Another of My Favorites

Yes I know I have been MIA. Life is starting to calm down again and I hope to update you on my adventures. Last night, I had the opportunity to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearse for their Pioneer Day Concert. This year they have two guests singers and one of them is a favorite of mine: Linda Eder. I first heard her as Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel Concept Album back in 1991. I fell in love with the musical and her voice. She sings with such power and emotion, and I sat in awe as I listened to her live. Beautiful and amazing voice! One song she sang really resonated with me and sparked thoughts of someone past. Even after everything that has happened, I guess I'm still a hopeful romantic. Here's to seeing you...

Painting the Roses Red

The roses are in bloom! I love seeing them everyday. They brighten my mornings when I go running and my evenings when I come home.

Chicago

A couple of weeks ago, I had to go to Chicago for work. Two good things about that is I had never been to Chicago and my sister and her husband live there. I was able to stay a few days after the conference and visit with them.

A few highlights were 1) Temperature was 95+humidity one day then dropped to 55-60+humidity the rest of the time; 2) Went running along Lake Michigan with my brother-in-law; 3) Visited with my cousin and his wife in Evanston; 4) Ate lots of good food; 5) Went to a White Sox game; 6) Visited the Chicago Art Museum and Field Museum; 7) Stayed in a really nice hotel; 8) Missed my flight on the way to Chicago, had the worst take off in the history of flying, and was delayed taking off for home because of mechanical failure; 9) Talked with many different people about the gospel; 10) Work paid for me to have fun with my sister and brother-in-law; 11) Qdoba!


Walking along Lake Michigan

Jason and Annette

View of the Sears Tower from my hotel room

The Bean

A favorite painting at the Chicago Art Museum

Yard Work Results

I've spent considerable time cleaning up the yard at my parents' duplex. Weeding and digging out all the mint took some time and I'm pleased with the results. You need to realize that I avoided yard work as much as I could growing up. Now I'm weeding, pruning, and planting bushes without any prodding or pleading from anyone else.

I took these pictures a month ago and am finally taking the time to post them to the blog. The roses are really starting to bloom now and it is fun to see all the colors. I'll snap a few and share them soon.

Quote of the Day

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work.” — Thomas Edison

Quick Update

I've been MIA from my blog recently. Here are a few reasons why:

1) Moved. Last night I unpacked the last box. Just a few more to take to recycling and DI and my new place will be in order.

2) Maintenance. I've been coordinating different contractors to fix problems at my parents' duplex. Finally finished!

3) Yard work. Getting the yard in order at my new place. I still have a few more bushes to plant but the weeding is almost done.

4) Work. I work 9-10 hours a day. I'm mostly on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Not really in the mood to be on a computer once work is done each day.

5) Running. Work has supplied me with lots of good food. If I don't run, then I gain weight. I took a couple of weeks off from the half marathon. Bad idea. Work food caught up with me. Time to lose the weight. I'm planning on running another half marathon this July with my brother and sister-in-law. By the way, moving has been great for finding new running routes.

6) Sleep. My goal is to get 8 hours a night. Lame I know. But I can't function at work if I stay up too late. Plus I am working out in the mornings now.

7) Family. I've tried to spend some time with my nieces and nephews. I've become quite the influence on the twins. One came up to me the other day and said, "Thamina. No touchie." And yes she does know it comes from a movie. The other I have taught the Apple logo. I now have an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. He sees the Apple logo and now says, "Thamina's Apple iPhone. Mommy's Apple computer. Daddy's Apple iPad." One day he may know Windows exists.

8) Traveling. I'm planning a few trips for the future. Going to Chicago for business at the first of June. I am taking a few days after the conference to spend time with my sister, her husband, and my cousins. I'm heading off to Paris in July. I believe Europe is a great place to make life changing decisions.

9) New car. No I don't have one. I need one. My transmission needs to be replaced. I'm going to sell my car and buy another one. Until that time I am using my sister's old car which is 3 years older and has 30K more miles. Oh! It also doesn't have air-conditioning. Going to be a fun summer!

10) Being me. I'm taking time just to be me and enjoy life. It is easy to get swamped by work and other obligations. I'm making sure I take time for me and to be social with my friends. That includes weekly softball games and BBQs. Already starting to be a fun summer.

A Bit Obsessed?

