If you hold a grudge or blame someone for something, you are only hurting you. (TS page 166) It's a negative generating action.
Look for the best in life and in others.
Everything that surrounds you right now in your life, including the things you're complaining about, you've attracted. (TS page 27)
The things that aren't currently working the way you want them to work, don't spend your energy faulting or complaining about it. (TS page 151)
"One ounce of criticism will outweigh three tons of praise." -Orson Scott Card
"Divest (strip) yourself of every harsh and unkind feeling." -Joseph Smith
"To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else." -Elder David A. Bednar (Ensign 11/06)
"Give much less criticism for failures and much more praise for accomplishments. It is God's way." -John H. Groberg (In The Eye of The Storm, pg 287)
"Do not injure the character of anyone--hold all characters sacred. The 'unworthy' should be encouraged--the object is to make those not so good reform. Put a double-watch over the tongue--hold your tongues about things of no moment." -Joseph Smith (to the Relief Society organization, taken from Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, chapter 39)
I love Elder Jeffery R. Holland's talk: "The Tongue of Angels" in the May of 2007 Ensign. Although parts of it make me burn with shame at past folly's I also feel the great love Elder Holland has for us and how he is so much like our Heavenly Father who wants the best for us. Chastisement is necessary for us to learn and grow. How will we know our frail mortal failings can be improved upon, unless it is taught to us. Elder Holland gives that to us with such great hope. Here's a small part of his talk that really applies to the power of positive thinking:
"I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.
I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: 'The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.' We should honor the Savior’s declaration to 'be of good cheer.' (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, 'Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow.'
I have often thought that Nephi’s being bound with cords and beaten by rods must have been more tolerable to him than listening to Laman and Lemuel’s constant murmuring. Surely he must have said at least once, 'Hit me one more time. I can still hear you.' Yes, life has its problems, and yes, there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims for living—no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse."
Oh how I need a lot of practice on this one...starting with myself.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Got Time?!
Time.
The ever elusive time.
It used to be it just went faster when you were older, but today, time is going fast for everyone. I consistently hear people comment on how fast time is going, and about 10 years or so ago, it just wasn't that way. Some things used to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r! Hardly any more.
I think what I learned about time in the book "The Secret" was some of the most valuable for me. It has made a big difference for me in the way I am managing my stress levels, by thinking about time from a completely different perspective. For instance...
Time is just an illusion.
If you really think about that, and know the scriptures, it's true. Time is only "measured" on earth. Alma teaches us this in the Book of Mormon, "...all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men...and God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man." (Alma 40:8, 10) Alma also taught that time was appointed to us that we may improve upon it while we are here on earth: "If we do not improve our time while in this life...that same spirit which doth possess our bodies will have power to possess our body in the eternal world." (Alma 34:33,34) So God had a reason for granting us the "illusion of time." He wanted us to be aware of it and use it well.
Albert Einstein was the man that said time is just an illusion. Quantum physicists tell us that everything is happening simultaneously. So, if there is no time, then everything we want in the future already exists. They say there is no time for the Universe and no size for the Universe. The Universe does everything with zero effort.
We know that God knows the beginning from the end, and the obvious reason He can do this is because time is as one to Him, it's non-existant. That is how we can get revelation. That is how God knows what is best for us. God has given us a mission to fulfill, knowing full well our potential and what we would do. With that, God has given us all the "time" we need to fulfill our purpose, and to do the work He has given us to do. The very purpose for which He created us. So, basically, we already are, right now, what God needs us to be. He just sent us here so WE could have the experience.
"The Secret" says that people think they don't have enough time and they complain and "chase time," like chasing your tail. You get nowhere fast. It says we should declare emphatically "I have more than enough time." and in doing that, change your life. Turn every life situation into a positive one. Because if you are stressing about time, you are on a negative frequency. Even waiting...in line or in traffic, can be used to create your life with your thoughts. I think there could be many creative ways to use "waiting" so it is put to good use, and keeps you on a positive frequency.
I have been using that phrase a lot in the past several weeks, "I have more than enough time," and this has really worked for me! I've always put way too much pressure on myself to "get things done" within a certain time frame. I've gone to bed frustrated many a time because I felt like I didn't "get it all done" that day. I've even ruined special days or holidays because I got so stressed out. [in fact, that is how I ruined my health, with so much stressing over getting things done] But, now, whenever I feel that feeling coming up in me, I just say, I have all the time I need. And I slow down. I've realized, what's the point of rushing through every job with thoughts of the next job on my mind, never enjoying many moments of each job as I go along. I also learned this summer, that you can relieve stress and have better mind management if you concentrate specifically on the thing you are doing at the moment. For example, if you are eating, think about eating and the food. "The Secret" details how healthy this is for your body, and I have read that in other articles. Eat slowly. Savor every bite. Your body will recognize the satisfaction you get from doing this and it will not feel as hungry. If you are so busy thinking other thoughts, do you really taste the food? I've experimented with this and you really do taste a lot better if you are concentrating on tasting. Focusing on one thing at a time makes life just plain more enjoyable. It truly does take the stress out of life and puts you on a good feeling positive energy level.
Another thing that I have thought about is how so many things in life start to blend together. For instance, all of my Christmas' now seem to blend together into one. All the memories are blended. Without keeping track in a journal I would probably never remember which Christmas we did what...though most of the things we do are traditional. So, there is a sameness. It's as though all Christmas' were one moment. It certainly rolls around fast enough to be as one moment! lol!
LOA also says that this is the best time ever to be alive in history. It's the first time we've ever had the power to gain knowledge at our fingertips. We truly are blessed. Not only has technology given us more opportunities to learn, but all our modern conveniences "buy" us more time to learn...unless of course we waste that time, which does happen. We are so lucky to live in a time when pretty much everyone can read and write and go to school. It wasn't always that way, and isn't that way for some in other countries. Hopefully we will always be thankful for the ability and availability to learn.
As members of the church we know we live in the dispensation of the fullness of times. And our leaders have told us many times that it is a marvelous time to be alive. Our day has been looked forward to for centuries! In spite of all the uncertainties, we should rejoice in the many blessings, opportunities, and privileges that are ours and not take them for granted.
It's been amazing to me how many of the other resources I am currently reading, or re-reading, that have enforced the truths I am learning. I have quoted a lot from Jaroldeen Edwards book, "Celebrate!" and she had a lot to say about time. She said, "When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world." (I would add, especially our world.) Jaroldeen is most famous for her story about the daffodils. Her daughter took her to visit a place that was 5 acres of planted daffodils and other spring bulbs, and Jaroldeen said it took her breath away. She could not believe it! The lady who lived in the house on the property had, over about 30 years, planted each bulb, one bulb at a time. By those small acts she had, over the course of her life, created and accomplished something magnificent. Something that so many others for years and years to come would enjoy.
Jaroldeen learned that "five minutes a day" can add up to great things. She said she would write on a book she was writing whenever she could snatch 5 or so minutes at a time in between her busy life. She said, "In the celebration of life, magnificent things are accomplished with small, consistent, daily acts that build through time into all the great achievments that change our lives. Enjoy the process of achieving as much as the accomplishment." She also added, "It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterday. Start today! Celebrate!" I love it.
"One always has time enough, if one will apply it well." -Goethe
The ever elusive time.
It used to be it just went faster when you were older, but today, time is going fast for everyone. I consistently hear people comment on how fast time is going, and about 10 years or so ago, it just wasn't that way. Some things used to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r! Hardly any more.
I think what I learned about time in the book "The Secret" was some of the most valuable for me. It has made a big difference for me in the way I am managing my stress levels, by thinking about time from a completely different perspective. For instance...
Time is just an illusion.
If you really think about that, and know the scriptures, it's true. Time is only "measured" on earth. Alma teaches us this in the Book of Mormon, "...all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men...and God knoweth all the times which are appointed unto man." (Alma 40:8, 10) Alma also taught that time was appointed to us that we may improve upon it while we are here on earth: "If we do not improve our time while in this life...that same spirit which doth possess our bodies will have power to possess our body in the eternal world." (Alma 34:33,34) So God had a reason for granting us the "illusion of time." He wanted us to be aware of it and use it well.
Albert Einstein was the man that said time is just an illusion. Quantum physicists tell us that everything is happening simultaneously. So, if there is no time, then everything we want in the future already exists. They say there is no time for the Universe and no size for the Universe. The Universe does everything with zero effort.
We know that God knows the beginning from the end, and the obvious reason He can do this is because time is as one to Him, it's non-existant. That is how we can get revelation. That is how God knows what is best for us. God has given us a mission to fulfill, knowing full well our potential and what we would do. With that, God has given us all the "time" we need to fulfill our purpose, and to do the work He has given us to do. The very purpose for which He created us. So, basically, we already are, right now, what God needs us to be. He just sent us here so WE could have the experience.
"The Secret" says that people think they don't have enough time and they complain and "chase time," like chasing your tail. You get nowhere fast. It says we should declare emphatically "I have more than enough time." and in doing that, change your life. Turn every life situation into a positive one. Because if you are stressing about time, you are on a negative frequency. Even waiting...in line or in traffic, can be used to create your life with your thoughts. I think there could be many creative ways to use "waiting" so it is put to good use, and keeps you on a positive frequency.
I have been using that phrase a lot in the past several weeks, "I have more than enough time," and this has really worked for me! I've always put way too much pressure on myself to "get things done" within a certain time frame. I've gone to bed frustrated many a time because I felt like I didn't "get it all done" that day. I've even ruined special days or holidays because I got so stressed out. [in fact, that is how I ruined my health, with so much stressing over getting things done] But, now, whenever I feel that feeling coming up in me, I just say, I have all the time I need. And I slow down. I've realized, what's the point of rushing through every job with thoughts of the next job on my mind, never enjoying many moments of each job as I go along. I also learned this summer, that you can relieve stress and have better mind management if you concentrate specifically on the thing you are doing at the moment. For example, if you are eating, think about eating and the food. "The Secret" details how healthy this is for your body, and I have read that in other articles. Eat slowly. Savor every bite. Your body will recognize the satisfaction you get from doing this and it will not feel as hungry. If you are so busy thinking other thoughts, do you really taste the food? I've experimented with this and you really do taste a lot better if you are concentrating on tasting. Focusing on one thing at a time makes life just plain more enjoyable. It truly does take the stress out of life and puts you on a good feeling positive energy level.
Another thing that I have thought about is how so many things in life start to blend together. For instance, all of my Christmas' now seem to blend together into one. All the memories are blended. Without keeping track in a journal I would probably never remember which Christmas we did what...though most of the things we do are traditional. So, there is a sameness. It's as though all Christmas' were one moment. It certainly rolls around fast enough to be as one moment! lol!
LOA also says that this is the best time ever to be alive in history. It's the first time we've ever had the power to gain knowledge at our fingertips. We truly are blessed. Not only has technology given us more opportunities to learn, but all our modern conveniences "buy" us more time to learn...unless of course we waste that time, which does happen. We are so lucky to live in a time when pretty much everyone can read and write and go to school. It wasn't always that way, and isn't that way for some in other countries. Hopefully we will always be thankful for the ability and availability to learn.
As members of the church we know we live in the dispensation of the fullness of times. And our leaders have told us many times that it is a marvelous time to be alive. Our day has been looked forward to for centuries! In spite of all the uncertainties, we should rejoice in the many blessings, opportunities, and privileges that are ours and not take them for granted.
It's been amazing to me how many of the other resources I am currently reading, or re-reading, that have enforced the truths I am learning. I have quoted a lot from Jaroldeen Edwards book, "Celebrate!" and she had a lot to say about time. She said, "When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world." (I would add, especially our world.) Jaroldeen is most famous for her story about the daffodils. Her daughter took her to visit a place that was 5 acres of planted daffodils and other spring bulbs, and Jaroldeen said it took her breath away. She could not believe it! The lady who lived in the house on the property had, over about 30 years, planted each bulb, one bulb at a time. By those small acts she had, over the course of her life, created and accomplished something magnificent. Something that so many others for years and years to come would enjoy.
Jaroldeen learned that "five minutes a day" can add up to great things. She said she would write on a book she was writing whenever she could snatch 5 or so minutes at a time in between her busy life. She said, "In the celebration of life, magnificent things are accomplished with small, consistent, daily acts that build through time into all the great achievments that change our lives. Enjoy the process of achieving as much as the accomplishment." She also added, "It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterday. Start today! Celebrate!" I love it.
"One always has time enough, if one will apply it well." -Goethe
Monday, November 23, 2009
Praise and Bless
Another part of the Law of Attraction is to praise and bless. I have pondered a lot upon this. Rhonda Byrne says, "To praise and bless the things around you are worth their weight in gold...when you praise and bless you are on the highest frequency of love. When you praise you are giving love." (The Secret pg. 151)
"..do that which is good, and thou shalt have the praise of the same." Romans 13:3
In today's high stress lifestyle, the economy being what it is, and evil & dishonesty mounting, it's more like everyone is going around cursing and criticizing. It's a lot different driving on the roads these days, or shopping in the store, and various other things. Common courtesy seems to be slipping away. We could use some "praising and blessing" in our world.
LOA says that praising and blessing dissolves all negativity.
Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute you...for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good...for if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matt 5:44-48)
To bless is invoking divine favor and conferring well-being or prosperity. To praise is the act of expressing approval or admiration, or the state of being approved or admired.
The people in England often end their letters, or say good-bye, by saying "God bless you." For some reason that seemed awkward to me to use that phrase, but why is that? It really is the highest form of love or praise you could give. Who doesn't want God to bless them? It's like a form of prayer. I think the closest most American's come (just from my limited perspective, of course) is to say, "bless you" when someone sneezes!
Jaroldeen Edwards (in her book "Celebrate!") said "THINK with praise!" Now think about that! Even things that might once be irritable to us could be turned around with a little praise. To think with praise would manifest in our words and deeds. To praise and bless would bring us closer to each other and closer to God.
I had a chance to put it to practice last Thursday. I was driving to Eugene. Driving is not the most fun thing to do any more. You're bound to get someone "in your space" when you are not really doing anything wrong. However, my attitude on the road isn't the best either. I get annoyed when someone is clogging up the left lane going 65 MPH or less. It's one thing if they are passing, but sometimes they just stay there for a long long time. Often times there are drivers in the right lane next to them going the same speed. There's no way to get around them. Sometimes it's a truck driver. Granted, they are only supposed to be doing 55 MPH. But what really bugs me is when they know you are there and they pull out in front of you anyway because they want to pass. I was coming up on 4 trucks. Two of them had time to pull out to pass the first truck, even though it would have taken me about 30 seconds or so to go past them. Then the third truck put on his blinker and started pulling into the left lane even though I was right there and he didn't have space to pull in. I had 2 choices: speed up and risk him coming over on me, or brake and let him have his way. Grrrr. I wasn't too happy with the guy. But then I started thinking about the law of attraction and the power of positive thinking and wondered how I could change my annoyance for these kinds of drivers so that I didn't get left with the negative emotions that lead to stress in my neck and back. It took me a good 10 minutes or so, and a prayer for help, and I was then able to think about how these truckers are on the road for long hours away from their families, and that even though it's their job and they get paid, it helps to get merchandise to the stores for my convenience and an abundant selection of things from all over. I felt the negative emotions slip away, and felt peace again. It may have only been in my thoughts, but I had given praise to someone else, and I was also feeling gratitude. That put me on the frequency of love.
Another thing I've tried while on the road, when someone is tailgating and then passes you speeding, instead of criticizing, it's a happier more positive thing to think something like, "maybe they have a family emergency." =)
We can come up with many affirmative things to say instead of "jerk!" or "idiot"...two of my own bad habits.
