what? dan knows how to blog?

how do you write 100 different thoughts all at the same time? you don't.

instead of trying to write 100 different thoughts, i will try to focus on one thought that has come up multiple times over the past week. if i had to categorize this thought, i would say it's settling on what is best instead of what is wanted.

already i am thinking in a million different directions.

in our ward, amanda and i both received different callings to help out with the work of the church. amanda, in my opinion, received a somewhat lax and laid-back calling. i was called to teach sunday school to 20 - 30 people age 24 to 80 (with the majority of those people being 50 to 80). my initial reaction is to shy away from this calling. it's hard for me to pretend to know more than anyone else in the class. having a nagging cough, it's hard for me want to teach and speak for 40 minutes straight. and even though i haven't yet convinced myself, each time i pray to God to explain the situation to Him, i receive the definite impression that this is what's best for me. what do i have to gain from sitting in the back of a classroom listening to another? what do i have to gain from standing in front of the classroom trying to know exactly what to say to help the people in my class? of course, i put myself in a much better position to learn and grow if i am actively teaching rather than trying to absorb from others.

this concept has been applying itself to almost every area of life that i look at.

in politics it's unpopular to tell people who are struggling, no matter what their struggle, to fight for themselves and grow for themselves and overcome their own trials. instead, the popular route in politics is to GIVE, GIVE, GIVE. how does that help anyone? what happens when the money is gone? this popular route of giving money away to struggling people or institutions is akin to giving blood to a man with a severe laceration without ever mending the wound. sure, the blood is helpful in the short term, but once the blood runs out the man is no better off than if he had received no blood.

we find many VERY intriguing examples of this from nature. the oft recited parable of the chick comes first to mind. did you know that if you help a chick out of it's shell you are ENSURING it's premature death? the work the chick goes through coming out of the shell actually gives it the strength to make it through life. did you know there are some mammals that eat their young in certain situations? in these rare situations, if the parent was to try to raise the young the parent would die, ensuring death for the young as well. it's horrible to think of human implications, but i hope you see what i'm getting at: sometimes doing what you want and doing what is best are on completely opposite sides of the spectrum.

life should be full of passion, but not lived solely by passion.

ps- i'd rather be playing games than sitting at work. but, blog over and back to work :D