Rise of the Guardians

Oh. My. Gosh.

You guys, this movie may have just changed my life.  And by just, I mean on Monday.  And by changed my life I mean may have become my new favorite movie.  And that is hard to do, I tell you what.

Rise of the Guardians was probably my favorite part of President's Day weekend.  And I did quite a lot during my three day joyous celebration away from school.  But to be able to go and watch a movie that was all about learning who you are was so joyous!

I loved this movie for the following reasons...

1. It was fun!  I feel like good movies are fun movies.  They keep you engaged in one way or another.
2. I fell in love with the characters.  No, not literally in love, though when I found out that Chris Pine was the voice of Jack Frost I might have melted a little inside...thank the heavens for Chris Pine...Anyway, I fell in love with each individual character, their personality, their quirks and passions.  Jamie!  And Sandy!  Oh goodness, if you haven't seen this, you need to.
3. This movie made me want to find out what drives me.  I feel like sometimes I am Jack Frost.  I am going through life and school, not really knowing why I am doing so.  I need to find what makes me who I am just like Jack does in this movie.  That REALLY resonated with me.
4. I loved the ending.  LOVED the ending.  That's all I will say.  

Go see it.  It is in the dollar theatre, so even if you hate it, you only spent a dollar on it.  Really, it is worth your time!

A Pep Talk

So, there I was.  Studying cramming for my Abnormal Psych midterm when suddenly on the google doc there was a link to this video.  Some good soul had helped us have a study break.

Guys, I loved this!  Maybe it is because it is almost one in the morning, but I want to BE this kid!  I want to help others reach their potential!

Here are some of my thoughts:

Do I take the time to reach out to others?  To give them the pep talk that they need?  To give one to myself?

Am I stuck in boring?  or am I really "gooder than that"?

Which path are you taking in life?  Are you choosing the best path for you? Even when that path is lined with rocks, sticks and even glass?

Do we take the time to see what our potential for awesome is?  We have so much that we can bring to this world, but do we realize that?  Do we take time to dance?

I love the cinematography of this video, the lighting and the different camera angles that they use.  I feel like this really helps to bring in the message that is being shared.

For me, media is about more than the message.  It reaches beyond that and in to how you share that message.  Are we limiting our viewing experiences because we only "like" one type of media?  Are we taking the time to explore new genres, to see new places and spaces, to listen to new artists and to read what different authors have to say?

Sometimes we have to break out of what we are used to and find something fantastic.  That is what I found with this kid...Kid President to be exact.  Who would have thought that a little boy would have so much to teach us all.

Now go be awesome.

Small Enough

This is one of those songs that got me through so much on my mission.  I wish that I could say that my mission was the best time of my life.  Honestly, it wasn't.  Did I meet a lot of amazing people?  Yes.  Did it change my life?  Yes.  But it was also one of THE most difficult experiences that I have ever gone through,  My soul and body were pushed to their limits in the eleven months that I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  And so, I did what I always do.  I turned to music.

As I was getting ready this morning, I heard this song again.  I firmly believe in the power of music, to not only take us back to the place that we were when we first heard a song, but to also help us heal and move forward.  All day today I have been thinking about my mission, about how it changed my life and how I have changed since my mission.  I am so grateful to this song for the power of change that it brought to me.

Over and over, Mindy Gledhill sings "Oh great God, be small enough to hear me now."

How often do we feel that way?  That our Father in Heaven is so great and powerful, but that we need him to just be small enough to hear and understand us in our hour of need.

We know that he was there for others, like Mindy points out, but do we have the faith that he will be there for us now?

I can promise you that I have seen him be there for me.  Let him be there for you.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Guys, I have a new media...addiction?  Obsession?  Love?

Maybe all of those fit this new youtube sensation that I stumbled upon earlier this week.

I had heard about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, but I was skeptical.  I am a big fan of Pride and Prejudice itself as a novel (I even got a friend of mine who is a boy to read it when we were in the eighth grade.  Because I talked it up so much.) and I love the Kiera Knightly version of the movie, but the more modern retold versions are touch and go for me.

