My cousin was some sort of inspired when she gave Kyle and I this little plant kit for Christmas...
Along with the plant she gave us this quote:
"There is something inspiring and sublime about the little forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy.
Please never forget that the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves and cherishes you.
Please never forget that the "why" of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves and cherishes you.
Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!!"
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf
I've heard the talk before and I even have a book of the talk. Maybe it was the small section she put or maybe it was the timing in which I got the quote but it was brought to me in a new light this time.
I've never been good at new years resolutions. Not like I set a bunch of resolutions and then I don't do better at them but that I just simply never set them at all! But this year there are things that I want to be better at. And I say 'be better' instead of 'do better' because these are things I want to change in me.
To me a new year resolution is so temporal. Like it's a list of goals that you want to improve on to fit your current lifestyle. Blog more, go to the gym more, get better grades, keep my house more clean, etc. And all of those things are wonderful resolutions to have! But I feel like all of the things that I want to be better at in my life will naturally improve if I improve my spiritual self.
So Kyle and I sat down and made our "New Year Things to Help Us Reach the Celestial Kingdom"list. Kyle thought it was weird to call it that but once I explained more what I meant he agreed it was fitting.
Now, Kyle and I have a detailed list of what we are going to work on but in the end we came to a general 'thing to help us reach the celestial kingdom' theme that seems to tie everything together. And I think that is why the above quote stuck out to me so much.
"You need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy"
It is so easy to look at what I have and compare it to what I think others have that I know I want. And instead of working on improving myself and my situation to get what I want, I sit around wishing I was that other person or in that other situation. I've been working on being happy with what I have and I know I have made a lot of progress. 90% of the time I am completely satisfied with my life.
I have a wonderful family, parents who love me and raised me to be a good person. I married an amazing man that takes such great care of me, more than I deserve. I have a comfortable apartment and a job that allows me to work from home. I have a vehicle that miraculously still starts. I can afford to pay my bills. I have the gospel in my life and the knowledge of The Plan of Happiness. I have clothes to wear, a shower to clean in, blankets to keep me warm and walls to protect me from the current 10 degree weather.
So why then is it so hard for me to be satisfied 100% of the time? Well I'm human, that's why. But there is a way that I can be happy 100% of the time. And that is what President Uchtdorf is trying to teach us.
We hear it all the time: "you are remembered by your Heavenly Father" But President Uchtdorf doesn't just say it. He challenges us to "Just think of it" And as I read this quote that stuck out to me and I did think of it. I really stopped and thought of what this means:
"You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!!"
If someone like that - someone who has infinite power and time and love - can care about me, than why shouldn't I be happy? If I truly have a testimony that "Heavenly Father knows, loves and cherishes [me]" then why would I ever allow myself to sit around moping when I could be on my knees praying?
So as 2013 starts and Kyle and I embark on our "New Year Things to Help Us Reach the Celestial Kingdom" journey, I look forward with hope and a more positive attitude that no matter what happens, Heavenly Father will be by my side guiding me and more importantly, that I won't forget that.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
~Dieter F. Uchtdorf
I've heard the talk before and I even have a book of the talk. Maybe it was the small section she put or maybe it was the timing in which I got the quote but it was brought to me in a new light this time.
I've never been good at new years resolutions. Not like I set a bunch of resolutions and then I don't do better at them but that I just simply never set them at all! But this year there are things that I want to be better at. And I say 'be better' instead of 'do better' because these are things I want to change in me.
To me a new year resolution is so temporal. Like it's a list of goals that you want to improve on to fit your current lifestyle. Blog more, go to the gym more, get better grades, keep my house more clean, etc. And all of those things are wonderful resolutions to have! But I feel like all of the things that I want to be better at in my life will naturally improve if I improve my spiritual self.
So Kyle and I sat down and made our "New Year Things to Help Us Reach the Celestial Kingdom"list. Kyle thought it was weird to call it that but once I explained more what I meant he agreed it was fitting.
Now, Kyle and I have a detailed list of what we are going to work on but in the end we came to a general 'thing to help us reach the celestial kingdom' theme that seems to tie everything together. And I think that is why the above quote stuck out to me so much.
"You need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy"
It is so easy to look at what I have and compare it to what I think others have that I know I want. And instead of working on improving myself and my situation to get what I want, I sit around wishing I was that other person or in that other situation. I've been working on being happy with what I have and I know I have made a lot of progress. 90% of the time I am completely satisfied with my life.
I have a wonderful family, parents who love me and raised me to be a good person. I married an amazing man that takes such great care of me, more than I deserve. I have a comfortable apartment and a job that allows me to work from home. I have a vehicle that miraculously still starts. I can afford to pay my bills. I have the gospel in my life and the knowledge of The Plan of Happiness. I have clothes to wear, a shower to clean in, blankets to keep me warm and walls to protect me from the current 10 degree weather.
So why then is it so hard for me to be satisfied 100% of the time? Well I'm human, that's why. But there is a way that I can be happy 100% of the time. And that is what President Uchtdorf is trying to teach us.
We hear it all the time: "you are remembered by your Heavenly Father" But President Uchtdorf doesn't just say it. He challenges us to "Just think of it" And as I read this quote that stuck out to me and I did think of it. I really stopped and thought of what this means:
"You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!!"
If someone like that - someone who has infinite power and time and love - can care about me, than why shouldn't I be happy? If I truly have a testimony that "Heavenly Father knows, loves and cherishes [me]" then why would I ever allow myself to sit around moping when I could be on my knees praying?
So as 2013 starts and Kyle and I embark on our "New Year Things to Help Us Reach the Celestial Kingdom" journey, I look forward with hope and a more positive attitude that no matter what happens, Heavenly Father will be by my side guiding me and more importantly, that I won't forget that.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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