Christmas in July

Well folks, this year is more than half over... This month was the first month after the halfway mark and reassessment of where things were, it started with asking myself where are you right now (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially and socially) and where will you be and what's the next step? Taking inventory (I totally copied this from Payton's notebook.) Tony Robbins always says that the quality of your life is the quality of your relationships and the questions you ask yourself. Then this month was action packed, emotional turmoil, reassessment of all goals, new direction, and realignment of what we set out to do in January.

The kitchen started to get more decorated and I love the way that it is starting to look, the whole house will be decorated before the end of the year, Scrappy (the dog) ran away and the manhunt has begun, (I guess I should say dog hunt) And on the home front, I love mowing my lawn and pulling weeds and stuff. I need to get some fertilizer on my lawn, I need some green grass!

So to start off the month, Emily & Sterling got engaged, he proposed at the Murray arts center while they were ballroom dancing. He ran onto the stage and took the mic, professed his love and asked for a waltz with her in front of everyone. So they did that then he spun her around and he was on one knee and he proposed. Pretty cute I'd say! The ring is awesome. She likes it, they're totally happy and love each other, the whole thing just makes sense. They're great together. It cracks me up that he was one of the lucky few to have gotten out of the friend zone and now engaged to my sister, it's cool that they're getting married, I'm happy for them. The date is set for January 21st, 2012. They have a Facebook event, you should check it out and go!

Emotionally I got vulnerable and a tad lonely and was feeling fully ready for a relationship, so I feel as though I had a full and healthy relationship this month, there were many ups and downs emotionally and a lot of fun and memories made, but I learned the areas in which I need to improve and so the growing begins. Maybe next time? I have work to do on myself more before I am ready for the relationship that leads to marriage or "the one" as it's been said. Who knows when it'll be but I hope it's sooner rather than later, I have to seek god more and have patience. It'll happen when it happens and how it's supposed to happen. Till then it is about god and family and business.  With Halli this month it was emotionally straining for her. I travelled a great deal, I went to Southern Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California all in about 3 weeks. So as a result of all that travel I was hardly home and she got mad about it, so towards the end of the month I focused primarily on her to strike back that balance at home.

The 4th of July was quite spectacular, we spent the day with Kylea and her boyfriend and our families and went to Layton to enjoy fireworks, face painting And festivities after the parade, we followed that up with a BBQ at Halli's Nana's house with everyone, then we split up and Emily and Sterling and I met up with our friend Michelle and her husband Brian and their family and we went to watch the fireworks in park city. For the last three years i have cried during fireworks, i get overwhelmed with gratitude for freedom and they move me, but i didn't let anyone see my tears :) the three of us enjoyed a nice and uplifting and fulfilling time with the Olsen family I love their family, this month I learned so much from them and their examples.

In California I got to reconnect with my cousin's Terry and Judy Kane. I love those two a great deal, they're truly exceptional people and they mean a lot to me. So it had been a year or so since I had been out there, that cousin time was greatly needed. I also enjoyed a really wonderful phone conversation while I walked the beach in Oceanside with my friend Michelle, she's such an incredible lady and has become one of my mentors in life. I really value that relationship a great deal. She is wise and gives some really great advice. I got to reconnect with my friends in LA in the Latin market, and we got the opportunity as well to reconnect heavily with the boys in San Diego. We spent a couple nights at Steve Wolf's mansion in Bonsall California, he lives in a villa style place that looks and feels like Tuscany with avocado trees and citrus trees everywhere. It was a real treat, I got to go to a few beaches, spend some time in la Jolla, and I got to go to the San Diego temple 3 times, I even ran into a friend that was on her mission from back at home. I got to reconnect with a couple old friends and spend some quality time with Bryan. It had been a while. The Mexican ice-cream on that trip was so good and that was needed.

