The Secret to a PERFECT Christmas

I love Christmas. We're talking head-over-heels, love Christmas. I adore traditions, carols, holiday food, decor and buying or making gifts for loved ones. I think I already established the fact that I blast my Christmas tunes WAY before December, and I'll admit, I have to fight some serious blues after the 25th, because all the excitement is over.

Except for the two Christmases I was serving as a missionary for my church, I have been home every year. My parents live in the country, and always seem to make Christmas perfect. There is a fire roaring in the fireplace, our eclectic stockings are hung, and pine bows are everywhere.

Every Christmas Eve my parents host a party...which they never really know how many people will come to (because my dad just invites everyone he sees), but the house is always FULL. I love it. I love Christmas for every reason...I'll admit it, I love it for the presents. For the wrapping paper (I LOVE choosing the paper!). For the songs and lights. But especially, I love it for the opportunity to reach out to others.

As a Christian, I celebrate with all my heart the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ, during this time of year.  I try to make a sincere effort to increase my faith in Him, and to help others do the same. To me, Christmas isn't Christmas without heartfelt service. I love finding opportunities to make people smile and spread the Spirit of Christ.

This year we are not going to my parents.
At first, it was really hard for me to accept, but then I realized, Christmas is up to me.
I can make this Christmas the best yet.
I can focus more on others, than on myself.

This year we are finishing school, and we don't have a lot of money for gifts, so my wish list looks a little different. This is really all I want this year.

-Help to bring someone to Christ (specifically, have them accept an invitation to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
-Have a *perfect* technology- free day (and do something fun as a family)
-Invite random people to a Christmas Eve party (I don't mean TOTAL strangers...just people I don't know as well)
-Consistently have family prayer in the morning and night
-Study topics like faith, love, and obedience in my daily personal scripture study.
-Find a random person to help
-Try for a completely sarcastic-free month (Something I struggle with).

Really, the food, gifts and parties are all just fluff. The best part of Christmas is feeling the special spirit of Christmas, which I believe, is really the spirit of Christ...or the joy we feel because of His influence and power. What an exciting time of year! We can make a great difference in the world, not just during December, but all year long. Lets reach out to someone, Lets commit to change something about ourselves. Lets spend more time with loved ones.
  Whether you share my beliefs or not, or even whether you celebrate Christmas or not, everyday is up to you! You can live for yourself, and have a good life, or you can life for others and have a great, full life. I do not have a perfect life, and I am NOT a perfect person, but I am so happy! I feel so blessed, and just want to share that, even if it is in the tiniest way.

Christmas flashback age 10. I wish I would have kept that ugly sweater!

I love you.
Joy to the World, and Merry Christmas!

Biggest Motivation Should Be Self Mastery

Something I have been thinking a lot about is the why behind self-control. I believe that we are more capable of reaching our goals, and continuing to progress, if we are motivated by a desire to master ourselves, rather than seeking external rewards.

Let me start with a personal confession and epiphany. I have never struggled with my weight. Please don't take this as bragging, I am just being honest. There have certainly been times in my life when I have looked and felt healthier, and have had more or less muscle health and mass. Besides obviously gaining weight when I was pregnant, I have pretty much been the same weight since about eight grade---give or take a few pounds. With that said, I have had a lot  of people say things like this to me:

" I am glad to see you are eating that (insert cookie, cake, candy), you definitely need it!"

"You don't have any fat on you, you can eat whatever you want."

"Why do you run? You look great?"

"You don't have to worry about what you eat like the rest of us do."

"You are lucky to have such a fast metabolism, so you can eat whatever you want."

Comments like that always confused me. So, the only reason we should eat right is to prevent us from gaining weight? So everyone who isn't overweight can just have a free-for-all in the candy isle? Celery and spinach are only for people who really need it? The only purpose of exercise is weight loss? Ridiculous, right? I thought so. What if we are focusing on the wrong thing.

This isn't just about body image, it can apply to any goal we are trying to set..but my point is it should be motivated first by the intrinsic and second by the external.

Sticking to a diet or reaching a lofty goal changes you.  You become a master of yourself. You are more disciplined in at least one area of your life. That brings power. Regardless of your beliefs, you can't argue that reaching a long sought after goal brings joy and a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It is progression. Eating right=power. Choosing to limit time on the internet or TV= power. Deciding to spend more quality time with loved ones= power. Exercise= power. Do you see?