I remember when my aunts came back from London raving about this new musical they saw. They played the music from the cassette tapes they had bought and I became intrigued. They gave my mom a copy of the tapes (yes early form of piracy) and we played them over and over and over again. The musical? Les Miserables. I immediately fell in love with the music!

Since that time, I have acquired many versions of the music. I own the London Cast Recording, the Broadway Cast Recording, the Complete Symphonic version, and the 10th Anniversary DVD. Obsessed? Not quite. Just enjoy each of the different recording for different reasons.

A couple of months ago I watched the 25th Anniversary on PBS. The music is just as powerful! Even though I felt some of the singers were struggling, I loved it. However, my favorite part came at the very end. The original London Cast came on stage and performed. I loved seeing Michael Ball perform and his enjoyment of the moment. I may or may not have a slight crush on the Enjorlas from the 25th Anniversary cast who stood in for the original. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Why Being an Aunt is Wonderful

Tonight I babysat my sister's kids. When I got there, my little niece had just gone to bed. Since she and I have a special bond, I went in and said good-night to her. She seemed unusually quiet. I asked her if she was sad and in her little voice whimpered, "Yes." I asked her if she wanted me to sing her songs and again she said, "Yes." I asked what she wanted. Her response, "Snow White." After Snow White, I sang Sleeping Beauty. When I finished with that she asked, "Belle?" I just smiled and began singing Beauty and the Beast. Then, I finished with Aladdin. Love that my niece knows and loves to sing the Disney princess songs.

Happy Easter!

About a month ago I was introduced to Rob Gardner's Lamb of God. My interactions consisted of one minute segments on iTunes and those brief segments flooded my soul with peace. Then a couple of weeks ago, I was able to hear this oratorio in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. Once again, I felt the undeniable testimony of the Spirit.

Saturday evening, I decided I needed to buy the soundtrack. As soon as the music started playing, a smile spread across my face as I remembered why I had to have this music. I found that the intimacy of my car brought a whole new level of understanding to the message of the words and music. I have a deep and abiding love for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I find myself stumbling to say what I want but words cannot adequately express what I feel. Know that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To echo the words of Job spoken long ago, I know that my Redeemer lives!




Our Hope and Deliverer promised of old,
For whom we have waited e’er long,
Hath come to redeem us from slavery’s yoke
And deliver His people back home.
Come, Israel, come and see He who shall reign,
In whom we will ever rejoice,
We hear the sound of the glorious refrain
And it echoeth back in our voice:
Hosanna! Hosanna! Thy Savior hath come, O Israel,
And blessed He’ll ever be called!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Sing praises to God,
For our Hope, our Deliv’rer, our All!
Oh, why should we wander as strangers from Thee
And turn from Thy bounteous hand?
Restore and defend us, oh, set us free,
That beside Thee we ever may stand!

He looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice,
And myriads wait for His word;
He speaks, and eternity, filled with His voice,
Re-echoes the praise of her Lord:

Hosanna! Hosanna! Thy Savior hath come,
Our Hope, our Salvation, our All!

Almost There…

Two Saturdays ago, I had my longest run (12 miles) in my half-marathon training schedule. Two problems existed. One was General Conference and the other was weather. I needed to find a time that was a good balance between sessions, weather, and food. The morning was still pretty chilly but rain was predicted for the evening. I finally decided to squeeze it in between the morning and afternoon session. If I ran at a consistent pace, I knew I could make it.

When I did my 10 and 11-mile runs, I planned a route near a grocery store so I could buy water and keep myself hydrated. This time, I didn’t have that luxury. I was visiting my parents and no grocery store existed along my route. Gratefully, my dad came to my rescue. I asked him to bring food and water an hour into my run and showed him on a map about where I would be. He dropped me off at the post office and I was on my way.

The hard part about this run was the wind. For the first five to six miles, I was running into the wind. I was tired and discouraged. I found a way to keep going because I knew I had to be at a certain point when I met up with my dad and that became my focus. My whole body rejoiced when I saw his car driving down the road. That bit of food and water was enough to get me through the next three miles, which is where the care facility and a drinking fountain was.