On the way back I got an invitation to spend the weekend at lake mead with Michelle's family and go boating and go to a family reunion, how could I pass that up when I was passing through on my way back to Utah, so I spent so super quality time down there and got tanned, enjoyed the family reunion, i even cried when the grandma gave a speech from her heart, but i didn't let anyone see the tears, we got to have great uplifting conversations, I got to drive a fast car and i got to connect with a family that i some day hope to replicate, we rode the roller coaster at new york new york and we even made it to church in mesquite on Sunday. That was a really uplifting week! And fun too. A great deal accomplished. I returned home to Utah late Sunday after a really nice and peaceful Sunday drive and washed my clothes and put them back in my carry on and it was off to Albuquerque for the week. Oh the life of a networker.

I spent that Monday with Halli and we went boating with our friends at Willard bay and we ate and played and spent some real quality time and then left Tuesday, Payton and I drove down, this was one of the most uplifting trips I have had in a while. I was charged the entire time, even though I was dealing with emotional turmoil from a girl and confusion from a lack of direction and clarity as to what the next step was, I was charged because of who I was around and what we were doing, we (Payton and I) ate clean and started a new eating lifestyle which made me feel so good, it's amazing how good food and lots of water can make you feel, it's onto getting more ripped and eating good, nothing feels as good as being healthy. We had a good time in Albuquerque and I went to the temple twice there, Payton had his 25th birthday while we were  there so there was deep conversation, re evaluation of purpose and direction and as he spoke I drew inspiration from his clarity and perspective. The drive back to Utah was great, we had great freestyle raps, conversation and food, that was such a wonderful Road trip. So uplifting and on that trip I had a break through and figured out what I wanted to do with my life and it is in the process if happening now, there were some beautiful sunsets while we were in Colorado and a few rainbows and I got a couple Really cool shots of them.

I came back to Utah on the war path to getting fit, and spending every possible minute with Halli, eating super clean and making some lasting memories, writing in my NEW pink and black notebook and getting even closer to God and NOT traveling as much. Halli and I immediately started having fun! there was a fierce work out that happened, then we went boating, my good friend Ammon came back from a summer of alarm system stuff and so we went to the lake with him. Halli and I went to a few festivals, did a bunch of shopping, went to the farmers market, and fully enjoyed each other's company. I didn't realize Halli really wanted a library card lime that bad but she had been promised it for quite a while and so we got that and it reminded me of all the nostalgia of me as a kid going to the library and getting tons of books, Halli has read over 30 books in 3 days, the whole books cover to cover! She loves it! I had to get pictures! That was a proud moment for us!

Payton and I went out and bought these Italian custom tailored suits for the RevvNRG convention, it was really nice. I think i want to dress up from now on in suits as often as possible. I was going to buy shiny and flashy and I went conservative. I loved the aspect of service

For the 24th of July Halli got to go to handcart days and experience all of that, we lit off fireworks in front of our house with Danny and Bailee. It was really nice! They got to do sparklers and enjoy the first year I have ever seen aerial fireworks in Utah. That was an aspect of childhood that I cherish in my memory that Danny and I used to do, and we are now instilling that tradition in our kids. Growing up is pretty cool. I think I want to be that guy that has like 10 kids and is like madly in love with his wife and does so much family stuff all the time. Like performing musical numbers for each other and taking trips and dancing and doing so much family stuff. I think that would be a blast! I'd also be good with 3. Hahaha! I am easy going that way.

To finish off July right, I took another trip out to San Diego & Los Angeles super last minute. That was a nice 3 day mid-week trip, Bryan flew in from Canada and met me down there and we rolled back, there was one point on the drive home when everyone was asleep but me and I was driving into the Utah valley and that feeling comes over me where I am grateful to be getting home and going to my house and seeing Halli and I get super grateful and start to think about life and the sun was rising and I managed to catch a picture of it and I was feeling super grateful and pensive, I internalized the month and things became more clear with each mile.

