Got fruit?

Mediocrity

Is a land bearing no fruit.

Do not settle there.

Future Perspective of a Day Like Today: November 3rd

Today I studied many studies.  Studies that were brilliantly put together.  Very organized.  Exactly what I imagine my study will look like when I finish it.  After studiously studying studies, I turned to my studies.

Now studying thoughts, pondering studies, and admiring them.
As I studied, many calls and other ways of communication were made to those "Gold-circle" friends who make my life just that much more enjoyable.

We shared dreams, accomplishments, visions, lessons learned and many more things.

I had few breaks in-between my schedule.  In those breaks, I raked the leaves. 

Yes, today was a day to rake.  I only raked the front yard, but with such a large yard, even the front was a task to behold.  Autumn hung in the air like its leafs on a strong breeze.

At the end of the day, I received a call informing me that I had several applicants for the job openings in my company.

After skipping around the house a few times (and throwing a couple of round-off backhand springs I knew my chiropractor friend would hate me for), I decided the leaf pile needed some company.
I ran inside, picked up my wife (who had a schedule of her own, but willingly let me take her) and set her down at the front door to cover her eyes with a bandana I had grabbed before sweeping her off her feet.  I then ran and selected a few blankets with sentimental value, covered her in them, then cradled her and continued on our journey to the leaf pile.

Setting her down on her feet, I took one of the blankets off and laid it to the side.
With my left hand in her right, I took off her blindfold and embraced her tightly, then kissed her, letting her know that I loved her in my native love language -the most meaningful to me, and as such, the most meaningful to her.

For the next ten or twenty minutes, we played around in the leaves like kids.  Become as a child, right? Haha.

We cleaned up afterwards, and as she was finishing, I got dinner ready for the both of us and told her it would all be outside when she was ready.
So then, with my leaf-covered blankets and dinner set out, I wondered how it was that I could fool such an amazing woman into marrying me. Haha. Just kidding.

I felt that we worked well together, strengthening each other, backing up each other in our weaknesses.  To say that one of us got the better or worse end of the stick would be completely false.  Rather, our hands fit perfectly into both of the sides of the stick we had been given, because we chose to work it.

Then she came outside. 

She was simply dressed, yet as elegantly as any queen.

Words could not express the beauty that my mind had such a hard time grasping.

It was one of those "you had to be there' moments. ;)

So we sat and ate dinner.  We talked about our schedules, our victories, our realizations, epiphanies and such.

After dinner, she insisted that I let her take everything in and clean up.  It wasn't going to happen.  Playful debate then erupted on why it would be better for either of us to do it.

We eventually settled on sharing the quest of labor and both cleaned up dinner.
I purposely let her go in first so I could make sure the blanket had been left out.
I finished putting everything away and then, with an exasperated look on my face, (acting as the worst actor I possibly could) said, "Ohr nor!! (I decided Aussie accent was the way to go here) I left the blanket outside! Do ya think you could help me grab it?"
She laughed, knowing what I was doing, and took the arm I held out for her.
As soon as we arrived at the blanket, I tackled her.
Giving her kisses and tickling her till even my man strength ;) couldn't hold her down.

Then we laid there.
We were there for a while.  Silent for most of it, but at the end, I reiterated those things that are the most important to me.

We picked up the blanket to be washed inside, then finished our routines and slept, cuddled cozily underneath warm and comfortable sheets.

Sunday Nights

Lengthy messages

and warm tea, sweetened with love.

Feeling like a king.

Letting Go

My past mistakes, troubles, bothersome temptations, regrets and misunderstandings are gone with the wind.

Not gone with the wind because I don't care about them, but because I wrote them down, forgave myself, sought forgiveness from my higher power, then burned them and let them fly away, never to come into existence again.

When I've done something I know I will regret, I write it down to get it out of my head, seek restitution for my actions and humbly bear my being to my Heavenly Father for forgiveness of those actions. Who wants to live with the weight of past actions anyway? Well, some people can be addicted to their emotions, but I'm sure I'll get to that in a later post.

Then I burn what I wrote, sealing those issues away into eternity with fire.

I prefer to do this on windy days. It's more fun watching those ashes fly away.

Breathe. Let it all out.  Let go of what you have held inside you for so long. It wants to be free. It doesn't want to weigh you down and halt your progression.

We all have trials. Not one of us is perfect, but then, that would be the reason we're here, wouldn't it be?

To get over those trials is possibly the hardest trial we have yet to face. The funny thing is... it's easy... when you search for how to do it.


Love you all,

Dallin Hughes

A Vision of Success

Because my sister is growing more and more mature and busy daily, she and I talk much less, so I enjoy our chats and discussions and cherish them to a much greater value.

Recently, we discussed our thoughts on why certain children are thought to be Mom or Dad's "favorite".

We looked back on many memories, discussing and loving them as they resurface to our conscious minds.

Both of us used to think Jacob was our father's "favorite" child, being so adept and prodigious in music, when in reality, it was just our father seeing Jacob excel in music.  Succeeding in our father's perspective. So he naturally encouraged him more often.

Our mother however, was more often disappointed in Jacob because of the time he spent on his music instead of his academics.

My mother's perspective of success is more intellectual than artsy.  Succeeding in academics was what she wanted to see and when she didn't, she got discouraged.

Another insight was brought to light as we talked more.

 Kristina used to think I was our mom's "favorite"!

Wow.  Eye opener for sure.  Literally!  My eyes bulged, I'm sure!  I had no idea!

It started to make sense, though.  I caught on to different things that my mom would have seen as successful faster than she did, so my mother went out of her way to spend more time with me because she liked to see my "success" (or her perspective of what "success" was).

 I get glimpses of the love our Heavenly Father has for all of his children when I see my parents' love for us, their children.  It's a never ending reserve of love for each and every single one of us. Judgment aside, pure love.  Something so perfect, it overwhelms me.  I feel tired and full of light after these experiences.

While the appreciation of success is not an equivalent to love, some people tend to see it that way.

With the heightened understanding of this, I can now make my parents aware of this and appreciate every piece of success my future children bring to the table.

I wish I had more time to write, but I am currently on a quest to make $20,000 before I leave for my mission. It will happen.

I love all of you, whoever you may be.

Your friend, brother, mentor and student,

Dallin Hughes

Real intent Haiku

Delusional men

Hang high hopes on low branches.

They will not succeed.