Today
in Elders' Quorum we had a lesson based off of Elder Uchtdorf's talk
from the October General Conference. It is a talk I've listened to a few times
since hearing it in conference and it amazes me that, just like scripture,
each time we listen to or read those talks from the leaders of the church,
we change. And I mean that in the way that we gain more from them, even
different things, because we change. We go through different things over time
and the Lord knows this. Which is why we are encouraged to always be studying
the scriptures. We should be reading the scriptures daily- not because they
change, but because every day, we change.
This
talk is such a great insight to how we often get stuck in life. We may easily
find that we get stuck in a rut. We feel regret for not just the past but in
the present. We want to be further along and further ahead. Perhaps the success
of those who once were in the same place in life is almost torture for us to
see. I understand that and feel it regularly. But we need to follow the counsel
of the prophet in taking a more realistic look at our lives. Understand that we
are, where we are. You are only going to change that by what you do today- not
what you didn't do yesterday. Stop focusing on your faults, failures and
regrets and choose to be happy. Choose to live your days.. like today, in the
best way possible.
Those
ways that are best for us to live will change and vary through time and the
course of life but Elder Uchtdorf speaks of three most common regrets of those
who are on their death beds. As he speaks of in his talk- there is a nurse who
makes a point to ask her patients what they regret most and what they would
change. I'll leave you to look over these highlights from the talk and review
it yourself. I like to watch them so I can see as well as hear.
~Spend
more time with those we love.
~Strive
more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be.
~Find
happiness, regardless of our circumstances.
Announcing that we will dedicate
more time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities
is good; but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly
blessings to our lives.
So often we get caught up in
the illusion that there is something just beyond our reach that would bring us
happiness: a better family situation, a better financial situation, or the end
of a challenging trial. (I've talked about this before- and I will again soon)
What
we need to do is find a way to be happy with where we are now and stop holding
out for the future. We are meant to be happy, to have joy, and to share that
with those around us. So lets focus on that and stop letting our faults hold us
back. This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes.
"it's hard to beat a person who never gives up"
Babe Ruth
The older we get, the more we
look back and realize that external circumstances don’t really matter or
determine our happiness.
We do
matter. We determine our happiness.
You and I are ultimately in
charge of our own happiness.
Sometimes in life we become so
focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey.
We
shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover
that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated
only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,”
the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”
His Atonement allows us to leave
the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart, and
a determination to do better and especially to become better.
So
let us put this into practice and apply His atonement to our lives. Take
courage for we are in control of our destiny. We choose what attitude we look
at life with and where ours is heading. As I've said before... "Have faith. Trust yourself
and trust in God. And if you start to feel overwhelmed... just focus on baby
steps. One week at a time, one day at a time, one task to do and you
will do it. Maybe not the first time and definitely not every time. But we
don't practice because we're the best at something: we practice because as we
fail and push on... we change. And that change makes all the
difference." Steven Hatch
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