Thursday, October 13, 2016
Why You Should Buy Love Your Life Not Theirs
If you haven't bought the book yet, then you need to watch this video to know why you should. Plus, she's giving away free SIGNED copies. There are 6 days (and books) left to get yourself a free copy. Also, while you are at it, check out this link for when Rachel Cruze will be in your area doing book signings: https://www.rachelcruze.com/book?ectid=10.10.6880
Monday, October 3, 2016
Today's the Day...
...that Rachel Cruze's book Love Your Life, Not Theirs hits the shelves! It's out! I'm so thankful that I got to read an advanced copy of it. It is a must read for all people. It is an easy and quick read. Everyone at some point or another struggles with contentment and comparison living, especially in this day and age with social media and targeted ads. Her book helps teach you how to become an active consumer (thinking before buying).
I think her book really is an inspired book. Something she was meant to write and share with the world. Why? Because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just had General Conference September 24, October 1, and October 2. At General Conference there were numerous speakers that spoke about being content with your own life, stopping the comparisons with yourselves and others, and learning to find and have joy no matter the circumstance of your life. Each speaker chooses their own subject to speak about; no one is assigned a certain topic. Another reason why I feel her book is inspired (and a must read) is because other people have come out with things about loving your life and finding peace, happiness, and joy. Some of these other examples include Hilary Weeks' Love Your Life music album, Elder Richard G. Scott's book Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy, and numerous articles in the Ensign and New Era.
So, please, everyone do me (and Rachel Cruze and yourself) a favor and check out this link: https://www.rachelcruze.com/book?ectid=10.10.6880 Doing so gives me the chance to have lunch with Rachel, which I would very much appreciate. :)
I think her book really is an inspired book. Something she was meant to write and share with the world. Why? Because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just had General Conference September 24, October 1, and October 2. At General Conference there were numerous speakers that spoke about being content with your own life, stopping the comparisons with yourselves and others, and learning to find and have joy no matter the circumstance of your life. Each speaker chooses their own subject to speak about; no one is assigned a certain topic. Another reason why I feel her book is inspired (and a must read) is because other people have come out with things about loving your life and finding peace, happiness, and joy. Some of these other examples include Hilary Weeks' Love Your Life music album, Elder Richard G. Scott's book Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy, and numerous articles in the Ensign and New Era.
So, please, everyone do me (and Rachel Cruze and yourself) a favor and check out this link: https://www.rachelcruze.com/book?ectid=10.10.6880 Doing so gives me the chance to have lunch with Rachel, which I would very much appreciate. :)
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
#LYLbook: Contentment
A sub-habit of quitting comparison is learning to become content. Contentment is being in a state of peace with where you are in life and with what things you have, whether that be a little or a lot.
An important thing to do to get or keep our state of contentment is recording the things we are grateful for, all the blessings which Heavenly Father has given us, and the ways God helped us. I like to write it in my personal journal, but you can keep a separate journal for all the things you are grateful for. It's important to keep track of our blessings because not everyday is going to be a super great day. There will be some days where we feel like we are alone, no one cares, and nothing is going right. Keeping track of our blessings and then reviewing them will help remind us that Heavenly Father is always there for us (so we are never truly alone), people do care about us, and things are going the way it's meant to go. Even when life hits rough patches, it is still important to track our blessings from that day because there is always something to be grateful for, like the fact we are still alive.
Along with keeping track of our blessings, we need to decide what we value. We don't need to do things others want us to do or what the world would have us do; we need to do what we need/want to do. The things we value will probably change over time, so it is okay to re-prioritize. Once we choose our values it's important that we focus on them.
One way to decide what our values are is to look at where the money is being spent and how our time is being used. If we don't like where the money is going and how we've been using our time, then we need to adjust those things accordingly to what we truly value.
A good quote to summarize what it means to be content is from C.S. Lewis when he said "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less."
An important thing to do to get or keep our state of contentment is recording the things we are grateful for, all the blessings which Heavenly Father has given us, and the ways God helped us. I like to write it in my personal journal, but you can keep a separate journal for all the things you are grateful for. It's important to keep track of our blessings because not everyday is going to be a super great day. There will be some days where we feel like we are alone, no one cares, and nothing is going right. Keeping track of our blessings and then reviewing them will help remind us that Heavenly Father is always there for us (so we are never truly alone), people do care about us, and things are going the way it's meant to go. Even when life hits rough patches, it is still important to track our blessings from that day because there is always something to be grateful for, like the fact we are still alive.
