An Opportunity to Change the World

So guys, I've got some stories to tell.
This last week and a half, I have had so many opportunities to change the world. And I've done it.
Like... Seriously. It's happening. I am changing the world.
Goodness, Dallin. What are you getting yourself into? Haha. :D
It's great though. I feel accomplished. I made a positive change.
So this opportunity started the moment these smiling Canadians pulled into my driveway and offered me a ride to Veyo, Ut. with them to Elevation. People that I had never actually met in person before. They had already kidnapped my cousin and brought her along.
Like what even. My life is awesome.
So I hop in the car with this band of grinning strangers and one cousin and head out on a road trip.
Because I can.
'Murica, right? ;)
So we're driving down the road, jamming out to Clarity by Zedd, and laughing all the way.
#CanadiansDeserveCreditForBeingAwesome.TheEnd.
#PunctuationInHashtags
#'Murica
Guys, I just used hashtags in a blog post. xD I feel so free, and so happy right now. :D I've never done that before. :D
So like, we get to Veyo, and we begin the adventure Friday night by going and seeing all our friends who were just leaving the first session of Elevation. Laughing all the way.
#MorePropsToTheCanadians
And like, it was great. I got to see all of my friends that were at the first session. Give them hugs. Tell them how much I love them. Because you know, I get to see them like... Twice a year if I'm lucky. So one must make it totally clear how important one's friends are to them during the short time one has. :D
Enter opportunity #1 to change the world.
I have a very dear friend who has a hard time leaving other friends. A really hard time. It basically breaks her. And I have no clue if what I did helped her or not, but I basically gave her a really long hug and told her how much she is loved. And then another really big hug. And another. Because she seemed like she needed them. And I wanted to help ease her pain as much as I could.
Then it was time to say goodbye. So I did. Even though it hurt. So maybe I helped her. Whatever the case, she helped me. She helps me feel emotion. I have a hard time with that sometimes. Long story for another post. So maybe she inadvertently changed the world.
And so I said goodbye to most of my other friends. That was the great thing. I got to use the word most. :D With my remaining friends I got to go hiking in Zions. :D :D :D <-- so much fun. :D We hiked Angels Landing, and then camped out. Told stories about our Pre-K Primes. (You had to be there to understand that one.) (#insidejokesinblogposts #ohyeah) Laughed until we cried, you know. Had a great time.
Then all my friends left.
Except those Canadians.
Silly people. They should have known better. ;) They didn't realize that they would have to put up with all of me for a whole weekend. ;)
Then on Saturday some other friends and I got to go to my favorite mentor's house in St. George and help him put up climbing walls in his garage. :D :D :D :D :D
So much happiness. :D
Then to another friend's house for a movie and a place to stay the night. And for watching the stars. We did that too. With a wedding going on in the same back yard at the same time. We were that cool. :D
Then the next day back to Zions, this time only me and a Canadian. A really cool one. :D So we took a hike up to the Observation Point, cut across the switchbacks, sucked on a flower, took some pictures, caught a lizard, met a man from Africa, and some Germans, you know. The usual. Because that's totally a normal day for me. xD
Went back to the hotel. Lost $20 at a convenience store. Went on a run with my cousin. Found a pillow on the side of the road. And a barbie shoe. #swag
^^^I'm not even exactly sure where that paragraph fits into the story. Somewhere. Haha. :D
So Monday comes. Mr. Canada and I get ready to go to Elevation. Mamma Canada decides to go to the temple. So she does. And Mr. Canada and I got to roam the St. George temple grounds for 2 and a half hours. Awesome. :D We got to go listen to a bunch of French people who were on tour talk as they viewed the temple grounds. French sounds cool. We took pictures. We were just generally awesome.
Then the time for Elevation came. :D
So the Canadians, my cousin, and I pack into the incredibly small Canadian car, (Like seriously, those Canadians are magic when it comes to packing stuff in a trunk.) and head to Elevation.
Fast forward all the greetings and introductions, (I loved them, but this post is already long. I don't need to put more in. Haha. :D ) I ended up in Pod 5 with Mr. Canada and the Oompaloompas. That was our name. The Oompaloompas. :D And we were led by our fearless mentor Willy. With Charlie assisting. And Jayson Bourne. Just so you know. (Not Jason Bourne. Jayson Bourne. Ours is cooler.)
Then started opportunity #2 to change the world.
