Today I Learned Something From a Fortune Cookie

My friends, I have to say that sometimes, fortune cookies are profound. :)
I went to Panda Express with some family today, and got some awesome food. Seriously. It was good. :D But something that was better than my food was the fortune I received. It said,
"Look towards the future, but not so far as to miss today."
This is something that I need. I spend so much time thinking about what I'm going to be one day, one day that may not even exist for me in the future. Maybe I won't make it to the day I think and dream about. Today is what determines tomorrow's success, but without today, tomorrow will never happen. Tomorrow is good to think about, but today is the time to act. Now go spread joy.
Love,
Dallin :)

To My Downtrodden Friends

My friends, sometimes life is just plain hard. Sometimes it is going to be a monster. And this monster is going to beat you down to nothing, and let you up a little just so that it can hit you again and again until you fall back down again. Then, after you believe that you have nothing left, that monster will leave. Life will no longer be in the form of a monster, but in the form of a person, or idea, and it will come back and pick you up again. And you will heal, and forgive that monster for what it did to you, and you will be stronger. Then life will change from that person or idea and once again become that monster. But this time the monster won't look so big and scary, because you will be stronger, and more experienced, but it will still be stronger than you. And it will once again beat you until you believe you are broken. But you will learn, and grow stronger. And so the cycle will continue until that glorious day when the monster returns, and you look at it with all the certainty and confidence that comes with past adversity and say, "No more." And that monster will look back at you with all the fear in the heart of a damned soul, because it knows that from that point, it will never be stronger than you again. Then, on that day, you will be unbreakable. Yes, the monster will hurt you still, that is inevitable. But it will never again break you. It will never again look down at your mangled and bloodied soul and laugh with that deep, evil laugh that always used to scare you so badly. You are then free of this monster.
So, to my poor, downtrodden friends: please don't give up. Please don't let this monster destroy your life, because it will if you let it. It cannot hurt you past what you can bear. So no matter how painful the beatings become, persevere, and know that there is someone waiting to help you at the end of the beatings. Please know that God has a purpose for you, so keep the faith! And know that God is there. He anxiously watches, hoping that you will make the right decisions, wishing that you wouldn't have to go through as much pain as you do to become as strong as you need to be, weeping because of your anguish. Please know you are loved. And, if you believe that nobody in the world loves you, know that I do. But, more than I ever could, God does. And if you don't believe in God, please do some honest, open minded study of the Bible and the Book of Mormon and if you really are honest and sincere in your study, and you ask God for yourself, you will come to know for yourself of the truth that God lives.
May God be with you through the pain you must endure, and may you learn to defeat your monster quickly.
Love,
Dallin Ward

Home

My friends, the last two weeks have been quite an adventure. :) I spent a week in Veyo, Utah at Elevation (A camp that my school does 3 times during the year) and it turned out to be one of the best weeks of my life. I went climbing, repelling, ascending, swimming, caught crawdads, played a ton of koosh (Which, by the way, is one of the coolest variations of dodgeball that has ever been played :D ), did a service project, did a super intense simulation, spent a night alone in a canyon with only the clothes on my back, ran a 5:25 mile, spent 4 hours alone on a large rock overlooking a clear stream while nature moved around me, did yoga and meditation, had deep philosophical conversations with some of the coolest people alive, and with the same people stayed up until 2 in the morning laughing my head off. Then, after it was all over, we met again at Cafe Rio for one last meal with each other, and went and asked hair salon people for mosquito itch cream in a French accent and then watched the confusion on their faces while we accidentally busted out laughing. Needless to say, it was an amazing week. :D
Then, almost on a whim, I stayed another week in Utah with some cousins of mine, and went to BYU education week. Oh, that was so wonderful. I got to see the BYU campus which, by the way is amazing. I got to observe spectacular people such as John Bytheway and Hank Smith as they made me laugh, cry, and feel everything in between while helping me to realize what I need to do with my life, and how to change to fulfill my mission in life. I got to meet so many new people, people whom I have learned to love. I learned how to smile and really be happy, like, sincere happiness, nothing fake. It was funny, and kind of sad to see how shocked people were when I asked them how they were, and really cared to know instead of asking simply to be polite. I learned how to do the two step, the fox trot, the New York hustle, the three step, and the cha-cha in a dance class and at the dance itself. I met a girl named Amber who seemed happier than even I, which I did not think to be possible. I met a guy named David who taught me that appearances mean nothing, it is what's inside that counts. And I met so many other people who changed my perspective on life. I went to Legends Grill (Which I highly recommend) every day except Monday for lunch, and I learned that if you treat people with respect and kindness, they will treat you the same. I walked into Legends Grill on Wednesday and confidently walked right up the the cash register with a huge grin on my face to order my food. I walked up to the man at the counter and I said, "Hello Sir! How are you?" and then proceeded to order my food. Oh, the smile I saw on his face when I walked in the next day made me so happy. :D I walked in the next day and before I could say a thing, his face lit up and he said, "Hello Sir! How are you?" And he meant it! He really did! Oh, happiness is contagious, and it is something that I and determined to spread. :) It was so great to watch a girl's face, a girl who had sat on her phone in a corner for most of the dance, it was so amazing to watch how she smiled when I asked her to dance. And playing Monopoly with your cousins while making up new, fantastic rules as you go? That's the best. :) This, as well as the week before, was an amazing week. :)
But, yesterday morning when I woke up, I realized that it was time. It was time to come home. As much as I love adventures, I would choose home over endless adventures any day. I love my family too much to be gone for that long. Because I missed some things too much. I missed holding baby Nathan. I missed Rachel yelling "Dallin! Dance with me! :D" I missed how Rebekah would run up to me yelling "Dallin!" when I would walk in the door and give me a great big hug. I missed Ben's smile that never goes away. I missed Enoch's hilarious jokes. I missed talking with Spencer. I missed my Mom's muffins, and her loving care. I missed working with my Dad, and the example he sets for me.
Put simply, I missed home.
Now, I'm home, and I'm very happy to be here - it's where I belong. :)

