Guiding Ideas

Recently someone asked me about "principles" or sayings that I live by. I didn't really have  a good answer in the moment, but I have been pondering on this, and came up with a handful.

• Do unto others as you would have others do unto you
• Do small things greatly
• Be happy now
• Fake it till you make it
• Everyone is a child of God and should be treated as such
• I can do anything, but not everything

This made me curious . . . what are some of yours? Do share!

God Bless Us, Every One!

“God bless Us, Every One!”

The infamous words of Tiny Tim that inspire me and help provide a guide for how I want to live my life, especially at Christmas. It has been a while since I actually read A Christmas Carol and I decided that I needed to this year. I’m so glad I did.

There were a few passages that particularly stuck out to me –

“. . . there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.”

I have found this to be so true in my life. It is my goal to find great pleasure in small things and endeavor to share that happiness with those around me. I know I am always so grateful for people around me who provide those moments of joy through laughter.

"A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, whatever he is!" said Scrooge's nephew. "He wouldn't take it from me, but may he have it, nevertheless."

What a wonderful example! Scrooge does nothing to “deserve” the well-wishes of his nephew and yet his nephew extends them anyway. This will continue to go on my “to work on” list. Just another version of the golden rule, right?

"They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And bide the end!"  "Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.  "Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?" 

As I read these words I realized that even if I don’t outwardly profess the kind of attitude that Scrooge did, I might do so in deed. It made me stop and think about the way I look at, talk to, talk about, think about and act toward those around me.

 "Ghost of the Future!" he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?"

. . .

“Scrooge was at first inclined to be surprised that the Spirit should attach importance to conversations apparently so trivial; but feeling assured that they must have some hidden purpose, he set himself to consider what it was likely to be.”

What a change, and what an example. It can be very difficult to recognize when someone is trying to do us good, especially when we feel uncomfortable or do not understand where they are going with their efforts. But what a great attitude. Not only does Scrooge recognize the intent of this spirit, he also vows to endure the discomfort he feels with a thankful heart.

“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.  He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” 

This is my wish on this Christmas day – that we may all be blessed to feel the love of God.  

So Much to be Thankful for

I love this time of year - I love the music. I love the weather turning cold. I love spending time with family and friends. I love being able to take a step back and remember what is important in life.

This morning as I was getting ready for work I was listening to some Christmas songs and the following lyrics really touched my heart:

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can't see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can't see.
It's up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There's so much to be thankful for.

Thankful, Josh Grobin

I was especially drawn to the line "And even though we all can still do more/There's so much to be thankful for."

Life isn't perfect. And there really is so much more I could do on any given day or in any given moment, but I also know that there really is so, so much to be grateful for.

May each of you have a Christmas Season full of the love of God and gratitude.

Willing to Stand Alone

Having recently started a new job I am still getting to know the people I work with and they are still getting to know me. This kind of situation often leads to interesting encounters for me. A couple colleagues and I were headed to our team Holiday party and my supervisor told me I had earned every last drink I'd have that night. I laughed and said, "I should just make sure you know this now - I don't actually drink."

"That's okay - you are not the only one, so don't worry!" was her quick reply.

The funny thing is it never crossed my mind that I should be worried about not drinking. And I didn't feel like I needed someone else to not drink with me in order to feel comfortable.

At the bar I started talking to another girl who I've had a few conversations with, including telling her I am from Utah. It turns out she is roommates with a girl I go to Church with. Her statement to me: "You know you're not the only Mormon who works here, right?" I had no idea, but it warmed my heart to know, and I started planning on going and talking to this colleague the next day and felt an immediate bond with her.

That experience made me think of a story that President Thomas S. Monson shared in General Conference back in October. And made me grateful to see in a concrete example that I am willing to stand alone if I need to, and a reminder of how helpful it is to not have to stand alone all the time.

Enjoy the excerpt from President Monson's talk Dare to Stand Alone:

I believe my first experience in having the courage of my convictions took place when I served in the United States Navy near the end of World War II.

Navy boot camp was not an easy experience for me, nor for anyone who endured it. For the first three weeks I was convinced my life was in jeopardy. The navy wasn’t trying to train me; it was trying to kill me.

I shall ever remember when Sunday rolled around after the first week. We received welcome news from the chief petty officer. Standing at attention on the drill ground in a brisk California breeze, we heard his command: “Today everybody goes to church—everybody, that is, except for me. I am going to relax!” Then he shouted, “All of you Catholics, you meet in Camp Decatur—and don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!” A rather sizeable contingent moved out. Then he barked out his next command: “Those of you who are Jewish, you meet in Camp Henry—and don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!” A somewhat smaller contingent marched out. Then he said, “The rest of you Protestants, you meet in the theaters at Camp Farragut—and don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!”

Instantly there flashed through my mind the thought, “Monson, you are not a Catholic; you are not a Jew; you are not a Protestant. You are a Mormon, so you just stand here!” I can assure you that I felt completely alone. Courageous and determined, yes—but alone.

And then I heard the sweetest words I ever heard that chief petty officer utter. He looked in my direction and asked, “And just what do you guys call yourselves?” Until that very moment I had not realized that anyone was standing beside me or behind me on the drill ground. Almost in unison, each of us replied, “Mormons!” It is difficult to describe the joy that filled my heart as I turned around and saw a handful of other sailors.

The chief petty officer scratched his head in an expression of puzzlement but finally said, “Well, you guys go find somewhere to meet. And don’t come back until three o’clock. Forward, march!”

