Good People

"I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to each and every life." ~ Ronald Reagan

This is a great quote, I think as humans we are really hard on others, but mainly ourselves.

Sure life can be tough, and we make mistakes. I think there isn't one day that I haven't made at least one mistake. But that is why I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As I learn how to live life, and how to follow Him and Our Father, I am so grateful that even when I make mistakes there is a way for me to repent and be clean of all the past mistakes I have made.

My life has never really been hard. Honestly. Things have always fallen in place for me, even when I think they are going completely wrong. Lately I have had a huge change in how I look at life, and others. I have seen the quote above. I have seen how all people, are good people. And that "what is right will always eventually triumph".

Yesterday I was driving home from church when something amazing happened. I was listening to an old familiar song from a Seminary CD (something they give us when we are teenagers). I looked up at the sky and it was turning from bluish colors, to cream, to orange, and finally to red. It was probably the best feeling of peace that I have had in a long time. It was almost like He was saying, "You're doing the right thing. You're getting to where I need you to be at this moment."

I turned off the music and drove in silence to my house. I wanted more than anything to keep that feeling. There aren't many other words that can describe that feeling.

I invite you to drive without music one day. By yourself. Just go down the street, and travel from Point A to Point B thinking about things. Look at the beautiful that is life. Love everyone that you come in contact with. 

Not One to Boast.

So.

I'm taking a College Algebra course. Which is incredibly difficult because I haven't really even thought about any type of "algebra" for the last three years. Well, today a quiz was due, I started studying, and have taken a couple of breaks.

I just got done with my quiz. The system allows us to take it three times before the grade is submitted. The first time I got a 98%. I had ONE WHOLE HOUR to take it another two times. I'm not going to lie, I almost said to myself, "Self, a 98% is a really good grade. Go to bed." But I didn't, and I'll tell you why.

Yesterday I was able to go to a devotional for the Young Single Adults (YSA) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in my region. There was a fairly old gentleman that spoke to us. He talked about how we can develop Gifts of the Spirit (or the Holy Ghost). Along with many other wonderful topics, he mentioned that the people that are known worldwide for their physical gifts (Mozart, Michael Jordan, etc.) had to have spent at least 10,000 hours doing that one thing they were famous for.

When he mentioned that, I could not shake that from my mind. 10,000 HOURS?! I've been alive for about 8,206 days. So. If from birth I started playing the piano at least one hour a day, I would have been a pro.... in another 1,794 days.

Long reason why I kept on going taking my math quiz. I have learned I need to be more diligent with doing the right thing. And that was just one of many decisions I will make to be more diligent about being the best in what I do.

Anyway. I took my math quiz another time. Second time 'round, I got a 88%..... I was not happy, to say the least. I really was about to go to bed, saying to myself, "Self. You might not be able to beat that 98%. Go to bed." BUT! Did I? NO!

I had another thirty minutes to take the final quiz. I knew in the back of my mind the system would take the highest of the three scores, but that 100% was so close! So I took it again. And I got a 100%. I was quite satisfied at that moment, and wish I could have jumped for joy... But the rest of the house was asleep, and seeing how most really need the sleep... I might have just done a couple of fist pumps (Okay, okay, maybe 5 or 6, with some pointing at the screen involved, and exaggerated whispering.)

There is a really funny movie called "Galaxy Quest" (Tim Allen is the star in it). If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Mainly for the humor. We meet Tim Allen as a retired actor of the popular Sci-Fi TV Sitcom "Galaxy Quest". He's abducted by aliens that believe the show is 100% true. The aliens cannot defend themselves from their enemies, and plead for Tim Allen (and the other actors of the sitcom) to help them. And they are quick to the famous line of Tim Allen's, "Never give up! Never surrender!" (No matter how much they are getting whooped).

So! To my fellow travelers in whatever "Galaxy Quest" (Hopefully that's not a copyright infringement) you might be in, "Never Give up! Never Surrender!" Whatever your goals are, you can reach them. It might take a couple of plateaus before you can get as high as you would like; As long as you are moving in the right direction, you will get there. Trust me. 

Virtue

"The true test of a mans character is what he does when no one is watching." - John Wooden

So true.

Isn't is James 3:4 "Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth."

A lot of people refer to this scripture to help us think of the tongue. But I would like to think that a thought is even smaller than our tongue.

While I was on my mission, I was given a Manual called "Preach My Gospel". It's purpose is to help missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understand and build testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Within this wonderful Manual is a section about the Christlike Attributes, and how we can develop them. One of the attributes it goes into depth for is Virtue. The following is a paragraph that I think ties very closely with today's quote.