Hopefully, though, more of our opportunities will come to us to verbalize out loud to someone. Even if only to smile or say thank-you. That really is a form of praising.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said "As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. True words of encouragement require only a loving and caring heart but may have an eternal impact on the life of those around you. Small acts of service is all that is required to lift and bless another." (Ensign 11/08)
Are there times when we could have praised someone but withheld? I'm sure that happens. It's not easy to praise and bless everyone. Still, we could try. A good friend of mine was telling me a while back about a difficult neighbor that she had, and how he'd complain about every little thing every chance he'd get. As she was telling us about him, she would say that in order for her to deal with the situation, whenever she thought about him, or talked about him, she would say, "Bless his heart." I couldn't help but smile, and have thought alot about that. Even if that's all we can do in a difficult situation, what a lightening of heart and mind that would make.
Think of the times that someone has paid you a compliment and that made all the difference. You never forget it. Or a time when someone has thoughtlessly criticized. It's hard to forget the sting. Oh what a difference our words make. If only all our words could bless and praise others.
A couple years ago, while reading James in the bible I came across a scripture that had such a tremendous impact on me I memorized it:
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17
Of course he is talking about our words. I did an extensive study on this verse and will, in the future, make a blog post for it. I think it's so important. We can at least "press towards the mark" of obtaining that perfection in our speech. Praising and blessing will put us on the right track for that.
For that is the very thing which God does.
"His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise." Habakkuk 2:3
And he asks us to seek after those things.
"...whatsoever is lovely, or praiseworthy, or of good report, we seek after these things." 13th Article of Faith
Praise and bless whenever you can. Not just people, but God, Yourself, His creations, Life, and the things around you. ...it's worth it's weight in gold!
"..do that which is good, and thou shalt have the praise of the same." Romans 13:3
In today's high stress lifestyle, the economy being what it is, and evil & dishonesty mounting, it's more like everyone is going around cursing and criticizing. It's a lot different driving on the roads these days, or shopping in the store, and various other things. Common courtesy seems to be slipping away. We could use some "praising and blessing" in our world.
LOA says that praising and blessing dissolves all negativity.
Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use and persecute you...for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good...for if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?" (Matt 5:44-48)
To bless is invoking divine favor and conferring well-being or prosperity. To praise is the act of expressing approval or admiration, or the state of being approved or admired.
The people in England often end their letters, or say good-bye, by saying "God bless you." For some reason that seemed awkward to me to use that phrase, but why is that? It really is the highest form of love or praise you could give. Who doesn't want God to bless them? It's like a form of prayer. I think the closest most American's come (just from my limited perspective, of course) is to say, "bless you" when someone sneezes!
Jaroldeen Edwards (in her book "Celebrate!") said "THINK with praise!" Now think about that! Even things that might once be irritable to us could be turned around with a little praise. To think with praise would manifest in our words and deeds. To praise and bless would bring us closer to each other and closer to God.
I had a chance to put it to practice last Thursday. I was driving to Eugene. Driving is not the most fun thing to do any more. You're bound to get someone "in your space" when you are not really doing anything wrong. However, my attitude on the road isn't the best either. I get annoyed when someone is clogging up the left lane going 65 MPH or less. It's one thing if they are passing, but sometimes they just stay there for a long long time. Often times there are drivers in the right lane next to them going the same speed. There's no way to get around them. Sometimes it's a truck driver. Granted, they are only supposed to be doing 55 MPH. But what really bugs me is when they know you are there and they pull out in front of you anyway because they want to pass. I was coming up on 4 trucks. Two of them had time to pull out to pass the first truck, even though it would have taken me about 30 seconds or so to go past them. Then the third truck put on his blinker and started pulling into the left lane even though I was right there and he didn't have space to pull in. I had 2 choices: speed up and risk him coming over on me, or brake and let him have his way. Grrrr. I wasn't too happy with the guy. But then I started thinking about the law of attraction and the power of positive thinking and wondered how I could change my annoyance for these kinds of drivers so that I didn't get left with the negative emotions that lead to stress in my neck and back. It took me a good 10 minutes or so, and a prayer for help, and I was then able to think about how these truckers are on the road for long hours away from their families, and that even though it's their job and they get paid, it helps to get merchandise to the stores for my convenience and an abundant selection of things from all over. I felt the negative emotions slip away, and felt peace again. It may have only been in my thoughts, but I had given praise to someone else, and I was also feeling gratitude. That put me on the frequency of love.
Another thing I've tried while on the road, when someone is tailgating and then passes you speeding, instead of criticizing, it's a happier more positive thing to think something like, "maybe they have a family emergency." =)
We can come up with many affirmative things to say instead of "jerk!" or "idiot"...two of my own bad habits.
Hopefully, though, more of our opportunities will come to us to verbalize out loud to someone. Even if only to smile or say thank-you. That really is a form of praising.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said "As we lift others, we rise a little higher ourselves. True words of encouragement require only a loving and caring heart but may have an eternal impact on the life of those around you. Small acts of service is all that is required to lift and bless another." (Ensign 11/08)
Are there times when we could have praised someone but withheld? I'm sure that happens. It's not easy to praise and bless everyone. Still, we could try. A good friend of mine was telling me a while back about a difficult neighbor that she had, and how he'd complain about every little thing every chance he'd get. As she was telling us about him, she would say that in order for her to deal with the situation, whenever she thought about him, or talked about him, she would say, "Bless his heart." I couldn't help but smile, and have thought alot about that. Even if that's all we can do in a difficult situation, what a lightening of heart and mind that would make.
Think of the times that someone has paid you a compliment and that made all the difference. You never forget it. Or a time when someone has thoughtlessly criticized. It's hard to forget the sting. Oh what a difference our words make. If only all our words could bless and praise others.
A couple years ago, while reading James in the bible I came across a scripture that had such a tremendous impact on me I memorized it:
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17
Of course he is talking about our words. I did an extensive study on this verse and will, in the future, make a blog post for it. I think it's so important. We can at least "press towards the mark" of obtaining that perfection in our speech. Praising and blessing will put us on the right track for that.
For that is the very thing which God does.
"His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise." Habakkuk 2:3
And he asks us to seek after those things.
"...whatsoever is lovely, or praiseworthy, or of good report, we seek after these things." 13th Article of Faith
Praise and bless whenever you can. Not just people, but God, Yourself, His creations, Life, and the things around you. ...it's worth it's weight in gold!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Being Grateful
Next to love, this is the second most important thing according to the Law of Attraction. I believe it.
"Gratitude is absolutely the way to bring more into your life." - Marci Shimoff, The Secret pg 74
If you don't believe that, then believe what the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
That is quite a promise.
"Whatever we think about and thank about we bring about." -Dr. John Demartini, The Secret page 75
Rhonda Byrne talks about how gratitude is a powerful exercise that we should use from the time we get up in the morning and all throughout the day. Say thank-you even as you get out of bed for another day to live and learn. Say thank-you as you go throughout your rote routine, even for all the small things we take for granted like brushing our teeth. Being thankful will powerfully create your day.
"When thou riseth in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God...and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 37:37
I was impressed with a demonstration at the stake RS conference I attended in Sept. on "Be Happy on Purpose." One of the teachers said she never did like the analogy of the glass "half-full/half-empty." She said either way she looked at it she still felt like she came up short. To illustrate, she had a glass half full of water. She then took this glass and said, if you feel your glass is only half full, then get a smaller glass. And with this, she poured the contents into a smaller glass, pouring until the water spilled out all over the table to which she then exclaimed, "My cup runneth over!" I think I shall never forget that powerful lesson!
The power of gratitude stands above everything else. Use gratitude until it becomes your way of life.
"Many people who order their lives right in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude." -Wallace Walters TS, pg 77
"He commands us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy--evidence of His love." -Bonnie Parkins, Ensign 5/07
In "The Secret" a story is told about a man who carried a small smooth stone in his pocket so that every time he felt that stone in his pocket it reminded him to think of something to be grateful for. One day he dropped the stone, and a man from another country asked him about the stone. Months later he received an email from the man who said his son was sick and dying and could he send him a gratitude stone. So, he did. He later heard the man's son recovered, and the man had gathered stones and sold them for $10 a stone and raised a lot of money for a charity. This is only paraphrasing the story from memory--but it's a profound thought and worth mentioning because I was pondering on how they used to build altars of stone to pray and give thanks to God, as demonstrated by Nephi in 2 Nephi 2:7 "...he built an altar of stones...and gave thanks unto the Lord our God." Are we as grateful as that in our lives? Maybe a small smooth gratitude stone is what we should all have to remember to give praise and thanks to the God who gives us all things.
"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord..." Psalms 92:1
"O give thanks unto the God of Gods; for His mercy endureth forever." Psalms 136:2
"Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee with all their hearts." Doctrine & Covenants 109:1
God want us to be thankful for all things. All. That means even our challenges and difficulties--maybe even especially for those. They bring us the closest to Him.
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God..." Ephesians 5:20 Even always.
"Thank the Lord thy God in all things...with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances...and the fullness of the earth is yours." Doctrine and covenants 59:15-16 (paraphrased)
"Gratitude is the food of love--it is the fruit of love...express love and live with grateful hearts. Appreciation and gratitude erase bitterness and disappointment." -Jaroldeen Edwards, Celebrate!
You always hear about making a list of things you are grateful for. They say writing things down visualizes it in your mind and you remember it better. Make a grateful list often.
Being grateful blocks out negative thoughts and emotions. Being grateful makes you feel good. It makes you feel happy!
LOA says if you don't have something in your life that you really want (a good relationship, health, etc.) then think of it as though you already have it and express gratitude for it: "I am so happy and grateful now that________!" They say that will bring it into your life.
And God has promised us blessings for gratitude.
We often come across things that impact our lives....usually something that is occurring in someone else's life. I get weekly emails from Mormon Women and one day an article came along about Jennifer, and her "unexpected life." I was intrigued and clicked on another link about two women she'd met and read their story....which led to this photo...
"Gratitude is absolutely the way to bring more into your life." - Marci Shimoff, The Secret pg 74
If you don't believe that, then believe what the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
That is quite a promise.
"Whatever we think about and thank about we bring about." -Dr. John Demartini, The Secret page 75
Rhonda Byrne talks about how gratitude is a powerful exercise that we should use from the time we get up in the morning and all throughout the day. Say thank-you even as you get out of bed for another day to live and learn. Say thank-you as you go throughout your rote routine, even for all the small things we take for granted like brushing our teeth. Being thankful will powerfully create your day.
"When thou riseth in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God...and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 37:37
I was impressed with a demonstration at the stake RS conference I attended in Sept. on "Be Happy on Purpose." One of the teachers said she never did like the analogy of the glass "half-full/half-empty." She said either way she looked at it she still felt like she came up short. To illustrate, she had a glass half full of water. She then took this glass and said, if you feel your glass is only half full, then get a smaller glass. And with this, she poured the contents into a smaller glass, pouring until the water spilled out all over the table to which she then exclaimed, "My cup runneth over!" I think I shall never forget that powerful lesson!
The power of gratitude stands above everything else. Use gratitude until it becomes your way of life.
"Many people who order their lives right in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude." -Wallace Walters TS, pg 77
"He commands us to be grateful because He knows being grateful will make us happy--evidence of His love." -Bonnie Parkins, Ensign 5/07
In "The Secret" a story is told about a man who carried a small smooth stone in his pocket so that every time he felt that stone in his pocket it reminded him to think of something to be grateful for. One day he dropped the stone, and a man from another country asked him about the stone. Months later he received an email from the man who said his son was sick and dying and could he send him a gratitude stone. So, he did. He later heard the man's son recovered, and the man had gathered stones and sold them for $10 a stone and raised a lot of money for a charity. This is only paraphrasing the story from memory--but it's a profound thought and worth mentioning because I was pondering on how they used to build altars of stone to pray and give thanks to God, as demonstrated by Nephi in 2 Nephi 2:7 "...he built an altar of stones...and gave thanks unto the Lord our God." Are we as grateful as that in our lives? Maybe a small smooth gratitude stone is what we should all have to remember to give praise and thanks to the God who gives us all things.
"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord..." Psalms 92:1
"O give thanks unto the God of Gods; for His mercy endureth forever." Psalms 136:2
"Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee with all their hearts." Doctrine & Covenants 109:1
God want us to be thankful for all things. All. That means even our challenges and difficulties--maybe even especially for those. They bring us the closest to Him.
"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Giving thanks always for all things unto God..." Ephesians 5:20 Even always.
"Thank the Lord thy God in all things...with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances...and the fullness of the earth is yours." Doctrine and covenants 59:15-16 (paraphrased)
"Gratitude is the food of love--it is the fruit of love...express love and live with grateful hearts. Appreciation and gratitude erase bitterness and disappointment." -Jaroldeen Edwards, Celebrate!
You always hear about making a list of things you are grateful for. They say writing things down visualizes it in your mind and you remember it better. Make a grateful list often.
Being grateful blocks out negative thoughts and emotions. Being grateful makes you feel good. It makes you feel happy!
LOA says if you don't have something in your life that you really want (a good relationship, health, etc.) then think of it as though you already have it and express gratitude for it: "I am so happy and grateful now that________!" They say that will bring it into your life.
And God has promised us blessings for gratitude.
We often come across things that impact our lives....usually something that is occurring in someone else's life. I get weekly emails from Mormon Women and one day an article came along about Jennifer, and her "unexpected life." I was intrigued and clicked on another link about two women she'd met and read their story....which led to this photo...
If you don't read the article, these people often wait in line like this for up to two weeks for the government to bring water. Life-giving water. Why? Because the land is so dry they cannot obtain water in other ways. It must be so hot waiting there in line. They must be so thirsty. I can hardly use water now without thinking of this photo....and these people.
How thankful I am for water.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Happiness and Joy
I've always found happiness and joy to be so elusive. Like trying to find the end of the rainbow...or following the mirage in the dessert, only to find more sand. I just haven't understood it the way God wanted me to understand it...til recently.
In September our Stake had a special Relief Society Day prior to the General RS broadcast in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of our stake RS day was "Be Happy, On Purpose." I was so intrigued. I wondered, Is the Lord trying to tell me something? I hadn't learned about the Law of Attraction yet, but the Lord had been teaching me a lot of other stuff over the summer in conjunction with the healing that I know He was ready to give me. So, I went with a heart ready to learn. They had two classes and we rotated to them in 2 groups. Then the Priesthood prepared and served us a delicious tri-tip dinner. But it was the simplest thing ever that sent me home with the message the Lord wanted to give me. It was printed on the program we received when we entered the door for the opening session. Two quotes by a beloved prophet in my teen-age years, Spencer W. Kimball.
"The primary reason the Lord sent you here is to make yourself happy and help other people make themselves happy." (wow!)
"Heavenly Father expects you to make yourself happy. Don't try to pass on your responsibility to someone else." (can't find the references to these)
I have collected thoughts, and read and pondered so much on the subject of joy. All these things coupled with President Kimball's quotes and what I learned from the law of attraction have helped me understand what I need to do to recognize joy in my life. I think recognizing it is what I was missing. Happiness and joy are not with us every minute of the day. Life is a job. There are plenty of challenges and trials waiting to be had by everyone. But no matter our circumstances, we can recognize joy in our life. And we can do this by creating that joy! Just like we create our thoughts, our life, our environment. Joy is a choice. Happiness is a choice. All good things are gifts from God and we can choose to accept them and use them in our lives.
It's interesting in 2 Nephi 5:27 when Nephi says, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." This was after escaping into the wilderness away from his wicked brothers who wanted to kill him. But to "live after the manner of happiness." It sounds to me like they sought and recognized the joy in their lives, even though they had to start all over again in building up their lives and their new home.
