Frankly, My Dear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAqxWa9Rbe0

Something fantastic about Mr. Rhett Butler is how he always tells Scarlett what's up. He doesn't play games with her, he tells her what he thinks, even when it's harsh and REALLY what she does not want to hear. 

He often comes off as cruel or mean. But I say: what's worse--telling a harsh truth or a pretty lie?

I'd rather have my heart broken with honesty than be led on believing a falsehood. I want criticism, I want to hear that maybe someone just doesn't want to hang out with me, or yes, that dress does make me look fat. Concealing hard things from someone will not make those things disappear. It will most often just allow the situation to get worse when it could have been resolved with a dose of honesty.



Because I infinitely prefer the truth to any form of dishonesty, even 'white lies', I give all those I care about the respect to be sincere with them. 

“To conceal anything from those to whom I am attached, is not in my nature. I can never close my lips where I have opened my heart.” 
― Charles Dickens

My closest friends know what my honesty really means. It means I'll tell you if you're being too crazy, I will remove myself from a hug that I don't want to continue, and if you ask, I'll give you my complete, unadulterated opinion. Even if that opinion might really tick you off.

I'm not only truthful with my best friends, though. I'm very frank with everyone: My manager who might half-jokingly ask my opinion on something at work will most likely hear my opinion. Someone who asks if I missed them and I didn't, I'll tell them "Nope." A guy who asks me if I'd date someone like him and I wouldn't, I tell him so.

For whatever reason, people are often surprised at how honest I will be with them. They'll often think I'm kidding or being sarcastic. Some will think I'm trying to 'slay' whoever I'm talking to (as in above guy, the one I wouldn't date). I'm not trying to be mean, witty, or put others down. That is SO not the goal. I'm following the golden rule and treating everyone how I want to be treated. Unfortunately, it's not always seen that way...



I'm sure I've hurt a lot of peoples' feelings with my sharp tongue. I'm sure some would say that this quote fits me perfectly:

“All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness.” 

― Tennessee Williams

Guys, you know I'm not sugarcoated, but cruelty is something I despise. Even though I rarely admit it, I'm pretty much a bumbling, naive KID. I say dumb things a lot.

 “The truth needs so little rehearsal.” 

― Barbara Kingsolver

Sometimes this lack of rehearsal results in a lot of blabbed words and hurt feelings. I'm sorry. Please let me know if I've ever hurt you with my words because I promise it was not intentional and I'll try my best to repair it if I can.

I believe in truth. In my opinion, truth, in all forms, is the highest virtue. Truth encompasses loyalty, honesty, integrity, and consistency. The best way to hurt me is to lie, cheat, or not implement what you profess to be your standards.  What will me make me respect you the most is congruence, dependability, and be completely honest with me even, even especially, when it's hardest.

Now here's a few more cool quotes on honesty...

 

“The truly scary thing about undiscovered lies is that they have a greater capacity to diminish us than exposed ones.” 

― Cheryl Hughes

“Truth builds trust.” 

― Marilyn Suttle

“What you didn't tell someone was just as debilitating as what you did.” 

― Jodi Picoult

“Don’t spoil me with your lies, love me with your truth.” 

― T.F. Hodge

“Maybe my expectations for honesty are too high.” 

― Kelley Armstrong,

“The trouble with most of us is that we'd rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.” 

― Norman Vincent Peale

How to Not Fall for People--An Actual Confession

This is a real confession, guys. You're gonna get a peek into my crazy cerebrum. Don't judge me too harshly.

I have this problem. 
I fall for boys. And by "fall for", I mean getting little crushes. 
I try to not do this because it just gets me mixed up. 
Maybe some of you people out there reading this have a similar problem. #TheStruggleIsReal



Here's a few tips on how to not do this.

1. Don't have cute friends of either gender. Cute friends of the same gender as you will attract the opposite gender to them, and if you hang around your good-looking same gender friends and their opposite gender fan club (for lack of a better term), there's some risk-by-association of meeting cool people of the opposite gender. Cute friends of the opposite gender carry the risk of being so cool that you fall for THEM. Great.
2. Don't look around at church, school, the library, or the gym. No people watching. That's what gets you those stalker-status crushes on someone whose name you don't know.
3. Don't pay attention to members of the opposite gender being kind, clever, or spiritual. All very hazardous qualities if you're trying to NOT be attracted to them.
4. Never EVER flirt.
5. Don't let yourself smell their cologne or perfume. I have a weak spot for good cologne so this is essential for me in order to stay crush-free.

If all else fails, just never leave your room. It's safest in there.



I wish you luck in your endeavors for a crush-free heart. 


#Sarcasm #IBreakAllTheseRules #AlwaysALittleBitInLove #MightAsWell

Ending the Debate: BYU or BYU-Idaho?

Disclaimer: I'm not writing this post because I'm jealous of BYU or embarrassed about BYU-Idaho. If either of those things were true, I wouldn't be attending the school I am. 