Life is coming together, it's moving forward, time will either promote or expose you, it is time for a promotion. Everything I have worked so hard for is getting very very close; I can feel everything materializing! New and exciting things are happening here soon. The next step is close. Time to become the man I was put here to be. Spiritually I am going in the direction of more responsibility, a friend of mine just got baptized LDS and it reminded me of my baptism and that got me so pumped up. I got clarity on the next step to go spiritually and I have like 3 books to read this coming month, I read a great book this past month that fired me up in business. It's time to close the gap on 2011's final half.

I learned a few things this month...

1. "You can do things with God or without God... With is better." I stole that quote from Brig Hart. I applied that this month. I tried 3 days without God and 3 days with this month, then I did it again. It feels so empty and dark and like something is constantly missing and then I filled it with being a little negative, "Sighing" a lot, being down for now reason, being sad for no reason and just an overall lack of zest in life. The contrast was unimaginable. I had a conversation with someone that didn't believe God existed, I said to try 3 days with and he wouldn't, so I tried 3 days without... Then 3 days with...  UNCANNY!! Now I know that without a shadow of a doubt that if you wanted proof... Just ask. Prayer ALWAYS works! So with God is totally better. It's like being happy all the time with a sense of purpose and that hole is filled and so is your cup :)

2. You came into this world naked, you will die Naked

People won't remember what you had or what you said, they'll remember how you made them feel. Whether you drive a $500 car or a $300,000 car, you're still stuck in traffic. I met some really materialistic rich people in California this month and they were all about the cars, watches, clothes, brands etc. It blew me away how empty they all were and what gave their lives meaning. Their identity was tied into THINGS, when you die people might wonder who is going to get your stuff, then all you were to them was "Stuff."  What impact did you make on the people around you in the course of your life? We cannot take our material things with us when we die.

3. We are either an Example or a warning. If we don't know what our purpose is and what gives us meaning we leave ourselves vulnerable to our environment and what ever comes our way. By doing that we are kind of floating along in life without direction or purpose. When we have clearly defined objectives, goals, and most importantly a higher calling of some sort, then what we are doing with our life becomes our calling or our mission. Some people live life in fear, some people never overcome daddy issues, abuse issues, self esteem problems, addictions, escapes, etc. Their life is their message, and their message was a warning. Their mission to make peace with those things opposing them of progressing. After that, well... They can accomplish whatever they're setting out to accomplish.

Often times I see a world of people hurting, blaming everything on something that happened a long time ago or someone that did something, or people using two of my top swear words: "CAN'T" & "BUT"  while they incessantly fold their arms. Putting limitations on themselves saying they "Can't" or telling me how something would be good for them or that they should do something they want to "BUT" and then comes the excuse. The people that are always complaining, being negative, talking bad about other's and gossiping, the people that get mad all the time and have anger problems.  We all know people like this, some of us are people like this. These people act as warnings that we need to make better choices, be forgiving, be more patient, more kind, more grateful, have more self control and discipline and to just be happier and smile more. I mean after all, we are alive. Isn't that something to be grateful for and happy about.  

Then there is the flip side, the surfer that is up at the crack of dawn to connect with nature that humbly goes and does what he loves because it is what he loves. The guy that runs the mom and pop store that is always there and always smiling and remembers your name. The girl that asks you how your day is and genuinely cares about your answer. That guy at the gym that's really positive and gets more intense than anyone else there and he does it as if no one is around. The runner that pushes herself day in and day out. The mom that slaves away in the house with little respect and appreciation but does it because she loves her children. The hard working father that shows up before everyone and leaves after everyone has gone at a job he hates, works harder than his employees to set the example and doesn't ask something of them he doesn't do. We have so many examples in people that we know and respect and we have so many warnings around us of how not to be.

Are you a Warning or an Example?

June-Bugged

So....

I have no idea where to begin, this month has been something fast. I am almost bugged how quick June came and went! I cannot believe it's over already! So many amazing things happened in this short while, My mommy is amazing and I love her and she is probably the greatest woman I know, I took this picture and had to put it up. She's a sweetheart. This picture isn't really relevant to anything other than the fact that I really love my mom and this picture makes me smile!