Remembering

 My friends, how are you going to be remembered?
What is going to be the first thing to pop into a person's head when they hear your name?
I, for one, want to be remembered as a person with a sincere love of all people, and no regrets. I do not want to leave this life wishing that I had said or done something. I want to be remembered as a teacher, a mentor, a guide and an enlightener. I want people to say at my funeral, "Dallin was a man who changed my life."
So, having said that, allow me to exclaim to the world.
I don't care who you are - I love you. I want to help you. I want you to succeed. I sincerely hope that I have not hurt you. I pray for you. I want you to be a better person than I am.
So, when I tell you that I love you, I mean it. And I say it so that if something happens to you or I, I do not have regrets about not telling you how wonderful you are, and how much I love you often enough.
I refuse to leave this life with any amount of shame.
God bless you, my friends.
Now go spread joy.
Love,
Dallin

The Brilliance of Children

My friends, children are brilliant. It's just that simple, they know how to live life. And then, as we grow from children and become adults, we learn self destructive habits that, when we finally regain our senses, we spend the rest of our lives lives fixing. One of these habits is the constant need for stimulation of some kind to keep our brains moving. We desire this stimulation for many reasons. Maybe it is because we hate to spend quiet time examining our character - because that hurts. Maybe it is because we have regrets. Maybe we are dealing with other kinds of pain. But, how will your inner brilliance release itself if you don't ever make time for it to grow? This, my friends, this is why children are brilliant. See, they haven't confined themselves yet to this addiction to stimulation yet. They go outside, they spend time alone.
They think.
Today, my little brother Ben came to me with a thought. He is 9 years old. Here's what he said, (With slight revision for clarity. :) )
"Dallin, the word natural shouldn't exist. See, Jesus Christ was a man, right? And he created the world. So, technically, the world is all artificial."
Wow! That's brilliant! Let me tell you, in the world of stimulation that I spend far too much time in, I would have never thought that deep. This is the kind of thinking that has changed the world.
So, let me challenge you. This is something that I intend to do as well. Be more like a child. Spend time alone examining your character and the deep concepts and mysteries of life. And, if you can't stand to be alone with yourself, fix that. Whatever is making it painful to be alone - fix it. I promise that you will be more at peace if you do. And, who knows? Maybe the next thought that will change the world is waiting inside of your head for a chance to cross your mind.
Now go do.
Love,
Dallin :)

Thank You

Hey guys. :)
I just want to say thanks. :) It doesn't really matter what for, just so that you know, I mean it.
Thank you.
Thank you for all the good ways that you have influenced me, whether you know it or not. By reading this, you encourage me to write more, and make me feel like what I do is noticed by at least you. So, for that, thank you.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read my posts, and for caring enough to leave a comment now and then.
Thank you for being who you are, and for your efforts to become a better person in a world full of sin.
Thank you for all the good you have done for me without my noticing. And, I'm sorry that I did not notice.
And for anything else where thanks is due, thank you.
God bless,
Dallin :)

The Reality in America's Nightmare

This post will take a while to go through due to the amount of media which you will watch when you read the post. You will need about a half hour of free time to read this, so don't do it on short time. :)

