*insert inspirational quote here*

I'm not going to lie and act like I'm cool.  I'm not.  I'm a sucker for great quotes.  I think that quotes have a lot of power.  They can make you laugh, cry, try harder, relax (something I need a lot), etc. etc.

*This post is getting serious. Fast.  Oops.*


But when I say quotes, I don't mean insta captions of facebook comments.  I mean genuine quotes that can motivate you.

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes."

-John Wooden

Basically saying that if you're doing something, you're going to make mistakes, and that's betten than not doing anything at all.  I love this quote because I make a lot of mistakes, and it makes me feel like even though I mess up, at least I'm beating people on the couch. 

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.

-Dr. Seuss

English translation please?  Basically you are in charge of yourself, and no one can change where you are going if you don't let them.  I like this quote because I think it's important to go for whatever you want in life, and not to let other people influence your future.

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

-John Wooden

Bee Positive! Haha (:  but seriously, that's what this quote is (:  

image creds: skreened

The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.

-Marcus Aurelius

This quote is basically refuting the idea that revenge is sweet. It's about being a better person than the one who brought you down.  This is really important in my life because I used to be brought down a lot, but I got through it and I'm a better person because of it. 

*The way I interpret these quotes may not be the original meaning or what you think.  Please don't hurt me if you disagree (: 

**I apologize for such a serious post... Oops (:  

***Thank you!  I really appreciate you reading my blog (:

Why am I me?

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!"

  -Dr. Seuss

Everybody is their own individual person, as illustrated in the quote by the Einstein of poetry/kids books, Dr. Seuss.  

We are different because of our genetics of course, but what about our environment?  The things we experience, the things we are drawn towards, and, of course, the media.

There are several specific things that have changed the way I think, act, or view the world.  

For some of them, I don't exactly know how they changed me because I encountered them when I was too young to remember my exact age.  For others, it's obvious how they changed me.  

Here are just three of the things that have changed me.  Of course, there are sosososososo many more (:

1. Desperado

Desperado is a song by the Eagles.  The lyrics are super meaningful, and the music itself is... well... amazing.  But it's more than the lyrics and the tune that are important to me.  Rather, it's the fact that my dad used to (and still occasionally does) sing it to me before I go to bed.  A lot of the time with music,  I think it's the experiences we have with the songs that make them special. 

Image Credits: pinterest

2. Matrix Club

Matrix Club was the club I was a part of in Hong Kong.  We worked with refugees, and it made a huge impact on me.  I learned so much from it - more than I have from any other experience.  I learned empathy, which is a big deal to me. I think empathy is the most important thing anyone can ever learn.  Matrix Club also made me realize how messed up our world can be, but also how wonderful it can be, how strong a person can be, and how much impact one person can make.

3. The Breakfast Club

Image Creds: Movie Pilot

In my movie blog post, I said that the Breakfast Club was the only movie that changed my life.  It's hard to explain why I love this movie so much, honestly.  I guess, for me at least, it's a metaphor for all of the people in the world.  No matter who you are, where you belong, you have serious problems.  It also is great because I think each one of the kids in it is represented in a little part of everyone - there's always part of you that's smart, that's rebellious, that's a diva, that's competitive, even that's a little bit crazy.

And that's what makes us who we are. 

Festival of Color

The Festival of Color took place in Spanish Fork last weekend.

I have wanted to go to a Holi festival (a festival in Hinduism, the predominant religion in India) since I saw it take place on the Amazing Race when I was just a little kid.  When I found out that there was one in Utah and my friends were going, the amount of excitement I was experiencing was probably a bit too much to be healthy.

On Saturday morning, Lulu, Joe, and I piled into Joe's family car.  The car was stocked with water, towels, and sheets to cover the seats with when we were covered with colored corn starch (all courtesy of Joe's dad).

When we arrived at the festival, I honestly was skipping down the side of the road.  Okay, maybe not skipping, but I definitely had an enthusiastic walk. gait. run...  I don't know...

At the end of the day, you could definitely say I was sufficiently covered with colored dust.  I may have gotten a bit in my eyes, and a lot in my lungs.  I also may have accidentally thrown a bit into some other people's eyes (I'm sorry about that... again... It was an accident... I'm sorry... Please, forgive me...), and covered a few other people with starch.

But all of it was totally worth it.  It was so so so much fun (:

Joe, Lulu, and I (from right to left) about half way through the festival (:

Image Courtesy: Joe's father (:

My clothes at the end of the day... My shoulders and face suffered the most (:

From Left to Right:  Sky, Joe, Lulu, Grant, and I

Noah's being cool in the front

Image Courtesy: Joe's dad, again (: