Productivity

Sometimes I struggle with being productive. But I think I figured out the trick. :) here's the story. I took on the responsibility of accompanying a piece of music for choir. I didn't get time to practice till about Tuesday. I thought it looked pretty easy so I wasn't too stressed about it. Little did I know... It's probably the most intense song I have ever tried to learn. So how do I get myself to practice? (More than I already have... Which has been about 15 hours this week...)
This is how.

A hard choice to make

Dear tatertotexpress blog,
I seem to have forgotten about you with my new blog... I promise it's not you, it's me. And my lack of ability to stay on top of this blog. New things are just so exciting... You know?
I promise I will make time for you too... I just need to figure out how more things I can tell you about. So I am sorry... Oh! Here is a topic. Lets give this one a go, shall we?


So the other day (Saturday) I found out one of my acquaintances (that I honestly don't like all that much...) was spreading rumors. Now I'm not one to make a decision right then and there unless I absolutely have to. So I thought about it for a few days. It was a hard decision I could have...
-smacked her
-freaked out at her for saying crap
-stood up for myself
-told a teacher
-try and talk it out with her
Really the list goes on. But what did I decide to do? Kill her with kindness. Because in the long run, if the people she tells believe her, they aren't really my true friends. And who looks worse in the end? The one being kind and putting up with the drama, or the one making the lies and drama? I think we all know the answer.
I will be honest, I am pretty proud of myself. That's not an easy decision. What would you have chosen?

"Do you need help?"

Tonight, I was taking some things out to our car for my mom, and one of these things was a huge box full of glass bricks. I was trying to open the car door as a man walked by and he saw I was struggling and asked me "do you need help?" I of course said yes, but that's not what I was getting at. Think about that question.
Do you need help?
He could have just walked by, it would have been normal. But he was willing to ask that simple question, Do you need help? And I have been pondering it for a few minutes. I want to be like that. Willing to ask a stranger if they need help. This man had a huge impact on me with four words. Four. Imagine if I used those four words four times. Would I impact four people? Or even just make their burden lighter?
Another thought that was brought up by this is that I am making the choices I need to make, and putting myself in the right places at the right time. Not just with going outside at the right minute, but everything in my life.
I was just thinking about the choices that I had made this year, and how if I didn't make them my life would be so different. Had I not been in choir, I wouldn't have made the friends I have made this year, and they are some of the best I have ever had. Just simple things like choosing to audition for choir, or choosing to take a class has made a huge impact on my life. I have been so hard on myself thinking that I'm not where I should be. But, those four words "do you need help?" Made me realize I'm not. I'm where I should be. Of course I could be doing things better, but I'm where I need to be.
So all in all, my new goal is to ask at least one person if they need help. A stranger or friend, I will ask, and I challenge you to do the same.

It Snowed!

Since you can't see me, I will just tell you I am doing a little victory dance. Yes... It's true.
I love the snow soooo much! And it has been snowing half the day, and so I have been super excited since it started. Again... I love the snow. So I am super happy.

Music

Well, music has now become my life. I kinda feel like I'm saying goodbye to the world and completely involving myself to music, school, and sleep.
Back when we were having choir auditions I had to decide if I was actually willing to put a ton of my time into music... And I decided I loved it enough to. It was worth it. Luckily, I am actually willing to Spend most of my free time practicing and learning music.
And here I am... Spending a couple hours a day practicing piano, learning choir music, and singing.
It may be stressful, but I love it.

Sometimes I get frustrated

So I have been learning this song on the piano and was hoping/wanting to have it done by Christmas. This is it:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V07xuJprW9c
I can sort of play the first 40 seconds... And he plays it a little fast so technically I can play like 55 seconds. Hmm...
Basically the point of this blog is that I was practicing, and I was just getting frustrated. I don't normally get frustrated... But because I was overcome with this rare frustration, I felt like my practicing was not helping me, but making it worse.
So moral of the story; sometimes you have to just take a break because if you are frustrated, you are making things worse if you keep pushing yourself when you have done what you could.
I think you can apply this to life too, not just piano. If you are frustrated about something but feeling like you have to finish, it just gets harder and harder and we just need to take a break.
Yep. That's all I have to say. :)

And then sometimes...

You get a card like this.
And it makes your day... Yep. I like it.