a habit to back things up
2. Research/buy an external hard drive
3. Follow Taylor’s instructions on how to install a virtual machine
4. Send Taylor a thank you

Value of Memory

As a student, my job is to memorize. Some professors cringe at the word, but it is the truth. Whether I’m memorizing certain formulas or data, or whether I’m memorizing paradigms that professors prefer, the bottom line is that I’m memorizing. I don’t mind, though. Luckily, I have a knack for memory. I enjoy being able to recall valuable information, and I have noticed how it has given me an edge in various situations. The inherent value of memory is its enabling power.

Recently, the importance of memory has gained new meaning for me because of one word: Networking. Networking is the lifeblood of business potential. Want a new job or a promotion? Network. Need something done that you can’t do? Network. Want to build trust in a relationship? Network. Everything that networking can do for me boils down to a simple requirement: That I remember whom I know.

Specifically, I’ve focused on the power of remembering people. Memorizing others’ personal information leads to relationships. Caring enough to remember someone’s name, hometown, and major indicates a desire to continue the association. Now, instead of that one girl just being some random person I sit next to in class, she’s Lexi from Portland, who’s going into Recreation Management. I can build on my acquaintance with Jacob from Holladay, who served his mission in New Zealand. I have the necessary basis for a friendship with Nate, who’s going into Finance. Remembering people opens up potential, for both parties. These people are now part of my valuable network, and we’ll each be able to benefit each other in the future. In fact, the functionality of society is founded on relationships with others. No business could survive if relationships were not maintained. Remembering others and what they can do for each other is vital to an efficient and effective individual.