Along with keeping track of our blessings, we need to decide what we value. We don't need to do things others want us to do or what the world would have us do; we need to do what we need/want to do. The things we value will probably change over time, so it is okay to re-prioritize. Once we choose our values it's important that we focus on them.
One way to decide what our values are is to look at where the money is being spent and how our time is being used. If we don't like where the money is going and how we've been using our time, then we need to adjust those things accordingly to what we truly value.
A good quote to summarize what it means to be content is from C.S. Lewis when he said "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less."
Sunday, September 11, 2016
What It Means to Actually be Blessed and to be #Blessed
Rachel Cruze has a section in her book Love Your Life, Not Theirs that talks about this difference between being blessed and #blessed. She also did a vlog about this difference, so I thought I would share it with you because it is important to know the difference.
I know a lot of what she said was what I posted about yesterday, but she goes into detail describing what each of those steps mean.
What she doesn't mention in the vlog is that most often when people use #blessed they are bragging. She gives the example in her book that people don't really use #blessed when they are talking about their beater car. It's most commonly used on the new car and other expensive things. I'm not against people using this hashtag, but it is important to use it wisely.
What she doesn't mention in the vlog is that most often when people use #blessed they are bragging. She gives the example in her book that people don't really use #blessed when they are talking about their beater car. It's most commonly used on the new car and other expensive things. I'm not against people using this hashtag, but it is important to use it wisely.
Saturday, September 10, 2016
#LYLBook: Comparison
The first habit that needs to change in order to love our life and be content with it is to stop comparing our life to others. Here are some one-liners and quotes that stood out to me:
Another thought that came to mind as I read is that comparison works two ways. We can compare ourselves to those people who we feel are doing better at life than we are and we also compare ourselves to those we think are doing worse than us. This habit is really a habit about pride and learning to take that pride and turn it into humility.
As I read I realize that I am guilty of making assumptions about a person's life when it comes to things I see on social media, especially when it comes to people my age going on fancy trips, buying new cars, or buying a house. Rachel says that whether our assumptions are good or bad they are meaningless and that it doesn't change their or our own situation, so don't waste the energy making assumptions because it's not our business.
Going along with making assumptions about other people, Rachel talks about our perception of reality may also be skewed and not actual reality. This is something that was discussed quite a bit in my Advanced Family Processes class last year. Everyone has a different view of reality. What one person sees may not be, and often isn't, the same as what someone else sees. For example, most people perceive that millionaires live in fancy houses, drive nice cars, and wears expensive clothes, but actually most millionaires look no different than the average person. They live in modest homes and drive slightly used cars.
I hope from this post you have a better understanding of how to quit comparison. Keep an eye out for future posts about the difference between actually blessed vs. #blessed and being content (both of which will provide additional insights on how to quit comparison).
- Comparisons not only steals joy it steals your paycheck
- "When we start comparing ourselves to other people, we're playing a game we'll never win."
- "The Joneses may actually be broke! What you are seeing isn't always the real story."
- "When you get caught up in social media comparisons, you're comparing yourself to make-believe. And when you compare yourself to make-believe, your real life will never feel good enough."
- "Comparing ourselves to others is essentially a coping mechanism for our own insecurities. We believe we don't measure up so we project our insecurity onto others. ... And it's those insecurities--our own internal struggles--that are keeping us from living the kind of life we love."
- "We can't blame ourselves for the thoughts that pop into our heads, but we can take responsibility for what we do with those thoughts." (This reminds me a lot about agency.)
- "Don't feel like you're losing just because someone else is winning. Their success has nothing to do with you, so celebrate their success sincerely while you keep working toward your own."
Another thought that came to mind as I read is that comparison works two ways. We can compare ourselves to those people who we feel are doing better at life than we are and we also compare ourselves to those we think are doing worse than us. This habit is really a habit about pride and learning to take that pride and turn it into humility.
As I read I realize that I am guilty of making assumptions about a person's life when it comes to things I see on social media, especially when it comes to people my age going on fancy trips, buying new cars, or buying a house. Rachel says that whether our assumptions are good or bad they are meaningless and that it doesn't change their or our own situation, so don't waste the energy making assumptions because it's not our business.
