Some things I’ve been thinking about are simple things;
It seems like, and maybe it’s just me,
but the simple things
are the hardest things.
I get confused on them more than the big things.
Specifically I get confused because
others seem to not know the
simple things or not do them –
this confuses me.
It’s like when someone is smoking, why?
Why do that?
We all know it has no perks and has vast negative effects,
but people
still do it!!!?
This may not make sense, but bear with me, if you can.
A lot of times I write or talk before
I’m completely sure
what I’m trying to say and
eventually if I write or talk long enough I can pin
down what I’m thinking.
Okay so here goes – my whole life I’ve always been
told how
important the temple is.
Okay simple
enough right –
the temple is important.
Because
it’s important we should go as often as we can.
Okay great! So let’s do this right?
Wrong.
Well what’s the problem?
Why can’t we seem to get past
the funk the haze of the things we know we
should do,
the things we’ve been told to do, and the actuality of doing them?
I feel like I’ve struggled with this in the past for so
long.
But I’ve finally been breaking
through.
I think the biggest step was
when I started losing weight.
I knew to
really lose weight I’d need to make a plan,
eat less and eat better and work
out.
Okay so let’s go!
That was my thinking, and in the past this
had never worked.
But somehow I actually
wanted to do this.
I wanted to stop
complaining about all the ways I wanted to change, and just do it!
I wanted results, I was hungry for them.
So day after day I made a conscious decision
to do the steps that would give me the results I wanted so badly.
And you know what? It worked!
What a concept right?
Actually doing the things you know you should do, pay off!!
So I feel like it is with everything in life.
I want to grow closer to God I want to do
what he wants me to do.
But for a long
time I was stuck in a rut of knowing and not doing.
I made excuses, I complained,
I started plans
with good intentions but gave up when I was discouraged.
But once I saw what I was doing, making excuses,
complaining
and overall not being very happy.
I took
a good long hard look at myself and realized I didn’t like it;
I didn’t like this
wimpy version of myself.
So then I thought what am I going to do about this?
Am I going to act or merely be acted
upon?
NO I could do this and it takes
baby steps to get there but eventually you’ll get there.
I wanted to have a goal to go to the temple once a week!
Cause why the heck not!!
It’s close, it’s beautiful, it makes me happy,
and
there are enumerable blessings that I can receive when I go.
And not only that it helps me accomplish the
thing
I’ve been trying to do - to serve others.
WOW all that can happen in a 2 hour period.
Well let’s do this then!
I started off strong
and then tapered out a little and
then was in my car accident and couldn’t go
for a lot of months.
But then I said “Elise
if you’re going to do this let’s do it right!”
So I asked my Bishop if I could
work in the temple – he said yes,
I had an interview with the temple president’s
counselor –
they told me I’d start the following week.
And now here I am 4-5 months later,
working
in the temple every Saturday morning-
SO
happy!! You know why?
Because I feel
like I’m doing something.
I feel like I can do anything!
I feel like my perspective of this life and
the next are
coming into focus like I can reach out and grasp my future, my
eternity.
I think it’s a hard thing to learn in life that you aren’t a
victim.
You can do anything and I mean
ANYTHING you want to do!
If you are unhappy change something.
I’m amazed at the
power we can find when we stop
complaining stop criticizing and stop making
excuses,
and if we find ourselves doing this again
after we’ve started down a
new path we
need to forgive ourselves and quickly start again!
