The Little Things

Hey kids!

I haven't written a nice long post in forever... I was in Utah for almost two weeks and didn't really have time to be inspired. Before that I was busy with finals, so you can guess where inspiration went. I have a friend who's a writer himself and said he can write even when he's not inspired (I need to learn that)! I love writing so much.. I just lack the creativity and the 'sudden rush of a million thoughts' moment sometimes. Luckily, however, I've got a bunch of posts on inventory here that were waiting to be finished up. I picked this one: my bucket list! :) I started writing it right after my 22nd birthday!

I love travelling, so that's my first category. As an ADHD, I get bored really easily. I just want to go out and explore what's out there. I don't wanna be one of those narrow-minded people who stay in their countries for the rest of their lives because they lacked that curiosity. Man, human beings like me are part of completely different cultures than mine. It's so fascinating and I just want to keep learning and exploring. I'm super open to learning new cultures, trying new foods, and going to different places. The following are some places I'd like to go, but there's tonnes more that I would love to explore.

1. Greece: Don't judge me, but Mamma Mia was what sparked my interest. Their crystal blue waters, history, landscapes, and architecture are all so unique it's fascinating. I want to see it with my own eyes.
2. Paris: I've been there a couple times as a kid living in Switzerland, and I remember it. However, I didn't appreciate it. There's so much sight-seeing to do there that I used to find super tiring and boring as a kid. You could be in Paris for 3 months and that probably still wouldn't be enough time to see everything Paris has to show you!
3. Rome: A lot of our culture and education (in my case, language as well) is influenced by the Romans. Why not explore my roots?
4. Egypt: The Ancient Egyptians are probably the most fascinating topic I studied in high school. I'd love to see a mummy, pyramids, and learn more about their history by visiting. 
5. African safari: I love animals, wildlife, and hot weather. 
6. Hawaii: I've been to Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and tonnes of Brazilian beaches. I love beaches and tropical places. Hawaii seems like a neat place to go. Why not?
7. Tokyo: I'm half-Japanese and it's a shame that I don't know my ancestors' culture as well as I should. My baby cousin is currently serving his mission in Tokyo actually, and I get super fascinated with all the pictures my aunt posts on Facebook. Gotta see it!
8. Go on a cruise: I've never been in one, and my parents say it's awesome. My sister went on one for her honeymoon and she really liked it too. I guess it's for the sake of trying it that I'd like to go on one.
9. Fly in a private airplane: I love flying! It'd be a fun adventure.
10. Swim in the dead sea: It floats people. And I'm a terrible swimmer. So it's a win-win!

I also love animals. I love them because they're innocent, most of them are cute, and it's interesting to see their different methods of survival from ours. And heck; they're God's creations! I want to appreciate some of the things He's made.

1. Pet a wild feline: Felines are the superior animals (on land) in my opinion. If you were to compare a cat to a dog, you'll see cats' bodies are way better designed for survival than dogs. The only advantage dogs have to cats are their mouths. But other than that, cats have good balance, speed, reflexes, perception, claws, and looks. They're also not noisy, stinky, clingy or slobbery like dogs. I love kitties! I love lions and tigers and I'd just love to cuddle with one or both of them someday. There's something about cuddling with a cute animal that puts me in a good mood. I hate dogs with passion though. There's some dogs who are smart and clean though so there's exceptions. But yes, I'd love to cuddle with a wild feline. They're just so graceful and yet strong and powerful at the same time.
2. Swim with dolphins: Dolphins are smart and cute. It looks like so much fun!
3. Go horse-back riding: I've done it, and it was uncomfortable. But I wanna do it again!
4. Ride an elephant: I can see myself panicking with the height and all that, but it's a fun thing to try at least once in your life.
5. Ride a camel: When I was 6 years old my family went on a trip to Morocco and I had the chance to ride a camel with my dad, but I chickened out and regret it to this day. Also, camels are cute!
6. Milk a cow: I'm random.

There's also a couple fun random stuff I'd like to do some time for entertainment purposes

1. Go in a hamster ball in the water
2. Go camping

So, I still had a list of skills and accomplishments on my bucket list. But this post is already super long, so stay tuned! What's on your bucket list? What are some things you'd like to try? It's important to set some random little fun items on your bucket list because life isn't just about the big things you accomplish. Those little things in life, like holding a baby, making friends, cuddling with a kitten, kicking a dog in the face, making a stranger on the street smile.. those little things put together are what bring happiness.

To deepen my explanation, I'll give you an example. A little boy is trying to raise money for a bike which costs $100. He starts off by starting a lemonade stand where he makes $30 before realizing he wouldn't make any more money than that as the fall season was approaching. He was happy, however, with each new customer and each extra cash added to his piggy bank. Then he learns to knit scarves and starts selling those. He makes another $50. Every scarf he sold made him feel super accomplished and happy. Then he washes his neighbors' cars and makes $30. Every neighbor that agreed to a car wash made him so happy! Notice how in this example he had numerous little instances of joy that together accumulated into his ability to afford a bike and pay tithing. Suppose he had sold his old video game for $100. It was just one joyful event. Sure, it got him $100. But he definitely would've appreciated his new bike a lot more with the first scenario than the second.

This is the same with life. Sometimes we're so focused on the big things (like getting a college degree, grad school, job, marriage, family, church callings, prizes, etc.) that we forget the little things in life. The strengthened faith and inspiration that comes from reading a chapter of the Book of Mormon, the warm fuzzy feelings after making someone's day a lot better and lifting their burdens, the joy of hugging a nephew or niece and hearing them tell you they love you, kissing your mom on the cheek, eating a cupcake, taking a walk in a colourful garden on a sunny day, listening to our favourite song, taking a nap, or feeling beautiful after getting your hair done. Those little things put together are what make us happy. This is why they say that accomplishing great things after a lot of hard work is far more rewarding than accomplishing great things after someone simply handed them to you -- because of the little things they had to do all piled up to get there.

That quote by President Uchtdorf was from his "Forget me not" talk in October 2011 at the Relief Society meeting. I would definitely recommend reading it, because it was really inspiring and I felt the spirit as I read it which can only mean that the words he said were true! Yup, I know everything He said are exactly what God or Jesus would say if they were here. He's an apostle called by God to say these words which I know to be true. So read, read, read!