Refreshed again, I began the last stretch home. I was 1½ miles away when my dad surprised me! He brought more water! That helped me finish running my miles. I even made it in time for the first speaker! I am so grateful for my dad’s help because I don’t think I could have made it without him. Also, I have literally run around Gunnison and Centerfield. Life is complete! ;)

Last week I did a “short” 9-mile run. Unlike two weeks ago, this Saturday was marred with snow, rain, and cold. I decided to go to the indoor track but groaned just thinking about it. Being Saturday, I knew half of it would be closed and I was doomed to run around and around and around and around. I decided to plan ahead and using gmap-pedometer, I charted a mile course near the Smith Fieldhouse. Half way through my run, I saw a break in the weather and was able to finish outside!

I’m excited for this weekend. I have no idea what my time will be because I haven’t really worried about time but focused more on running each mile. What I do know is I am much stronger and have better stamina than last time. Here’s hoping for a personal best.

Why I Love My New Job!

Being told, “We are so glad you are here” multiple times by multiple people my first day.

My boss telling me, “We fought to hire you.” (Hiring engineers has been a top priority.)

Given responsibility immediately. On my first day, I was handed a project and was asked to figure out a solution.

People reaching out introducing themselves to me.

The CMO calling me into his office just to see how I am doing and to let me know his door is always open to me. It really is. I sit ten feet away. :)

Benefits are amazing! Seriously! My laptop, my two screens, my iPhone, etc. Working in a technology company is nice!

Receiving positive feedback along with constructive feedback.

Company culture! I never understood how valuable cultural fit was until I started this job.

Feeling like I am adding to the company, and at the same time, feeling like the company is adding value to me.

Realizing the amazing blessing of working here and feeling tremendous gratitude to the Lord for guiding my path.

A New Day

Tomorrow starts a new adventure. I started looking for a new job back in January and the events that led to a full-time offer with Corda are nothing but miraculous. However, I am going to miss this...
and this...
I've really grown to love Salt Lake. I still have a list of restaurants to try and my favorite places to shop are here. Definitely not a good-bye just a see you very soon! :)

A Missed Opportunity

The past few months have caused quite the self reflection in myself and in the world around me. An event happened yesterday that made me think about missed opportunities.

I went into work last Friday to tell my now former boss that I was not going to renew my contract with the company. She wasn’t there, nor any of the other executives. I finally decided, after consulting with my brother-in-law, to send her an email. I was polite and thanked her for the opportunity to learn and grow at the company but that I had chosen not to continue when my contract expired at the end of March.

I saw my boss Monday but she said nothing to me. When I got home, I saw an email asking me to meet with her on Tuesday. I went into that meeting with trepidation. If you knew all the details, you would understand why I felt that way. I sat down and she proceeded to offer me a full time position with the company! I was dumbfounded! Last week when offering me a lead role, she mentioned she might consider increasing my contract rate, and now she was offering me a full-time position with benefits. I was grateful that after all this time she finally complimented my work but she was too late! I had already accepted with Corda.

This caused me to really reflect on the decisions I have made and the missed opportunities in my life because I waited too long and didn’t seize the moment when it was given to me. I have made a resolve to be more proactive and not let options or good things pass me by even when the outcome is not guaranteed (remember vulnerability?).

As President Monson reminded us, “Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed—the courage to say no, the courage to say yes. Decisions do determine destiny.” So here is to courage and vulnerability and not missing out on all the life has to offer me. Thanks former job for another lesson learned!

All Things Shall Give Thee Experience

Dear Friend,
Yesterday, I received some exciting news that I had been waiting and hoping for, and I wanted to tell you. Corda, a growing tech company, offered me a full-time position as a marketing project manager! I will be responsible for or working on their email, social media, and event marketing. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. Getting here hasn’t been easy, but the Lord has guided me every step of the way.

You may remember Corda. Back in September, I randomly interviewed for a marketing position with them. Somehow the job mistakenly was placed on the MBA job board. When I interviewed, the team wondered why I was there. I explained how I found the job. They smiled and informed me it was an entry level position, and I knew I was overqualified. I didn't worry about it because I was working at BYU and had hopes for something to work out there. As you know, nothing did.

Then, the joy of finding something in December. I felt the hand of the Lord guiding me there, but if you remember, even after the first few days, I wasn't sold. They had signed me under contract through March and something inside me wondered if I would really be there longer than that.

Things were going well, until I turned down the New York position. Then an HR department’s worst nightmare came true. Some things happened that would make a great HBS case study. And it wasn't just with me. I also realized I had sold myself short. I recognized that I didn't really believe I could hold an MBA position even though I had an MBA degree. I know. It sounds silly. But I had to come to that realization and I had to fight for me.

