Happiness

Just  came across this uplifting "Happiness Message" to send to my son serving an LDS Mission for our church.  My goal is to send a Missionary Message weekly, so that he gets a letter each week in the mail.  It is so easy to email our correspondence.  But, something different for him to look forward to each week.

Happiness

“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5:134-35).

In this beautiful statement, the Prophet says not only that happiness is the objective in life, but he also explains how to go after it.  Lehi in writing to Jacob said, “Men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2;25).  Later in the same chapter, Lehi said, “The devil…seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:27).  The purpose of man, therefore, is happiness.  God wants you to be happy; conversely, Satan wants you to be unhappy.

President David O. McKay said, “There are three means of achieving the happy, abundant life:  first, making God the center of one’s life; second, using the free agency given to man; and third, rendering service to others.”  Each of these three means is related to the path outlined by Joseph Smith:

1.      Make God the center of your life.  Joseph Smith said that you must keep the commandments of God, that you must be holy, and that you must be faithful.  Richard Wagner said, “joy is not in things, it is in us.”  The Savior said, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).  He also said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Matthew 16:25).

2.      Use the moral agency given to you.  Happiness consists in mastering evil tendencies.  There cannot be happiness without the freedom to choose.  If the spirit of man is in bondage or enslaved, there cannot be true progress.  You must find a way for your spiritual self to control our physical self.  Sir James Barrie said, “The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes to do but in liking what one has to do.”  Joseph Smith said that you must have virtue and uprightness. Horace Mann said, “In vain do they talk of happiness who never subdued an impulse in obedience to principle.  He who never sacrificed a present to a future good, or a personal to a general one, can speak of happiness only as the blind do of colors”  (in Horace Mann; His Ideas and Ideals, comp.  Joy Elmer Morgan [Washington, D.C.; National Home Library Foundation, 1936], 149; as cited in Marvin J. Ashton, “Be of Good Cheer,”  Ensign, May 1986, 66).

3.      Render service to others.  Happiness only comes to those who try to make others happy.  Robert Ingersoll said, “Happiness is the only good.  The place to be happy is here.  The time to be happy is now.  The way to be happy is to help make others so.”  Gretta Palmer said, “Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy.”

The great German philosopher of the eighteenth century, Immanuel Kant, said that the great aims in life must be the perfecting of yourself and the happiness of others.  “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in the hearts of our fellow men” (in Eldred G. Smith, Conference Report, April 1967, 77). President David O. McKay said, “He who seeks for happiness alone seldom finds it, but he who lives to give happiness to others finds that a double portion has come to himself” (David O. McKay, Pathways to Happiness, comp.  Llewelyn R. McKay [Salt Lake City; Bookcraft, 1957], 188).

Happiness is not an external condition.  It is a state of the spirit and an attitude of the mind. (Raymond E. Beckham, How to Help Your Missionary, 150).

Happiness is not an external condition.  It is a state of the spirit and an attitude of the mind. 

This message was taken from the great book,How to Help Your Missionary, pg 149-150  

by  Raymond E. Beckham,

Living our Current Dream with Joy

I love to read a good book to get me motivated, and inspired to do that things that will make a difference in life, and give me the satisfaction and joy that I  always seek for.  I love the feelings that come with a healthy attitude; one of appreciation and gratitude.  Life always seems to present challenges that try to take me from this healthy state of mind, so I read, and pray as I gather inspiration from others and from God.

This week I have dabbled a bit in the book, "Life is Too Short for Sensible Shoes", by Connie Sokol.  This is a fun motivating read, from a gal with a lot of energy, and a good positive message.  I look forward to getting back to this book.  However, in this book she quoted Amanda Dickson's book, "Wake up to a Happier Life".  This book looked interesting so I ordered it on Amazon for $4, and have had a chance to read through part of it today.  Amanda talks a lot about finding joy in every job that we have whether it be a janitor, teacher, a mother, etc.  She states, "The easiest way to have more joy in your work is to pick work that speaks to your soul.  And this means work that speaks to our soul, not necessarily work that looks glamorous or that others would think is terrific or that makes a lot of money (although it may be all those things)".  She declares that we all make choices of how we fill our days.  We have chosen to be married, or chosen to be a mother.  These choices fill our day with responsibilities, and events.  We also get to choose if we go about these activities begrudgingly, or with a happy attitude.  We can find the smallest things of positive nature to brighten our moods, and bring joy into every situation.

Another quote from Amanda,"The soul wants to work, to be proud of the work we do, to think of the work we do with joy and energy...All work feeds the spirit, or all work can feed the spirit.  Even washing the dishes".  There is always a sense of accomplishment when hard work is done, and something hard is accomplished. 