I moved into the house I will live in till I get married. It's a great house, pergo floors throughout the whole place, cool detailed fixtures and faucets, a wonderful yard. A majestic master bath with a cool shower with a few shower heads and the raindrop style one overhead, a full sized bathtub, a large walk in closet and there is a nice guest room, a great deal of storage space and of course, it's black on black. :) When moving into a new house it's always amazing to see how much or how little "Stuff" you have. I didn't have too much stuff which was refreshing or else my buddy Kramer is extraordinary at packing. My boy Shae grabbed a massive trailer and we did a 3 load thing.

It went quick. Then came sorting everything. I started to unpack, I got the kitchen and my closet done but was severely lacking throughout the rest of the house, Emily came over with Sterling and they unpacked me overnight one night, it was really nice of them and I am so grateful for that! Then I went on a KSL classified mission to find the necessary things to complete the house (for now) this was super fun cause I was raised on deals and garage sale hunting so this was like a bit of nostalgia and at the same time going back to my roots. and releasing the inner bargain shopper, I found a black on black lawnmower, a really nice TV entertainment center thing that was black on black, some bar stools, and some miscellaneous things. The house is getting dialed, now I will add to it little by little and make it into my home more and more. I need a vinyl decal for my wall of a quote or something.

Some crazy news since the move in was Scrappy! She is a purebred Cairn Terrier, She is about a foot tall and maybe 8-12 pounds. She doesn't shed, she is super playful, outgoing and loving, she cuddles, she is smart, she plays ball, fetch, tug-of-war, she knows basic commands, is potty trained, and she can run a 5k if we ramp up to it :) She is such a blessing. We got her in Cedar City and Halli and I spontaneously took a 4 hour trip down to get her at like 8pm on a Tuesday night.. Scrappy acclimated so well to our house, we have 3 doggy doors and a big fenced yard so it didn't take much for her to feel right at home. In this picture she is smiling at me.

Marriage was on my mind ever since I saw the perfect wedding, two VERY dear friends of mine, TJ & Sarah, got married and their reception was unlike ANY I had ever been to before, I watched their families come together, it was beautiful to witness that type of union. There was so much love there. It was real, I almost cried because of how much love was there. It was cute! You could FEEL it! That made me so excited for when it's my wedding and there is love of that caliber and I can feel that way for someone and she can for me as well. And we will dance :) I cannot wait. I can feel marriage in the air for Emily, Danny, Kylea, (Halli's mom) and her brother as well. You can just feel it. It's like wedding season. I will most likely be the last to get married of all of them :) That'll be perfect. I often wonder what it'll be like meeting "the one," people say you'll just know.

I got super into Tony Robbin this month I always loved his stuff but I found a tape on relationships called "The power of relationships." It rocked my world, I got to my notebook and wrote out in detail my perfect girl, and then who I would have to be to attract her and then a few other pages in the notebook from idea's I stole from Payton, he asks himself REALLY good questions. And Tony Robbin's always says the quality of your life is the quality of your communication with yourself and the questions you ask yourself. Payton asks himself really good questions in his notebook, it's like that kid you copy off of in Jr. High.

I am complete with my notebook for 2011. There's no more paper. I will start a pink & black one for the second half of the year. We are at the 50 yard line. So much to show for it and yet so much that hasn't even come to be. Time for a re-group. Then a half time show and then it's time to go out there and take the lead and finish strong.

I went to California with Diego and Bryan, that was fun. I hadn't eaten anything fried in months, but in Vegas Bryan wanted to go to Cane's for lunch cause it's a Louisiana orgin restaurant and Diego and I hadn't been there before so we got to have that experience. It was quite good! And naturally we had to stop in Victorville for some Mexican ice cream. When we got to LA it was cool, I got to work with some of my favorite people. My Spanish is improving. I did part of a presentation in front of a bunch of people in Spanish. That was wild! I love the Hispanic people and culture more than the American culture. They have a great deal of gratitude and love and patience. I am like so in love with all of it.