Going along with making assumptions about other people, Rachel talks about our perception of reality may also be skewed and not actual reality. This is something that was discussed quite a bit in my Advanced Family Processes class last year. Everyone has a different view of reality. What one person sees may not be, and often isn't, the same as what someone else sees. For example, most people perceive that millionaires live in fancy houses, drive nice cars, and wears expensive clothes, but actually most millionaires look no different than the average person. They live in modest homes and drive slightly used cars.
I hope from this post you have a better understanding of how to quit comparison. Keep an eye out for future posts about the difference between actually blessed vs. #blessed and being content (both of which will provide additional insights on how to quit comparison).
Friday, September 9, 2016
#LYLBook
I am grateful to have the opportunity to help spread the word about Rachel Cruze's new book Love Your Life, Not Theirs. It is truly an important book for all to read whether or not you struggle to be content with where you are in life. Over the next few days to weeks I'll be sharing insights that I gained from this book and that I feel is really important to know.
Her book comes out October 3, but if you pre-order it before then you will get $70 of FREE stuff. The book is only $20, so it is a really great deal!
I hope you all will learn at least one thing from what I will share from her book and that all of you can start loving your life.
Her book comes out October 3, but if you pre-order it before then you will get $70 of FREE stuff. The book is only $20, so it is a really great deal!
I hope you all will learn at least one thing from what I will share from her book and that all of you can start loving your life.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Education Week
Last week I had the opportunity of attending Education Week for the first time. I have been wanting to go for a few years and seeing as this may be my last opportunity to go while we live close to campus I decided to do it.
Let me just say that Education Week was so much fun! I'm so glad I went. I didn't do classes all day because Buttercup needed to go out every few hours, but I did do 2-3 classes per day which I think was plenty for me because I was exhausted by the end of the week.
For those who don't know or haven't been to Education Week before, let me give you a brief description. It's like school, except it's all the really cool and fun classes that aren't usually taught at school and there is no homework. There were classes on anything you can think of: religion, media, political-ish, gardening, organization, family, stress relief, cooking, you name it! For all you Upward Bound-ers out there, it's like UB but only a week long instead of all summer.
The classes I took were on time management, home organization, media, a cooking demonstration with Chef Brad, family history, personal finance, safeguarding homes from pornography, and square foot gardening.
I hope to implement the things I learned from these classes to help me become a better version of me. I also hope to come back again sometime and learn even more about neat things.
Let me just say that Education Week was so much fun! I'm so glad I went. I didn't do classes all day because Buttercup needed to go out every few hours, but I did do 2-3 classes per day which I think was plenty for me because I was exhausted by the end of the week.
For those who don't know or haven't been to Education Week before, let me give you a brief description. It's like school, except it's all the really cool and fun classes that aren't usually taught at school and there is no homework. There were classes on anything you can think of: religion, media, political-ish, gardening, organization, family, stress relief, cooking, you name it! For all you Upward Bound-ers out there, it's like UB but only a week long instead of all summer.
The classes I took were on time management, home organization, media, a cooking demonstration with Chef Brad, family history, personal finance, safeguarding homes from pornography, and square foot gardening.
I hope to implement the things I learned from these classes to help me become a better version of me. I also hope to come back again sometime and learn even more about neat things.
 |
| A Chef Brad creation! |
 |
| Devotional with Elder Holland |
 |
| Look at how full it is! |
 |
| Second time for him and first for me! |
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Garden Update
It's been awhile since I mentioned anything about the little flower garden my husband and I planted a few months back, so I figured I would give everyone an update.
All of our dahlias sprouted (6), meaning they have plants but no flowers. I think one of the plants died already and a couple are maybe headed that way. Growth seems to have stalled on all of them.
Out of the 20ish blazing star liatrises we planted, 2 sprouted but I think have stalled on growth and might be starting to die. None of the English daisies or lilies (6ish) sprouted. I think a couple of our asters bloomed, but not where we planted them...I found a couple flowers yesterday that look a lot like asters growing in the parking strip/gutter.
Ivy seems to be taking over our last section of garden, which we find rather annoying, so we'll see if anything will ever grow.