In the book "The Secret" (pg 151) it says, "Everything that you want---all the joy, love, abundance, prosperity, bliss--it's there, ready for you to grab a hold of it. Recognize the beautiful and wonderful things around you, and bless and praise them. When you are praising and blessing you are on the highest frequency of love."
That is so beautiful! We are so blinded by the darkness when we are on the frequency of negativity. We simply cannot see what really is beautiful and wonderful around us. My favorite primary song as a child sings:
Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue blue sky
Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by
Whenever I touch a velvet rose, or walk by a lilac tree
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me.
He gave me my eyes that I might see, the color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears, that I might hear, the magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart. I thank Him reverently
For all His creations of which I'm a part. Yes I know Heavenly Father loves me.
I don't know how I moved so far away from such simple things. But I do know my trials have served a great purpose in my education, so I'm thankful for them. They have been my mountain to climb, and I know the 'view' is worth the climb because it's the only place where you can come to know Jesus Christ personally.
Jaroldeen Edwards (in her book Celebrate!) says, "Joy is the purpose for which we were made and framed by our Heavenly Father." Think about it. Think about the joy God had in creating me and you. Why would He not then want us to have JOY?!
The Law of Attraction says that people are responsible for their own joy, and that if we attend to our own joy first, and if we are feeling good because of that joy, then we will be a joy to be around and a "shining example to every child and every person in your life." They say when we are feeling joy, we don't even have to think about giving it. It flows naturally from us to others. "Only one person can be in charge of your joy and bliss, and that's you...your joy lies within you."
Note "within"...it does not stem from any "thing" external.
Have you ever lived those moments in your life when you think, "I'll know I'll be happy when_____." Fill in the blank: I'm done with college, I get a better job, I get married, my kids are grown, I'm retired, we move to a better house, I get that car I want...and so on. Yeah. It's the illusive mirage. Don't be fooled by it. There's a quote on my side bar: "The grass isn't greener on the other side. It's greener where you water it." So true. And what about, "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade!" We can't wait for joy to come to us. We need to put joy in our life now. If we already know now how to create joy, how much better off we will be should harder challenges come our way.
LOA says that joy is on the frequency of love, the highest and most powerful frequency of all. You can't hold love in your hand. You can only feel love in your heart. It's a state of being. Same with joy.
I've been coming across a lot of thoughts of joy being moments. During the course of a busy and hectic day, we can snatch joy in a single moment. Maybe we are trying to get across town in busy and backed up traffic and we are slowed to a stop and glance out our window to the meridian dividing the road and see some beautiful flowers planted there. (That was an actual experience of mine!) We can capture the joy of their beauty in a single moment. Maybe it's a day where all the kids are fighting and then your 2 year old says something insightful and funny that gets everyone cracking up and lightens the tension. What a joyful moment. Maybe it's just sitting down to dinner and enjoying a wholesome meal and conversation about everyone's day. Maybe it's just reading a bedtime story to your little ones at night. Maybe it's just talking to a good friend. Often, it's the littlest things we do that really matter the most. Even as small and effortless as to smile and say hi to someone....brings joy to us and them in the capture of a moment.
We do not remember days, we remember moments. Think about that. And it's those moments that are filled with joy and wonder. Can we be cheerful for a moment? I bet we can with a conscious effort to create cheerful moments. Remember, the creation of it is up to us!
In our mortal journey, we can collect and savor JOY. How many other things do we collect that just collect dust. Do we have a collection of JOY?
Our beloved last Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley said, "If you really want to have happiness in this life, do something for somebody else." Service really does bring joy. We can hardly be thinking about our own problems when we are in the service of someone else.
Back to Jaroldeen Edwards again (If you can get her book Celebrate! it's well worth the read for some tips at more fully celebrating life) she says something so profoundly related to the Law of Attraction: "Celebration is self-made. Very slight changes in our attitudes, in the way we use our time, and in our knowledge of ourselves and of the Lord can bring enormous rewards. Our Father in Heaven will not force our hearts to feel positive emotions. He wants us to use our God-given agency to choose happiness, to create our own celebrations and measures of joy. The Lord gives us all the raw material, but He leaves it to us to learn how to find joy in what He has given...Joy just isn't something that happens to you--God commands it and we must live it. God is the source of all joy. Creating joy is the finest, most Godlike way to live."
Living joyfully is within our power. When God gives us a commandment, He also makes a way for us to live that commandment.
Happiness is individual and personal, from our own unique needs, feelings, talents, and perceptions.
Don't focus on what you don't have, make things as they are better. Feel gratitude.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk to the RS in Sept. 2008 called "Happiness, Your Heritage." He said God is a God of creation and compassion. As we emulate those things we will bring joy into our life. I loved the whole talk. But here is a small quote from it that has large impact, "The number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance." Creating joy and serving others. It really sums it all up.
In Isaiah 12:23 he says, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the well of salvation." In the 2004 Women's Conference themed "The Joy of Our Salvation" Sandra Rogers said, "Like a wilted plant in a dry grown, our souls will spring back to vitality with water drawn with joy from the wells of salvation. We can remember the Lord's tender mercies in bleak times and be refreshed with His living water."
I know the Lord has been offering me living water from His well, and I have drank deeply for the past 5 months and I can testify to the vitality it is giving me. Not that I haven't been drinking His living water for quite some time, but this living water He has been offering me has been Healing Living Water!
Through it all, I am more grateful than ever for my trials. Opposition is important because we can't know joy without knowing sorrow. We can't know deep joy without knowing deep sorrow. The greater our sorrow, the greater our joy.
Elder Neal A Maxwell said, "It is ungraceful, unjustified, and unbecoming of us as church members to be constantly grumpy or of a woeful countenance." (I have been guilty of this--but I hope, no more!) Just like Elder Eyring said, to fill ourselves with things that will give others more reason to hope. That we will be an example of hope to those around us.
One of my favorite scriptures: "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, for His arm to be revealed." (Doctrine & Covenants 123:17)
Note the "then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance"....stand still and grasps those moments of joy.
"Enjoy the simple experiences of life without taking yourself too seriously in the process." -Marjorie Hinckley
"Happiness and Joy come when we are living up to who we are." -Sheri Dew
"Whatever God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postponing your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily." -President Thomas S. Monson (Ensign 11/08)
In September our Stake had a special Relief Society Day prior to the General RS broadcast in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of our stake RS day was "Be Happy, On Purpose." I was so intrigued. I wondered, Is the Lord trying to tell me something? I hadn't learned about the Law of Attraction yet, but the Lord had been teaching me a lot of other stuff over the summer in conjunction with the healing that I know He was ready to give me. So, I went with a heart ready to learn. They had two classes and we rotated to them in 2 groups. Then the Priesthood prepared and served us a delicious tri-tip dinner. But it was the simplest thing ever that sent me home with the message the Lord wanted to give me. It was printed on the program we received when we entered the door for the opening session. Two quotes by a beloved prophet in my teen-age years, Spencer W. Kimball.
"The primary reason the Lord sent you here is to make yourself happy and help other people make themselves happy." (wow!)
"Heavenly Father expects you to make yourself happy. Don't try to pass on your responsibility to someone else." (can't find the references to these)
I have collected thoughts, and read and pondered so much on the subject of joy. All these things coupled with President Kimball's quotes and what I learned from the law of attraction have helped me understand what I need to do to recognize joy in my life. I think recognizing it is what I was missing. Happiness and joy are not with us every minute of the day. Life is a job. There are plenty of challenges and trials waiting to be had by everyone. But no matter our circumstances, we can recognize joy in our life. And we can do this by creating that joy! Just like we create our thoughts, our life, our environment. Joy is a choice. Happiness is a choice. All good things are gifts from God and we can choose to accept them and use them in our lives.
It's interesting in 2 Nephi 5:27 when Nephi says, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." This was after escaping into the wilderness away from his wicked brothers who wanted to kill him. But to "live after the manner of happiness." It sounds to me like they sought and recognized the joy in their lives, even though they had to start all over again in building up their lives and their new home.
In the book "The Secret" (pg 151) it says, "Everything that you want---all the joy, love, abundance, prosperity, bliss--it's there, ready for you to grab a hold of it. Recognize the beautiful and wonderful things around you, and bless and praise them. When you are praising and blessing you are on the highest frequency of love."
That is so beautiful! We are so blinded by the darkness when we are on the frequency of negativity. We simply cannot see what really is beautiful and wonderful around us. My favorite primary song as a child sings:
Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue blue sky
Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by
Whenever I touch a velvet rose, or walk by a lilac tree
I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world, Heavenly Father created for me.
He gave me my eyes that I might see, the color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears, that I might hear, the magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart. I thank Him reverently
For all His creations of which I'm a part. Yes I know Heavenly Father loves me.
I don't know how I moved so far away from such simple things. But I do know my trials have served a great purpose in my education, so I'm thankful for them. They have been my mountain to climb, and I know the 'view' is worth the climb because it's the only place where you can come to know Jesus Christ personally.
Jaroldeen Edwards (in her book Celebrate!) says, "Joy is the purpose for which we were made and framed by our Heavenly Father." Think about it. Think about the joy God had in creating me and you. Why would He not then want us to have JOY?!
The Law of Attraction says that people are responsible for their own joy, and that if we attend to our own joy first, and if we are feeling good because of that joy, then we will be a joy to be around and a "shining example to every child and every person in your life." They say when we are feeling joy, we don't even have to think about giving it. It flows naturally from us to others. "Only one person can be in charge of your joy and bliss, and that's you...your joy lies within you."
Note "within"...it does not stem from any "thing" external.
Have you ever lived those moments in your life when you think, "I'll know I'll be happy when_____." Fill in the blank: I'm done with college, I get a better job, I get married, my kids are grown, I'm retired, we move to a better house, I get that car I want...and so on. Yeah. It's the illusive mirage. Don't be fooled by it. There's a quote on my side bar: "The grass isn't greener on the other side. It's greener where you water it." So true. And what about, "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade!" We can't wait for joy to come to us. We need to put joy in our life now. If we already know now how to create joy, how much better off we will be should harder challenges come our way.
LOA says that joy is on the frequency of love, the highest and most powerful frequency of all. You can't hold love in your hand. You can only feel love in your heart. It's a state of being. Same with joy.
I've been coming across a lot of thoughts of joy being moments. During the course of a busy and hectic day, we can snatch joy in a single moment. Maybe we are trying to get across town in busy and backed up traffic and we are slowed to a stop and glance out our window to the meridian dividing the road and see some beautiful flowers planted there. (That was an actual experience of mine!) We can capture the joy of their beauty in a single moment. Maybe it's a day where all the kids are fighting and then your 2 year old says something insightful and funny that gets everyone cracking up and lightens the tension. What a joyful moment. Maybe it's just sitting down to dinner and enjoying a wholesome meal and conversation about everyone's day. Maybe it's just reading a bedtime story to your little ones at night. Maybe it's just talking to a good friend. Often, it's the littlest things we do that really matter the most. Even as small and effortless as to smile and say hi to someone....brings joy to us and them in the capture of a moment.
We do not remember days, we remember moments. Think about that. And it's those moments that are filled with joy and wonder. Can we be cheerful for a moment? I bet we can with a conscious effort to create cheerful moments. Remember, the creation of it is up to us!
In our mortal journey, we can collect and savor JOY. How many other things do we collect that just collect dust. Do we have a collection of JOY?
Our beloved last Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley said, "If you really want to have happiness in this life, do something for somebody else." Service really does bring joy. We can hardly be thinking about our own problems when we are in the service of someone else.
Back to Jaroldeen Edwards again (If you can get her book Celebrate! it's well worth the read for some tips at more fully celebrating life) she says something so profoundly related to the Law of Attraction: "Celebration is self-made. Very slight changes in our attitudes, in the way we use our time, and in our knowledge of ourselves and of the Lord can bring enormous rewards. Our Father in Heaven will not force our hearts to feel positive emotions. He wants us to use our God-given agency to choose happiness, to create our own celebrations and measures of joy. The Lord gives us all the raw material, but He leaves it to us to learn how to find joy in what He has given...Joy just isn't something that happens to you--God commands it and we must live it. God is the source of all joy. Creating joy is the finest, most Godlike way to live."
Living joyfully is within our power. When God gives us a commandment, He also makes a way for us to live that commandment.
Happiness is individual and personal, from our own unique needs, feelings, talents, and perceptions.
Don't focus on what you don't have, make things as they are better. Feel gratitude.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk to the RS in Sept. 2008 called "Happiness, Your Heritage." He said God is a God of creation and compassion. As we emulate those things we will bring joy into our life. I loved the whole talk. But here is a small quote from it that has large impact, "The number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance." Creating joy and serving others. It really sums it all up.
In Isaiah 12:23 he says, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the well of salvation." In the 2004 Women's Conference themed "The Joy of Our Salvation" Sandra Rogers said, "Like a wilted plant in a dry grown, our souls will spring back to vitality with water drawn with joy from the wells of salvation. We can remember the Lord's tender mercies in bleak times and be refreshed with His living water."
I know the Lord has been offering me living water from His well, and I have drank deeply for the past 5 months and I can testify to the vitality it is giving me. Not that I haven't been drinking His living water for quite some time, but this living water He has been offering me has been Healing Living Water!
Through it all, I am more grateful than ever for my trials. Opposition is important because we can't know joy without knowing sorrow. We can't know deep joy without knowing deep sorrow. The greater our sorrow, the greater our joy.
Elder Neal A Maxwell said, "It is ungraceful, unjustified, and unbecoming of us as church members to be constantly grumpy or of a woeful countenance." (I have been guilty of this--but I hope, no more!) Just like Elder Eyring said, to fill ourselves with things that will give others more reason to hope. That we will be an example of hope to those around us.
One of my favorite scriptures: "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, for His arm to be revealed." (Doctrine & Covenants 123:17)
Note the "then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance"....stand still and grasps those moments of joy.
"Enjoy the simple experiences of life without taking yourself too seriously in the process." -Marjorie Hinckley
"Happiness and Joy come when we are living up to who we are." -Sheri Dew
"Whatever God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postponing your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily." -President Thomas S. Monson (Ensign 11/08)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
"Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy" by Richard G. Scott
Just now I found out about this new book by Elder Scott. A friend sent me a link to free books from Deseret Book. So, I went and looked, and this is the one they are featuring, "Finding Peace, Happiness and Joy." Wow, that is an amazing title...goes right along with what I have been seeking. But then, most of us are seeking that during these times. I can't wait to read this book, but I am probably going to want to buy it! There's nothing like holding a good book in your hands and carrying it around! And Elder Scott is amazing!
Oh yeah! And you can also download a free Christmas song by Hilary Weeks...another one of my favorites!
*update: I read Elder Scott's book and it was wonderful. If anyone understands the pains and challenges of this life, it is he. He lost 2 young children in death and then his wife. He can teach you a lot about trusting in God and in finding peace, joy and happiness in this life even in the most difficult trials. I just love Elder Scott. I know he is a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh yeah! And you can also download a free Christmas song by Hilary Weeks...another one of my favorites!
*update: I read Elder Scott's book and it was wonderful. If anyone understands the pains and challenges of this life, it is he. He lost 2 young children in death and then his wife. He can teach you a lot about trusting in God and in finding peace, joy and happiness in this life even in the most difficult trials. I just love Elder Scott. I know he is a true apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Our Pain Is Not Forever
Pain comes in many forms. Physically, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually and temporally.
Pain is hard to master. It's hard to feel good or keep positive thoughts when you're in pain. However, in the past few weeks as I have tried to redirect to more positive thinking, and on days or nights when I have been in enough pain that the moment is intense for me...I've experimented with a different strategy about my pain. In the past it has helped me to focus on the Savior and the pain He suffered. I know He suffered my exact pain. That always helped. But recently, instead of thinking of pain as my enemy, something to be feared, I have concentrated on pain as my friend. Something to be grateful for. Pain is such a great teacher. If we let it, pain really does bring us closer to the Savior. Isn't it wonderful to have something in our lives that brings us in such close remembrance of Him?