Some of us, (and I am guilty of this), are always waiting for this project to be finished and then I will be happy, or let me meet this goal and then I will be happy.  Or maybe we fall short of our goals, and that is a reason to not be happy, because everyone around us seems to be more successful than we are.  I like this quote from Amanda as well.  "Remind yourself that this is the life you chose, that you are living your dream right now - until you have another dream - and then you'll live that one.  But for now, your dream involves this job, these kids, this car, this dirty carpet, and this weedy garden.  This is your current dream."  Let's get passed the negative dull-drums and express gratitude and find the simple joys that are occurring everywhere around us.

This is an interesting statement from Dean Sampano:

Recently in one of my seminars, I was asked the question, what is the secret to success and a happy life? I paused and took a moment to reflect on over the last 25 years of victories but some failures too and I said this:
So many people spend their whole life trying to find the secret to happiness but over the years, I have come to realize that it’s not about finding it’s about “Being!” You see, it’s not about finding the right women; it’s about “Being” the right man. I said it’s not about finding the right employees it’s about ‘Being” the right leader and perhaps most of all it’s not about finding the right friends, it’s about ‘Being” the right friend. For the truth is if you go out looking for great friends an success, they will always seem scarce but if you go and “Be” the right friend, you will find friends every where you go and then you won’t ever have to look for happiness or success, because they will be looking for you!
Dean Sampano
President, Mass Consultants Canada

 Take a minute today and look inside your own dream, and enjoy each day those things that are creatomg the events of your dream.  Remember to include things that you love and are good at.  These activities will fill you cup,  and refresh your mind as you go about your daily tasks.

Best wishes for a bright 2013.

Marilyn

Healing Power of Love

I feel I have been on vacation from blogging.  As I have returned, it is a sweet "Welcome Home".  So, much has happened in the past 8 months.  So many experiences, so many roads traveled, each day full of challenges and blessings. 

Today, I wrote this in my favorite electronic toy (a rooted BN Nook Color).  "In my search for optomism--Love Life.....Have a Love for Life and all that is around me.....Find the joy in each moment and you will enjoy success!!!

This is truly the secret for joy in life.  Love is powerful, it is beautiful.  It elevates our spirit.  It is a gift from God that heals broken hearts. It washes away anger.  It connects those with different views.

Confidence, Peace, Joy and Love through Spiritual Experiences

Today as I have been reading in Helaman Chapter 5 & 6 of the Book of Mormon, I have been impressed and have journaled some of my thoughts.  In these chapters the Lamanites who previously have been very wicked, have become a righteous people.  These chapters talk about peace and prosperity that is experienced between the Lamanites and Nephites. Both peoples were blessed immensely through out this time.  Not only were they blessed with spiritual blessings, joy and peace; they were blessed with gold and sliver and many precious metals.  Their land was full and their flocks were abundant.  They truly were living the good life.  But then after a period of time, they became selfish and prideful, and began to set their hearts upon their riches.  They began to get gain so that they would look better than their neighbors.  There pride was their door to wickedness again.

Also, in these chapters, a story of Nephi and Lehi is shared where they are taken to prison.  They were encircled by fire and could not be harmed.  When the Lamanites came to see them, they could see them looking to heaven conversing with angels, and the angels ministered to them.  They asked a spiritual leader Aminidab what was happening, and he told them they needed to repent and believe in God.  As they did this, a dark cloud that was hovering over them was lifted, and the circle of fire was around the Lamanites as well.  They were filled with unspeakable joy, and full of glory.  The Holy Ghost had entered into their hearts--they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak marvelous words.  Then a pleasant voice spoke to them saying:  Peace be unto you, because of your Faith in my Well Beloved.

They went forth and shared their experience with others, they cared and supported one another, and they did rejoice and they had great joy.

My thoughts as I read this were, that Jesus Christ is a God of peace, love and joy.  He has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost.  When we live our lives in a manner that will allow him to be with us, we will experience unspeakable joy, a joy not found through material experience.  But a joy felt by the spirit within us.  This joy brings confidence, hope, peace and power to move forward in an unwavering manner in righteous paths.  The strength and power that we received through God will bless our lives.  It is so important for us to share our gratitude each day for these blessings, and in turn share what we have with others to lift, bless and comfort those around us.

It is when we become so worried about our appearance and our possessions, trying to appear confident and better than others, that we should repent, and pray that God will instill upon us his Christlike love, that we might develop this trait which will in turn, keep us humble, charitable and always building and sharing love with others.

I hope these thoughts might touch your life as they have mine.  Enjoy your week.

Marilyn

Experience Joy Through Gratitude

"It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend...when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives, but are grateful for the abundance that is present--love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us (happiness)--the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth" (Sarah Ban Breathnach, in John Cook, comp., The Book of Positive Quotations, 2nd ed. (2007), 342.

