Thursday, April 28, 2011
Relax and Laugh
Before anyone takes too much offense to the title of my blog allow me to explain. First, relax. Second, laugh. That is the motto of my life. Life (first of all, I hate when this word is used so generally, but I'll elaborate on what exactly "life" is in a minute) is hard, and then we all grow old, lose control of our minds, mouths and bowels and die. At every stage of a person's life they are experiencing hard times and happy times. I chose to focus on the happy times and try to live in the present time and not in the past or in the future. Worrying too much about what has happened and what is going to happen only makes you miss the current happenings, so stop worrying and just be happy! Of course, I'll admit there are things in life we have to worry about: money, jobs, school, family, who got voted off American Idol and who you are going to kneel by at 'ward stare', but we also have to just be happy and not stress over the little things. I read a book that took all my feelings and put them on paper. Justin Halpern authored a book based on what he would hear his dad say throughout life. His dad is a little rough around the edges and most of time is a little crude and odd, but he knows what life is all about. It's about living your life for you and not stressing about things that don't matter in the big picture! Just be happy with you, whether you are weird and maybe an FLK (funny looking kid) or socially elite and perfect. Just be you and happy. No matter how 'wrong' you think you may be or how bad you may think your life is. This book said what I think, and as this blog will be like book of sorts of what I am thinking, "Sh*t Carlie Says" is indeed a very appropriate title.
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I'm hesitant to post a comment on this blog entry, but I still feel like I should.
ReplyDeleteDisagree with me if you will, but I think it's a dangerous philosophy to just "live life for you." It turns us into hardened, selfish people; it has the potential to make us prideful; it ultimately shuts other people out.
Life, to me, seems more complicated than just taking the easy way, and "living for you" would seem to be the easy way. We most greatly perceive our own "self," but that doesn't mean we should live for our "self." Are we not supposed to progress in this life? Does doing the easiest thing help us at all in that endeavor?
I think there's a reason that the counsel we are given by our God are often paradoxical. We learn that the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 19:30). The important thing about paradoxes is that they don't seem to make sense, but only at first. With thought and consideration, you find that they do not contradict themselves. But because their meaning is not obvious at first, they prove to be harder and good for us. If we can resist the need to be superior in this life, instead embracing a humble life of reaching out to and serving others, then we will be exalted in the next life.
I appreciate what you have to say about not being ashamed of yourself no matter who you happen to be. There is a big difference between shame and humility. It is important for people to be comfortable with themselves. But "living life for you" is too easy. We should not be taking the easy path.
I understand "living life for yourself" as not "choosing the easiest path", but disregarding the criticisms of others that would drag us down and make us less. If I had listened to even half the critisims of others during my life I would not have achieved any of the goals I chose for myself. Goals that included graduating from a respected university, service in the church as a full-time missionary, marriage to a worthy preisthood holder, motherhood and a successful career. I lived for myself and in doing so made the choices that were best for me. That may sound "selfish" to some, but to me it has made me a happy productive member of society and the church. I don't think Carlie's message was about "eat, drink and be merry", but about making it through the difficult times by focusing on the happy times and in doing so achieving the best kind of life.
ReplyDeleteI think as much as Christ sent us to Earth to be tested and experience trials, he also sent us here to be happy and "live our lives for ourselves". Granted, everything we do here involves and affects others, but in the end, it's OUR choices that decide where we'll end up. To me, that means exactly what you said, living life for you. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd on a side note, I especially liked this sentence:
"His dad is a little rough around the edges and most of time is a little crude and odd, but he knows what life is all about."
Sounds like a couple guys we know... :)
By the way Carlie, the average high school student does not develop a love or even like for a lot of literature you have to read in college. They will despise Shakespeare, Wuthering Heights, etc. and probably never in their lives read East of Eden, but they adore Sh*t My Dad Says. My students have devoured it.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. There's something to be said for being on a steady ground yourself before you can help others. You have to practice the things that will make you a good influence before you have much capacity to change lives. But once we have achieved that stability in our lives, it shouldn't be about us necessarily. I think we can do many things that may have good effects but will not come with blessings because of the outlook we have. Without charity all our other virtues are as dross. And though charity encompasses the acts we perform, much of it is about the mindset we perform them in, and I think that mindset should be other-centric.
ReplyDeleteHolly, I can see how this is not a message to eat, drink, and be merry. And I'm sure the Lord supports us in having fun and enjoying our lives. Maybe it really is just the phrasing of the sentiment I disagree with. I don't know for sure. Thanks for the conversation.
Wow, that's a lot of "judgment" based on the reading of one simple blog about a book Carlie read- without ever mentioning the book she refers to I might add.
ReplyDeleteI can tell I'm going to like this blog (even though I'm reading this after the title has been changed. :D)
ReplyDelete