I hope we'll get some flowers this fall if not then hopefully in spring before we move.
From this experience I learned quite a few things. First, I'll only plant what can actually grow and bloom where I'm living. Just because something says if you plant it at this time then it should grow does not mean it is true. Soil quality has a lot to do with it and Utah soil is just not cut out for the flowers we planted; it is awful at taking in water properly. Second, I'll go to the store or a greenhouse and buy the beginning plants that way I will actually know what the plant is supposed to look like and it will actually have a better chance at living. Third, I will water the plants in the morning and not night in order to keep the bugs, mold, and other stuff away.
Hopefully the next time we do a garden we will have much better luck.
All of our dahlias sprouted (6), meaning they have plants but no flowers. I think one of the plants died already and a couple are maybe headed that way. Growth seems to have stalled on all of them.
Out of the 20ish blazing star liatrises we planted, 2 sprouted but I think have stalled on growth and might be starting to die. None of the English daisies or lilies (6ish) sprouted. I think a couple of our asters bloomed, but not where we planted them...I found a couple flowers yesterday that look a lot like asters growing in the parking strip/gutter.
Ivy seems to be taking over our last section of garden, which we find rather annoying, so we'll see if anything will ever grow.
I hope we'll get some flowers this fall if not then hopefully in spring before we move.
From this experience I learned quite a few things. First, I'll only plant what can actually grow and bloom where I'm living. Just because something says if you plant it at this time then it should grow does not mean it is true. Soil quality has a lot to do with it and Utah soil is just not cut out for the flowers we planted; it is awful at taking in water properly. Second, I'll go to the store or a greenhouse and buy the beginning plants that way I will actually know what the plant is supposed to look like and it will actually have a better chance at living. Third, I will water the plants in the morning and not night in order to keep the bugs, mold, and other stuff away.
Hopefully the next time we do a garden we will have much better luck.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Where is the Love?
If the Black Eyed Peas thought this song was applicable back in 2003 when it came out, I wonder what they think about it in today's context of all that is going on.
I know love is out there. I know good still exists in the world. I know that people are inherently good. I also know that we should not judge an entire race, occupation, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc. of people based on the acts of a few.
Not all cops are bad (I know some cops who are really great people). Not all black/Hispanic/other race of people are criminals. Not all white people are racists. Not all religious people are homophobic. Not all Muslims are terrorists (I know a couple of Muslims who are good people).
It really saddens me to see all the hate going on out there. This hate is what will bring this great nation and eventually the world down. We need to focus on our similarities; look past our differences. We need to realize that ALL LIVES MATTER (including those not yet born). We all have someone who loves us. We all came from a family. We ALL are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves us tremendously.
In the words of Gordon B. Hinckley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1995-2008:
I know that as we come together and show an increase of love toward each other we will be a strong nation. Peace will abound. Crimes will decrease. I really believe that each of us are trying to do the best we can do and be the best we can be. I don't think most of us have the intent to hurt others just because of some difference. Please, can we just love each other more and realize that no one group of people is better than another and that all lives matter?Each of us can do a little better than we have been doing. We can be a little more kind. We can be a little more merciful. We can be a little more forgiving. We can put behind us our weaknesses of the past, and go forth with new energy and increased resolution to improve the world about us, in our homes, in our places of employment, in our social activities.
Friday, June 17, 2016
I Want a Queen...
...Size bed.
Nothing like a two week long vacation to make you see what you've been missing out on. Lots of our nights were spent sleeping in hotels on queen size beds.
I never really had a problem with our full size bed; we always found a way to fit us and Buttercup (yes, she sleeps with us), but our bed just seems a bit too small for all of us (yes, we could probably train her to sleep on the couch or in her kennel or train her to sleep in a dog bed--that she doesn't have--but I like my Buttercup snuggles--especially when she sleeps like a human!) now.
With a queen size bed we were all able to fit comfortably on the bed with no complaint of Buttercup being in our foot space. Unfortunately, our bedroom is too small for a queen and the bed we want to get is $1000. Bright side to all of this though is that someday we will have this bed, even if it means waiting a few more years. For now I will appreciate all the weird ways in which Buttercup sleeps, even if it sometimes is up in our space (which it thankfully isn't all the time).