So began the search. I started pursuing what I really wanted: a marketing tech job. I targeted many companies including Corda. Things in September ended amicably and I had nothing to lose.

February was crazy! I commuted, I worked for Allen, I continued work with BYU, and I interviewed for jobs. Needless to say, I was exhausted (as you could tell from reading my blog).

I hadn’t heard from Corda and had given up on them. Finally, their Director of Marketing emailed me and asked me to come in for an interview. It went really well! I was surprised how well! They invited me in for a second round. Once again, the interviews went smoothly. To be honest, I felt confident they would extend an offer.

Then the trial. Almost a week went by before I heard from them again. The DoM wanted references. Another week. Finally after two weeks, I emailed him in the polite business rhetoric we were taught. The DoM called and told me that they weren’t interviewing anyone else for the position, but were being delayed in extending an offer to me because of an internal need for software engineers. More waiting. March is ending and I’m wondering what to do. Do I sign another contract with Allen? Do I hope they offer me a full-time job? Will Corda really be able to hire me?

The waiting became nerve-wracking. Then disheartening. Then discouraging. I needed some reprieve. I kept doing the things I knew should, and I knew the Lord was still there guiding and directing me. I knew the principle of equal and opposite temptation and that before great moments in life adversity, opposition, and darkness can come. I knew the scripture that if we “never should have bitter [we] could not know the sweet.” Yet, I felt lost and alone.

Gratefully, my parents’ stake conference was that weekend. Elder Nelson and Elder Leavitt, an area seventy, were there to reorganize the stake presidency. (Yes, my dad was released.) Feeling the love of an apostle for me, my family, and our whole stake was just what I needed to keep going.

I decided that no matter what happened, I would trust the Lord. He had guided me this far and had constantly told me not to worry and that everything would work out. On Wednesday, my manager called me in to offer me a new role. Just as I was settling into the idea that I would be staying at Allen, the phone rang. It was Corda.

Even as I write this story I am amazed at the miraculous events that have taken place. It has been a long road but I never would have guessed in September that this is where my job search would lead to. All things really do give us experience. I hope the things I have learned about business and leadership and myself will help me be successful in this new role. If anything, I have an added amount of confidence in my own abilities and in the Lord, and that never would have come without this. The Lord has truly blessed me and I am eternally grateful.

As always,
T-

Congratulations BYU and the Sweet Sixteen!

We are BYU - Basketball 2011

And Another Reason

I hope you have not missed or underestimated my love for basketball. Let the madness begin!

Another Reason

A few posts ago, I mentioned that spring is my favorite time of year. Besides Easter Peanut Butter M&Ms, another reason I love spring are lilies. I love flowers but lilies are my favorite!

Paradox of Choice

As I was listening to another TED talk, I realized the insights the speaker presented were far more valuable when examined with a gospel lens.

First the context. Barry Schwartz talks about the paradox of choice. In his estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied. We are bombarded with consuming questions about our choices: big things, small things, material things, and lifestyle things. In a western, industrialized, affluent society, we have an incredible freedom of choice. However, we have to decide again and again and again. Should I be doing “X”?

All of this choice has two negative effects:
1) It produces paralysis instead of liberation. With so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all.

a. Example: For every 10 mutual funds the employer offered, the rate of participation went down 2%. Making a decision was so hard employees passed the opportunity for matching money from the employer and opted out simply by not making a choice.

2) Even if we manage to overcome paralysis and to make a choice, we end up less satisfied with the result of the choice than we would be if we had fewer options to choose from.

a. It is easy to imagine that you could have made a different choice that would have been better.
b. Opportunity Costs – When there are lots of alternatives to consider, it is easy to imagine the attractive features of the alternatives you reject that make you less satisfied with the alternative you have chosen. Opportunity costs subtract from the satisfaction from what we choose even when what we choose is terrific.
c. Escalation of expectations – With all these options available, our expectations of how good the results of our choice go up. We become less satisfied with the results even when they are good results.

His secret to happiness is low expectations. This reminds me of Yellowstone road trip I took with some good friends. Our theme? "Low expectations and a positive attitude and you won’t be disappointed." We all had a blast!

Schwartz concludes that some choice is better than no choice but more choice is not better than some choice.