I came upon this quote by Neal A. Maxwell about a week ago, in his book (that I'm reading) "Not My Will, but Thine Be Done" and he said something so truly profound to me: "If we truly follow Christ in our life's journey, we will share to some extent in His experiences, which can help us to become more like Him."
If anyone was well acquainted with pain and suffering, it was Him.
And I wonder...does pain come to us so the Lord can get our attention? Is it part of His loving tutoring? His way of getting us back to Him?
I've been doing a yoga program for about the last 5 years or so. It's been so good for me. It's called "Healing Yoga For Aches & Pains" by Anchor Bay with instructors Charles and Lisa Matkin.
I actually found it by googling for help back in the beginning of my fibromyalgia. I originally ordered a VHS and literally wore that out, and then purchased the DVD...that's how beneficial it's been for me. During the workout they teach you how to breath loving compassion into the painful areas of your body. And to let the pain drift and melt into the floor beside you. It's such a gentle approach to pain...pain who really should be considered our friend, our teacher.
I have noticed lately, during my painful moments, if I talk to the pain, my body relaxes and it's so much easier to endure it. I tell my pain I'm not afraid of you. You're my friend. And I thank you for teaching me. If you wouldn't mind too much, would you be willing to drift a while beside me, but don't go too far away because you will always be my friend.
This summer, someone gave me this poem. It's so beautiful. It sums it all up, really.
-annonymous
Pain is hard to master. It's hard to feel good or keep positive thoughts when you're in pain. However, in the past few weeks as I have tried to redirect to more positive thinking, and on days or nights when I have been in enough pain that the moment is intense for me...I've experimented with a different strategy about my pain. In the past it has helped me to focus on the Savior and the pain He suffered. I know He suffered my exact pain. That always helped. But recently, instead of thinking of pain as my enemy, something to be feared, I have concentrated on pain as my friend. Something to be grateful for. Pain is such a great teacher. If we let it, pain really does bring us closer to the Savior. Isn't it wonderful to have something in our lives that brings us in such close remembrance of Him?
I came upon this quote by Neal A. Maxwell about a week ago, in his book (that I'm reading) "Not My Will, but Thine Be Done" and he said something so truly profound to me: "If we truly follow Christ in our life's journey, we will share to some extent in His experiences, which can help us to become more like Him."
If anyone was well acquainted with pain and suffering, it was Him.
And I wonder...does pain come to us so the Lord can get our attention? Is it part of His loving tutoring? His way of getting us back to Him?
I've been doing a yoga program for about the last 5 years or so. It's been so good for me. It's called "Healing Yoga For Aches & Pains" by Anchor Bay with instructors Charles and Lisa Matkin.
I actually found it by googling for help back in the beginning of my fibromyalgia. I originally ordered a VHS and literally wore that out, and then purchased the DVD...that's how beneficial it's been for me. During the workout they teach you how to breath loving compassion into the painful areas of your body. And to let the pain drift and melt into the floor beside you. It's such a gentle approach to pain...pain who really should be considered our friend, our teacher.
I have noticed lately, during my painful moments, if I talk to the pain, my body relaxes and it's so much easier to endure it. I tell my pain I'm not afraid of you. You're my friend. And I thank you for teaching me. If you wouldn't mind too much, would you be willing to drift a while beside me, but don't go too far away because you will always be my friend.
This summer, someone gave me this poem. It's so beautiful. It sums it all up, really.
I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, no.
It's not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, no.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is earned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, no.
God said, no.
I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me suffering.
God said, no.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, no.
I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.
I asked God to help me love others, as much as He loves me.
God said, Aha, finally, you have the idea.-annonymous
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Stand Steady and Face Them
I was listening to a "talk of the day" on byub.org by Staci Peters called "Our Unexpected Journey Through the Promised Land." Excellent talk! Anyway, she quoted something by Boyd K. Packer that is just so applicable I wanted to share it. I found it in his 1978 Ensign talk called "Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord's Own Way."
He said, "We live in a day when the adversary stresses on every hand the philosophy of instant gratification. We seem to demand instant everything, including instant solutions to our problems.
We are indoctrinated that somehow we should always be instantly emotionally comfortable. When that is not so, some become anxious—and all too frequently seek relief from counseling, from analysis, and even from medication.
It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.
There is great purpose in our struggle in life."
Isn't that wonderful?! Stand steady and face hard days. Things will straighten out. They always do!
He said, "We live in a day when the adversary stresses on every hand the philosophy of instant gratification. We seem to demand instant everything, including instant solutions to our problems.
We are indoctrinated that somehow we should always be instantly emotionally comfortable. When that is not so, some become anxious—and all too frequently seek relief from counseling, from analysis, and even from medication.
It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.
There is great purpose in our struggle in life."
Isn't that wonderful?! Stand steady and face hard days. Things will straighten out. They always do!
Health and Healing
The Law of Attraction says that the human mind is the biggest factor in the healing arts.
I believe it! Reading "The Fibromyalgia Solution" by Dr. David Dryland started pointing me in the right direction for this revelation. "The Secret" DVD has 2 real life stories of the power of the mind to heal. I'm sure there are many stories out there of this marvelous idea. We already have known, to some extent, that our bodies have power to heal themselves. We get a cut. The blood clots, forms a scab to keep out infection, and it heals, even making new skin. We get sick and our body starts putting out chemicals (or cells or something) to fight off the bad bacteria--you get the idea.
But add in the mind! The power of the mind to bring about healing, just by thinking right thoughts! This is what got me the most attracted and excited about the LOA! As Dr. Dryland says on his website "Take Your Life Back!" and in his book the statement I loved most, "When you change a negative thought, you will always change the subsequent emotional feelings that are sent to your body." I also nearly jumped right out of my chair the first time I went to his website and it said, "Fibromyalgia is not an incurable disease." No information I had ever found in the last 5 years of searching ever said that. It was always: doctors can't do anything for you so you just have to live with it..learn to manage it, cope with it. Not true anymore!
I know now, and had already suspected stress, because I have allowed myself to live with and continue in stress for the last 10 years or so--I had no idea how to cope with it, or how to understand it. And now, the truth rings inside me, that my thoughts have created my environment. I have allowed myself to live with negative thoughts about myself and others. I created my own miserable environment. Yes, I had uncontrollable circumstances in my life that weren't my fault, but I was still responsible for how I reacted (or under-reacted) to those circumstances. I was still responsible for my own joy, my own attitude, my own thoughts and emotions. I just didn't know it! I wallowed in my misery (I would often think of it as the dungeon of self-pity--a very dark, black pit to be in). The interesting thing is, I also realize it was the darkness of Satan's lies. He doesn't care if we are selfish or self-centered or feeling sorry for ourselves...as long as we are focused on ourselves---then we are distracted from the direction God wants to take us of love, peace, joy, hope, and light which comes from loving and serving God and others.
As the LOA say, disease is really dis-EASE, meaning your body is not at ease. Stress is link to nearly all disease. And what causes stress? Thoughts that lead to emotional factors. But, we can choose to allow or not to allow those factors to affect us. Dr. Dryland calls it the "Fight or Flight" response. As our FOF is triggered, we release chemicals into our bodies to cope with the distress. Too much too often of some of those chemicals can cause problems in our bodies, while others are being constantly depleted. One of those is dopamine. Dopamine is like the bodies natural anesthetic to pain. When we become depleted, our pain is dramatically enhanced. Then we can't sleep at night. Without the deep rejuvenating sleep, the time when our body replenishes dopamine, we enter into a pain cycle that we can't get out of---hence, Fibromyalgia and other diseases. Dr. Dryland sells a book on his website that is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn more about stress and dealing with it. I thought it was a wealth of information, very interesting and easy to read and very reasonable at $15. I can't remember what the shipping was, but it was reasonable. You can also download a free chapter of his book to read.
The LOA tells us to THINK PERFECT HEALTH. No matter what our state of health is. Tell yourself you are healthy. Tell yourself you are happy, and that you are having a great day! Smile! Laugh!! We've always heard laughter is the best medicine, and that is truth. Laughter releases negativity. You can't laugh and not feel good. You can't smile and not feel good. The interesting thing is, our bodies can't tell the difference between a fake laugh or smile and a real one...it still makes our bodies feel good. One of the "shifters" for changing from a negative frequency to a positive one is to smile for one full minute and think of whatever it is that makes you happy. (for me that's easy! I just think of my grandchildren!--for starters!)
Disease cannot live in a body that's in a healthy emotional state. If your body is stiff and achy, sit and think in your mind how it felt once to be in the body as perfect and flexible as a child's body...walk, run, skip, dance in your mind. In "The Secret" DVD they said they could hook athletes up to some kind of monitoring machine and have them do their sport in their mind, and as they did their bodies went through the same motions as it did while doing the actual sport. I've been thinking lately what a perfect way that would be to exercise! heehee! Just sit and exercise in your mind and your body will get the same effect! Do you think it's true? I think that would be awesome!
Gratitude is an important part of healing, as is the faith to receive healing and then the power of laughter. I am so grateful, as a Latter-day Saint, in the power of Priesthood blessings for the healing of the sick. I also believe that there is a time appointed to all of us to die, and that all things are in God's power. "The divine gift of healing is tailored to the needs of it's recipients from Him who knows them best because He loves them most." I do not know who said this, but it is a great quote.
I also know that there is an opposition in all things, and that we can't know joy, peace, love and all that good stuff without experiencing and knowing the bad, too. I know all our trials are consecrated to our good, and administer to our education. Still, the Lord wants us to be joyful as we go along. I love this scripture written by Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 123:17:
"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, for His arm to be revealed."
By changing just one small thought in the course of our day, shifting over to a positive frequency, we can change the course of our whole day--whereas, one negative thought left unchecked leads to more negative thoughts til stress is manifest. If you think about it next time you are feeling a negative emotion, notice where it manifests itself in your body. That is where disease will manifest itself.
The LOA, in teaching the art of healing, says if you feel unwell, don't talk about it! Don't think about it! Repeat as often as needed (better than medicine) I feel wonderful! I feel so good--and really try and feel it. I have been saying, "Thank you for my healing" because I know the Lord wants to heal me, as that has been revealed to me. I know it will happen in His time and in His way, so in the meantime I continue to thank Him for my healing.
If others talk of being unwell, don't listen. Change the subject or walk away. It's kind of hard with pandemics going around, but just switch your thoughts to something else and don't dwell on it. It came to my mind these 2 gals that are acquaintances of a friend of mine, and whenever I have been around them all they talk about is all their ailments and everyone else's, too. It drives me crazy. Do you know people like this?
I have, however, felt it was important to be prepared with information in the event of coming down with H1N1, or if you needed to care for someone who is sick, so do what you must, but then move on to a good and happy thought frequency. The more you feel healthy and happy, the less chance of getting sick. Put on some fun, happy music and skip through your day.
Dr. Dryland says to give yourself credit for the progress you make. "Go slowly. It takes time to undo destructive thinking habits."
But HOORAY! It's NOT IMPOSSIBLE!!! *Ü*
"If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord they God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee..for I am the Lord that healeth thee." Exodus 15:26
I believe it! Reading "The Fibromyalgia Solution" by Dr. David Dryland started pointing me in the right direction for this revelation. "The Secret" DVD has 2 real life stories of the power of the mind to heal. I'm sure there are many stories out there of this marvelous idea. We already have known, to some extent, that our bodies have power to heal themselves. We get a cut. The blood clots, forms a scab to keep out infection, and it heals, even making new skin. We get sick and our body starts putting out chemicals (or cells or something) to fight off the bad bacteria--you get the idea.
But add in the mind! The power of the mind to bring about healing, just by thinking right thoughts! This is what got me the most attracted and excited about the LOA! As Dr. Dryland says on his website "Take Your Life Back!" and in his book the statement I loved most, "When you change a negative thought, you will always change the subsequent emotional feelings that are sent to your body." I also nearly jumped right out of my chair the first time I went to his website and it said, "Fibromyalgia is not an incurable disease." No information I had ever found in the last 5 years of searching ever said that. It was always: doctors can't do anything for you so you just have to live with it..learn to manage it, cope with it. Not true anymore!
I know now, and had already suspected stress, because I have allowed myself to live with and continue in stress for the last 10 years or so--I had no idea how to cope with it, or how to understand it. And now, the truth rings inside me, that my thoughts have created my environment. I have allowed myself to live with negative thoughts about myself and others. I created my own miserable environment. Yes, I had uncontrollable circumstances in my life that weren't my fault, but I was still responsible for how I reacted (or under-reacted) to those circumstances. I was still responsible for my own joy, my own attitude, my own thoughts and emotions. I just didn't know it! I wallowed in my misery (I would often think of it as the dungeon of self-pity--a very dark, black pit to be in). The interesting thing is, I also realize it was the darkness of Satan's lies. He doesn't care if we are selfish or self-centered or feeling sorry for ourselves...as long as we are focused on ourselves---then we are distracted from the direction God wants to take us of love, peace, joy, hope, and light which comes from loving and serving God and others.
As the LOA say, disease is really dis-EASE, meaning your body is not at ease. Stress is link to nearly all disease. And what causes stress? Thoughts that lead to emotional factors. But, we can choose to allow or not to allow those factors to affect us. Dr. Dryland calls it the "Fight or Flight" response. As our FOF is triggered, we release chemicals into our bodies to cope with the distress. Too much too often of some of those chemicals can cause problems in our bodies, while others are being constantly depleted. One of those is dopamine. Dopamine is like the bodies natural anesthetic to pain. When we become depleted, our pain is dramatically enhanced. Then we can't sleep at night. Without the deep rejuvenating sleep, the time when our body replenishes dopamine, we enter into a pain cycle that we can't get out of---hence, Fibromyalgia and other diseases. Dr. Dryland sells a book on his website that is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to learn more about stress and dealing with it. I thought it was a wealth of information, very interesting and easy to read and very reasonable at $15. I can't remember what the shipping was, but it was reasonable. You can also download a free chapter of his book to read.
The LOA tells us to THINK PERFECT HEALTH. No matter what our state of health is. Tell yourself you are healthy. Tell yourself you are happy, and that you are having a great day! Smile! Laugh!! We've always heard laughter is the best medicine, and that is truth. Laughter releases negativity. You can't laugh and not feel good. You can't smile and not feel good. The interesting thing is, our bodies can't tell the difference between a fake laugh or smile and a real one...it still makes our bodies feel good. One of the "shifters" for changing from a negative frequency to a positive one is to smile for one full minute and think of whatever it is that makes you happy. (for me that's easy! I just think of my grandchildren!--for starters!)
Disease cannot live in a body that's in a healthy emotional state. If your body is stiff and achy, sit and think in your mind how it felt once to be in the body as perfect and flexible as a child's body...walk, run, skip, dance in your mind. In "The Secret" DVD they said they could hook athletes up to some kind of monitoring machine and have them do their sport in their mind, and as they did their bodies went through the same motions as it did while doing the actual sport. I've been thinking lately what a perfect way that would be to exercise! heehee! Just sit and exercise in your mind and your body will get the same effect! Do you think it's true? I think that would be awesome!
Gratitude is an important part of healing, as is the faith to receive healing and then the power of laughter. I am so grateful, as a Latter-day Saint, in the power of Priesthood blessings for the healing of the sick. I also believe that there is a time appointed to all of us to die, and that all things are in God's power. "The divine gift of healing is tailored to the needs of it's recipients from Him who knows them best because He loves them most." I do not know who said this, but it is a great quote.