Nothing like a two week long vacation to make you see what you've been missing out on. Lots of our nights were spent sleeping in hotels on queen size beds.
I never really had a problem with our full size bed; we always found a way to fit us and Buttercup (yes, she sleeps with us), but our bed just seems a bit too small for all of us (yes, we could probably train her to sleep on the couch or in her kennel or train her to sleep in a dog bed--that she doesn't have--but I like my Buttercup snuggles--especially when she sleeps like a human!) now.
With a queen size bed we were all able to fit comfortably on the bed with no complaint of Buttercup being in our foot space. Unfortunately, our bedroom is too small for a queen and the bed we want to get is $1000. Bright side to all of this though is that someday we will have this bed, even if it means waiting a few more years. For now I will appreciate all the weird ways in which Buttercup sleeps, even if it sometimes is up in our space (which it thankfully isn't all the time).
Here's just a few (several) photos of the ways Buttercup sleeps: 
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
A Wild Idea
Sometimes when I am up late at night and am disappointed at the way our country is headed, I get this wild idea that I should maybe run for president when I'm old enough. I don't know if I ever will actually run, but I think the things I believe in could save America. I would help bring America back to the way the founding fathers had intended it. I think I could be a good president. If I were to run for office I wouldn't want to do it the common way, i.e. being a senator/house representative. I think many Americans are getting sick of those types of people being president because they don't really care about the state in which they represent they only care about their own personal ideas. Because I would want to go the non-traditional route I know it would be a lot harder because I am neither rich or famous. I would find a way to get myself known though.
I then had the not as crazy but still crazy idea that I would go to graduate school and then law school. I probably won't actually go to law school because I don't have the intention to become a lawyer or judge, but it would be useful for the background on all the laws that exist in our nation. However, if I do go to grad school I would want to continue in my field of family and see if there are any emphases on law and religion. Religion and family really need help because they are under serious attack.
With these two ideas I think I could have a unique perspective that most don't have when they run for office, which just might be able to help me. Maybe in another post I could share the stance I have on certain topics, but for now this is all just a wild idea.
P.S. If any of you have ideas of how I can make a difference in our nation without becoming president, please comment below. I really want to help our nation rise.
I then had the not as crazy but still crazy idea that I would go to graduate school and then law school. I probably won't actually go to law school because I don't have the intention to become a lawyer or judge, but it would be useful for the background on all the laws that exist in our nation. However, if I do go to grad school I would want to continue in my field of family and see if there are any emphases on law and religion. Religion and family really need help because they are under serious attack.
With these two ideas I think I could have a unique perspective that most don't have when they run for office, which just might be able to help me. Maybe in another post I could share the stance I have on certain topics, but for now this is all just a wild idea.
P.S. If any of you have ideas of how I can make a difference in our nation without becoming president, please comment below. I really want to help our nation rise.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Growing a Green Thumb
After seeing 2 tulip plants and a hyacinth plant, Dallen and I decided to put in a flower bed alongside the fence at our apartment. This is the first time we had a garden of any sort. Ever since I took Floral Design a couple years ago I thought it would be great to someday grow cut flowers. Our apartment already has rose bushes, so I enjoyed making mini-bouquets (really just cutting one here and there when they bloomed) with them.
I look forward to seeing the asters, dahlias, lilies, and Liatris spicata blooming. So far we got all the asters and dahlias in. Tomorrow we'll put in about half of the lilies and liatrises. There is a lot of purple/magenta/pink going on with the flowers we chose. The tiger lilies break that trend with their orange. It'll be good to have something a little different, especially come Halloween.
The reason we chose the flowers we did is because they are pretty low-maintenance since most of them are perennials, so they'll grow back year after year (with the exception of dahlias--they can be though if you put mulch on top of them at the end of the growing season to keep them warm throughout the winter). Since we already had a few rose bushes and tulips, we wanted flowers that got along with what we had. Dahlias and asters fit that qualification. As for the Tiger lilies, we chose those because they have some medicinal properties and are edible, but the main reason is because that is what my grandma had when I was a little kid and thought they were pretty cool flowers. As for the liatris it provides another line/filler flower. I wanted flowers that would look great in a bouquet.