It was a quick trip to and from California, I had some Skydiving to do! Something I have wanted to do for a while and well, did... My friend Keena was having a birthday celebration and that's how it all started. It wasn't very scary, kinda windy but I enjoyed it. I don't think it was worth $170 but it was an experience everyone should have. I took my dad for father's day! I think he enjoyed himself. He was very happy. It was a really fun experience to have for a fathers day celebration. Emily was there and decided last minute to participate, my mom showed up last minute to watch us land, Halli was so cute, she was worried that we were going to maybe die and kept telling us that she loved us! hahaha! It was so fun to spend that time, I wish Danny & Nikki and the kids came!

I'm always home for church on Sunday, this new Family ward thing is wild, there is so much community togetherness! I am in a neighborhood where I go to church with all my neighbors, it really makes it picturesque. I like it a lot! Sunday's are my recharge days, I have consistently had the family over all month and cooked up a meal and some appetizers as well. It's been fun. Halli loves the new house, she has her own space, we have traditions, she has a puppy, we have like 3 parks that are walking distance from the house, she's been climbing tree's, having art lessons from her tutor, she is singing all the time, being a girl, riding her bike on our patio, playing with the dog, jumping on the trampoline, swimming, cooking and just enjoying her overall life, she's getting so old! We will start obedience training for Scappy soon I bet!

I went to Albuquerque again... This trip was so much different than the last one. The food in New Mexico is so much better than anything here in Utah, I swear that they're ruining eating for me. We rolled into Albuquerque and we totally had a Bro-down, we all did 200 pull ups fully locked elbows to chin up, it got me so sore! then an epic ab work out the next day, followed up with a nice afternoon by the pool in between meetings, then great food and great people, so much was done there in such a short span of time. There are a couple leaders in that area that I feel I will be friends with for a long time, what a wonderful trip! I had some great smoked salsa and red & green chile, and spent some quality time with Paul and Crystal Chavez. What more could you want in a trip?

Physically, I am at the 6 month mark of the Ryan Reynolds goal, There was a picture that I saw of him looking forward and he was in a wifebeater and it kept popping into my mind so I totally had to find it and compare and contrast, this is the comparison after 6 months. But as far as my diet this month I ate poorly and didn't exercise consistently, my body fat is at 11.2%. I need to get on a program, I may do p90x or crossfit or a personal trainer or something. I will lower my pride and concede for the sake of being ripped. I need to dial my diet, train harder, run more, maybe train for a marathon. Mentally, I listened to some Tony Robbins but I really need to start a new book. I ran a couple 5k's which were mentally challenging. The birthday thing is still forever keeping me on my toes and I am forever grateful for it. The world becomes a decoded matrix to me and people's experiences help me appreciate the beauty all around me and understand the social experience with such clarity. Emotionally I grew a great deal this month, it was a two steps forward emotionally but one step back spiritually, mentally, and physically. I felt like I was treading water in those realms, or maybe it's just me being hard on myself because I expect a great deal from myself.

This month was fixated on marriage, relationships and emotional growth in preparation for "the one," so many things in this department this month. It's like Emotionally there was a breakthrough in my world. It honestly was God, and developing an understanding of forgiveness but somehow Emotionally I developed and grew. I overcame any remaining issues associated to my upbringing, my divorce, other relationships, and the loss of my older brother and stuff tied to being a young dad. It's as if a heavy emotional weight lifted this month and I am a new man. I feel for the first time 100% capable emotionally. I could get married tomorrow and it'd be a healthy marriage and I would be in the relationship to give, not "get" something out of it. Life is better with someone to share things with.

I have cultivated a nice and healthy relationship with myself over these past few years, now to better my own internal communication with myself. Put me first in some situations and take care of more of my own needs and do more things for me which are all things that I do not do that well but I am working on.