I also know that there is an opposition in all things, and that we can't know joy, peace, love and all that good stuff without experiencing and knowing the bad, too. I know all our trials are consecrated to our good, and administer to our education. Still, the Lord wants us to be joyful as we go along. I love this scripture written by Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 123:17:
"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, for His arm to be revealed."
By changing just one small thought in the course of our day, shifting over to a positive frequency, we can change the course of our whole day--whereas, one negative thought left unchecked leads to more negative thoughts til stress is manifest. If you think about it next time you are feeling a negative emotion, notice where it manifests itself in your body. That is where disease will manifest itself.
The LOA, in teaching the art of healing, says if you feel unwell, don't talk about it! Don't think about it! Repeat as often as needed (better than medicine) I feel wonderful! I feel so good--and really try and feel it. I have been saying, "Thank you for my healing" because I know the Lord wants to heal me, as that has been revealed to me. I know it will happen in His time and in His way, so in the meantime I continue to thank Him for my healing.
If others talk of being unwell, don't listen. Change the subject or walk away. It's kind of hard with pandemics going around, but just switch your thoughts to something else and don't dwell on it. It came to my mind these 2 gals that are acquaintances of a friend of mine, and whenever I have been around them all they talk about is all their ailments and everyone else's, too. It drives me crazy. Do you know people like this?
I have, however, felt it was important to be prepared with information in the event of coming down with H1N1, or if you needed to care for someone who is sick, so do what you must, but then move on to a good and happy thought frequency. The more you feel healthy and happy, the less chance of getting sick. Put on some fun, happy music and skip through your day.
Dr. Dryland says to give yourself credit for the progress you make. "Go slowly. It takes time to undo destructive thinking habits."
But HOORAY! It's NOT IMPOSSIBLE!!! *Ü*
"If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord they God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee..for I am the Lord that healeth thee." Exodus 15:26
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Marvelous You!
The Law of Attraction says how important it is to love yourself. With mortal imperfections we often struggle with this. The LOA says: The reason you have to love You is because it is impossible to feel good if you don't love You. When you feel bad about yourself, you are blocking all the love and all the good that the Universe has for You. The feeling of having unlimited energy, and that amazing feeling of health and wellness are all on the frequency of feeling good. When you make feeling good a priority, that magnificent frequency will radiate and touch everyone else close to you. The more you love You, the more you love others. When you start feeling down on yourself, change your focus and begin to think about all the things that are wonderful about You. Look for the positives in You. Write them down.
Shakespeare said, "What a piece of work you are! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In from and moving how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world!"
"It is in love that we find ourselves and everything that has meaning and worth." -Jaroldeen Edwards
LOA: As you love yourself, you'll automatically love others. You are energy (according to Quantum Physicists) and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy just changes form. And that means You! The true essence of You, the pure energy of You, has always been and always will be. You can never not be.
As a Latter-day Saint I see the truth in this. God created us. We are His work, and His glory. Our physical spirits will go on forever, whether we gained a body in this life or not. Because of pre-mortal faithfulness we were blessed to come to earth and gain a body. So, even though mortality is hard at times, we should be shouting praises that we have a body! Our body may not be perfect, but we should bless and praise every square inch of our bodies! We can do so much more with our bodies than we could with just our spirit. And we have the Christ given gift that our bodies will be resurrected to a more perfect state and that is eternal.
And I love the statement, "We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us." That is eternal truth. From an article in Meridian Magazine (5/10/05 Why Do We Keep Doing That) it says, "Our thoughts are powerful creators in our lives. If our thoughts are positive and productive they will lead us in the way of goodness and righteousness. If we can become more aware of our thoughts, and choose our thoughts more wisely, we can harness a great power to create righteousness in our lives. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?...who are you NOT to be?! You are a child of God...powerful beyond measure...playing small does not serve the world...we were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us! It is in everyone. As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. We are not meant to fit in, but to stand out! We already have within us all we need to become Gods. The real You is the divine, spiritual self, which consistently chooses light and truth" -Darla Isackson (I think she wrote this article, I could not find the article on their website but here is a link to another great article by her.)
According to LOA what we may see now of ourselves is the result of cumulative years of seeing ourselves....if we have viewed a lot of fault in ourselves, then that is what we are going to see. Switch to the presence that is within you...that presence is perfection, the real you. Your imperfections will dissolve as you focus on the real you, they cannot exist in the light of this presence.
Just like Satan and his lies. All negative comes from him. All truth comes from God. Focus on the way God views you. You are, right now, as God would have you to be in your progression. He planned out your perfect salvation out of His perfect love for you. As you cast out the lies, focus on the glory within, seek God's will for change and progression, you will grow brighter and brighter in His perfect light and love. You will radiate Your beauty from the inside out. Our outer package matters little in the end. But we can keep our bodies clean, neat and attractive. We can keep our language clean, neat and attractive. There are many things you can do to improve the whole of Marvelous You!
1 Cor. 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Let your spirit take the lead." -Wendy Watson Nelson
When you look in the mirror, look for His image in your countenance.
The eyes are the doorway to the heart. Fill your heart with beauty, love and light and it will radiate through your eyes.
"You were His final creation, the crowning glory of His work. Rise to the potential that is in you. You are very precious. His grand design cannot succeed without you. The cultivation of beauty is an expression of the divine nature within you. He has blessed you with miraculous powers of mind and body. Culitvate your talents." -Gordon B. Hinckley (various parts of quotes from his book One Bright Shining Hope)
Satan wants us to hate our bodies because he will never have one.
Do any of these sound like you?
I am a child of God.
I am the daughter of a King.
I am of noble birthright.
I am a chosen generation.
I am of divine nature.
I am of infinite worth.
I am a messenger of God.
I am a testator of Jesus Christ.
I am a covenant maker and keeper.
I am a precious vessel for the Holy Ghost.
I am a temple of God.
I am a creator.
I am a teacher.
I am master of my thoughts.
I am obedient.
I am courageous and determined.
I am loyal and true.
I am God's servant.
I am a good friend.
I am part of a great work.
I am happy.
You are....M.A.R.V.E.L.O.U.S!
And if all else fails, drop to your knees and pray that God will reveal to you how precious you are! I promise you that He will!
Shakespeare said, "What a piece of work you are! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In from and moving how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world!"
"It is in love that we find ourselves and everything that has meaning and worth." -Jaroldeen Edwards
LOA: As you love yourself, you'll automatically love others. You are energy (according to Quantum Physicists) and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy just changes form. And that means You! The true essence of You, the pure energy of You, has always been and always will be. You can never not be.
As a Latter-day Saint I see the truth in this. God created us. We are His work, and His glory. Our physical spirits will go on forever, whether we gained a body in this life or not. Because of pre-mortal faithfulness we were blessed to come to earth and gain a body. So, even though mortality is hard at times, we should be shouting praises that we have a body! Our body may not be perfect, but we should bless and praise every square inch of our bodies! We can do so much more with our bodies than we could with just our spirit. And we have the Christ given gift that our bodies will be resurrected to a more perfect state and that is eternal.
And I love the statement, "We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us." That is eternal truth. From an article in Meridian Magazine (5/10/05 Why Do We Keep Doing That) it says, "Our thoughts are powerful creators in our lives. If our thoughts are positive and productive they will lead us in the way of goodness and righteousness. If we can become more aware of our thoughts, and choose our thoughts more wisely, we can harness a great power to create righteousness in our lives. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?...who are you NOT to be?! You are a child of God...powerful beyond measure...playing small does not serve the world...we were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us! It is in everyone. As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. We are not meant to fit in, but to stand out! We already have within us all we need to become Gods. The real You is the divine, spiritual self, which consistently chooses light and truth" -Darla Isackson (I think she wrote this article, I could not find the article on their website but here is a link to another great article by her.)
According to LOA what we may see now of ourselves is the result of cumulative years of seeing ourselves....if we have viewed a lot of fault in ourselves, then that is what we are going to see. Switch to the presence that is within you...that presence is perfection, the real you. Your imperfections will dissolve as you focus on the real you, they cannot exist in the light of this presence.
Just like Satan and his lies. All negative comes from him. All truth comes from God. Focus on the way God views you. You are, right now, as God would have you to be in your progression. He planned out your perfect salvation out of His perfect love for you. As you cast out the lies, focus on the glory within, seek God's will for change and progression, you will grow brighter and brighter in His perfect light and love. You will radiate Your beauty from the inside out. Our outer package matters little in the end. But we can keep our bodies clean, neat and attractive. We can keep our language clean, neat and attractive. There are many things you can do to improve the whole of Marvelous You!
1 Cor. 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Let your spirit take the lead." -Wendy Watson Nelson
When you look in the mirror, look for His image in your countenance.
The eyes are the doorway to the heart. Fill your heart with beauty, love and light and it will radiate through your eyes.
"You were His final creation, the crowning glory of His work. Rise to the potential that is in you. You are very precious. His grand design cannot succeed without you. The cultivation of beauty is an expression of the divine nature within you. He has blessed you with miraculous powers of mind and body. Culitvate your talents." -Gordon B. Hinckley (various parts of quotes from his book One Bright Shining Hope)
Satan wants us to hate our bodies because he will never have one.
Do any of these sound like you?
I am a child of God.
I am the daughter of a King.
I am of noble birthright.
I am a chosen generation.
I am of divine nature.
I am of infinite worth.
I am a messenger of God.
I am a testator of Jesus Christ.
I am a covenant maker and keeper.
I am a precious vessel for the Holy Ghost.
I am a temple of God.
I am a creator.
I am a teacher.
I am master of my thoughts.
I am obedient.
I am courageous and determined.
I am loyal and true.
I am God's servant.
I am a good friend.
I am part of a great work.
I am happy.
You are....M.A.R.V.E.L.O.U.S!
And if all else fails, drop to your knees and pray that God will reveal to you how precious you are! I promise you that He will!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Law of Creation
I think this was my favorite part in learning about the Law of Attraction. I love to create, so I love the thought of creating my life through my thoughts.
Elder Wirthlin said in his talk on "The Abundant Life" to create of your life a masterpiece.
I can envision a canvas, with colorful paints and a variety of paintbrushes....when you paint with oil paints, they are very forgiving--meaning it takes forever to dry, so you can just keep repainting and repainting til you get it right. I love the thought of creating my life around me, just how I want it to be. Never mind any current circumstances. I only have to paint what I want to see.
LOA: Creation comes by virtue of the images in your mind.
That is why imagination and make-belief are so much fun. That is why children can be so happy!
"God wants us to create our own life with joy--beautifully." -Jaroldeen Edwards
LOA: Quantum physicists tell us that the entire universe emerged from thought.
Now there's a revelation! Ha! Latter-day Saints know this from scriptures, especially modern scriptures and revelation. Jesus Christ framed and created the world through faith, an action virtue, which is the power of the mind to conceive that which has no tangible evidence, but then becomes tangible.
LOA: You create your life through your thoughts...everyone does, whether they know it or not. Creation is always happening. Every time an individual thinks a thought, or a prolonged chronic way of thinking, they're in the creation process. Something is going to manifest out of those thoughts."
I really believe this. If we constantly dwell on something that is wrong, that thing is going to grow and grow and grow and get worse. And where do we end up? Cranky. Angry. Discouraged. Sad. Unhappy. All that time wasted on thinking about it, could have been shifted to happy thoughts, making us a happy person all along.
LOA: Create your day in advance. When you wake up. Think about how you want the day to go and what you want to do. Create it in your mind, just how you want it to be, even down to getting a front row parking spot at the grocery store. And continue those thoughts throughout the day. At the end of the day, if things didn't go quite right, replay them in your mind, and recreate them to working out just as you would have had them, so you go to bed with good thoughts of thinking just how great your day went. Let your last thoughts before you go to sleep be good thoughts.
President Uchtdorf gave the best ever General Relief Society address in October 2008 called "Happiness, Your Heritage." It so worth reading frequently. It really uplifts and inspires me. As women we struggle to find that balance in our lives. We often wonder if we are doing enough or if we are doing the right things. We have that innate desire to create...which might lead us to hours and hours of scrapbooking, or sewing, or crafts or any such thing, which is not entirely bad, but could enduce the negative feelings of guilt if we are neglecting other important things. I was so thankful President Uchtdorf encouraged us to create! That is when I'm at my ultimate happy state, is when I can take "matter" into my hands and craft it into something beautiful. I just need to make sure my time is balanced and that I don't neglect the "weightier, spiritual matters"...but spirituality can definitely be created into our lives, too!
He said, "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul...something that did not exist before...creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty...you are the spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn't it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God?"
He continues, "Your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination...We were created with the express purpose and potential of experience a fullness of joy...A way we find this is by creating things. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before. Progress and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you! The earth, your minds, your habitations...places that angels may delight to come and visit. The more you trust and rely upon the spirit the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come."
That last paragraph says it all. God created us as His masterpiece. Then he endowed us with free agency--the power to choose. He placed us on earth to gain our education, which is the knowledge that God has. His purpose and delight is that we experience a fullness of joy--as He does. Would He not want us to continue the creation of His masterpiece of our life, by creating of our life our own masterpiece of joy, love, peace, hope, compassion, and beauty?! Would He not be sad when we think bad thoughts about ourselves, which lead to bad thoughts about our surroundings and about others. He is so willing to give back to us, multiplied, that which we do send out, and it all begins with our thoughts. What are our thoughts as we create? They have to be good for beauty to come out of it. What inspires you most when you are creating? Have you ever turned on beautiful, inspiring and uplifting music when you are creating, and noticed what a difference that makes in your creative process. Satan's spirit flees from such beauty and inspiration. Have you ever noticed, that as you work on a creative process and your mind is stewing or stressing about current circumstances, that the work then becomes a drudgery? And where do you feel it? In your neck, in your back, in the pit of your stomach? Get off that negative frequency and switch over to a positive frequency. Think of beautiful things...a baby, flowers, a blue sky, a gentle breeze, the song of a bird, the laughter of a child....there are an abundance of beautiful things in this world that we can shift our thoughts to, and they immediately uplift us to a better place. We find ourselves more calm, more relaxed. Maybe there is one particular task that has needed to be done for a long time that keeps nagging at us. Sometimes, just getting that one task done and out of the way can bring us such peace and joy.
I learned, as I was reading books and articles on becoming well, that it's important to focus your mind on one thing at a time, that being the thing you are doing at the time. Think only of that thing, for example, if you are eating, think only of eating. If you are driving, think only of driving. Don't let your mind dash ahead to the 100's of things you have to do in the day. If you are rushing or hurrying, those thoughts are actions based in fear, a negative emotion...LOA says you are attracting more bad things into your life as you do that. Tell yourself, "I have more than enough time!" If you are stuck in traffic or in a line waiting and feel impatient, use that time to create positive things in your mind and into your life. Picture yourself on a warm beach looking at the clear blue ocean with the perfect breeze on your face. You can feel as though you are really there, and it will relieve the stress and lift your spirits and make you smile.
When we fill our minds with creative beauty, and then do the same with our surroundings, we will be filled with joy and radiate that joy to those around us. Like Elder Eyring said, "We will then be an example of hope to those around us." We need that in this challenging world we now live in. Turn every life situation into positive ones, even if all you do is create it in your mind and feel it into existence!
Wrest happiness from the daily, hard stuff of your challenging and sometimes disappointing life. Build it into the repetitive, painful, discouraging moments. It is tiny changes of feelings and methods, knowledge, and attitude, and the will to be and feel in better ways. Happiness is not one big thing that comes and stays. Happiness is built into the moments of our lives. Look for those moments and thrive in them. As Jaroldeen Edwards would say, "Celebrate!" Find and build things into our lives to celebrate!
Create of your life a masterpiece!
Elder Wirthlin said in his talk on "The Abundant Life" to create of your life a masterpiece.