Our days will be filled with joy, peace and happiness as we focus on being grateful for the small things that are ever present around us.  Gratitude is a spirit booster.  It will help up experience Christlike love.  The nature of gratitude is a Christlike trait.  When we take on this trait, we are becoming more like him.  Gratitude carries with it a peaceful power and will invite much joy and happiness into our lives.

Thanks for reading.  Have joy in your day.

Marilyn

Joy in our Journey

"Let us  relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey".   Pr. Thomas S. Monson

Take time this week to truly appreciate the simple joys in life.  When things get frustrating, stop and say a simple prayer, express gratitude, think of good or the happy, and place your heart and mind there.

Joy builders are:  1.Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ   2.Repentence   3.Influence of the Holy Ghost    4.Gratitude    5.Service

Have a great week, and enjoy your journey!

Marilyn

Happiness

"The most fundamental of all human searches is for happiness.  We each choose our own happiness....President Harold B. Lee... once said:  'Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you.  It is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life.'"   (James E. Faust, "Who Do You Think You are?", New Era, Mar 2001, 4.)

Life can be so draining sometimes with the daily challenges that we are faced with.  When we focus on our blessings, and are grateful daily for the good things in life, our inner light will burst forth and help us view our lives with happy hearts.

Joy in our Journey Through Hardship

Our life is full of events, some we just don't understand.  Sometimes simple things like a bicycle,  accident can lead us in directions that we could have never imagined.

Our 15 year old son, had a very basic bicycle accident while on vacation this past summer.  Long story made short, he ended up with a bad break in his upper arm with a t-break down toward his elbow.  His accident was on July 3.  It is now 4 months later, and we are still taking him to intense therapy, have lived through 4 different surgeries, still have an open wound draining in his elbow, are trying to have him do home school for a month so he can work physical therapy throughout the day to keep his arm from freezing up from scar tissue, and have been recommended to see a plastic surgeon now to help restore some tissue in his elbow so his wound will heal.  Sometimes it is hard not to say, "are you kidding me, I need this challenge to be over".

But, each time we spend at the hospital for his surgeries, I am humbled by the challenges of those around us.  This past week, there was a boy in the room next to us that had an amputation from the  knee, another boy had both legs amputated from the knee, a mother in a wheel chair was there with her child who had both legs in braces with walking issues, another family had two sons in wheel chairs with physical and mental issues.  I stop and look around me at a friend who's daughter gave birth to a baby at 21 weeks--the baby died after a week.  Another family just lost a battle with their son to cancer, leaving a one week old baby and darling wife, while the same family deals with the father having MS, and struggling immensely.  My sweet sister continues to struggle to support her family while her x-husband spends time in prison.  Everywhere I turn, there are people struggling with huge challenges, so as my son was able to walk out of the hospital with intense challenges ahead, I almost felt guilty for ever being frustrated for our problems.

Now as I sit in the hospital room, with my son going through yet another surgery to find out what is causing infection, and seeing him hooked up to a picc line to be on antibiotics for 6-8 weeks at home, I am a little worn out, but have to stop and look at the wonderful blessing of doctors and people who dedicate their life to help us to be able to live healthy lives.  I am inspired by those around me.  While waiting for my son to come out of surgery, I visited with a darling gal who's daughter was also going through surgery.  While attending to her daughter, her car was totalled by a friend who was driving her two children to school in an act of service.  Later, I found out that this gal has two children in wheelchairs, and now having to worry about retrieving her purse, and Christmas gifts from her car, insurance premiums going up, a friend who certainly was tramatized, and getting a new car.  My heart went out to her.  She shed a few tears, but bursting from her countenance was the sweetest light, from graciousness, kindess.  With everyone she spoke, she radiated love, friendship, and admiration.  A being seeming so perfect, definetly had her own physical challenges as well as those of her children.

The fact is that while on this earth, we will be tested and tried, each differently.  We will face amazing triumph and defeat. Many of our experiences will force us to soley rely upon God.  Through faith and hope, we can be optomistic for our future, and find joy in our challenging moments. By asking God to help us to appreciate the postive in all things, I think we can quietly move away from deep sorrow, anxiety, deppresson, and can have joy in our times of struggle.

Yolanda Made my Day

I met Yolanda today on a phone call to settle some insurance disputes.  She calmed my mood, and brightened my day.  In my quest to be more positive and grateful, I feel that my experience with Yolanda was set before me as an example of someone I really want to be like.

We have been through a lot this past summer with my son Levi, who was involved in a bicycle accident while vacationing at Flaming Gorge Resevoir.  While lazily riding along in our campground, he hit a bulge from a tree trunk in the pavement which threw him over the handlebars and slid down the payment on his elbow, which snapped his upper arm.  An ambulance was called, his arm was set with a splint, and to try to save money, we put him in the back of our truck and drove and hour to the nearest hospital in Rock Springs.