I hope all the flowers will blossom, as this is the first time ever gardening on my own. I also hope after we do all the initial weeding that the weeds will stay at a minimum. Weeding is sure a lot of work (I used to hate doing it as a kid--always afraid of pulling out the actual plant instead of the weed), but it is rewarding when I see how far we have come.
I look forward to seeing the asters, dahlias, lilies, and Liatris spicata blooming. So far we got all the asters and dahlias in. Tomorrow we'll put in about half of the lilies and liatrises. There is a lot of purple/magenta/pink going on with the flowers we chose. The tiger lilies break that trend with their orange. It'll be good to have something a little different, especially come Halloween.
The reason we chose the flowers we did is because they are pretty low-maintenance since most of them are perennials, so they'll grow back year after year (with the exception of dahlias--they can be though if you put mulch on top of them at the end of the growing season to keep them warm throughout the winter). Since we already had a few rose bushes and tulips, we wanted flowers that got along with what we had. Dahlias and asters fit that qualification. As for the Tiger lilies, we chose those because they have some medicinal properties and are edible, but the main reason is because that is what my grandma had when I was a little kid and thought they were pretty cool flowers. As for the liatris it provides another line/filler flower. I wanted flowers that would look great in a bouquet.
I hope all the flowers will blossom, as this is the first time ever gardening on my own. I also hope after we do all the initial weeding that the weeds will stay at a minimum. Weeding is sure a lot of work (I used to hate doing it as a kid--always afraid of pulling out the actual plant instead of the weed), but it is rewarding when I see how far we have come.
 |
| This is only the first half of the first section. There are 3ish other sections. |
Sunday, April 17, 2016
#LDSconf Weekend
Let me just say I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE! I look forward to it every six months. It is some of the greatest times of the year because it is like a spiritual boost that puts you on a spiritual high and leaves me wanting to do and be better.
I particularly enjoyed it this year because I did not have to worry about getting homework done in between the sessions (leaving me with ~6 hours to do homework). Conference weekend is SO much better when no homework is involved. I really feel like I was able to enjoy and get a lot more out of conference than the past few years because my mind was able to fully focus on what was being said by the speakers and what I felt from the Spirit.
Here is just a bit of what I loved from conference:
I feel like I gained so much this year. Everyone said things that stuck out to me. I really appreciate the talks that were geared toward the topic of family, such as Elder M. Russell Ballard's about family councils. Who knew there were so many different types of family councils? I didn't. About a month and a half ago my husband and I started holding regular council meetings of our own and it really helps us know what is going on in the upcoming week. I suppose we technically did family council meetings for about 2 years, but it was us checking how the other was doing throughout the week. Elder Ballard's talk gave me ideas of how I would like the various family council types to be implemented for when we have kids.
This time around I actually watched the Priesthood session, unlike past conferences in which it was playing in the background while I did homework. I got so much from it, even though it wasn't directed at me. I was able to feel God's love for President Russell M. Nelson. I know that he is doing the Lord's work. I particularly loved President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk. Maybe it's because he spoke about families and I graduated with a degree in Family Life, but it was great. I took almost a page worth of notes. Two things I liked most from President Uchtdorf's talk are what he said about choosing love rather than being right (this is something I learned in my family life classes and it has always stuck with me; I try my best to apply it when a disagreement arises) and what he had to say about relationship pebbles. If I were any good at making uplifting quote memes I would do them on these two things.
From Sunday's Session I liked President Monson's talk about choices. I liked how he repeated his quote from a past conference that decisions determine our destiny. I also liked his new quote about choosing to do the harder right than doing the easier wrong. Choosing the right, even when it's hard to do so will provide us with blessings. I also enjoyed the humor Elder Holland had in his talk; that was a great way to end conference weekend.
These are just some of the things that stood out to me from conference. I hope you all had a great conference. If you didn't get a chance to watch or listen to all the talks, they can all be found at lds.org.
I particularly enjoyed it this year because I did not have to worry about getting homework done in between the sessions (leaving me with ~6 hours to do homework). Conference weekend is SO much better when no homework is involved. I really feel like I was able to enjoy and get a lot more out of conference than the past few years because my mind was able to fully focus on what was being said by the speakers and what I felt from the Spirit.