I can envision a canvas, with colorful paints and a variety of paintbrushes....when you paint with oil paints, they are very forgiving--meaning it takes forever to dry, so you can just keep repainting and repainting til you get it right. I love the thought of creating my life around me, just how I want it to be. Never mind any current circumstances. I only have to paint what I want to see.
LOA: Creation comes by virtue of the images in your mind.
That is why imagination and make-belief are so much fun. That is why children can be so happy!
"God wants us to create our own life with joy--beautifully." -Jaroldeen Edwards
LOA: Quantum physicists tell us that the entire universe emerged from thought.
Now there's a revelation! Ha! Latter-day Saints know this from scriptures, especially modern scriptures and revelation. Jesus Christ framed and created the world through faith, an action virtue, which is the power of the mind to conceive that which has no tangible evidence, but then becomes tangible.
LOA: You create your life through your thoughts...everyone does, whether they know it or not. Creation is always happening. Every time an individual thinks a thought, or a prolonged chronic way of thinking, they're in the creation process. Something is going to manifest out of those thoughts."
I really believe this. If we constantly dwell on something that is wrong, that thing is going to grow and grow and grow and get worse. And where do we end up? Cranky. Angry. Discouraged. Sad. Unhappy. All that time wasted on thinking about it, could have been shifted to happy thoughts, making us a happy person all along.
LOA: Create your day in advance. When you wake up. Think about how you want the day to go and what you want to do. Create it in your mind, just how you want it to be, even down to getting a front row parking spot at the grocery store. And continue those thoughts throughout the day. At the end of the day, if things didn't go quite right, replay them in your mind, and recreate them to working out just as you would have had them, so you go to bed with good thoughts of thinking just how great your day went. Let your last thoughts before you go to sleep be good thoughts.
President Uchtdorf gave the best ever General Relief Society address in October 2008 called "Happiness, Your Heritage." It so worth reading frequently. It really uplifts and inspires me. As women we struggle to find that balance in our lives. We often wonder if we are doing enough or if we are doing the right things. We have that innate desire to create...which might lead us to hours and hours of scrapbooking, or sewing, or crafts or any such thing, which is not entirely bad, but could enduce the negative feelings of guilt if we are neglecting other important things. I was so thankful President Uchtdorf encouraged us to create! That is when I'm at my ultimate happy state, is when I can take "matter" into my hands and craft it into something beautiful. I just need to make sure my time is balanced and that I don't neglect the "weightier, spiritual matters"...but spirituality can definitely be created into our lives, too!
He said, "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul...something that did not exist before...creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty...you are the spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn't it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God?"
He continues, "Your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination...We were created with the express purpose and potential of experience a fullness of joy...A way we find this is by creating things. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before. Progress and improve upon and make beautiful everything around you! The earth, your minds, your habitations...places that angels may delight to come and visit. The more you trust and rely upon the spirit the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come."
That last paragraph says it all. God created us as His masterpiece. Then he endowed us with free agency--the power to choose. He placed us on earth to gain our education, which is the knowledge that God has. His purpose and delight is that we experience a fullness of joy--as He does. Would He not want us to continue the creation of His masterpiece of our life, by creating of our life our own masterpiece of joy, love, peace, hope, compassion, and beauty?! Would He not be sad when we think bad thoughts about ourselves, which lead to bad thoughts about our surroundings and about others. He is so willing to give back to us, multiplied, that which we do send out, and it all begins with our thoughts. What are our thoughts as we create? They have to be good for beauty to come out of it. What inspires you most when you are creating? Have you ever turned on beautiful, inspiring and uplifting music when you are creating, and noticed what a difference that makes in your creative process. Satan's spirit flees from such beauty and inspiration. Have you ever noticed, that as you work on a creative process and your mind is stewing or stressing about current circumstances, that the work then becomes a drudgery? And where do you feel it? In your neck, in your back, in the pit of your stomach? Get off that negative frequency and switch over to a positive frequency. Think of beautiful things...a baby, flowers, a blue sky, a gentle breeze, the song of a bird, the laughter of a child....there are an abundance of beautiful things in this world that we can shift our thoughts to, and they immediately uplift us to a better place. We find ourselves more calm, more relaxed. Maybe there is one particular task that has needed to be done for a long time that keeps nagging at us. Sometimes, just getting that one task done and out of the way can bring us such peace and joy.
I learned, as I was reading books and articles on becoming well, that it's important to focus your mind on one thing at a time, that being the thing you are doing at the time. Think only of that thing, for example, if you are eating, think only of eating. If you are driving, think only of driving. Don't let your mind dash ahead to the 100's of things you have to do in the day. If you are rushing or hurrying, those thoughts are actions based in fear, a negative emotion...LOA says you are attracting more bad things into your life as you do that. Tell yourself, "I have more than enough time!" If you are stuck in traffic or in a line waiting and feel impatient, use that time to create positive things in your mind and into your life. Picture yourself on a warm beach looking at the clear blue ocean with the perfect breeze on your face. You can feel as though you are really there, and it will relieve the stress and lift your spirits and make you smile.
When we fill our minds with creative beauty, and then do the same with our surroundings, we will be filled with joy and radiate that joy to those around us. Like Elder Eyring said, "We will then be an example of hope to those around us." We need that in this challenging world we now live in. Turn every life situation into positive ones, even if all you do is create it in your mind and feel it into existence!
Wrest happiness from the daily, hard stuff of your challenging and sometimes disappointing life. Build it into the repetitive, painful, discouraging moments. It is tiny changes of feelings and methods, knowledge, and attitude, and the will to be and feel in better ways. Happiness is not one big thing that comes and stays. Happiness is built into the moments of our lives. Look for those moments and thrive in them. As Jaroldeen Edwards would say, "Celebrate!" Find and build things into our lives to celebrate!
Create of your life a masterpiece!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Ask*Believe*Receive
Surprisingly, or not, this is part of the Law of Attraction in "The Secret." They say, all you have to do is ask the "universe"...then believe (nothing wavering), and then receive. Meaning, ask only once, believe and receive as though you have already received what you ask for. This might work for those who don't know God's truth the way I do. I do believe God desires to give us many things, and he tells us in many places in the scriptures to "ask, and it shall be given you." But I also know that God knows what is best for each of us. For me, "the car of my dreams" (which I actually don't need a car of my dreams because I love the car I have) or a big house, or a huge income, etc. might not be in my best interest...it may not be on my "mortal education agenda." However, I have put some time and thought into this concept. Maybe we don't have more of an abundance in our lives because we don't feel deserving of it, or we don't try hard enough to achieve it, or we just don't know how to accept such great things of God.
I had an experience after my first year of college. I needed a job in a college town, where, during the late 70's, it was extremely difficult to find a job in that town. I looked so young, and maybe didn't have quite enough job experience, or confidence in finding a job, or even a vehicle to get around to apply for a job. There were no computers in those days. But it was very important to me, so I decided to put my trust in the Lord to help me. I began to pray sincerely (perhaps I even fasted, but I don't remember that part). I do remember being on my knees and receiving the impression to read my scriptures. So, I began doing that daily. I continued to pray, and trust the Lord as best I could, even though I was still worried. A few weeks later I came to 2 Nephi 4:35 which reads "Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee my rock and mine everlasting God."
True faith entered my heart. I knew what I asked of God was not amiss, it was very important. Just a few days later, a miracle occurred. A job was laid open for me without even filling out a job application, and it was a wonderful job working in a big department store. I will be forever grateful for that experience as it has helped me greatly build upon my faith in the years since, and gave me a testimony of the importance of reading my scriptures.
The verse preceeding that verse says:
"O Lord, I have trusted in thee and I will trust in thee forever!" (2 Nephi 4:34) And that is exactly how I will feel to the end of my mortal existence and beyond!
In Matthew 7:7, 8, 11 it says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you....for everyone that asketh, receiveth....if ye know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask Him."
God knows the desires of our hearts, if they be righteous, or evil. But even the evil are often granted their heart's desires. They will have to stand accountable for their stewardship over God's gifts, just as the righteous will. If we desire righteous things, even wealth, and desire to do good with it, I believe God would grant it, if He thought it good.
However, one of the biggest messages given in the Book of Mormon is a warning about prosperity. God always prospered His people when they were righteous. But then His people would forget about Him in their prosperity, which led to pride, which led to destruction...even the ultimate destruction of two entire nations! I think praying for an abundant life is a righteous desire, as long as we are firmly planted in gospel soil, with an unwavering testimony--as long as we trust God in granting whatever abundance He sees fit to give us, and believing that we'll receive what is most needed. And as long as we are willing to use that wealth to benefit His purposes.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin talked about "the abundant life" in April 2006 General Conference. As in the book "The Secret," wealth and abundance is a whole lot more than just having lots of money, an big home, a nice car. Wealth and abundance is wrapped up in all things good: love, joy, peace, truth, health, relationships, talents, etc. God has given all of us gifts that can bless the world around us, and those we associate with.
Elder Wirthlin said, "The abundant life does not come to us packaged and ready-made. It’s not something we can order and expect to find delivered with the afternoon mail. It does not come without hardship or sorrow. It comes through faith, hope, and charity. And it comes to those who, in spite of hardship and sorrow, understand the words of one writer who said, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” (Albert Camus) The abundant life isn’t something we arrive at. Rather, it is a magnificent journey that began long, long ages ago and will never, never end....Our search for the abundant life is cloaked not only in the robes of this mortal clay; its true end can only be comprehended from the perspective of the eternities that stretch infinitely before us."
I do believe a lot of spiritual growth can be had in asking and believing.
As thou hast believed, so it shall be done. -Matthew 8:13
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. -Matt 21:22
Be not afraid, only believe. -Matt 5:36
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. -Mark 9:23
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. -Mark 9:24
I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. - Mark 11:24
Believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Cor. 12:7
Then receive. With thankful hearts. Feel good about what God wants to give you. Recognize and acknowledge all His gifts.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. -James 1:17
A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. -John 3:27 (does that sound like coming from the Universe, as the LOA states?)
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss. -James 4:3
When anyone obtains anything from God, it is by obedience to the law on which that blessing is predicated. (D&C 130:21)
LOA: "Inspired action is sometimes required, but it's effortless, like floating down a river with the current. If you try too hard, it will feel like swimming against the current and doesn't work."
Of course, as a Latter-day Saint, I know God does require action of us. Faith, without works is dead. (James 2:26) But I can see how the LOA comes into play. The more good we DO, the more good that comes our way, and the more we feel good! It rings truth, that what we send out, as thoughts and feelings, does come back to us, multiplied! We know service brings us the greatest joys, why? Because we lose ourselves in the service of others--our old self, our selfish self.
In the end, I believe that the only way to "ask, believe, and receive" is as we align our will with God's will and are submissive to what He wants us to do...then the blessings and abundance will be ours, clear into the eternities.
I had an experience after my first year of college. I needed a job in a college town, where, during the late 70's, it was extremely difficult to find a job in that town. I looked so young, and maybe didn't have quite enough job experience, or confidence in finding a job, or even a vehicle to get around to apply for a job. There were no computers in those days. But it was very important to me, so I decided to put my trust in the Lord to help me. I began to pray sincerely (perhaps I even fasted, but I don't remember that part). I do remember being on my knees and receiving the impression to read my scriptures. So, I began doing that daily. I continued to pray, and trust the Lord as best I could, even though I was still worried. A few weeks later I came to 2 Nephi 4:35 which reads "Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee my rock and mine everlasting God."
True faith entered my heart. I knew what I asked of God was not amiss, it was very important. Just a few days later, a miracle occurred. A job was laid open for me without even filling out a job application, and it was a wonderful job working in a big department store. I will be forever grateful for that experience as it has helped me greatly build upon my faith in the years since, and gave me a testimony of the importance of reading my scriptures.
The verse preceeding that verse says:
"O Lord, I have trusted in thee and I will trust in thee forever!" (2 Nephi 4:34) And that is exactly how I will feel to the end of my mortal existence and beyond!
In Matthew 7:7, 8, 11 it says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you....for everyone that asketh, receiveth....if ye know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask Him."
God knows the desires of our hearts, if they be righteous, or evil. But even the evil are often granted their heart's desires. They will have to stand accountable for their stewardship over God's gifts, just as the righteous will. If we desire righteous things, even wealth, and desire to do good with it, I believe God would grant it, if He thought it good.
However, one of the biggest messages given in the Book of Mormon is a warning about prosperity. God always prospered His people when they were righteous. But then His people would forget about Him in their prosperity, which led to pride, which led to destruction...even the ultimate destruction of two entire nations! I think praying for an abundant life is a righteous desire, as long as we are firmly planted in gospel soil, with an unwavering testimony--as long as we trust God in granting whatever abundance He sees fit to give us, and believing that we'll receive what is most needed. And as long as we are willing to use that wealth to benefit His purposes.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin talked about "the abundant life" in April 2006 General Conference. As in the book "The Secret," wealth and abundance is a whole lot more than just having lots of money, an big home, a nice car. Wealth and abundance is wrapped up in all things good: love, joy, peace, truth, health, relationships, talents, etc. God has given all of us gifts that can bless the world around us, and those we associate with.
Elder Wirthlin said, "The abundant life does not come to us packaged and ready-made. It’s not something we can order and expect to find delivered with the afternoon mail. It does not come without hardship or sorrow. It comes through faith, hope, and charity. And it comes to those who, in spite of hardship and sorrow, understand the words of one writer who said, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” (Albert Camus) The abundant life isn’t something we arrive at. Rather, it is a magnificent journey that began long, long ages ago and will never, never end....Our search for the abundant life is cloaked not only in the robes of this mortal clay; its true end can only be comprehended from the perspective of the eternities that stretch infinitely before us."
I do believe a lot of spiritual growth can be had in asking and believing.
As thou hast believed, so it shall be done. -Matthew 8:13
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. -Matt 21:22
Be not afraid, only believe. -Matt 5:36
If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. -Mark 9:23
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. -Mark 9:24
I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. - Mark 11:24
Believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Cor. 12:7
Then receive. With thankful hearts. Feel good about what God wants to give you. Recognize and acknowledge all His gifts.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. -James 1:17
A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. -John 3:27 (does that sound like coming from the Universe, as the LOA states?)
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss. -James 4:3
When anyone obtains anything from God, it is by obedience to the law on which that blessing is predicated. (D&C 130:21)
LOA: "Inspired action is sometimes required, but it's effortless, like floating down a river with the current. If you try too hard, it will feel like swimming against the current and doesn't work."
Of course, as a Latter-day Saint, I know God does require action of us. Faith, without works is dead. (James 2:26) But I can see how the LOA comes into play. The more good we DO, the more good that comes our way, and the more we feel good! It rings truth, that what we send out, as thoughts and feelings, does come back to us, multiplied! We know service brings us the greatest joys, why? Because we lose ourselves in the service of others--our old self, our selfish self.
In the end, I believe that the only way to "ask, believe, and receive" is as we align our will with God's will and are submissive to what He wants us to do...then the blessings and abundance will be ours, clear into the eternities.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a huge part of living the Law of Attraction. Simply put, Forgiveness Heals.
LOA: If you go back over your life and focus on the difficulties from the past, you are just bringing more difficult circumstances to You now. Let it all go, no matter what it is. Do it for you. If you hold a grudge or blame someone for something in the past, you are only harming You. You are the only one who can create the life you deserve. As you deliberately focus on what you want, as you begin to radiate good feelings, the law of attraction will respond. All you have to do is make a start, and as you do, you will unleash the magic.
C.S. Lewis said, "Not forgiving makes the worst in us worst."
Forgiveness in our hearts invites love/charity...and remember, LOVE is the greatest force in the world, even in the universe, and power in the Law of Attraction....it is literally the Law of Love.
