Standing Firm in an Unbalanced World

When the winds of life start blowing you down ... 

Stand firm. Stand balanced. Stand your ground.

Life was hard enough when I was growing up. But now, as I watch my children embark on their own social and emotional journeys, it's downright scary!

It can be very confusing, to adults and children alike, when the principles and values you teach in the home are questioned by the "outside" world. When your standards are viewed by the general public as strange or confining, do you bend to conform to the crowd? Or do you find the strength to stand firm against the ridicule and remarks?

People can be cruel. As we teach our children, and remind ourselves, to be accepting and courteous to others, we also need to incorporate the necessity to hold our principles and values close. It's so difficult to be the one who is being questioned, mocked, or taunted; however, if we instill in our children that they have a divine nature and are of great worth, we give them the armor they need to face their day-to-day battles.

It's more important now than ever before to understand that we each have a purpose in this life. We matter. The world might make us feel otherwise, at times. But when we feel those strong winds of opposition blowing us down, we can stand firm, stand balanced, and stand our ground by remembering who we are and where we came from. When knowledge of your divine nature and individual worth is deeply rooted, you are strong enough to stand firm in an unbalanced world.

Stand Firm

The Secret To Success

It's easy to watch someone you admire and wondered, What makes them so successful? It might seem like others have everything and life just seems to work for them. So, what's the secret? Well, it's something that everyone has access to ...

Have a dream. Set a goal. Get to work.

Anyone can have anything they want and achieve whatever they want if they set goals and then work toward those goals. There has to be a dream. There has to be a desire. There has to be a willingness to work and a motivation to keep working. Success does not come to those who just dream. But, the dream has to come first. Gertrude Stein said, "You have to know what you want to get it." If you're not working toward something, you'll end up with nothing.

No one is content with just watching others succeed. That road leads to jealousy and self doubt.

By changing our attitude to, "I can do it; I will do it," we give ourselves the power to accomplish anything. By setting solid goals, we give ourselves the roadmap we need to get where we want to be and accomplish what we set out to do.

No dream is too big. You just have to believe that you deserve those dreams. Then make them happen!

Secret To Success

In Honor of Dr. Seuss Day ...

It felt appropriate to (attempt) to write this post Dr. Seuss style.

Believe in yourself
Dare to do what you do.
Pay no attention
To what others tell you.

Your ideas are great
Give them life, let them soar.
Once you do, chances are,
You'll want to do more.

And you should! Go do more!
More thinking,
creating,
trying,
achieving.
And once you're achieving,
You'll keep on believing!

Believe In Yourself

Heaven In Your Home

If you've ever lost someone you love, you know that, although time heals, the overwhelming feelings of loneliness and pain never completely go away ~ and that's okay.

This month marks 15 years since my mother passed away, leaving behind eight young children and a loving husband. Although it's been many years, the memories and emotions of that day feel as fresh as though it were yesterday. In a weird way, that makes me feel close to her. It reminds me that I have a guardian angel, of sorts.

I think most of us know this loss all too well. To keep from getting down about the memory of such sad events, make sure to keep the good memories alive, always. Talk about the person you love and miss to your friends and family members. Don't be afraid to share stories and laugh. Talk about the traits and talents that may have been passed to other family members. Talk about the quirks that drove you crazy and the moments that you loved.

Although my children never met my mom, they know her by patiently listening to stories as I go down memory lane. They know they have a grandma who is watching over them from Heaven and that, one day, we will all be together again. 

As long as the memories of those we've lost are kept alive in our hearts, there will always be a piece of Heaven in our home.

Heaven In Your Home

Self-Reliance

I constantly tell my children to trust their instincts, form their own opinions, then make good choices. It's so easy to follow the crowd and let the opinions of others influence our choices. But, the consequences can be severe: we don't learn to trust ourselves and our self-esteem suffers.

Trusting and believing in yourself takes practice, but, so does everything that's worth doing. Be the individual that you are. Dare to stand alone in the moments when your standards, beliefs, or opinions are challenged. Know who you are. Be happy with who you are. Believe that you can do great things because you are you.

