Monday, May 30, 2011

The Power of Music Within Us

Music to me is very powerful. I have been involved with music ever since grade school age being in choirs and all. I was involved because that was the "cool" thing to do. And being in grade school, I wanted to fit in. It was a lot of fun while it lasted. Having parents and family support me have made me wanting to go back and perform. I will be eternally grateful for them, because now there is no way I can get away from music. Whether it be from singing to playing an instrument. I cannot escape no matter how hard I try which is a good thing.

Music is very healing. When I am struggling or down, I simply turn on music and it makes me feel much better. Does that happen to you too? "Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory." What do you think what that means? When I feel connected to a song, it brings me tears of happiness and brings back good memories that I have lived.

Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. It brings out our feelings. How amazing is that? No matter where people come from or how they are like, music is guaranteed to bring people of all walks of life together. Its wonderful. I randomly found an amazing video by UO Divisi (All-Female A Capella Group) singing So Are You To Me. They had feeling. When I hear Divisi sing this song, I feel it. I feel peace, calm, relaxed and the feeling when knowing that everything will be ok. They are amazing and an answer to my prayers. When performers feel and truley put their heart and spirit into what they are singing or playing, I feel their emotions. Music is what feelings sound like.

Music speaks what can't be expressed. Soothes the mind and gives it rest. Heals the heart and makes it whole. Flows from heaven to the soul.

Music means everything to me. I can always count on music to make me feel better. Music really is amazing!!! :)

Love,

Laurel G.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

21

So this is going to be my last post as a 21 year old. I wanted to share my ups and downs and what I have learned in the past year. Here we go.

Dear 21 year old Laurel,

This past year was one of the hardest you ever been through. But you never gave up and kept fighting. You went through many trials but kept your head up high. You learned so many things. You learned how to love and accept people for who they are. Great job. That is what our Heavenly Father wants us to do which is to love other people as He loves you. You have been through many things that brought back bad memories when you were in middle school. From people teasing you and making fun of you because you live a good life. But you loved those people anyway. You learned how to look for the good in people. You learned that judging is not the way to go especially in this kind of world that do it continually.

You learned that music is great therapy for you. Playing the guitar takes away your worries for awhile. You learned how to deal with betrayal from those who you thought were your friends. You were heart-broken, but it turned out ok. You learned how to deal with people not accepting you for who you are. People tried to make you change your life-style and the way you look. But you didn't let them do that because you are happy with yourself and the way you look. You just thought to yourself, "It is their own problem if they can't accept me for who I am." You just moved forward. Great job.

You found many people that inspired you. They are BYU Noteworthy, your family, close friends, Backbeats, UO Divisi, Courtney and Katie Jensen. All of these people have changed you life for good. They taught you to be yourself and don't care what other people think. They made you happy. They have inspired you through music. They taught you that through hard times, everything will be ok in the end. They taught you how to endure to the end. Enduring to the end can change your life for the better. You really want to meet these people who you have not met yet. Good thing you have learned patience. Patience is essential in many things. :)

You learned how to Love the Life you Live. You are grateful for things around you. You learned how to be grateful for trials. Not because they are desireable, but because it taught you how to love people beyond measure. By learning this, this has made you compassionate. You care for the well-being of others. Your heart aches when you see other people suffering. You want to help them. You learned how to love serving other people. Great job.

You learned that there are angels watching over you. Especially of what happened when you went tubing down the Oneida River. Remember what happened? A rope snapped and hit your neck pretty hard and you went over a huge dip with a huge rock. Somehow you were kept on your tube. If you went off the tube, it might have been a possibility that you were toast. You now have a firm testimony that people are watching over you.

You became grateful for the nature around you. What beautiful creations what God has made. It makes this earth extra special when you just ponder the beauty around you. It so so wonderful.

You learned that your guy friends are like your older brothers that you never had. They watch our for you. They protect you and make sure that you are safe. If you are not feeling well, they give you advice of what may make you feel better. You are so grateful for them.

*Well, this is what I have learned and what happened in my 21st year of life. I am looking forward for what my 22nd year will bring. I just wish I was home for my birthday. This is my first birthday away from home because I always went home for it. It should be interesting. It just won't be the same.
Love, Laurel

Friday, May 20, 2011

My Ultimate Dreams

So as I sit here in the living room with so much on my mind, I thought I would like to share my ultimate dreams. Sure I do have dreams that involve being on tv or in a movie. But those are not my most sought after dreams. I have dreams that I hope that would do good in this life. You are probably wondering what I am talking about. I will tell you. :)

My 1st ultimate dream I have in mind is to inspire others about anything. There are many people out there that have inspired me and have changed my life for good. These people taught me how to love the life I live, accept myself for who I am, accept others, love people no matter what, to not judge others for it is not our place to judge. They also taught me how to serve, help those that need a helping hand, go out of my comfort zone and say hi to somebody for you never know if you are making their day. Smiling to people can go a long way! :) Overall, I have learned how to be compassionate and loving. It is life-changing to live my life like this. I wouldn't have it any other way. It really is amazing.

The other dream I have that I really do hope would come true is to make somebody's dreams come true. How remarkable would that be? I love serving and seeing people happy. The main thing that makes me happy is to see other people happy. It makes life more enjoyable. I am determined to make this dream come true.

So there you have it! My dreams involve serving others. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

LIVE
LAUGH
LOVE

Love,

Laurel Greathouse

The Best Skill in My Life

For those that know me really well, you already know that my best skill in life is being accident prone. Seriously, I get hurt so much. It's ridiculous.

Sports is one of my passions. I love playing and getting my workout, but then all of a sudden I get injured out of the blue. I have suffered broken bones, sprained ankles, many muscle sprains and head injuries from snowboarding, football, basketball, running, baseball and the most recent is from soccer. Not to mention I trip over my feet a lot and trip over curbs. Maybe I should be more aware? I got pain, but the pain does not have me.

I will never give up playing sports, I will just maybe put myself in a bubble or even in a big roll of plastic bubble wrap. I think it could possibly work...haha.

Life is beautiful! You are amazing!

Love, Laurel

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Life Is Amazing

Yes, I am proud to declare unto the world that Life is really amazing. You may ask me why I think that is. Well, I have so many reasons why I think life is amazing.

1. All the creations around us. Looking at all the things that God has created for us to enjoy is overwhelming in a good way. Nature is just pure joy.

2. Family: Where do I even start? My family is the best family I can ever ask for. They accept me and my crazy personality! :) They are the ones that know me best. I love them with all my heart.

3. Friends: My friends keep me going. They love me for who I am. They are always there for me. I love my current/future friends with all my heart.

4. Trials: I know you are probably thinking that I am crazy saying that trials make life amazing. Well I think they contribute making my life amazing. I love trials. Not because they are desireable and wanted, but because they taught me how to love everyone whether I met them or not. It is an amazing feeling that its hard to explain. Spread the love.

5. Inspirations: I love anything and eveything about inspirational topics. I love how it is meant to uplift and make people feel good inside. Its wonderful.

6. Music: Music plays a huge role in my life. It soothes my soul. I love Acapella music. I love BYU Noteworthy, BYU Vocal Point, UO Divisi and Backbeats. All of these groups have made an impact on my life for good. They are way beyond amazing. I love them all.

7. Church: I love Church and what is brings. It makes me happy and I love worshipping Heavenly Father. It brings so much joy to me.

8. Acceptance: Learning how to accept people for who they are has developed my love towards people. Everybody is a child of God so why not love them! :)

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!!

I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to follow my blog and I will return the favor. Feel free to comment too! Love you all!

Love,

Laurel Greathouse