"If we carry past wrongs chained to our minds and spirits we, like Marley's ghost, cannot be free or happy. We have not truly forgiven until we truly forget. Believe that the Lord will make everything right and fair when we all come to the bar. Perfect love castesth out all fear, hate, envy, pain. True love lets others grow beyond the past and remembers it no more." -Jaroldeen Edwards
I was listening to Elder Neil L. Anderson's talk last night "Repent...That I May Heal You." It is so fitting to all of these thoughts and feelings and things I am learning. He talked about how sometimes we can never forget the things that we do wrong, even when we repent. Then comes the need to forgive ourselves. He said sometimes the Lord lets us keep those things as a reminder to never go back and repeat those same mistakes again. But if we can truly forget the mistakes of ourselves and others, how blessed are we?
I had an experience years ago where some harsh words were given, because a circumstance was understandably misjudged. A friend with me said, "Just forget about it." I didn't at the time, and made matters worse by expressing my views on the matter to the "offender"....then I ended up suffering worse for a longer amount of time, wishing I had not said what I did. Wishing so bad I had just taken the advise to just forget it. I've never forgotten that experience.
Forgive and forget quickly and save yourself a whole lot of heartache and suffering. Drop it like a hot poker!
"Unforgiveness leads to increased suffering..it is lethal. It lodges in our minds, hearts, cells, and souls and wreaks havoc, causing more mental, emotional, physical and spiritual pain and agony than even the initial sin brought about. We must forgive in our hearts (that's deepness), even a change of heart. It's not easy, it won't happen overnight, but it's possible. The Lord has commanded us, and He will make a way." -Wendy Watson Neilsen
"Anything we can change, we should change, and we must forgive all the rest." -Jeffery R. Holland
Joseph Smith said, "If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another."
Forgiveness allows us to be set free from the endless cycle of pain, anger, and recrimination (mutual blame with respect to the other) that keeps us imprisoned in our own suffering.
"He who will not forgive others breaks down the bridge over which he, too, must cross." -Spencer W. Kimball
"Just an expression of the desire to forgive is of the very substance of repentance. It may not be easy and it may not come quickly. But when it is sought with sincerity and cultivated it will come. The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. " -Gordon B. Hinckley
"Look not sorrowfully into the past, it comes not back again. Wisely improve the present, it is thine." -Ann Madson
The Lord told us to forgive even seven times seventy. (D&C 98: 39-45) In Hebrew, the word seven is symbolic for complete, finished, perfect. God knew how important, in this mortal life, it would be to forgive and to do it often. Repentance and forgiveness go hand in hand. As I have struggled through my own mortal battles, recently, the thought came to me, "You must repent in order to more fully forgive." I've come to know this is true. Elder Anderson said in his talk that for some repentance is a one time thing, but for most (and that is most circumstances throughout our life) repentance is a journey. So is forgiveness. I know the Lord is merciful, and that he just wants us to try the best we can. As we turn to the Savior and apply the Atonement in our lives, we will find the way. He will make us able. He will make up the difference.
Forgiveness is for us. It brings us healing. It brings us peace. It brings the Spirit more fully in our lives. It brings love and happiness and helps us enjoy life at it's fullness.
LOA: If you go back over your life and focus on the difficulties from the past, you are just bringing more difficult circumstances to You now. Let it all go, no matter what it is. Do it for you. If you hold a grudge or blame someone for something in the past, you are only harming You. You are the only one who can create the life you deserve. As you deliberately focus on what you want, as you begin to radiate good feelings, the law of attraction will respond. All you have to do is make a start, and as you do, you will unleash the magic.
C.S. Lewis said, "Not forgiving makes the worst in us worst."
Forgiveness in our hearts invites love/charity...and remember, LOVE is the greatest force in the world, even in the universe, and power in the Law of Attraction....it is literally the Law of Love.
"If we carry past wrongs chained to our minds and spirits we, like Marley's ghost, cannot be free or happy. We have not truly forgiven until we truly forget. Believe that the Lord will make everything right and fair when we all come to the bar. Perfect love castesth out all fear, hate, envy, pain. True love lets others grow beyond the past and remembers it no more." -Jaroldeen Edwards
I was listening to Elder Neil L. Anderson's talk last night "Repent...That I May Heal You." It is so fitting to all of these thoughts and feelings and things I am learning. He talked about how sometimes we can never forget the things that we do wrong, even when we repent. Then comes the need to forgive ourselves. He said sometimes the Lord lets us keep those things as a reminder to never go back and repeat those same mistakes again. But if we can truly forget the mistakes of ourselves and others, how blessed are we?
I had an experience years ago where some harsh words were given, because a circumstance was understandably misjudged. A friend with me said, "Just forget about it." I didn't at the time, and made matters worse by expressing my views on the matter to the "offender"....then I ended up suffering worse for a longer amount of time, wishing I had not said what I did. Wishing so bad I had just taken the advise to just forget it. I've never forgotten that experience.
Forgive and forget quickly and save yourself a whole lot of heartache and suffering. Drop it like a hot poker!
"Unforgiveness leads to increased suffering..it is lethal. It lodges in our minds, hearts, cells, and souls and wreaks havoc, causing more mental, emotional, physical and spiritual pain and agony than even the initial sin brought about. We must forgive in our hearts (that's deepness), even a change of heart. It's not easy, it won't happen overnight, but it's possible. The Lord has commanded us, and He will make a way." -Wendy Watson Neilsen
"Anything we can change, we should change, and we must forgive all the rest." -Jeffery R. Holland
Joseph Smith said, "If you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another."
Forgiveness allows us to be set free from the endless cycle of pain, anger, and recrimination (mutual blame with respect to the other) that keeps us imprisoned in our own suffering.
"He who will not forgive others breaks down the bridge over which he, too, must cross." -Spencer W. Kimball
"Just an expression of the desire to forgive is of the very substance of repentance. It may not be easy and it may not come quickly. But when it is sought with sincerity and cultivated it will come. The willingness to forgive is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity. " -Gordon B. Hinckley
"Look not sorrowfully into the past, it comes not back again. Wisely improve the present, it is thine." -Ann Madson
The Lord told us to forgive even seven times seventy. (D&C 98: 39-45) In Hebrew, the word seven is symbolic for complete, finished, perfect. God knew how important, in this mortal life, it would be to forgive and to do it often. Repentance and forgiveness go hand in hand. As I have struggled through my own mortal battles, recently, the thought came to me, "You must repent in order to more fully forgive." I've come to know this is true. Elder Anderson said in his talk that for some repentance is a one time thing, but for most (and that is most circumstances throughout our life) repentance is a journey. So is forgiveness. I know the Lord is merciful, and that he just wants us to try the best we can. As we turn to the Savior and apply the Atonement in our lives, we will find the way. He will make us able. He will make up the difference.
Forgiveness is for us. It brings us healing. It brings us peace. It brings the Spirit more fully in our lives. It brings love and happiness and helps us enjoy life at it's fullness.
The Power of Love
The LOA could also be known as the Law of Love. It's the combination of THOUGHT and LOVE which forms the irresistible force of the Law of Attraction.
Love is the greatest emotion. Love is the greatest POWER in the Universe. Love is the first and greatest of God's commandments. God is that great power out there in the Universe that is sending back all that which we send out.
He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)
We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28)
That which is of God, inviteth and enticeth to do good continually. (Moroni 7:13)
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
LOA: The feeling of love is the highest frequency you can emit. If you could wrap every thought in love, if you could love everything and everyone, your life would be transformed.
"Real power does not lie in external forces, but in the heart." Chieko N. Okazaki
The great secret to love according to C.S. Lewis is this: "The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the greatest secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less...whenever we do good to another self, just because it is a self, made (like us) by God, and desiring it's own happiness as we desire ours, we shall have learned to love it a little more or, at least, to dislike it less."
Love will conquer all enemies. Love will quench fiery darts. Love will prevail. There is nothing more powerful.
"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?" Abraham Lincoln
LOA: If you think unkind thoughts about someone else, you will experience those unkind thoughts manifested. You cannot harm another with your thoughts, you only harm you. If you think thoughts of love, guess who receives the benefits--you! So if your predominant state is love, the Law of Attraction, or the Law of Love responds with the mightiest force because you are on the highest frequency possible. The greater the love you feel and emit, the greater the power you are harnessing.
"There is an eternal and fundamental principle inherent in all things, in every system of philosophy, in every religion and in every science. There is no getting away from the law of love. It is a feeling that imparts vitality to thought. Feeling is desire and desire is love. Thought impregnated with love becomes invincible." Charles Haanel (from The Secret pg. 39)
"If ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity which is the greatest of all...and it endureth forever, and whoso is found possesed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." (Moroni 7:46)
"Let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God...if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another...if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. ...For God is Love. ...There is no fear in love, for perfect love casteth out fear. ...We love Him, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:7-11, 19)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son... (John 3:16) Jesus Christ loved us so much that He was willing to pay the price for us. That is powerful love. Charity is the pure love of Christ.
"True Love is more than just a feeling. It is a deep unity maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace of God." C. S. Lewis
Faith operates by love. "Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity." Moroni 10:20-21)
"Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself (boasts of itself) and is not puffed up." (1 Corinthians 13:4)
"Love is the one trait, that if developed, will most improve our lives." -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
"Greatness is sincerely loving others with all your heart. True love, God's love, is the answer to all concerns. It fills the universe and should fill our lives and our thoughts and our actions. The universe is filled with His love." -Elder John. H. Groberg
"It is in love that we find ourselves, and everything that has meaning and worth." -Jaroldeen Edwards
"One thing will always secure heaven for us--the acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives. We can do no great things, only small things with great love." -Mother Teresa
LOA: To acquire love...fill yourself up with it until you become a magnet. Your ability to generate feelings of love is unlimited...Love everything you can. Love everyone you can. Focus only on things you love, feel love, and you will experience that love and joy coming back to you---multiplied!
As we learn to utilize and understand Jesus Christ's Atonement we are left to do nothing but love with pure love--that He gives us! He helps us with this love--it does not come naturally. It comes only as a gift that He gives us when we humble ourselves enough, work hard enough at understanding it, pray for it, and then live it!
"And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." (Colossians 3:14)
Love is the greatest emotion. Love is the greatest POWER in the Universe. Love is the first and greatest of God's commandments. God is that great power out there in the Universe that is sending back all that which we send out.
He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)
We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28)
That which is of God, inviteth and enticeth to do good continually. (Moroni 7:13)
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
LOA: The feeling of love is the highest frequency you can emit. If you could wrap every thought in love, if you could love everything and everyone, your life would be transformed.
"Real power does not lie in external forces, but in the heart." Chieko N. Okazaki
The great secret to love according to C.S. Lewis is this: "The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the greatest secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less...whenever we do good to another self, just because it is a self, made (like us) by God, and desiring it's own happiness as we desire ours, we shall have learned to love it a little more or, at least, to dislike it less."
Love will conquer all enemies. Love will quench fiery darts. Love will prevail. There is nothing more powerful.
"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?" Abraham Lincoln
"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."
(1 Peter 4:8) LOA: If you think unkind thoughts about someone else, you will experience those unkind thoughts manifested. You cannot harm another with your thoughts, you only harm you. If you think thoughts of love, guess who receives the benefits--you! So if your predominant state is love, the Law of Attraction, or the Law of Love responds with the mightiest force because you are on the highest frequency possible. The greater the love you feel and emit, the greater the power you are harnessing.
"There is an eternal and fundamental principle inherent in all things, in every system of philosophy, in every religion and in every science. There is no getting away from the law of love. It is a feeling that imparts vitality to thought. Feeling is desire and desire is love. Thought impregnated with love becomes invincible." Charles Haanel (from The Secret pg. 39)
"If ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity which is the greatest of all...and it endureth forever, and whoso is found possesed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." (Moroni 7:46)
"Let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God...if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another...if we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. ...For God is Love. ...There is no fear in love, for perfect love casteth out fear. ...We love Him, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:7-11, 19)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son... (John 3:16) Jesus Christ loved us so much that He was willing to pay the price for us. That is powerful love. Charity is the pure love of Christ.
"True Love is more than just a feeling. It is a deep unity maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace of God." C. S. Lewis
Faith operates by love. "Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity." Moroni 10:20-21)
"Charity suffereth long and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself (boasts of itself) and is not puffed up." (1 Corinthians 13:4)
"Love is the one trait, that if developed, will most improve our lives." -Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
"Greatness is sincerely loving others with all your heart. True love, God's love, is the answer to all concerns. It fills the universe and should fill our lives and our thoughts and our actions. The universe is filled with His love." -Elder John. H. Groberg
"It is in love that we find ourselves, and everything that has meaning and worth." -Jaroldeen Edwards
"One thing will always secure heaven for us--the acts of charity and kindness with which we have filled our lives. We can do no great things, only small things with great love." -Mother Teresa
LOA: To acquire love...fill yourself up with it until you become a magnet. Your ability to generate feelings of love is unlimited...Love everything you can. Love everyone you can. Focus only on things you love, feel love, and you will experience that love and joy coming back to you---multiplied!
As we learn to utilize and understand Jesus Christ's Atonement we are left to do nothing but love with pure love--that He gives us! He helps us with this love--it does not come naturally. It comes only as a gift that He gives us when we humble ourselves enough, work hard enough at understanding it, pray for it, and then live it!
"And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness." (Colossians 3:14)
Faith & The Power of the Mind
The Law of Attraction reminds me of faith. Perhaps that is why this has been so powerful for me.
"The law responds to your thoughts no matter what they may be. If you can think about what you want in your mind and make that your dominant thought, you will bring it into your life." The author says, "Quantum physicists tell us that the entire universe emerged from thought." (The Secret)
As a Latter-Day Saint, I know this is true. I know that Jesus Christ created this world through the power of his faith. However, I don't believe we have powers equal to Christ, nor will we, till after this life. But that's why we are here on earth, to gain our education, which is the knowledge that God has, and to choose God, Christ and good works. As we do this we begin to take on the attributes of Christ.
Elder Joseph B Wirthlin said, "Truly understood and properly practiced, faith is one of the grand and glorious powers of eternity. It is a force powerful beyond our comprehension. “Through faith … the worlds were framed by the word of God.” (Hebrews 11:33) Through faith, waters are parted, the sick are healed, the wicked silenced, and salvation made possible.
Our faith is the foundation upon which all our spiritual lives rest. It should be the most important resource of our lives. Faith is not so much something we believe; faith is something we live.
Remember the words of the Savior: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23) “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” (John 14:12)
What I understand is that, as human beings, we have a mind that can discern. And we can use our agency to CHOOSE our thoughts. In having this power to choose our thoughts it gives us the power to literally create the world around us. For example, when I'm suffering from depression, or having a down day, everything around me seems drab. I don't know if I even really see. Nothing around me feels good. But as I have been applying the LOA, even on days when I'm sure I would have been discouraged, I have turned my thoughts around. I started seeing things around me. I started feeling things around me. I bet each one of us could look upon a scene, let's say a painting, and "see" something different. The colors in the painting we love would stand out. The things in the painting we love would stand out. Even something we don't like might stand out more in our mind than in someone else. And what we see could all be based on what we are thinking and feeling at the time. If we are feeling bad, we might think it ugly. If we feel good, we might think it the most beautiful thing ever. Yet it is the same painting.