Here is just a bit of what I loved from conference:
I feel like I gained so much this year. Everyone said things that stuck out to me. I really appreciate the talks that were geared toward the topic of family, such as Elder M. Russell Ballard's about family councils. Who knew there were so many different types of family councils? I didn't. About a month and a half ago my husband and I started holding regular council meetings of our own and it really helps us know what is going on in the upcoming week. I suppose we technically did family council meetings for about 2 years, but it was us checking how the other was doing throughout the week. Elder Ballard's talk gave me ideas of how I would like the various family council types to be implemented for when we have kids.
- General Family Council
- All family members
- no electronic devices
- predesignated time
- more formal
- discuss things like family problems, finances, plan making, support & strengthen each other, and pray for one another & the family unit
- Executive Family Council
- Parents only
- no electronic devices
- review each child's various needs and progress
- talk about personal relationship with each other
- Limited Family Council
- Parents with one child at a time
- no electronic devices
- decisions about what a child does/does not want to do with their future
- listen to concerns & challenges that this child has
- can be more informal
- One-on-One
- One parent and one child at a time
- no electronic devices
- think Daddy-Daughter/Mommy-Son dates
- more informal
- special spiritual & emotional bonding time
This time around I actually watched the Priesthood session, unlike past conferences in which it was playing in the background while I did homework. I got so much from it, even though it wasn't directed at me. I was able to feel God's love for President Russell M. Nelson. I know that he is doing the Lord's work. I particularly loved President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk. Maybe it's because he spoke about families and I graduated with a degree in Family Life, but it was great. I took almost a page worth of notes. Two things I liked most from President Uchtdorf's talk are what he said about choosing love rather than being right (this is something I learned in my family life classes and it has always stuck with me; I try my best to apply it when a disagreement arises) and what he had to say about relationship pebbles. If I were any good at making uplifting quote memes I would do them on these two things.
“No matter how flat your relationship may be at present, if you keep adding pebbles of kindness, compassion, listening, sacrifice, understanding and selflessness, eventually a mighty pyramid will begin to grow.”
From Sunday's Session I liked President Monson's talk about choices. I liked how he repeated his quote from a past conference that decisions determine our destiny. I also liked his new quote about choosing to do the harder right than doing the easier wrong. Choosing the right, even when it's hard to do so will provide us with blessings. I also enjoyed the humor Elder Holland had in his talk; that was a great way to end conference weekend.
These are just some of the things that stood out to me from conference. I hope you all had a great conference. If you didn't get a chance to watch or listen to all the talks, they can all be found at lds.org.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Life as a College Graduate
It has been a little over a month since I graduated. I got my diploma a week and a day ago, so it's official that I'm done. Just have commencement and convocation in April then it will all be complete. On the whole it is great being done with school. I love not having any homework and tests. I miss the daily learning.
Since graduating school I am left with tons of free time. For me it has been a struggle to figure out what to do with it all this extra time now that school isn't "deciding" for me. I realized I spend way too much time on social media (*cough Facebook cough*) and too much time watching the Amazing Race (which apparently BYUtv is coming out with a show that is a combination of the Amazing Race and genealogy--2 of my favorite things) and not as much time with my dog as I would like.
To help me be a better steward of my time I base it off of a few things. First, the scripture John 6:28. I ponderized this a few weeks ago and I really like it. It's a good scripture to remember. I try to let what I do each day be a work of God.
"Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" -John 6:28 (KJV)
This scripture also reminds me of Elder Lawrence's talk "What Lack I Yet," which is the second thing. I really liked this talk. I know there are lots of things I can improve of myself and when I do I think it will help me in all aspects of life.
The third thing I try and do to be a better steward of my time is live by a schedule. For the most part it works fine. I just have to really try harder at getting ready for bed and waking up when I have planned. I like having a schedule because I purposely don't schedule time for social media to help me not go on it.
Since I know that not scheduling time for social media hasn't worked on its own I decided on Saturday or Sunday that I would only go on social media every other day. If I go on it during an off day then I go 2 days without. Sunday is an exception to the every other day rule. I don't go on social media at all on Sundays.
I really do appreciate all of this free time. It is a much needed break. I also enjoy being able to help out at the local animal shelter (among other hobbies that school didn't leave time for me to do) more now that I'm out of school. All this time has provided me with an opportunity to really think about what I want to do in life, e.g. for work, which is really great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)