But why do we all seem to struggle with our goals? Why do we set so many that we can't reach? Maybe we are focusing too much on the external, and not enough on the intrinsic. We want the outward results of a fitter body, but we aren't willing to dedicate our spirit, control our will and change our nature to reach our goal. If we set a goal that is motivated solely by an external force, we may digress rather than progress if our goal is not met.

People can totally meet goals if they are strictly externally motivated. You can loose weight if all you want is a slimmer body. You can run a marathon if all you want to do is say you did it. But, I believe the entire experience can be life changing, and more influential if you are motivated for reasons like reaching this goal will make me a better parent. It will make me a more loving spouse. It will help me focus more. It will give me power. It will help me take control of my life. It will help me to be more confident. 

It's all about self-mastery. So what if I don't look any different if I eat junk? I may not be gaining any physical weight, but my spirit, my will-power, is suffering. It is my personal believe that one reason we are on this earth is to learn to control ourselves. That is one important test. I may not look different when I eat a whole pan of brownies (and believe me, it has happened), but I feel different. I just lost, or surrendered, some of my self-control. I was weak. I caved. 

As the new year approaches, let us think about steps we can take to really develop greater Self Mastery.  You can do it! I believe in you!

Ariel's Theory of Cold

Ok, I know it's been awhile. Sorry for those loyal readers, I know you have just been sitting in front of your computer awaiting my next post.

Well, as it turns out, I have written many posts in my head, but that doesn't really amount to anything unless I have a USB port in my skull (which I don't, by the way).

But, also as it turns out, I have been doing many wonderful things totally unrelated to blogging, so I don't feel bad at all.

Okay, so here is something I have been thinking about. COLD. It's relative. Did you know that?

Let me explain.

I moved to Vegas from a small town in Southeastern Idaho that gets REEEEALLY cold in the winter. I'm talking nose-hairs-are-icicles, lungs-hurt-when-you-breathe, and if it's "just zero" you are excited. (And several years before that I lived in Alaska...which, lets just say has a chilly reputation.)

When I moved here it was 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Roasted my little Idaho tooshie. I was so surprised how many people said something like: "Just wait till it's winter! It gets really cold here!" I didn't believe it for one second. I thought, "Yeah, like 40 degrees? That's a beautiful spring day!"

But, I discovered, feeling cold is all about 1) Contrast and Acclimation, and 2) something I'll call the "Visual Factor."

1) Contrast and Acclimation.

120 Degrees to 40 is quite the jump. 80 degrees to be exact.

If it was 65 degrees, an 80 degree temperature jump would put you -15.

My point is, it's still the same contrast. A mild winter FEELS just as uncomfortable after a scorching summer as a mild summer does with a freezing winter. Make sense? It's all about contrast. If it is sunny almost everyday (like it is in Vegas), then when it is suddenly rainy, windy and gray, your system is thrown for a chilly loop, and you find yourself blasting your heater, wearing three layers of sweats, and sipping hot cocoa.

Now for acclimation.

If you've ever experienced a really cold, long winter you know how it is when things finally start warming up in the spring. I remember going on my first "t-shirt and shorts" run, and it felt SO warm at 35 or 40. But that is almost a tropical paradise when you've been in the negatives for months and months. Suddenly you wake up, and your nose hairs are thawed, and it's time to pull out the shorts and sandals, and go tanning on the lawn.

I never, ever, EVER  thought I would admit that Vegas winters are cold, or that northern California winters are cold, but I'll be frank, and frankly I am freezing. Sadly I have acclimated, and my internal regulators are noticing it isn't 70 degrees anymore.

2) The Visual Factor. 

How you view whats outside your window plays a big role in whether or not you "feel cold." Let me try to explain: I wake up and open the blinds. Sunny. So I think "Sun=warmth. Must be warm, since that is what I have experience most of my 26 years of existence". So I dress sunny-like. Then, I go outside. It may be sunny, but it is not warm. The Visual Factor means I feel way colder than it is, because I was mentally tricked into thinking it was warmer, and thus put on inadequate clothing.

If it looks cold, you dress for the weather. So, you don't feel as cold.

Maybe for most of the population this factor became extinct with the rise of the Weather Channel and the Internet, but I actually don't check the weather the first thing every morning, so I call victim to this quite often.

Feeling cold is so interesting to me. I've really felt guilty for months for feeling chilly in one of the warmest places in the world. I felt like a wimp. But I am happy to know that through my own research, based on my own theoretical conclusions, I am completely sane and can feel no shame in admitting that I am freezing in Las Vegas.

Felt good to get that off my chest. The end.

Blast to the past. Me at age 3 :)