As I have been applying this way of positive thinking this past month, when my natural instinct wants to tell me I don't feel good, I just start saying to myself in my most enthusiastic way, "I feel GREAT! I feel WONDERFUL! I feel HAPPY! I am so blessed! My life is so great! And then my mind just takes off in the direction of all the great things that ARE in my life--and wow! What a profound difference! I used to could hardly bring a smile to my face (unless I really was having a good day) and one of the "shifters" they tell you to use is to smile to yourself for one full minute. Let me tell you, this is amazing! Before this book I'd been reading some other things that were psychology related, and one of them was the power of laughter. I've read in more than one place that your body cannot tell the difference between a fake laugh or a fake smile as opposed to a real one. There is a lot of good endorphins and chemistry that is released into your body when it knows you are happy and feeling good. So, give yourself a big treat and SMILE to yourself for a full minute several times a day. I am finding myself smiling more spontaneously now. Find more ways to incorporate laughter into your life! I'm surprised at how great I feel when I have found something to laugh at!
LOA says, "It has been scientifically proven that an affirmative thought is hundreds of times more powerful than a negative thought."
"The most important thing for you to know is that it is impossible to feel bad and at the same time be having good thoughts. That would defy the law, because your thoughts cause your feelings. If you are feeling bad, it is because you are thinking thoughts that are making you feel bad."
"The importance of feelings cannot be overstated. Your feelings are your greatest tool to help you create your life. Your thoughts are the primary cause of everything. Everything else you see and experience in this world is effect, and that includes your feelings. The cause is always your thoughts."
Ask yourself throughout the day: How am I feeling? Am I mad? Am I sad? Am I afraid? Am I glad? We can feel more than one emotion at a time. We might even be sad and glad at the same time. Try and shift your focus on being glad. (from Gary & Joy Lundberg's book "I Don't Have To Make Everything All Better")
Learn to recognize the bad feelings and get yourself on a feel good frequency. Bad feelings are depression, anger, resentment, guilt, hostility, being unkind, jealousy, discontent, rage, hurt, selfishness, hopelessness, defensiveness, blame, self-pity, complaining, withholding gratitude or praise when it could lift another, contention, justification, over-doing, taking ownership of others problems, fear, stress in any form, letting ourselves be provoked, thinking badly of our self or others, gossiping, backbiting, seething....I'm sure this list could go on and on. As you recognize these feelings, change the frequency. Get on a frequency of joy, love, peace, light, hope, and so on.
LOA says we are like a radio or television frequency. We can change the channel or choose the frequency we are on. If we choose a good frequency, good things will continue to come to us all day. It reminds me of Boyd K. Packer and his talk about our mind being a stage:
"During every waking moment the curtain is up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of your mind. Have you noticed that shady little thoughts may creep in from the wings and attract your attention in the middle of almost any performance and without any real intent on your part? These delinquent thoughts will try to upstage everybody. If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. You will be left, because you consented to it, to the influence of unrighteous thoughts. If you yield to them, they will enact for you on the stage of your mind anything to the limits of your toleration. They may enact themes of bitterness, jealousy, or hatred. They may be vulgar, immoral, even depraved. When they have the stage, if you let them, they will devise the most clever persuasions to hold your attention. They can make it interesting all right; even convince you that they are innocent, for they are but thoughts. What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking, whether they be the gray ones that seem almost clean or the filthy ones that leave no room for doubt? If you can fill your mind with clean and constructive thoughts, then there will be no room for these persistent imps, and they will leave."
President Packer has counseled us to sing a hymn in our mind, or recite a scripture we have memorized. Putting on wholesome, uplifting music can drive any bad thoughts and feelings away.
LOA says, Think of yourself as a magnet. Whatever you think, is drawn to you like a magnet. If you're thinking about how angry you are at someone, you will draw more situations like that into your life. If you are thinking, I don't want to be late, I don't want to be late. You are attracting the situation of being late just because that is what you are thinking. Adding "I don't" before something, or anything that makes it negative, does not cancel the negativity. If one thing goes wrong first thing in the morning and you think your day is going bad, you are going to continue to attract bad things to happen to you all day. One shift in thought (from negative to positive) can literally change your whole day.
Whatever our life is right now, it's a compilation of our life's experiences, the images we've seen, the thoughts we have thought, the feelings we have felt. Sometimes the bad experiences of life take over and obscure the good in our life so that we don't see it so well anymore. But whatever "thought" has done in your life, it can be undone through a shift in your awareness. You can erase previous thoughts by replacing them with good thoughts. The more you can feel good, the more you will attract thoughts that bring you higher and higher.
President James E. Faust said, "The power to change is very real, and it's a great spiritual gift."
Elder John H. Groberg said, "Sometimes when things aren't going right, we think we need to get away from a place or a person. Sometimes that helps, but most of the time what we need is to get away from our old self and our selfish feelings. We can leave a place behind, or we can stay in that place and leave our selfishness (feeling sorry for ourselves) behind. If we leave a place and take our selfishness with us, the cycle of problems start all over again no matter where we go. But if we leave our selfishness behind, no matter where we are, things start to improve." (In The Eye of the Storm pg. 39)
LOA SAYS, "Even if you're having a really hard time in a relationship---things aren't working, you're not getting along, someone's in your face--you still can turn that relationship around."
Our thoughts influence our environment.
Your mind is a cupboard. You stock the shelves.
"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse." -Jeffery R. Holland
Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. (D&C 6:36)
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Ether 12:6 ...dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith....if there be no faith....God can do no miracle among them...
Moroni 7 ...I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing...it is by faith....as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you....For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens...unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness...And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
God wants us to have a good and an abundant life. He wants us to be happy. However, his blessings are contingent on our good works and on our keeping his commandments, especially for those of us who have the truth and know what we need to be doing.
I also thought this counsel from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was important: "...one’s faith should be consistent with the will of our Heavenly Father, including His laws of nature. The sparrow flying into a hurricane may believe that he can successfully navigate the storm, but the unforgiving natural law will convince him otherwise in the end.
Are we wiser than the sparrow? Often what passes for faith in this world is little more than gullibility. It is distressing to see how eager some people are to embrace fads and theories while rejecting or giving less credence and attention to the everlasting principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is distressing how eagerly some rush into foolish or unethical behavior, believing that God will somehow deliver them from the inevitable tragic consequences of their actions. They even go so far as to ask for the blessings of heaven, knowing in their hearts that what they do is contrary to the will of our Father in Heaven."
I'm grateful for his wise counsel. The LOA could be considered as a fad or theory....there is certainly plenty in there that I don't agree with, because it cannot apply to me as a Latter-Day Saint who holds the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my hands. But as I have prayerfully studied it, and gleaned from it the truths they have found, and added the truths from the scriptures and the words of the living prophets, I really do feel like this book was put in my path to help me. It has been a huge blessing. It has reinforced all the things God has been trying to teach me, but has unlocked to me the power of finally knowing how to apply it and improve my life, without changing anything, except to eliminate negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking. I'm still stunned by how much power Satan's darkness can have over us even when we are living to the very best of our ability.
But then again, that is precisely why Satan is hovering over you--because he knows the power you will have when you live a righteous life and help others to do the same.
"The law responds to your thoughts no matter what they may be. If you can think about what you want in your mind and make that your dominant thought, you will bring it into your life." The author says, "Quantum physicists tell us that the entire universe emerged from thought." (The Secret)
As a Latter-Day Saint, I know this is true. I know that Jesus Christ created this world through the power of his faith. However, I don't believe we have powers equal to Christ, nor will we, till after this life. But that's why we are here on earth, to gain our education, which is the knowledge that God has, and to choose God, Christ and good works. As we do this we begin to take on the attributes of Christ.
Elder Joseph B Wirthlin said, "Truly understood and properly practiced, faith is one of the grand and glorious powers of eternity. It is a force powerful beyond our comprehension. “Through faith … the worlds were framed by the word of God.” (Hebrews 11:33) Through faith, waters are parted, the sick are healed, the wicked silenced, and salvation made possible.
Our faith is the foundation upon which all our spiritual lives rest. It should be the most important resource of our lives. Faith is not so much something we believe; faith is something we live.
Remember the words of the Savior: “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23) “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” (John 14:12)
What I understand is that, as human beings, we have a mind that can discern. And we can use our agency to CHOOSE our thoughts. In having this power to choose our thoughts it gives us the power to literally create the world around us. For example, when I'm suffering from depression, or having a down day, everything around me seems drab. I don't know if I even really see. Nothing around me feels good. But as I have been applying the LOA, even on days when I'm sure I would have been discouraged, I have turned my thoughts around. I started seeing things around me. I started feeling things around me. I bet each one of us could look upon a scene, let's say a painting, and "see" something different. The colors in the painting we love would stand out. The things in the painting we love would stand out. Even something we don't like might stand out more in our mind than in someone else. And what we see could all be based on what we are thinking and feeling at the time. If we are feeling bad, we might think it ugly. If we feel good, we might think it the most beautiful thing ever. Yet it is the same painting.
As I have been applying this way of positive thinking this past month, when my natural instinct wants to tell me I don't feel good, I just start saying to myself in my most enthusiastic way, "I feel GREAT! I feel WONDERFUL! I feel HAPPY! I am so blessed! My life is so great! And then my mind just takes off in the direction of all the great things that ARE in my life--and wow! What a profound difference! I used to could hardly bring a smile to my face (unless I really was having a good day) and one of the "shifters" they tell you to use is to smile to yourself for one full minute. Let me tell you, this is amazing! Before this book I'd been reading some other things that were psychology related, and one of them was the power of laughter. I've read in more than one place that your body cannot tell the difference between a fake laugh or a fake smile as opposed to a real one. There is a lot of good endorphins and chemistry that is released into your body when it knows you are happy and feeling good. So, give yourself a big treat and SMILE to yourself for a full minute several times a day. I am finding myself smiling more spontaneously now. Find more ways to incorporate laughter into your life! I'm surprised at how great I feel when I have found something to laugh at!
LOA says, "It has been scientifically proven that an affirmative thought is hundreds of times more powerful than a negative thought."
"The most important thing for you to know is that it is impossible to feel bad and at the same time be having good thoughts. That would defy the law, because your thoughts cause your feelings. If you are feeling bad, it is because you are thinking thoughts that are making you feel bad."
"The importance of feelings cannot be overstated. Your feelings are your greatest tool to help you create your life. Your thoughts are the primary cause of everything. Everything else you see and experience in this world is effect, and that includes your feelings. The cause is always your thoughts."
Ask yourself throughout the day: How am I feeling? Am I mad? Am I sad? Am I afraid? Am I glad? We can feel more than one emotion at a time. We might even be sad and glad at the same time. Try and shift your focus on being glad. (from Gary & Joy Lundberg's book "I Don't Have To Make Everything All Better")
Learn to recognize the bad feelings and get yourself on a feel good frequency. Bad feelings are depression, anger, resentment, guilt, hostility, being unkind, jealousy, discontent, rage, hurt, selfishness, hopelessness, defensiveness, blame, self-pity, complaining, withholding gratitude or praise when it could lift another, contention, justification, over-doing, taking ownership of others problems, fear, stress in any form, letting ourselves be provoked, thinking badly of our self or others, gossiping, backbiting, seething....I'm sure this list could go on and on. As you recognize these feelings, change the frequency. Get on a frequency of joy, love, peace, light, hope, and so on.
LOA says we are like a radio or television frequency. We can change the channel or choose the frequency we are on. If we choose a good frequency, good things will continue to come to us all day. It reminds me of Boyd K. Packer and his talk about our mind being a stage:
"During every waking moment the curtain is up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of your mind. Have you noticed that shady little thoughts may creep in from the wings and attract your attention in the middle of almost any performance and without any real intent on your part? These delinquent thoughts will try to upstage everybody. If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. You will be left, because you consented to it, to the influence of unrighteous thoughts. If you yield to them, they will enact for you on the stage of your mind anything to the limits of your toleration. They may enact themes of bitterness, jealousy, or hatred. They may be vulgar, immoral, even depraved. When they have the stage, if you let them, they will devise the most clever persuasions to hold your attention. They can make it interesting all right; even convince you that they are innocent, for they are but thoughts. What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking, whether they be the gray ones that seem almost clean or the filthy ones that leave no room for doubt? If you can fill your mind with clean and constructive thoughts, then there will be no room for these persistent imps, and they will leave."
President Packer has counseled us to sing a hymn in our mind, or recite a scripture we have memorized. Putting on wholesome, uplifting music can drive any bad thoughts and feelings away.
LOA says, Think of yourself as a magnet. Whatever you think, is drawn to you like a magnet. If you're thinking about how angry you are at someone, you will draw more situations like that into your life. If you are thinking, I don't want to be late, I don't want to be late. You are attracting the situation of being late just because that is what you are thinking. Adding "I don't" before something, or anything that makes it negative, does not cancel the negativity. If one thing goes wrong first thing in the morning and you think your day is going bad, you are going to continue to attract bad things to happen to you all day. One shift in thought (from negative to positive) can literally change your whole day.
Whatever our life is right now, it's a compilation of our life's experiences, the images we've seen, the thoughts we have thought, the feelings we have felt. Sometimes the bad experiences of life take over and obscure the good in our life so that we don't see it so well anymore. But whatever "thought" has done in your life, it can be undone through a shift in your awareness. You can erase previous thoughts by replacing them with good thoughts. The more you can feel good, the more you will attract thoughts that bring you higher and higher.
President James E. Faust said, "The power to change is very real, and it's a great spiritual gift."
Elder John H. Groberg said, "Sometimes when things aren't going right, we think we need to get away from a place or a person. Sometimes that helps, but most of the time what we need is to get away from our old self and our selfish feelings. We can leave a place behind, or we can stay in that place and leave our selfishness (feeling sorry for ourselves) behind. If we leave a place and take our selfishness with us, the cycle of problems start all over again no matter where we go. But if we leave our selfishness behind, no matter where we are, things start to improve." (In The Eye of the Storm pg. 39)
LOA SAYS, "Even if you're having a really hard time in a relationship---things aren't working, you're not getting along, someone's in your face--you still can turn that relationship around."
Our thoughts influence our environment.
Your mind is a cupboard. You stock the shelves.
"No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse." -Jeffery R. Holland
Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. (D&C 6:36)
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Ether 12:6 ...dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith....if there be no faith....God can do no miracle among them...
Moroni 7 ...I will tell you the way whereby ye may lay hold on every good thing...it is by faith....as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you....For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens...unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness...And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
God wants us to have a good and an abundant life. He wants us to be happy. However, his blessings are contingent on our good works and on our keeping his commandments, especially for those of us who have the truth and know what we need to be doing.
I also thought this counsel from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was important: "...one’s faith should be consistent with the will of our Heavenly Father, including His laws of nature. The sparrow flying into a hurricane may believe that he can successfully navigate the storm, but the unforgiving natural law will convince him otherwise in the end.
Are we wiser than the sparrow? Often what passes for faith in this world is little more than gullibility. It is distressing to see how eager some people are to embrace fads and theories while rejecting or giving less credence and attention to the everlasting principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is distressing how eagerly some rush into foolish or unethical behavior, believing that God will somehow deliver them from the inevitable tragic consequences of their actions. They even go so far as to ask for the blessings of heaven, knowing in their hearts that what they do is contrary to the will of our Father in Heaven."
I'm grateful for his wise counsel. The LOA could be considered as a fad or theory....there is certainly plenty in there that I don't agree with, because it cannot apply to me as a Latter-Day Saint who holds the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ in my hands. But as I have prayerfully studied it, and gleaned from it the truths they have found, and added the truths from the scriptures and the words of the living prophets, I really do feel like this book was put in my path to help me. It has been a huge blessing. It has reinforced all the things God has been trying to teach me, but has unlocked to me the power of finally knowing how to apply it and improve my life, without changing anything, except to eliminate negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking. I'm still stunned by how much power Satan's darkness can have over us even when we are living to the very best of our ability.
But then again, that is precisely why Satan is hovering over you--because he knows the power you will have when you live a righteous life and help others to do the same.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