So guys, you need to know something about Elevation. There are 4 rankings. E1 for the first timers, E2 for the seconds, E3 for the thirds, and E Ninja for anyone who has been to Elevation 4+ times. The E3s and the E Ninjas are expected to take leadership in the pods beside the mentors. Usually each pod will have a several E1s, a few E2s, a few E3s, and a couple E Ninjas. So there is ample experience in the leadership. Well, in my pod there wasn't. The highest we hit was E2 with the students. Our trail guide Charlie was only an E2 herself. Bourne was an E Ninja, but he was a roaming trail guide stuck kind of to our pod. Willy himself, our fearless leader, was only an E3. While everyone did a fantastic job, (Seriously, it was great) our pod was lacking experienced leadership. Well, who steps up when there is a need? I do. Not because no one else could do it, but because that's just who I am. So I took a leadership position in the pod and rolled with it.
Guys, being a leader is incredibly hard. I am not always an outwardly upbeat person. Much of the time I'm not. I prefer usually to take a leadership position from behind. I prefer to guide subtly and in quiet ways rather than be at the front. Because that's not who I am. It's exhausting to me. Because I can't always be around people. I've come to the conclusion that I am an introvert that is really good at extroversion. Part of that being leadership.
So I was doing a really good job for the first day and a half. I smiled, and encouraged, and led, and built up my pod. But half way into day two I was telling another student in my pod about my experience at state this year.
I didn't realize until that conversation how much some of the events that occurred at state hurt me until I spoke of them to this wonderful young lady in my pod. They cut deep. And I buried some of those feelings to dull the pain. But I didn't realize that I had done that. And so all of the pain from state was coming out again. Almost healed wounds were reopening. I was reliving some of that pain. And it's hard to lead in a sufficient manner when in pain. Not that I was leading the pod single handed, but at the same time I almost was. Because in this part of Elevation, we didn't have any mentors or trail guides with us. They were off running the challenge activities. So our pod almost seemed directionless.
Then came walls.
Honestly, I was not ready for walls. I thought I would be. But I wasn't.
Walls is an activity where you share with your pod something about yourself that you have hidden, or feelings that you have buried. Something to help take down the walls inside of you. Then you look into the eyes of the person across from you at the table. And you see their soul. Because the eyes are the windows to the soul. And when you look hard, you can see a person's whole being in their eyes. And it makes you feel vulnerable. Someone else can see your soul.
Walls hurts. Really bad. So already hurting going into it, and then sharing with my whole pod something else about myself that was incredibly painful to think about, I broke. Not that I cried. Because I don't cry often, but I just couldn't be happy for a long time after walls. It is a blessing that it was free time directly after walls so that I could go think for a while and sort my pain out. I really needed that.
I did resume my leadership role, but it wasn't quite the same after walls. I needed more time to think alone. And I didn't have it.
Still though, I encouraged. I uplifted. I led.
And I smiled. I laughed. I was happy. Because it is very possible to be happy while in pain. It's just hard.
So the week went on. There were many times throughout the week I had a specific opportunity to change someone else's life, and maybe in doing so change the world. Things like reassuring somebody that they could compete in the Williamsburger (A race between the pods) and that they would be okay, giving a pep talk to a student who was sure that she would not be able to finish a climb, comforting those who were having a rough time, cheering other people up, etc. I'm not going to name all the times, but those were a few. More than anyone though, I believe I grew. And I'm going to change the world. Growing will only help me do so. Thus in effect beginning the process of changing the world.
Elevation ended. I said my goodbyes. Gave last words of love and encouragement, received more than I feel like I gave, and got back in the car with those Canadians.
Gah. I love those Canadians.
Drove to a resort in Park City and stayed there over night with some other Canadians.
Seriously, they were everywhere. ;)
Had fascinating conversations, went swimming, had an excellent dinner, gave and received massages until 1:00 AM. Felt peaceful.
Then I came home.
Said goodbye to those lovely Canadians.
And my cousin. Who is apparently now my twin sister. Which is great. I am proud of that. :D
Oh my goodness guys. I wish I could say more. There is so much to say. But this post is super long. And it's 1 in the morning. That's a problem too. Basically, here is what I was trying to get to.
#1 Life can be great. You just have to make it that way. Never be complacent. Always want something more. And then go get it. Desire is nothing without action.
#2 Look around. There are always opportunities to serve, lead, uplift, and edify. But to see you have to open your eyes. That's one of the reasons Elevation is so great. No electronics with the exception of a camera. Period. You have no choice but to look up. To open your eyes. To greet your neighbor. To see opportunities to make the world better. Learn to serve with vigor and joy. That is where true happiness lies.
#3 Every action you make will change the world. Me writing this will change the world. You reading this will change the world. You walking down the street will change the world. The difference is, did you smile at the man you just passed? Did you know that he lost his entire family in a car accident last week? Or that he has cancer? Do you know how lonely he is? Do you understand how much a smile will affect his life? What about that person who is so mean to everyone around them? Do you smile at them anyway? Do you realize that they hurt inside, and they just need a friend? How about your family? Do you treat them right?
Think about it.

As I have said before. I am going to change the world.
Will you join me?