"Life is Short, Don't be Lazy"

I recently started (and finished in 3 days) Al Fox Carraway's book More than the Tattooed Mormon. For those of you who don't know who she is, click on the link book title to check out her blog and her story. She's super cool! But we'll come back to her.

Lately, I have felt so stuck.

It's like I'm on a steep hill in roller skates and I'm spinning and spinning my wheels, but I'm not really going anywhere. Maybe up a bit and then down a bit, but for the most part I have pretty much stayed in the same spot. At least that's what i feel like.

I've always struggled to find the motivation to achieve goals. I don't know why. But for some reason, I just... struggle.

I mean I'm super great at having vision!

I want to be more fit! I'm going to exercise everyday!
I'm going to run for 30 minutes and then do a circuit to tone my muscles!
Yeah! 

Then that week ends... and I start making excuses.

I am pretty tired this morning, I think i'll sleep in today.
I have too much to do, so I should just skip a work out, I'll do it tomorrow.

And then before I know it, I've fallen off the bandwagon.

There's always something that ends up dragging me down. Which, in turn, drags my self-esteem and self worth down with it.

This past month or so, the dragging has been harder than usual. I don't really know why or what has caused it, but the awful comments I make about myself in my head when I look in the mirror have gotten worse and worse. I look at my body and compare it to the fit women I see in my life. I think about how much time I sit on the couch and feel like a total blob. I think about the spiritual lessons we have in Relief Society and find myself asking the questions:

Why am I not more spiritual like the amazing women at church? 
Why am I not more willing to serve? I should be more willing to serve...
I should read the scriptures more, go to the temple more, pray more diligently, etc.

And I get overwhelmed with everything I should change about myself. I get so overwhelmed that I just... give up. I stop trying because why try when I know I'm going to fail?

You'd be surprised how often the adversary puts that thought into my mind. But that's the thing. It's the adversary. Those thoughts are not from God.

I emailed my sweet missionary sister this week about my woes and she had such wisdom to share with me. (She's always been much cooler than me and wise beyond her years!) She said, "Progression is like a spiral. And sometimes you're on the downward part of the spiral and it feels like you aren't ever going to get where you want to go, and sometimes you even feel like you're going backwards. But if we just keep moving forward, we will get to where we want to go with our Savior's help."

And she's right! There will always be times that we fall. There will always be times that we feel like we are going backwards instead of forwards. But through it all, aren't we so lucky that we have a Savior to help us back on the right track.

So now you're wondering, Okay, but what does Al Fox Carraway have to do with this? Well, let me tell you. I was reading in her book about change and the quote "Life is short, don't be lazy" really stuck out to me. I think that the Savior is there to help us along the way, but we must first help ourselves. We can't be lazy. The Atonement works best when we are trying our best first, then Christ helps us reach our ultimate potential. And we don't have forever to change! We are given this little bit of time on earth to be tested and tried and given obstacles to overcome and we have to take advantage of that time.

I want to take advantage of that time.

So I'm going to try something new. I want to be held accountable for the goals I make. I want them to be known publicly and for the world to see and ask me about. So if you're reading this, will you help me? Here are my goals:

1. Exercise 3 times a week
2. Read/listen to my scriptures or a conference talk 3 times a week for 15 minutes

I'm starting with 2 goals... and I know they might seem pathetic to you. In fact, it's a little embarrassing when I think who might read this. But I want to change and improve and I have to do that one step at a time.

So please ask me about how my goals are going when you see me! Cheer me on! Keep me accountable. Because I SO want to be better. I SO want to be healthier. I SO want to make my relationship with my Savior stronger, and I know that I have to start small.

Reflections of an Ignorant Young Adult

I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately. I am to a point in my life, where starting a family is something that weighs upon my mind. I think about the world that we live in, with it's crazy ideas and opinions of what is right, and how in the heck I am going to raise children in it. With the elections coming to a close soon, I have really been reflecting on the future of our country. I have seen so many posts on Facebook with my friends opinions on who they believe should be out next president. It's always the same, I read the initial post, then scroll through the comments and read the contradicting opinions. Some are kinder than others and some are more passionate than others about who they are voting for. Some are very knowledgeable about what they are talking about, and some... not so much. And with all of the opinions I've read and facts that may or may not be true and scandals and personal attacks on specific candidates. I've come to the conclusion that...

None of it matters.

(Okay, let me clarify. I am not saying that you should give up your vote and not care who becomes the president. Please go vote! It does make a difference.)

Moving on...

Come November 9, we will have a new president. I don't know who that president will be, it might be Donald Trump, it might be Hilary Clinton. Hey! It might even be a third party who wins it in the end. But ultimately whatever happens, It's going to be okay!

1. We live in a country with so many freedoms. How lucky that we get to even voice our opinion about who we want to lead our country at all. Some countries don't have that luxury.

2. God has a plan. Even when we don't understand why things happen the way that they do, God is divine and oversees everything. Things happen for divine purposes that we aren't always aware of.

3. We live in the latter days. We have a prophet on the earth who gives us counsel and revelation! No matter what happens in the world, we can always count on a living prophet to help us guide our families to do what is right.

“I recognize that, on occasion, some of our most fervent prayers may seem to go unanswered. We wonder, ‘Why?’ I know that feeling! I know the fears and tears of such moments. But I also know that our prayers are never ignored. Our faith is never unappreciated. I know that an all-wise Heavenly Father’s perspective is much broader than is ours. While we know of our mortal problems and pain, He knows of our immortal progress and potential. If we pray to know His will and submit ourselves to it with patience and courage, heavenly healing can take place in His own way and time.”

                                                                         - Russell M. Nelson, (Jesus Christ—the Master Healer)

                                                                       

All hope is not lost and everything will be okay! I'm grateful for the guidance we receive and that God has not left us alone! This election day and on the days that you feel in despair because of the state of the world, just remember that God is with us and will not forsake us. 

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