cliche creativity

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity of cheering on a good friend as she made her debut as a fashion designer in Provo Fashion Week. Michelle Whitaker was my freshman year roommate, and we've remained good friends since then--while I was on my mission she wrote me more consistently than my own brother!

A couple summers ago, Michelle decided that she wanted to start sewing as a hobby. With a lot of time and a lot of effort, she refined her skills to the point where she now runs a profitable Etsy shop (ClicheCreativity). Check out one of her most popular designs in the picture below!

Super cute, right? Like I said, Michelle debuted as a fashion designer last night at Provo Fashion Week.  It was so much fun for me to be there and to see what Michelle had accomplished; I also took home a valuable lesson.

Michelle simply decided that she was going to do this and she did. She didn't let anyone tell her no, she didn't let deadlines stress her out, and she never gave up her passion. Michelle taught me the importance of going for it. One of my favorite quotes is by Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams." To me, this quote captures what Michelle exemplifies. Last night at the fashion show, I relearned that if you want something, you should just go for it.

Because of this lesson, I want to be more confident in my pursuits. I have been thinking about how this especially applies to internships and jobs. I should not downgrade myself or my abilities, and if I want to apply for a job--or simply try something new--I should!

I am grateful for good friends and life lessons.

retirement plan

My dad is really good with money; he works hard, he saves, and he thinks about the future. I have learned much from his example. Growing up, he would often give me bits of advice regarding finances that I would need to know later in life. One in particular that I remember is about retirement; Dad would look at me and say, "Lexi, if you save $100 every month starting right now, by the time you retire you will be a millionaire." I understood something about interest so this statement made sense to me, but as a 16-year-old, I definitely was not thinking about retirement.

This past week, my finance class reinforced this principle taught by my father. I learned about the time value of money. We discussed bonds and annuities, learned how to solve for variables on the calculator, and then at the end, my professor brought up retirement plans. Working a few problems, he gave us the key to retiring as millionaires: start saving now. With 45 years until I retire, the payment I would have to make now in order to have a comfortable retirement is significantly less than what it would be if I started saving twenty, ten, or even five years from now. Having the background context of the time value of money helped me to understand fully my father's advice.

I think it's hard for most people to look so far in the future and stay committed to a course of action, but in this case, I think it's worth it. I can't say that I'll specifically set aside a part of my paycheck for retirement, but I will look over my finances to see if I'm saving an adequate amount to get started. I'm grateful for the good example of my father in managing finances; he's always right!

the intentional family

This week, I read a book entitled The Intentional Family, written by family therapist and educator William Doherty. The purpose of the book is to strengthen relationships within families through the use of everyday rituals. Doherty defines a ritual as something that is repeated, coordinated, and significant. For example, parents and children can have a bedtime ritual of reading a story together before the child is tucked in for the night; couples can have a ritual of sharing a kiss and a meaningful conversation every day after coming home from work. Rituals can be simple, but the point is that they are intentional.

As I read this book, I realized that my childhood was riddled with rituals that strengthened my relationships with my siblings and parents; I would like to share just one with you. Every Sunday, my family would get together to have "Family Council." We would discuss our upcoming plans for the next week, establish goals, and review our family principles. While this is in and of itself a ritual, my favorite part of family council was something we named "Front and Centers." Each person in our family would take turns standing front and center, and then everyone would share one or two things that person had done well during the past week. It was a way for my family to reflect on the merits of each family member, and celebrate each other's accomplishments.

Front and Centers always made me feel that I was important and had something to offer, even when I was still very young. This mattered to me because I knew that my parents (and older brothers) were proud of me. Recognizing others vocally for the things they do well or for the attributes they possess is a sure way to strengthen relationships.

I don't live at home now, I'm not in a family setting, and I don't participate in a weekly family council, but I am surrounded by people. I can use my words to compliment my roommates, classmates, and other people I come in contact with. This week I will give a sincere compliment to someone each day, a version of Front and Centers. By extending this Garrett family ritual into the rest of my life, I will hopefully brighten someone's day and build stronger bonds of friendship and connection.

Леся Українка (Lesya Ukrainka)

This week in my Ukrainian class, we were assigned to give a presentation on any Ukrainian topic. After living in Ukraine for 18 months, I grew a deep love for the Ukrainian people and their culture. One thing that I especially love is their devotion to the arts, specifically to literature. In fact, most of the historical figures celebrated in Ukraine are writers, whether of poetry, novels, or operas.

I decided to create a presentation about Lesya Ukrainka, arguably Ukraine's most famous female writer.  Born in 1871, Ukrainka was raised by educated parents who taught her the importance of the Ukrainian language and culture. She wrote her first poem at age eight, and was a published poet by age 13. Throughout her life she struggled with tuberculosis of the bones, but she worked through the pain and wrote many works, including dramas, compilations of poems, epics, and essays. She championed the legitimacy of Ukrainian literature in a Russian society, supported Ukrainian nationalism, and created a legacy for Ukrainian women. Her influence is still felt today; every city in Ukraine has a street named after her.

After I presented my information, my professor included a few comments of his own. He remarked that Lesya Ukrainka was doubtless inspired by the Spirit in her work. This simple comment caused me to think about all of the cultural and political achievements that have occurred in world history. Sometimes I think we forget that God inspires good people everywhere to do good things, and we mistakenly assume that only Latter-day Saints are led by the Spirit. This is simply not true. The scriptures teach us that all good things come from God; there are no caveats to that statement. No matter who you are, where you live, or when you live, God can touch your life, and you can be an influence for good in the world.

Because of this knowledge, I have decided to act more quickly when I have a prompting to do good acts. This week, I will try every day to consciously do at least one good thing for someone around me. We each have the ability to create goodness, and we should use this ability every day.

the count of monte cristo

My mother raised me with a love for the arts. When I was a mere one year old she took me to see the Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast; this was the first musical of many. Throughout my life, I have been privileged to see renditions of the most famous musicals of all time, including West Side Story, Wicked, Hairspray, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and The Phantom of the Opera, among others. I have a deep love and respect for the well-written scripts, the memorable music, and the actors' and actresses' talent.

Given such an upbringing, it was easy for me to decide to see BYU's production of The Count of Monte Cristo (click here to read about behind-the-scenes makeup and costuming). Based on the book by Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo tells the story of Frenchman Edmond Dantes, profiling his life as he deals with love, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, plot, music, and fight scenes, but I also took away a needed life lesson. In the end of the play, Dantes states, "Learn to live, and forgive." I have thought much on this phrase, and have come to internalize it. When we choose to be bitter and hold grudges, we are impeding our ability to live joyfully. On the other hand, when we forgive, our load becomes lighter, we become free, and our lives become more fulfilling.

I think there are points in our lives--great and small--where we all refuse to forgive. I am guilty of this; I even can think of a few examples in my life right now. I will follow Dantes' advice and choose to forgive these people within the next week. I know that it will free my soul and allow me to find greater joy in life.

Grandpa Heppler

One of the great examples in my life is my grandfather, Larry Heppler. This week, he suffered a heart attack and has been staying in the hospital. My thoughts and prayers have been focused on him, and so I wold like to write about the influence he has been in my life. 

Grandpa Heppler grew up in a broken home; his mother was married five times, and he was never very close with his biological father. He realized that he needed something different, so when he married my grandmother, he decided that family would be first in his life. He wanted his children and grandchildren to have the experiences that he never had. I grew up being very close to my maternal extended family; we would eat Sunday dinner together, help each other with projects in the yard, and have monthly swim nights in my grandparents' pool. Our closeness as a family is due to the care and attention of Grandpa and Grandma Heppler.

My grandfather has also lived his life to the fullest, especially in regards to his career. Grandpa Heppler has done everything from raising rabbits to make fur coats, to piloting his own jet, to working as a dentist for the native people of Canada. I don't think there's anything he hasn't done!

Most importantly, Grandpa Heppler has a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I heard part of his testimony during this last Christmas break. Every year, my family gets together for a Christmas Family Home Evening, which includes a talent show, ice cream sundaes, and lots of laughter. This year, I had recently returned from my mission to Ukraine when the evening was held. Grandpa Heppler wrote a poem to me and all his other grandchildren who had served missions, which he shared with us as seen below:

My favorite line is, "Do not let your spirit retire." Grandpa Heppler is an example of this. He has always remained true to what he knows is right. He works to increase his knowledge of God, and influences others to do the same. Because of my grandfather, I too want to gain spiritual knowledge. I too want to serve the Lord with my whole heart. 

When I read the scriptures each day, when I pray, and when I attend church, I think of Grandpa Heppler. I will be more faithful in my worship because of who he is and what he has taught me. 

Thanks Grandpa, I love you.

брат малишкевич (Brother Malyshkevych)

I was thrilled when I learned that BYU started offering Ukrainian classes. Although I understand that the increase in global interest is probably related to current political issues, I prefer to think that it's because Ukrainian is a beautiful language that deserves to be appreciated. It flows, it's soft, and it can stand up to French and Italian in romanticism. But I'm a little biased.

So I signed up for Ukr 330. My class is made up of myself, eleven other returned missionaries with whom I served, and our teacher Brother Malyshkevych. Eastern Europeans tend to get a bad rap for being too stern and never smiling, but Ukrainians are different. They have suffered much, and yet have persevered. They have an innate beauty, softness, and humility--words I used to describe the language itself.

Brother Malyshkevych exemplifies the best of these qualities. In my opinion, he is extremely accomplished. He has finished university in Kiev, is currently studying at BYU, has translated for many General Authorities, and is raising a beautiful family. On a broader scale, he has lived through the fall of the Soviet Union, the organization and growth of the Church in Ukraine, and the building of the only temple in Eastern Europe.

Accolades aside, Brother Malyshkevych is one of the most humble men I know. He never flaunts his knowledge or brags of his experiences. Instead, he is consumed with gratitude. In addition, he understands that God is real, that He has a plan, and that we have a purpose on this earth. Lastly, Brother Malyshkevych has a great sense of humor. I believe that these qualities have allowed him to live a full life, even amid trials and challenges. 

After only two weeks of class, Brother Malyshkevych has already taught me valuable lessons. The one that compels me the most is humility stemming from gratitude. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin once stated, "Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul and a refined character. We like to be around those who are grateful. They tend to brighten all around them. They make others feel better about themselves. They tend to be more humble, more joyful, more likable." (see full text here)

I could work on my gratitude; it's not enough for me to just say thank you. It's about accepting the opportunities and obstacles placed in front of me, looking to God, and then looking around at everything He has blessed me with in order to succeed.

Thanks for the life lesson, Brother Malyshkevych.