So, when I heard that there was a youtube vlog all about Lizzie Bennet, I was wary.  There was no way that it could be as good as the books, I thought to myself.

Then I watched it.

Guys, it is hilarious.  Mind you, there is cursing throughout the series so if that is something that is going to bother you, don't look in to it.

But honestly, I am in a love-hate relationship with this youtube channel.  I want to just skip ahead past the part where Lizzie whines about Darcy...but then you miss out on so much.

There is so much that makes this unique.  Instead of showing all of the characters on screen, Lizzie and her sisters (and Charlotte) act out everything that Lizzie is experiencing.  They are doing costume theatre and it is fantastic.  You see a different side of each character because you see them solely from Lizzie's point of view.  Sometimes you meet those characters later on, but some of them I have yet to meet.

If you are looking for a great break from studying, this would be it.  However, I would caution you...you miiiight get sucked in.  You have been forewarned.

And now, my friends, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries:

A Little Like Mia

This week I watched Disney's Princess Diaries

I have to admit, I often feel a little like Mia...no, this isn't secret confession time where I tell you I really AM a Princess ("a...a Princess? Shut Up!")  No, I feel more like the awkward, insecure part of Mia Thermopolis.

I have to admit, I have both read some (not all) of the books that the movie is loosely based off of and seen the movie dozens of times.  And in this case, I like the movie so much more.  I guess it is because I can relate to the character in the movie, who is much less sure of herself and of her relationships with the people around her, than I can with the angry angsty teenager in the novels.

For anyone who has met me, I don't seem like a Mia Thermopolis on the surface.  I am more loud and outgoing (kind of like Lily).  But I still feel a lot like Mia.  I struggle to know if a boy likes me, always wishing that the cutest ones would just walk right up and sweep me off my feet.  I am probably missing a lot of Michael moments, missing times where someone totally unexpected is looking at me the same way I am looking at the Josh Bryants of the world.

One day I hope to be more like Mia is in Princess Diaries 2...but I guess that is a post for another day.

P.S. This is one of my favorite scenes.  I am a firm believer in the knowledge that it sometimes takes someone else helping us see our beauty for us to see it ourselves.  Sometimes a little makeover can go a long way in helping our inner beauty shine through.

Wonder

Have you ever seen Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium?

I distinctly remember the first time that I saw this movie.  I cried.  Quite a lot in fact.

There is something inherently magical about having someone else help you find your innate worth.  It seems to me that unless we have someone in our lives who can be the instigator, the one who sees something greater in us that we see in ourselves.  That person then helps us to open up our hearts so that we too can see our great worth.

There are two things that this movie made me want to do with my life.  First, it made me want to find my own "sparkle".  It made me look inside myself and find out what made me unique and special.  I am pretty sure that this is one of the things that helped me start to gain a sense of uniqueness and self worth.    Second, it makes me want to be a Mr. Magorium.  It makes me want to see the goodness in others and help them find their own potential.

I love the sense of whimsy that exists in this movie.  If you haven't seen it, I would strongly encourage that you do.

Validation

I feel like this has been my goal for so long in life that I honestly don't know when it started.  I love to give out honest, validating comments.  To let people know that they are truly loved, appreciated and VALIDATED for who and what they are.

Then I started working at my current job and realized that validating people, especially people who are under a great deal of stress, is key in life.

We made this video part of the training that new hires go through in my office.  I really do believe in the importance of validating others.  Cheesy musical numbers aside, the message of this video really hits home to me.  We CAN make a difference to others.  We CAN influence the lives of other people.  Maybe all it takes is smiling at them.  Maybe it is in a simple conversation while walking home from campus or while waiting for class to start.  Maybe it is in taking that girl in your ward on a date or saying "yes" to a date with that boy.

You never know what will boost someone's sense of self-worth.  But why risk not taking the opportunity by staying inside of our shell?

Reach out.  Reach up.  Spread some joy today.  Validate someone.