lessons learned at byu-i.

so, for the past few days i have been thinking about how much i learn here at school. usually i learn a lot more about myself, and about the Gospel, than i actually learn about money management, light & sound, or natural disasters. that is part of why i like being here so much! so, that thought coupled with having THIS SONG stuck in my head the past week or so, has made me decide to start a blog within my blog about the lessons i learn here at school. these posts will always be titled the same as this one, and then the title of the lesson will be the first sentence of the actual post itself. rather self explanatory i believe. so let us start today!

kindness is the essence of greatness 

how wonderful is that simple statement? kindness is the essence of greatness. a few months ago i was writing a letter to jayce about this very topic. i was re-reading it in order to write this blog, and realized, i probably can't say it any better than i said it to him, so, i am just going to post the letter here:

May 8, 2011

Dear Jayce,

Kindness is the essence of greatness?

Have you ever just wanted nothing more than to be great? To be awesome and wonderful and fantastic. To have people everywhere love you because of your astonishing greatness? I would be lying if I said I haven’t. And since I don’t like lying, I will tell you. I wish everyday that I was great. I think it would be pretty awesome to be walking around school, or church, or even just walking around town, and have people everywhere know who you are and want to talk to you. I would feel so amazing. I have often tried to figure out what I could do to make myself that type of person. In my mind I had to have really awesome things. And I would definitely have to have a lot of money. I’d have to dress really cool, and have the latest and greatest of any and all inventions. I even tried this for a while. Trying to assimilate and be like everyone else, be what I thought they wanted me to be, and yet, I still didn’t seem to be great. Then, in a general conference, Elder Wirthlin gave a talk and he told me exactly how to be great.

Kindness is the essence of greatness.

It seems so simple. Almost too good to be true. Really? If I want to be great all I have to do is be kind? No. That is far too easy, it will never work. People don’t like people who are nice, people like people who are awesome! Wrong. People really do like people who are nice. I am beginning to realize that this semester. I decided to listen to the council given in conference and try to find my greatness through kindness. Let me tell you Jayce, first of all, being kind, so much fun! I love being kind. I love thinking the best of people, and giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. I love being the person people come to talk to because they know I won’t judge them or make them feel silly. I love seeing people smile when you give them something fun. I love hearing people say “thank you”. I love knowing that I helped someone else feel good about themselves. I love being kind! And let me tell you what else, I have never felt so GREAT in my life before. I feel like a superstar. I am so happy! Life is still hard, and, I will admit, every once in a while my kindness fails me, but I love being kind. There really is nothing else like it in the world!

Kindness IS the essence of greatness!

It really truly is. So, if you're feeling like you wish you were totally legit. The raddest guy ever, the coolest cat on the block, the fly-est homie around town. Be kind. Really, what do you have to lose? What is so bad about being good? You will never feel better than when you are completely kind to those around you. Who should you be being more kind towards? Who should you really be showing your love to? Who should be getting your praise and your attention? Think about it. I promise you, you know who the people around you that you are neglecting are. Don’t let yourself be unnecessarily unhappy or burdened because you aren’t willing to be patient and kind to them. Kindness is not, and will not, always be returned, but as you continue to live your life in kindness, what others do will not matter so much anymore, because you will start being able to feel good about what you are doing. Kindness is the essence of greatness, so, if it’s so simple, why not choose to be great?

I love you.

<3.

Janaya L. Johnson

Also, as i was thinking of this 'lesson learned' i was reading Elder Wirthlins talk and there were some things he said that i absolutely loved, so here they are too.

"Kindness is the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes. Kind words not only lift our spirits in the moment they are given, but they can linger with us over the years."

"As our Heavenly Father loves us, we also should love His children. May we be models of kindness. May we ever live up to the words of the Savior: 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.'"

"Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind?"

i know that kindness truly is the essence of greatness. i know that as we choose to be kind to those around us that we will be happier, and feel more accomplished than we ever have before. i am aware of the love the Lord has for me and the love that He has for each of the people we come in contact with, if we could only be a little nicer, a little sweeter, and a little kinder to those around us, they would be able to know of the Saviors love for them through our actions. so, make a commitment to be kind. it will make you great!

<3.