The world is so mixed up on what's right and what's wrong, why would you want to rely solely on outside criticism or media influences? Doing this will only lead you to more confusion about who you are because fads are constantly changing. This is true whether you're talking about diet methods, exercise techniques, clothing, or standards.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said, "What we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are and who we will become."

You are of great worth. Love yourself enough to seek for those things that will make you a better you. Your choices are the ones that will affect your life. Trust your instincts, form your own opinions, then make good choices.

Self-Reliance

Faith, Hope, Charity

Faith in Jesus Christ; Hope in the atonement; Charity, the pure love of Christ.

Tragedy can strike at any time, in any place, and does so, far too often. Communities come together to comfort one another and make sense of what's happened, whether they are ciphering through soggy remains after a hurricane or mourning the loss of loved ones after a massacre.

When supportive words and comforting hugs aren't enough to heal the pain, we can find solace and hope in the scriptures. In light of the tragic events that have occurred lately, I think we can all use a reminder that we aren't alone, no matter what our situation.

In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni reminds us that the Savior, himself, told us to have faith, hope, and charity. In Moroni 7:33, we read: "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me you shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me."

When we are faced with tragedies, we have the agency to decide how to react. We can hold onto anger and focus on revenge, hatred, and our devastation, or we can pray for strength and focus on forgiveness, compassion, and service.

Hatred, revenge, and wallowing in our grief doesn't heal; it only feeds the anger and pleases the Adversary. If we put our faith in Christ, He will carry us through any tragedy that may strike. He will give us the strength to move on. As we help and serve one another, we might find that there are others whose devastations are more severe than our own. We can pray for those who grieve and for those who've done us wrong. In doing so, our hearts will be lighter and we begin to feel hope.

Moroni continues his message in chapter 7 verses 40-42: "How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? And what is it that ye shall hope for? ... ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of His resurrection, to be raised up unto life eternal."

As we strive to replace our devastation and grief with hope and faith, we will feel His comfort. As we pray for a heart of charity instead of a heart of anger, we will be filled with love instead of hatred.

Moroni 7:47-48 reads: "... charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever. ... pray unto the Father with all the energy of thy heart that ye may be filled with this love."

We may never understand why things happen the way they do, but He knows and He has a plan. We are all a part of that plan. It's my hope that we exercise our faith and seek for that pure love of Christ that will bring us the comfort we seek.

Faith, Hope, Charity

An Attitude of Gratitude

Having an attitude of gratitude every day makes us aware of the blessings that come our way.

~ Stacy J. Coles

Thanksgiving dinner is over, but our attitude of gratitude should be on-going. It's great when a holiday gives you a reason to sit down and think about what you're thankful for. But it shouldn't take a turkey dinner to help us remember all the blessings in our lives. Gather the family and find some fun ways to remind one another of what you're grateful for and make the gratitude attitude last.

Make a thankful tree. Cut leaf or ornament shapes out of colored construction paper. Have each member of your family write down what they are thankful for. Then, punch a hole in each cutout and string it on a tree. Use it as a centerpiece or decoration.

Play a thankful game. Sit in a circle and play catch with a blown-up balloon or bouncy ball. Whoever catches the balloon or ball uses a Sharpie marker and carefully writes down what they are thankful for. By the time everyone in the circle has had a turn, the balloon or ball is covered with blessings.

Create a thankful journal/scrapbook. Every year, take a picture, draw a picture, or write about what you are thankful for. Compiling these blessings is a great reminder of what we are blessed with over the years.

Play "blessing" Scrabble. As you follow the regular rules to this word-making game, take a minute after creating your word to name a blessing that starts with each letter of your Scrabble word. It might just become your favorite way to play.

If you're not the game-playing type, simply ask your kids, parents, siblings, and/or friends what they're thankful for. Or, better yet, tell your kids, parents, siblings, and/or friends how thankful you are for them being in your life. Thank them for helping you, inspiring you, or just putting up with you.

There is always something to be thankful for. It's important to remember all that we've been given and give thanks where thanks is due. Having an attitude of gratitude every day makes us aware of the blessings that come our way.

Gratitude Attitude