As we marched away, I thought of the words of a rhyme I had learned in Primary years before:

 

Dare to be a Mormon;

Dare to stand alone.

Dare to have a purpose firm;

Dare to make it known.

Although the experience turned out differently from what I had expected, I had been willing to stand alone, had such been necessary.

Post Thanksgiving Gratitude

I've been meaning to write an "I'm grateful for" post since before Thanksgiving. This morning I was reading in the Ensign and was inspired by the challenge to list 100 things I'm grateful for:

Physical Abilities:
1. Being able to walk and run and play
2. Being able to see
3. Being able to smile
4. Hearing beautiful sounds
5. Breathing in and out
6. The ability to touch - textures
7. Being able to stand up without using my hands
8. The capacity to think
9. The ability to taste
10. The ability to smell

Material Possessions
1. All my books
2. My scriptures
3. Food
4. My computer
5. My bed
6. A large variety of clothing
7. Mementos from my childhood
8. Journals starting from when I was 8
9. Photos
10. Cell phone

Living People (only 10 is not fair!)
1. My mom
2. My dad
3. Anthony
4. Craig
5. Jacob
6. Fanja
7. Janna
8. Oscar
9. David
10. Ben

Deceased People
1. Amelia
2. Joseph Smith
3. Abraham Lincoln
4. Gordon B. Hinckley
5. Moroni
6. The unknown soldier
7. Wilber Wilberforce
8. George Washington
9. Rosa Parks
10. Eve

Things about Nature
1. Waterfalls
2. Rivers
3. Mountains
4. Wild flowers
5. Brooks
6. Stary nights
7. The Grand Canyon
8. Camping
9. Fields of Sunflowers
10. The sun

Things about Today
1. Having a job
2. FHE
3. A chance to clean up my room a bit
4. Generosity of people around me
5. Hanging Christmas lights in my room
6. Writing cards to people I love
7. Reading from the Ensign on the train
8. Realizing that my life is rich and full
9. Holding hands
10. The wonder of modern technology

Places on Earth
1. Utah
2. My home
3. Hawaii
4. London
5. Boston
6. The Temple
7. NYC
8. Buena Vista
9. Los Gatos
10. Virginia

Modern Inventions
1. Phones
2. Pens
3. Computers
4. The Internet
5. Airplanes
6. Printers
7. Cameras
8. Ovens
9. Microwaves
10. Electric lights

Foods
1. Bread
2. Muffins
3. Spinach
4. Broccoli
5. Crackers
6. Cheese
7. Sour Cream
8. Hummus
9. Black beans
10. Chicken

Things about the Gospel
1. The perspective
2. The power to change lives
3. The inspiration to become something more than I am
4. The knowledge that I am a daughter of God
5. The chance to speak to God through prayer
6. Access to the Atonement of Jesus Christ
7. Modern day revelation
8. Access to the Temple
9. The example of Jesus Christ through the scriptures
10. Peace


As they said at the end of the article - writing this list has reminded me that these 100 things "doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of all the things God has given us." I love taking time to think about what I am grateful for - to count my blessings. It never fails to warm my heart and turn it a little more to God and make me want to share what I have with others and help them feel that same love and depth of gratitude that grows as it is contemplated and shared.

Wobbling Blocks

Today I was visiting a school and spent some time in a room watching kindergarteners build with blocks.

Picture this: a bunch of cylinders with smaller triangles and half circles precariously balanced on top.

I watched one little girl in this very situation and longed to approach life more like her.

Now picture this: a little girl reaches to add some blocks to the wonderful array already set up. She knocks over a cylinder with a triangle on top.

What would my reaction be? Honestly, I’d probably be sad or at least self-conscious. I would wonder if anyone saw. I would want to fix the “mistake” I made as quickly as possible.

What did this little girl do? She finished placing the new blocks. Then she swiftly picked up the cylinder and the triangle placing the cylinder upright with the triangle on top. Before it even stopped rocking from her movement she was on to bigger and better things: adding even more blocks to the ever growing structure.

That was the moment I really started paying attention. I saw those blocks wobbling and thought – someone should steady those blocks! I realized that if I were that little girl I would not have moved on until I knew the blocks were in place and would not tip over again.

But, I think her approach was far healthier than mine would have been. Because really, what’s the worst thing that would have happened? The blocks could have fallen again. And she would have picked them up again.

Lesson learned: I’d be better off letting things wobble a little from time to time. Most of the time things will gently rock themselves into place. When they don’t then I can worry about it, or have the proper perspective to know it really isn’t a big deal.

Yay for learning from young children. It makes my heart happy :)

"Or all was lost"

I've been re-memorizing The Living Christ. As I read the last  line of the Sacrament hymn #175 O God, the Eternal Father, something clicked for me. It says: "And die, or all was lost"

In The Living Christ there is a part where they talk about the sacrament and pair that with Christ's betrayal and death: "He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of his great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob and sentenced to die on Calvary's cross." Why do they pair those? I've been wondering that over the past few weeks.

The reality is, all would have been lost if Christ did not complete the Atonement, which included great suffering, betrayal and death - all terrible things. I am tempted to think all is lost when I'm going through hard/terrible things. But, in reality we may be saved from having all be lost as we are asked to go through hard/terrible things. We always have the example and support of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We are always able to utilize the atonement and find the peace and courage to change thought patterns.