The benefits of living as an optimist
As humans, our ultimate goal in life is to find that one thing or idea that brings us
genuine and consistent happiness. Life’s unforeseen events can really put a dampener on our
mood, but every single one of us is capable of taking control of our happiness. It does take some extra effort and a change in perspective, but I can tell you that it is so worth it. Living with an optimistic perspective on the world around you allows you to have happier days and to improve the overall quality of your life.
By definition, optimists are happier people and pessimists are more negative but that doesn’t
necessarily mean that they’re sad and miserable all the time. Understandably, pessimists prefer to view the glass as “half-empty” because of past experiences that may not have been the most joyful, but one of the greatest attributes of true optimists is that when they get knocked down, they spring right back up and begin again with a fresh start.
Some people in this life experience such extreme grief and pain that it’s difficult to feel a sense of healing and to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but even then, there are ways to overcome those feelings, even if it requires more time and effort. If you take a humanistic approach to your daily life, you will keep in mind that you get to choose whether or not you can have consistent joy and happiness each day.
Alyssa Hightower
Indianapolis, IN
Meetinghouse reassignment
Prayer is powerful, but how powerful is it to shield against the stench of sweat? BYU endorses sweaty church members, and it’s not fair for subtle Sabbath day worship. How is this problem present? The far walk between Heritage Halls and where our wards meet causes sweat stained white shirts and barefooted women to carry their heels and enter church not only tired but filthy as well.
Those of us who live in buildings 29 and 30 of Heritage Halls (the farthest buildings from the center of campus) have to trek across campus to the seventh floor of the Tanner Building to attend our assigned wards. However, right across the street from buildings 29 and 30 is the BYU Conference Center where the students living on the other end of Heritage Halls attend church. Why purposefully locate wards farther away when there are closer options? Is BYU a shareholder of Old Spice, needing the stocks to go up? It sure smells like it.
The most logical solution is to reassign meetinghouses. The reassignment would allow disciples running late to still attend church knowing they won’t be wasting time walking. It would also allow students to have time before sacrament meeting to listen to prelude music and sit like proper saints should rather than running across campus.
Above all, those who assign the meetinghouses for BYU wards must prioritize their task of moving wards closer to student living. We know our bodies will be perfected one day, but please, save our noses and tired bodies now, answer our prayers and reassign the meetinghouses.
Danelia Dust
Breese, Illinois