After being seen by doctors in Rock Spring, we were told that he would have to be flown to the Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City.  We were put in an ambulance to go to their airport, then loaded into an air med airplane, flown to Salt Lake City, put into another ambulance and taken to Primary Children's hospital.  It was incredibly hard night with a son that was in horrific pain; any tiny movement was more than he could take.  He was seen by many doctors, because they didn't know if he had head, neck or back trauma.  He was finally sedated while they reset his arm into a splint, and then went through surgery the following day to screw everything back together.

So, we lived through this traumatic event.  He wore a cast for 5 weeks, up to his shoulder.  When they took off his cast, they discovered that some extra bone had grown around the break and around his elbow, which drilled a hole through his elbow skin and caused an infection to start.  Immediately, he was put back into surgery to see if the infection had gone to his bone.  We were happy to find that it had not traveled, but was just centered around the elbow.  So, he was cleaned up, stitched up, and then Levi went about trying to keep his wound sterile and clean as it continued to drain.

After a period of several weeks, and many emails and visits to the doctor, it  was determined that Levi needed another surgery to remove all hardware, replace a nerve in it's proper place and clean out more infection.  Now, Levi continues to watch and care for the wound which is still trying to heal up.  In the meantime, he attends physical therapy trying to gain back his range of motion, then to develop some muscle back in his arm.  Needless to say, this has been a frustrating, expensive event in our life.  Now we are dealing with the insurance company to pay all the medical bills of hospitals, doctors, ambulances, etc.

Today, I had reached my boiling point where I was  ready to explode.  Our insurance is still denying claims that should have been paid months ago.  After calling them stupid, idiotic, and what is their unintelligent problem, my husband forced me to settle into a conference call with our insurance.  This is where we met Yolanda.  She is a very pleasant women from Georgia.  I presume she may be black, by the way she talked.  She never got defensive, never raised her voice.  She remained calm and pleasant the entire time we were on the phone.  Our phone conversation lasted over an hour.  She patiently conferenced  to some of our billers, she went through every claim and told us the status, dates paid, what was happening to each claim.  I have never met anyone so patient, kind, & willing to serve to make life better for others, especially angry others.

By the time we were finished with our conversation, I had such a desire to express my appreciation, a desire to meet this women personally, a desire to recommend her for woman of the year, and a desire for me  to be just like Yolanda.

In the past month or so, I have been on a journey to become more positive, wanting to develop this Christlike trait.  My journey has been an incredible one.  I have found that there is an energy that comes with being positive and grateful.  It is almost like a magnet.  Good things come to those who are positive.  People want to be around those that are happy and positive.  With Yolanda, because of her positive kind attitude, I wanted to do something to make her life better; recommend her for a raise or send her a gift or a thank you.  She was such a positive influence on my day.  Just in this instance her attitude created good things to come to her.  Positive attracts positive, and negative attracts negative.  The more I am in a positive state of mind, the more I see, feel and recognize the blessings, the attractions, and the joy that come from being positive.  Everyone wins in a situation where there is positivity.  I am determined to develop the gift of being positive.  I know it will truly change my life and the life of so many others.

Thank you Yolanda and others out there that make this world a better place to be.  It is people like you that truly spread sunshine and joy in this world.

Powerful Talk on Self Worth - Pr. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Saturday (24th), I enjoyed getting together with my daughters and sister to attend a Women's Conference.  I was particularly impressed by the power and conviction of President Uchtdorf's talk.  His message was very powerful and went directly to the heart.  I will post links to the highlights of this talk, and when the full talk is published I will once again post the talk in it's entirety.  It was an incredible talk, worthy of sharing.


Link for the highlights of "You are Not Forgotten".

You Are Not Forgotten

As a child, when I would look at the little forget-me-nots, I sometimes felt a little like that flower—small and very insignificant. I wondered if I would be forgotten by my family or by my Heavenly Father.
Years later, I can look back on that young boy with tenderness and compassion. And I do know now I was never forgotten.
And I know something else. As an Apostle of our Master, Jesus Christ, I proclaim with all the certainty and conviction of my heart and soul—neither are you!
You are not forgotten.
Sisters, wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you, with an infinite love.
—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Link for highlights of "Symbol of Joy"

A Symbol of Joy

Sisters, there is something inspiring and sublime about the little forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy. Please never forget that the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you.
Thank you for who you are. Thank you for the countless acts of love and service you offer up to so many. Thank you for all that you will yet do to bring the joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ to families, to the Church, to your communities, and to the nations of the world.
—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf