Category: Thankful

What is your Why?

My boss asked me a great question the other day. We were discussing a promotion and she asked me why I wanted the promotion. She wanted to know  more than the usual I want a pay increase. We had a great discussion about my why and it got me to thinking about my why in so many areas of my life.

Why do I parent? Why am I a spouse? Why do I work? Why do I coach? Why do serve in my church? Have you ever thought about your why? I know sometimes it can be overwhelming because it seems like it takes all you have to get through the day. If you know your why, however, it makes getting through the day a whole lot easier.

I spent some time figuring out my why and here are some tips and questions to ask yourself:

  1. Every why isn’t going to be profound. Sometimes your why is because you like having a place to live and food to eat. That is ok. If that is your why that is great; move on to another area in your life you feel more passionate about.
  2. Every area of your life does not need a why. I would encourage you to find one thing in your life that you really love and does inspire a why that fuels you and think about how you can get more of that why in your life.
  3. For the area(s) of you life you want to really focus on spend some quiet time thinking about why. Why do you want this in your life? Why does it matter to you? What would your life be like without it? How can you get more of this why in your life?

As you figure out your why it makes life decisions even easier. If one of your whys is to learn how to play the piano then you know that you are going to need to say no to go out every night after work because you need time to practice. Knowing your why will also help you to remove or change some things in your life.

What is one area of your life you would like to write a why about? I would love to hear about it in the comments and the why you come up with!

Mindset – Scarcity or Abundance?

When my husband and I were first married we lived 9 miles away from the closest grocery store. And it was a small grocery store. We were 26 miles away from the closest Walmart. It took at least 20 minutes to drive round trip, to the little grocery store, if I forgot anything. To make sure I always had all of the groceries I might need I made a weekly list, I checked the staples to see if we were running low. I checked and rechecked to make sure that we had everything we may need for the week. My sister laughed at me whenever she came to visit because our fridge was always packed.

Fast forward almost 20 years. We now live within 3 miles of 2 different Walmart’s. I still make the weekly grocery list and I still worry trying to decide if we need more milk or if it will run out before the next grocery trip. Will I have enough eggs or should I get more?

What does this have to do with mindset? Just like I get stressed about making sure I have enough groceries I don’t always recognize the talents and abilities I have. Instead of focusing on all of the great things I can do I hyper focus on the things I don’t know how to do. I worry that there isn’t enough for me.

I having been learning about the abundance mindset. This is where you believe that there is enough for everyone. There is enough wealth, happiness and respect for everyone. Just like I don’t have to worry and stress about having enough groceries, believing that there is enough for everyone makes a huge difference.

So how do you change your mindset to focus on what is available instead of what you are lacking? One thing is to practice gratitude. Having just come through the Thanksgiving season I have tried to remain focused on all of the wonderful blessings I have been given. Focusing on the things, people and places we are grateful for helps shift our mindset to abundance and opportunity instead of focusing on all the things we lack.

Another way to change your mindset is to focus on growth. Instead of staying where you are find ways to grow your mind, talents or experiences. You can start a hobby just to learn something new. Listen to a podcast or read a book that stretches your mind to the possibilities of life. I personally love David Goggins and the things he teaches. He challenges me mind and my way of thinking.

Being open to trying new things is another way to help yourself grow. This one is probably the hardest for me. I love my world and I love things to be predictable. But there isn’t growth in staying the same. There isn’t a chance to learn if I never try something new. The stimulation that you get from the fear of trying something new helps to propel you forward.

Always being focused on what you are missing only amplifies all of the things you don’t have. To truly grow and change focus on all the possibilities and opportunities you have in your life. And try something scary.

Faith to be Healed

Thanksgiving was a much needed break and time with family. The only downside was coming home with a head cold. Unlike all of the memes that you see about how strong women are when they are sick and how wimpy men are, my house is the opposite. I am a horrible sick person, I am whinny and don’t want to do anything.

To help cut down on the length of the cold I took some NyQuil last night. I hoped that sleeping would give me an edge over the cold. The only bad thing is I am a lightweight when it comes to medicine. I don’t take a lot of medicine so when I do it knocks me for a loop.

I slept well last night but I had some really weird dreams! At one point I remember thinking that if I had faith then God could cure me of this cold in an instant. For the next I don’t know how long I prayed that I would be healed and I thought about what having faith meant.

Did I still have faith even if I woke up still sick? Did I have faith if I wasn’t cured right away? I am still not sure of those answers. I am still sick but I have seen tender mercies that show that Heavenly Father is still watching over me. My husband suggested medicine that would help deal with the symptoms. It has worked great and has helped me to be able to think more clearly.

My son went the extra mile this morning and I was able to get the kitchen cleaned. I don’t know about you but having a clean kitchen always makes me feel better. Probably because I spend so much time there.

So I haven’t been healed of the cold but I have seen that the Lord is watching out for me. Maybe being healed means more than just getting over a cold. What do you think? What does having faith mean to you even if you don’t get what it is you’re praying for? How do you continue to have faith in God when you don’t see the blessing you are wanting? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Light Will Come Back

This past weekend the General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was held. This means that we got to have church at home. We got to stay in our pjs and eat and be fed by the spirit. The Prophet, Apostles and Leaders of the church all spoke.

This weekend filled my spiritual cup in a way that has not happened for many years. For years after conference or any church meeting when someone said, “That was so wonderful wasn’t the spirit so strong?” I couldn’t agree with them. I couldn’t feel what they had felt. Usually what I felt was fatigue. Fatigue from trying to hard. Fatigue from wanting to feel that I was doing the right thing but not quite feeling it.

Fatigue from depression and anxiety weighing my heart down in a manner that made it almost impossible for me to feel the spirit. This weekend, though, was completely different. I could feel the Holy Ghost again speaking to me. I could feel the spirit reassuring me that I was on the correct path. I could feel the truth that all I have to do is my best.

So if you are in the position I have been for years. Hold on the light will come back. Take care of yourself. Do what you need to do overcome depression and anxiety. Do the things that make life better for you. Let the judgments of others roll away to the garbage where they belong. Remind yourself that Christ loves you. Remind yourself that you are a child of God.

The light will come back, the peace of the Spirit will return, the joy of serving God will light your life again. Just please hold on!

Good Friday

Today Christian faiths around the world honor the sacrifice that Jesus made for us by dying on the cross. We honor the life that He gave us, the faith and love that was shown to us by this act of love.

Then on Sunday we will celebrate the truth that He lives. He was able to break the bonds of death and be resurrected. I have had Christ on my mind even more because of this special week. I have been thinking about God’s plan for my life and how I can better fulfill it.

In Isaiah chapter 6 Isaiah sees in a vision the Lord and Isaiah is anointed to prophesy. Right after he is anointed he hears the voice of the Lord in verse 8 asking “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah answers “Here am I; send me.” Isaiah is then directed in what he should do.

I love the phrase “Here am I; send me.”

I love the faith and love that this phrase implies. No questions, no wondering, no worries. Just here I am send me to do thy work. Tell me what to do and I am there, I will do it.

I am not like this.

I am more of the mind that says I understand this is what I need to do but is there an easier way? Are you sure this is what you would have me do? Why is this something I should do? Why is it so hard?

I want to be more like Isaiah. Here I am send me. I want to be more like Christ. Even as he prayed in Gethsemane knowing the pain and suffering that would come he accepted it and did His work. I want my faith to be stronger than my fear.

As I work to that end I will continue to praise God. I will continue to thank Christ. I will continue to build my faith. Here am I; send me.

 

Why Mother’s Day?

As I write this it is the day before Mother’s Day.  All this week I have been thinking about Mother’s day. I have been thinking about how I act on Mother’s day with my family. How I reach out to the Moms in my life and why Mother’s day is so full of emotion.

I have come to realize that for me Mother’s day is so full of emotion because I don’t feel worthy of the praise. Is it only me or does anyone else cringe when talks in church start in on their angel mother. I want to stand up and scream we are not angels we are just people.

I know I am not perfect. I know that I have not always been the best mom. There are times that I wasn’t sure I really should be trusted with these little humans. I thought the real mom had better show up soon and take care of these kiddos before I seriously mess them up.

Then there are the times when your little kids come to snuggle you with their book and blanket. I really don’t know anything better than having a loving child on your lap.

One of my favorite things recently is getting to know my boys as they grow. It is so much fun to watch them grow up and develop their own personalities and ideas. I love to be able to have a real discussion with them about whatever pops into their heads. (And lots and lots of Star Wars discussions in my house!)

I may not be the perfect angel mother that is revered on Mother’s day. I am coming to realize, however, that I am doing a better job than I sometimes let myself believe. I am not perfect but I am relying more and more on my Heavenly Father who is there to help and guide me. I am often reminded that he knew them long before I did. He loves them even more than I do.

Mother’s day often feels like a holiday for the perfect mom. But really it is a holiday for each of us. It is a holiday to remind us that we are doing the best we can. It is a holiday for us to take a minute and be reminded of all the hard work we do each day. It is a holiday to look back and see how much we have learned and grown. It is a holiday to celebrate our families and be reminded of the blessings we have.

This year for Mother’s day I wish you a day for peace. A day to feel the love of your family. The love of your Heavenly Father as you love and guide the precious spirits that have been sent to you. A day to know that you are doing a wonderful job no matter what! A day to know that you don’t have to be an angel mother to deserve the love and praise that comes with Mother’s day.

Happy Mother’s day to every woman out their that has loved me and made me who I am today. Happy Mother’s day to the woman out there that struggle and fight each day to be better. Happy Mother’s day to all of the women in the world. Thank you for sharing your love and mothering each day.

Photo by Marissa Price on Unsplash