I thought about this in regards to agency. In the pre-existence, we fought for the right to choose. Lucifer tried to thwart the Father’s plan and strip of us our agency. But the adversary didn’t recognize what President Monson stated so clearly, “…none would be any wiser, any stronger, any more compassionate, or any more grateful if his plan were followed.” Think about it. The right to choose is a gift from Heavenly Father and one that we fought to have in our lives.

As I reflected on this principle, I thought of a situation from the TV show The Biggest Loser. In a challenge, the contestants were competing for the right to choose their trainer. One of the contestants, who happens to be from Utah, decided she didn’t want to make the choice. She was going to lose so she wouldn’t have to decide. Then her fellow team members, who also happen to be from Utah, began telling her she had the right to choose and not to give that up. They encouraged her to finish the competition so she could make the decision for herself. As I see it, “To act and not be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:26).

I have realized how cunning and sneaky the adversary is in our lives. He knows that if he gives us more choices than we can handle, we may abandon this precious gift. We step aside. We relent. We give up. He attacks agency not by taking away our choices but by presenting us with so many options that we become overwhelmed or unsatisfied.

In coming to this epiphany, I have started valuing my opinions, my choices, and my decisions. I used to blame not liking shopping on frugality or not having time or some other excuse. I now realize that one reason I don’t like shopping is too many options. Instead, I need to step up and not let it paralyze me. Yes, I know this is a simple example but I think it is relevant. I am trying to be more decisive and not let regret or paralysis or dissatisfaction (buyer’s remorse) tarnish the gift of agency that has been given to me.

Recently, I was helping my parents plan a trip. With all the hotel options out there, I could have let it overwhelm me. Instead, I remembered the insights about agency and began tackling the problem. I knew the parameters of cost, amenities, and location. With that in hand, I began searching. I found six great options. I utilized the Excel nerd in me and sorted out all the information until it was plain to see the benefits and drawbacks of each choice. Once again, a simple example but one that could easily overwhelm someone.

I could talk/write about this topic for pages, but I won’t. Remember, agency is a gift from the Lord. Value the opportunity to choose. Relish in it and rejoice in it.

Sometimes Calvin Has It Right

A House of Order

I have a confession to make. I was a very messy child. I hated making my bed. You have to understand though; I woke up every morning to a bed that looked like a hurricane hit it. Seriously. As a small child, remaking it every day was a daunting task. I also hated putting my clothes away after they were cleaned. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I would put them under my bed to avoid putting them away. Horrible habit.

Eventually, I grew out of this phase. Part of it was maturity. The other part was my mom feared that I would be one of THOSE roommates and constantly pleaded with me to change my ways. Her warnings were heeded. Not only did I make my bed (occasionally) and clean up after myself, I actually found myself craving a clean apartment. Having an apartment that was organized, uncluttered, and spotless, created a friendlier atmosphere and invited a much better spirit into our place.

I find it funny how I changed from such a messy child to one who craves order. I find satisfaction in organizing a room to make it function more effectively. Recently, my mom has catered to that need and allowed me to reorganize her basement and storage room. By the way, this is not the first time in my life she has let me do this.

In the past, my mom has also let me paint the bedroom above our garage and rooms at a duplex they rent. She has relented, once again, to let me paint another room in the house, the other side of the duplex, and maybe, just maybe the kitchen cabinets at the duplex. This whole painting fetish isn’t new. One summer my landlord let me repaint our entire townhome. The happiest day was when I was able to strip all the ugly, old wallpaper off the kitchen walls and replace it with fresh coats of paint.

I wondered where this need to have cleanliness and order came from considering my past childhood secret. My sister and I were talking about the idea of “cleaning things up” when she pointed out that what we really are doing is restoring order. When we leave clothes out, create a pile of papers to “take care of later,” or procrastinate cleaning the dishes, we leave our world in disarray. We need to finish what we start. We need to restore order. This reminded me of the scripture in D&C 109:8 that reads “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” Though this scripture is taken out of its original context, I find that having a house of order really does invite the spirit.

This weekend I dedicated myself to creating a house of order. I no longer have any stacks of paper that need to be organized. It is done. Anything that I didn't have time to get to was filed in a folder for a future day when I do have time. Whenever I was tempted to take care of something later, I found myself hearing my sister’s words about restoring order. Clean kitchen. Clean bathroom. Clean bedroom. I love it!