I really love my school. I chose to go to BYU-Idaho for a lot of reasons: their nursing program is shorter--I can get my RN in half the time than I could at BYU. I love the small campus/small town. Last but not least, it was the right choice for me. The best way to describe the way I knew where I should go is this: I visited BYU and BYU-I within a week of each other when I was 14 years old. In Provo, I felt like a visitor on campus. In Idaho, even though I was at least 5 years younger than everyone around me, I felt very much at home--like I fit in. THAT'S why I'm going to school there. Not because I hate Provo or didn't think I could 'keep up' with all the classes at BYU or because I just love potatoes.

My brother loves to tell people: "My sister got into BYU and CHOSE to go to BYU-Idaho!" People don't know how to react--but they usually think I'm insane. Those people are usually BYU students.

Many times while I was at school in Rexburg, I'd mention something about BYU--a story, a rule that they don't have that we do (and there are a lot of those), a professer--and I'd get a reaction like this: "Wow, BYU is so...I don't know. The Spirit is just not as strong there." "I can't believe all the stuff that goes on down in Provo." "I'm so grateful for the strict honor code. I'm glad I have a curfew--things are just different at BYU because they can stay out all hours of the night."

People, there is a problem with both of these scenarios. The idea that BYU is hell and BYU-Idaho is a nunnery needs to just:

BYU is an older, more academically prestigious university. Something important to remember is that it's been a 4 year university for WAY longer than BYU-I. BYU-Idaho was a junior college just 13 years ago!

But that doesn't make BYU a Mormon Harvard, for Pete's sake. It's harder, but it's not Ivy League.

People will claim that BYU is "wayy hard to get into"--false. Compared to a few schools I googled, it has a pretty high acceptance rate, especially for a private university.

BYU-I: 99%

University of Washington: 59.2%

BYU: 55%

Liberty University: 22.8%

NCState: 49.6%

Notre Dame: 24.3%

UNC-ChapelHill: 27.6%

Stanford:6.6%

BYU-Idaho is (extremely) easy to get into and less rigorous than BYU but that does not mean all the classes are a breeze. I'm not dumb, and I had to work to get the grades I wanted. News flash: COLLEGE IS HARD WORK. I'm not saying every college is equal, but let's cease and desist with the mentality that Rexburg is full of clueless people.

Except those clueless people that say this: "BYU is the church's school and BYU-I is the Lord's school." I'm not even going to give you any more commentary than this: The church belongs to God. Both schools belong to the church. Wearing shorts and flip flops doesn't make you a sinner--it just means you're not overheated in the summer. BYU is not the great and spacious building. And Rexburg is not heaven. There are good, upstanding people and people who don't want to follow the standards at both universities.

I think it's the BYU rejects (and there's no shortage of those in Rexburg) who make disparaging comments about Provo. Sour freakin' grapes!

I love BYU-Idaho, and President Clark. I DO NOT like the curfew, or the dress code. I could've attended BYU but decided against it. I'm proud to be a Viking (bet you didn't know that was Idaho's mascot, did you? :).

I love Provo. I think BYU's an excellent school. Both my parents went there, tons of my friends, and my siblings. Go cougars!

You can be successful, smart, hardworking, and upstanding at any school you attend, whether it's a party school or a strict private school or a community college. There's no reason to criticize or judge any other university in the world, so just take some advice from a wise German friend of mine.

Discovery

    The summer of my senior year, my older brother severely injured his ankle, splitting his tibia lengthwise and shattering his talus into hundreds of tiny pieces. This accident had a big impact on his summer plans and his life plans. However, Taylor was not the only one affected. Taking care of him during the trauma of his surgery, recovery, and physical therapy helped me discover that I find true joy in serving people who need it.


     My brother slept in my room that summer. Thought it surprises some, those months with him in my care are some of the most memorable of my life. They gave me the chance to experience what it would be like to be a nurse, something I’d been planning on for a few years. To me, it felt like real-life practice. Taylor lay on the extra bed all day, trying not to complain to me about how much his leg hurt, and I’d refill his water bottle countless times, bring him food so he could take his medications, and change his gauze and clean his surgical incisions every few days. I had wanted to be a nurse since I was a sophomore in high school, but I did not know how much I enjoyed taking care of someone who truly needed it.
     I liked cleaning his wounds, changing his gauze, adjusting his pillows, and bringing him string cheese. Before I left for work I would give my younger siblings special instructions about  letting him sleep and being careful around his injured bones. The first thing I did when I got home  was go check on him and ask him how his day had been. I stayed up many, many nights listening to him talk about how severe the pain was, how bad his future would be due to his accident, and how much he hated being helpless. It was a heavy burden, hearing these sentiments from my tough older brother, but one I was glad to bear. 


     I’d never realized before how strongly I desire is to help others emotionally and physically. This experience was a journey for me, and the end of the adventure was a discovery of how much I want to care for people. Whether it be a dose of pain medication or just a listening ear, I want to give what I can and help where it is needed. With the passion that I have for this role, I think I can make a difference for those around me. That is why I want to be a nurse.




Guys, I don't know if I've ever wanted anything this much. I feel so strongly that this is the right choice for me. Exhibit A of this feeling: I was riding my bike the other day and stopped next to the Intermountain Hospital. Looking at a hospital, imagining myself working as a nurse one day, brought me to tears right there on the side of the road. Just writing this post is making me cry. I look forward to the day when I can be a valuable worker in the medical field.