"Your mind is like a stage in a theater; in the theater of your mind, however, only one actor can be on stage at a time. If the stage is left bar, thought of darkness and sin often enter the stage to tempt. But these thoughts have no power if the stage of your mind is occupied by wholesome thoughts, such as a memorized hymn or verse of scripture that you can call upon in a moment of temptation. By controlling the stage of your mind, you can successfully resist persistent urges to yield to temptation and indulge in sin. You can become pure and virtuous."

I believe that when we are alone, that is really when we see who we are. And sometimes we have to be brutally honest about things that we believe and love. What we truly love. And the best part about it, we can choose what appears on the stage. We are not victims, tied to the theater chairs with our eyes forced open. Nope, we can close our eyes, and "boo" those bad thoughts and images off to stage left, and to never come back.

We also have Divine help in this endeavor. I know personally that Heavenly Father and His Son are always trying to inspire us, through the promptings of the Holy Ghost. If we can pay attention to Them, we will easily be able to cast those thoughts off of our stage. That is the greatest help that we can receive. All you have to do is ask for it, and follow the promptings you receive. Then will your stage be full of wonderful acts, inspiring you to be better. 

I love to laugh!

"There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor" - Charles Dickens

So a while back I was feeling low (not too low) but kind of low. I was driving in the car by myself and I thought of the song, "I Love to Laugh" from the musical Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dyke and Ed Wynn do a great job of this scene, I cannot help but start laughing and singing along with them!

As I drove in the car, I started one of my own little sessions of Laughter Therapy. I didn't have anything to laugh at, but I was having a great time just busting a gut! It sounds a little silly, but you should try it sometime. Of course you will get some very interesting stares from people beside you, and they will be trying to figure out what radio station you're listening to. But wouldn't that be even more hilarious?

Life is too short to never laugh.

Here's a quote from an inspirational talk that I heard one day (and frequently go back to.)

"The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?

"There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.

"I remember loading up our children in a station wagon and driving to Los Angeles. There were at least nine of us in the car, and we would invariably get lost. Instead of getting angry, we laughed. Every time we made a wrong turn, we laughed harder.

"Getting lost was not an unusual occurrence for us. Once while heading south to Cedar City, Utah, we took a wrong turn and didn’t realize it until two hours later when we saw the “Welcome to Nevada” signs. We didn’t get angry. We laughed, and as a result, anger and resentment rarely resulted. Our laughter created cherished memories for us.......

"The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable." - Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin ("Come What May and Love It", October 2008, http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng&query=come+may+love)

Enjoy these videos to start off your laughing session.

New name, new meaning.

So I was working at my desk today (which gives me a lot of time to think) and I figured out what I can do for the blog. Both something that I really enjoy, and something that helps me. I have this cool application on my phone that gives me a quote for each day. Granted some aren't as inspirational as others, so I have gone through the one-thousand something quotes and have selected some of my favorites. I am also finding many other quotes that I like through music, the spoken word, inspirational speakers, and some random thoughts that pop into my head as well.

So I've decided to name the blog "A Quote a Day Keeps Depression Away." Because I sure know that if I find the right quote, my mornings (and usually my entire day) is changed for the better, even at 7AM (amazing right?).

So I will start with today's quote:

"I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet." - Mohandas Gandhi


I Think this quote is AWESOME! It helps me realize that I can choose what comes into my mind. Our minds are much like a home. I don't know about your house, but in mine we have a pretty strict rule that we do NOT wear our shoes in the house. We've lived here for about eight years now, and the carpets are rather clean. 


But thinking about it a little further in the carpet analogy, we can always scrub really hard to get it clean, but somethings will not be forgotten (spinning/shaking salad dressing bottles to get the most out of them, so-and-so spilling their cup frequently, and other random concentrations of the gravitational forces.) 


The spot or stain itself will no longer be visible, but we can't really decide if we remember it or not. 


Moral of the story: YOU CAN CHOOSE WHAT ENTERS YOUR MIND! There are so many good things in the world, and so many wonderful things you can fill your mind with. You can keep company with past, Kings, Queens, Presidents, and Religious Leaders IF you read the things they have written. Don't fill your mind with bad things. Keep good company.

A little Currant Bush.

Last night I had a wonderful conversation with my friend. We both came to a small decision, and we both decided that we would pray to confirm our feelings. Prayer. What a wonderful gift. I am so grateful that I believe in a Divine Source of knowledge.

Some would call it silly to pray about a small decision, but I am glad that she asked me to do so. I did, and I felt very confident that the decision we had made is a good one. I woke up this morning (because my phone alarm went off at 4:15AM. Since then I have been wondering what answer she had received. I am more than anything anxious to hear what she felt.

Another part of me is nervous to know, especially if it is in the negative. I told her that I will respect her feelings and what she receives of the Lord. I know I will, I think she's a great person, and I have been so much better because I have known her. I'm not saying that if she feels that we should not continue on the path that we have thought about starting; I will never be around her. Not at all.

This reminds me of a story I heard given. Please read on.

I was living up in Canada. I had purchased a farm. It was run-down. I went out one morning and saw a currant bush. It had grown up over six feet (two meters) high. It was going all to wood. There were no blossoms and no currants. I was raised on a fruit farm in Salt Lake before we went to Canada, and I knew what ought to happen to that currant bush. So I got some pruning shears and clipped it back until there was nothing left but stumps. It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the currant bush was crying. I was kind of simpleminded (and I haven’t entirely gotten over it), and I looked at it and smiled and said, “What are you crying about?” You know, I thought I heard that currant bush say this:

“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are inside the fence, and now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me because I didn’t make what I should have made. How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

That’s what I thought I heard the currant bush say, and I thought it so much that I answered. I said, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.’”

Years passed, and I found myself in England. I was in command of a cavalry unit in the Canadian army. I held the rank of field officer in the British Canadian army. I was proud of my position. And there was an opportunity for me to become a general. I had taken all the examinations. I had the seniority. The one man between me and the office of general in the British army became a casualty, and I received a telegram from London. It said: “Be in my office tomorrow morning at 10:00,” signed by General Turner.

I went up to London. I walked smartly into the office of the general, and I saluted him smartly, and he gave me the same kind of a salute a senior officer usually gives—a sort of “Get out of the way, worm!” He said, “Sit down, Brown.” Then he said, “I’m sorry I cannot make the appointment. You are entitled to it. You have passed all the examinations. You have the seniority. You’ve been a good officer, but I can’t make the appointment. You are to return to Canada and become a training officer and a transport officer.” That for which I had been hoping and praying for 10 years suddenly slipped out of my fingers.

Then he went into the other room to answer the telephone, and on his desk, I saw my personal history sheet. Right across the bottom of it was written, “THIS MAN IS A MORMON.” We were not very well liked in those days. When I saw that, I knew why I had not been appointed. He came back and said, “That’s all, Brown.” I saluted him again, but not quite as smartly, and went out.

I got on the train and started back to my town, 120 miles (190 kilometers) away, with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. And every click of the wheels on the rails seemed to say, “You are a failure.” When I got to my tent, I was so bitter that I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, “How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?” I was as bitter as gall.

And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, “I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.” The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness and my bitterness.  (http://lds.org/liahona/2002/03/the-currant-bush?lang=eng)

As I think of this story, I quietly think this in my mind.

Mr. Gardner,

I am ready for anything that might happen today. You know how I feel about what I would like to happen, but I know that you know the grand design. Please help me (if I am cut or shaped in an uncomfortable way today). To understand the pattern which you have set forth. I trust you completely. Thank you for loving me enough to be aware of what I need to grow correctly. And if you have the desire to let me grow in the way I have chosen (at least for a little while) thank you. Thank you for your love.

Sincerely,

A little currant bush. 

Better than you were yesterday.

So. I've decided that I am going to take time out of my peaceful Sunday mornings to write in my blog.

This has been a wonderful week. Work has been going really well, and it has been a trip in trying to figure out what I am going to do in the future.

I have received a promotion in my job! It is going to be a great opportunity to grow, and to become a better employee. I'll be basically doing the same thing that I am doing now, but I will be providing more direct, and focused customer support for our multiple customer groups.

I have been getting ready for school. I have been working on getting registered for classes, and everything will work out just fine.

On Jan 1 2012, I will be fully covered with health insurance! These last 6-7 months have been interesting because I have put myself in positions (rock climbing, jet-skiing, wrestling, learning to ride a motorcycle) that could have put my pocketbook back for a very long time, but thankfully I haven't needed to go to the hospital/doctors office. (Knock on wood.)

This week has also been good because I have been able to spend time with a wonderful person. Said person has taught me so much about who I am, and what I like to do. It's refreshing to have someone to talk with, and to be able to speak so openly to. I highly recommend the game "Truth or Truth" to anybody. In friendships, relationships, and in marriage; it is so important that you learn to speak openly and honestly with the person that you are with.

Overall it has been a great week. I will start now to work on being better for the future. I had a leader in the Church that would always say something to the effect of, "Always try to be better than you were yesterday."