What really helped me develop my relationship with myself was developing my relationship with God, that enhanced all aspects of my life and development. I believe that you cannot have a real relationship with someone till you develop a real relationship with yourself. I have learned that I personally cannot have a really healthy relationship with others or myself without  having a strong relationship with a higher power, my creator, my God. This has been the most defining thing in my life as of lately. Is that realization

That makes sense to me. So it's the first time I am in that space and so I am prepping and pushing myself into high gear and becoming the man my future wife cannot live without, so 2012 my world (of being single) comes to an end. I love that Michael Buble song "Haven't met you yet." That's good music right there!

Financially I am doing good, I am making more money than I ever have in my life and it is residually and I am not being careless about money, I have weird planning strategies for money and what not. like I won't just go out and buy stuff cause I can, I have to earn it. I won't buy certain things till a goal of some sort has been hit, then the reward for that is something I want. But I am constantly re-investing into my business.

Spiritually, well I continue to progress in regards to thoughts, actions, habits and temptations. It's an on going process but I am closer to God than I have been and my faith is constantly growing. I am having synchronicities constantly, like being at the right place at the right time, reoccurring numbers and patterns in things, and of course... Birthday messages. It's just wild as to how much you can see when you're not looking. But the relationship and communication with God is progressing, my pride gets the best of me in certain moments, but I must progress and become who I am supposed to be, who I was destined to become. I need to keep making the right decisions, it's time to advance in church and structure a time line to go to the next level spiritually.
June was a month of growth, reevaluation, settling, travelling and love.

I did learn a couple things this month that I will share...

1. Everyone should own a dog. This will help you grow emotionally, you will see this furry little animal and you feed it and take care of it and it shows you your capacity to love. It will love you endlessly and be so loyal, what an example! There is so much to learn from a dog. It's also great for developing responsibility in your 7 year old daughter.

2. "A woman's heart should be so deeply rooted in God I should have to seek him to find her." This has been the methodology I have adopted towards "The one." If she has a relationship so deep in God that would mean that she is on the path she needs to be on, making right choices, she is a good person that does good, loves everyone and is always trying to be better and she is humble, yet she knows herself very well and has a great relationship with herself and has a bunch of good habits and is happy, joyful and peaceful most of the time. I always say a happy girl is a pretty girl. So I must continue on that path and the right girl will be rooted in the thing that means the most to me. A relationship with my creator.

3. "95% of the things we worry about will never happen, the 5% that do are not as bad as we thought they were." People have so much fear and limit themselves because of what people may think or how bad it may be. I hear what if's and maybe's as to what COULD happen. But the person suits up and gets the courage to do the things they're afraid of doing they usually say: "That wasn't as bad as I thought."  We are all so in our heads about things and stuck on ourselves and our internal worries, and fears. There is only a good thing when it's gone. If you are afraid of something, that's all the more reason to do it. You might just grow :)

4. Most things in life are a 3 step process... Get up... Suit up... Show up... People go to work day in and day out and get up, get their work faces on and show up, clock in and clock out when it's time to leave and while they were there they did just enough not to get fired and somehow the job they're hired to do gets done yet they're barely working, just showing up. Their check still comes. Not because they worked hard, not for how much they put into the hour, but for the simple reason that they showed up.  If you took an aerobics class 3 times a week and showed up, you would end up doing it and being moderately in shape. Once you get there it's easy to participate or even do the bare minimum.

Half the battle is showing up, if you were to ask Payton how he got so good at skiing or so ripped or  so dynamic at networking he will tell you. "I just showed up for like 3 years." You could ask Sterling how he won Emily's heart and pulled himself out of the friend zone after well over a year and he'd say He just kept showing up. I bet Emily will be engaged to him before the next blog!

We worry so much and give so many reasons to why it won't work, or why we shouldn't or can't or whatever negative excuses we have but if we just show up... Time will either promote you or expose you like The slight edge always says. So remember the above quote... And get up... quit worrying about the 95% that won't happen, the 5% won't be as bad so make that effort to suit up put a smile on and then just show up... And KEEP showing up.

July will be Epic so many of my friends have birthday's this month!

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