Power In You

YOU have the Power in You to be an amazing person, do amazing things, and change your life and those around you in the process. Warning: this may all sound a little corny, I'm sorry. I've recently had two powerful experiences in my life that if I let them, can be life changing. I am sharing this so that you can get a glimpse of what I have learned, and hopefully learn it yourself and pass it on.

First experience: a funeral. Peter's sister's father-in-law died in a plane crash the first of the month. And to Spencer and Marcy if you read this-despite the loss you feel in your lives, many people's lives have been enriched by what he leaves behind. Funerals are sad times but at this particular funeral I felt that I had become a (or given the chance to) become a better person. They talked about the man he was and it gave you a glimple of what you want to change in your life to become a better person:
Love More
Don't be afraid to say "I love you"
Life is Good
Cherish the small things in life
Dream Big
Work Hard, Play Hard
Family is Everything

Second Experience: Power in You Tour. I had the opportunity to go with 60 middle school students to the Power in You Tour at the E-Center sponsered by Mary Kay Hunstman. It is a motivational assembly free to schools put on to motivate people to find the power in themselves to be a better person, stick up for others, dream big, do good, overcome your obstacles. People that spoke or did performances included: U of U cheerleaders, U of U football player Brian Johnson, News anchers Big Budda/Casey Scott/Barbara Smith, High School Musical Coreographer, High School Musical 2 actors from Utah, dancers, singers, Mary Kay and John Huntsman, the Bishop Williams who lost most of his family to a drunk driver, and many others. Each person that spoke talked about overcoming obstacles, becoming a better person, and finding that power within you to do it. We laughed, we cried, we danced, it was moving. A student with Downs Syndrome sang the National anthem while the guard posted the flag and he was amazing.
Lessons Learned:
Always forgive, use your energy to influence somthing you have control over instead of holding a grudge (from the Bishop who lost his wife who was five mon preg., son, and daugter to a drunk driver and was left with 2 sons)
You can overcome obstacles to become anything: they showed a slideshow of all the famous people (actors, singers) and what they suffer from, or had to overcome like poverty, abuse, ADHD, speech imediments...
Change Pain into Purpose and then into Power. Ex. A 3 yr old died at Lake Powell (Pain), Parents wanted to have this world be a better place because of their child (Purpose), Brought an entire community together to raise money and erect a HUGE park in his name (Power)
Tough Times Never Last but Tough People Do (from two girls who became parlayzed in highschool from the waist down and became wheelchair dancers and performed all over)

Okay if you made it through reading all this then congrats. Sorry if it sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo because you weren't there first hand. Simply put: Be the best you can be. I love you all (sorry for no pictures) If you want you can go to powerinyou.org to read more. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and be truly thankful for what you have right now.