Totally Random Thoughts (October 2013 Edition)

Fear happens when we have something to lose. So how brave would we be if we believed—even for just one day—that we would win?

Trust is a gift of faith that is, more often than not, destroyed by imagination and insecurity, rather than reality.

A hero is someone who you know will always show up for you, even when they can’t necessarily save you or your world.

The most popular TV shows, movies, and books elicit strong emotions from people watching/reading. It is those strong emotions, along with strong questions, that keep us those characters in our heads, feeding our need to continue returning to watch the next episode, sequel, or volume. Or, barring that, it feeds our desire to continue watching or reading things by those same creators.

Sometimes a walk on the beach or a drive to nowhere is the best way to see the best parts of the world.

Any thoughts you’d like to add?

Totally Random-ish Thoughts: Friendship

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship, and all the varieties and types of relationships that exist among friends. I could go off on how important it is to be a true friend who is always there and whose dedication is unconditional. And yes, having friends like that (and being one) is really important. (Believe me, it’s important. I wouldn’t know how to survive without certain people in my life.)

But I think it’s also important to have seasonal friends. You know which ones they are. They are really fun to know, and you spend some time with them, and you enjoy being around them. But when you really look, you realize they aren’t high on your priority list.

Then there are other friends who serve a purpose. Not people you’re using (because that sounds awful, and even if it’s true on some level, it’s not intentional) but who are there and kind of hold your hand and help you traverse certain roads that lead to career, or religion, or relationships, or whatever. If you move away, or change jobs or career paths or something, you might keep track of them on FB or Twitter, but you won’t go to great lengths to hang out.

It’s sometimes hard to know which role is being played by which person at any given time, but I realize it doesn’t matter. As time passes and life changes and people grow older, or closer, or apart—the most important ones stick around, the less important ones drift away, and the purposeful ones fulfill their mission in your life, and then you all go on your merry way.

Regardless of which type of friend a person is, though, I think they always deserve the most and the best you can give of yourself. Because people come into your life for a reason. We almost never know what that reason is, and if we were to try and guess, we’d most likely be way off. So maybe it’s just better to accept that they’re supposed to be there, give our all into our different brands of relationships, and learn from everyone we meet.

Because relationships of all kinds are the stuff of real life and fiction and everything in between.

And that, my friends, is totally random thought Wednesday!

Things I'm Thinking About

1. It seems like a cruel joke that Mother Nature has chosen to send us snow during the entire week of spring break. Just. Cruel.

2. I get a kick out of how some people have expressed concern about me since I put purple streaks in my hair. I mean, seriously, peeps, it’s just hair color! (And I intend to keep it for a while because it makes me smile. A lot.)

3. Not that my taste in books has changed much lately, but I’ve found myself giving them fewer pages to hook me before I give up and move onto something else. Not sure why—guess it’s a lack of time thing?

4. Brownies are sometimes a better alternative to cake. They may not be as pretty, but they’re like fluffy-chocolatey-gooeyness that can be eaten at any time of the day and always make a girl feel happy.

5. I still have not figured out the phenomenon that makes all the neighborhood dogs howl whenever they hear sirens. It’s like they have a compulsion to imitate the wail. Sound the alarm, doggies! Do they want to chase the fire truck? Rescue someone from a fire? Munch on the flashing light or siren speaker? If only I could read their minds. Could be interesting.

6. I am proud to admit that my family has been working on being prepared for emergencies—like earthquakes or other natural catastrophes—and if an earthquake hit Utah today, hopefully we’d have what we need to survive for a little while. Except Bandaids. We keep forgetting to buy those. Doh.

7. In less than a month, I will be hanging with some of my bestest author friends at the 2011 LDStorymakers writer’s conference. So. Excited. It’s my fave conference of the year—every year. And I. Am. So. Stoked. *breathes to calm excited belly-dragon-flies*

8. My oldest daughter turned 15 this weekend. It's kind of freaking me out that I'm going to have to teach yet another of my children to drive. And then she'll be asking to borrow my car, and...yeah.

9. I interviewed a way awesome, super funny author today over at the Star Crossed blog. Be sure to stop by and say hi.

10.Apparently, I have a thing for lists lately. I really should analyze that sometime soon.

America The Beautiful

Yep, still gone. So how about a little more visual stimulation?

 The mighty Mississippi

Song of the day: America the Beautiful.

Judging Personal Success: A Thought

Thought of the week:

Never judge your own success on the reactions of other people.

I’ve been known to do this, and it’s something I’m working on. I’m getting better. Not perfect, it’ll be a life-long quest. But it’s a goal toward which I’m aiming, that I know will play a large part in my personal happiness.

Do you have such a goal? I’d love to hear it.

Random Thoughts from a Recent Conference

(Gleaned from a presentation given by Allie Condie, author of Matched.)

1. Nobody has enough time to write.

2. Either you’re good at multi-tasking or you’re bad at it. Decide which you are then get over it and move on.

3. Don’t make excuses, make improvements.

How’s that for a lesson of the day?