Before you go any further, listen to this.
Paul Harvey: If I Were the Devil
The first time listening to that, the purpose was to understand the idea.
Listen to it once more to let it sink in.
That was recorded in 1965. Look around today. Everything that he said would happen is coming to pass. There is a news story for almost every one of those predictions.
My friends,
America is dying.
My country. My home. It is dying.
Glenn Beck recently did a show on this topic. Watch parts one and two below.
No Right and Wrong, Just Agenda: Part One
No Right and Wrong, Just Agenda: Part Two
You and I, we're in trouble.
The Devil himself is doing his best to corrupt us. Will we stand idly by while he proceeds to do so? What are you going to do? How are you going to resist his ever so tempting lures? You will never make a good change in the world if you let him into your life, and you were made to make a change. So keep him out. Don't just resist, but resist with vigor. And if he does get a hold of you, you had better be kicking and screaming all the way down to Hell. Because you deserve better than the Devil can provide there.
Stay strong, my friends.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
-Gandhi

I Am Useful

Today, while at work, I realized something profound to me.
I am useful.
I am important.
I am needed.
Say that out loud. Believe it. You are useful, important, and needed. I don't care what you do, don't do, say, or don't say, you are useful, important, and needed in some way and to somebody.
I am useful because I'm a hard worker.
I am important because I am a Son of the Highest King.
I am needed because there is work to do, and I'm willing to do it.
In what ways are you useful? What about important? Needed?
Think about it.
Focus on the good.
Find how you're useful, why you're important, and where you're needed.
And then go and do.
This is how you live life with purpose.
Now get off of your computer and go live life. :)

What is Freedom?

What is freedom?
I don't mean the dictionary definition.
What does freedom mean to you on an individual level?
To me, freedom is what makes me happy. It's what makes me feel alive. It's what gives me purpose.
This is freedom to me.
Freedom is a quiet mountain peak overlooking a beautiful Idaho valley.
Freedom is the American flag waving for all to see.
Freedom is the sunrise, and the sunset.
Freedom is the crisp morning air after a night of heavy snowfall.
Freedom is a walk in the woods with nobody around for miles.
Freedom is hard work.
Freedom is contentment, joy, and peace.

This isn't going to be a long post. I just want you to think.
What does freedom mean to you?
How are you going to protect your freedoms?
Are you willing to fight and die for your freedom?
Because if you don't fight for your freedom, who will?

Calling It Like It Is

Political correctness. 

Grr.

That stuff really makes me mad.

Here's the deal.

If you're black, why do I have to call you African American?

If you're white, why must I call you Caucasian? 

If you're fat or old, why must I never speak of it?

Is there something wrong with being fat or black or old or white? Are you ashamed of yourself?

I'm a scrawny, short little white guy that is sure to get cauliflower ear from wrestling. So what? 

Must I be perfect to conform to what society wants of me?

Why can't I just be happy with who I am?

So, if you're black, don't take offense when I call you a black person.

If you're fat, don't take offense when I say so.

If you're white or Asian or Mexican or skinny or lazy or Mormon or Muslim or Atheist or gay or smart or stupid, or anything else that defines you, 

I don't care.

I'm going to call it like it is. 

Because I shouldn't have to worry about offending you by speaking what I observe. 

If you don't like who you are, then you need to change who you are.

But you should be proud of yourself, because you are spectacular. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.

Changing the World

I am going to change the world.

Look at the power in that sentence. Read it out loud. Right now. Really try to believe it. It means recognizing who you are, and your incredible potential, because you really do have incredible potential. You and I, we have the potential to change the world, but in order to do that we must first believe it.

Remember the quote from Marianne Williamson about your greatest fear not being your darkness?

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Look deep down inside yourself, really dig. Deep down, you know that it is your light that scares you much more than your darkness. Don't deny it, because for about 99.99% of the people on Earth, this is one of the truest things ever written. But, why is this? It is because living up to your potential, well, that means you have to work. It means you have to get out of your comfort zone, and you really have to push to believe how far you can go, and once you get there, it's hard to maintain because you don't want to be greater than anyone else.

I've found that much of life has to do with making a decision and sticking to it. Many times a deathly ill person's fate will be decided by whether or not they decide to live or die. I really believe that God will help a person that makes a good decision and is determined to stick to it. But I also believe that God gives much less help to a half hearted decision than he does to one that all of a person's heart is poured into. So, decide today, because when it's time to make the decision it's already too late - you will probably choose the easy way if your way isn't predetermined.

Today, I, Dallin Ward, have decided that I will not be scared of my light. I will not practice self destructive behavior, and I refuse to compromise my goals, dreams and potential for the easy way.

Because I am going to change the world, and I cannot turn back now that I've started.