Have you been working on being deliberate? It is not easy. It takes effort, thought, and action.
I recently listened to tapes by Stephen Covey called 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families'. It was incredible! I would highly recommend it to everyone! Especially those with young families (although the information is good for anyone and everyone!) Some of the things he talked about I really needed reminded of.
We keep ourselves from our own happiness. Our happiness is determined by ourselves. We have been given agency to choose for ourselves. Do you choose happiness? Or do you choose stress, tension, strain, and annoyance?
Are you living your life? Or are you being lived? If you are living your life you are enjoying it, you are taking control and you are not allowing things to just 'happen' to you. You intentionally live the way you want to. For me that is interacting with my children, spouse, and family, and deepening my devotion to God. I want to live my life. I don't want to be lived by going through the motions and reacting to everything that happens to me. Start living the life you really want!
The things that matter most should never be put at the mercy of the things that matter least. I LOVE this one, probably because it is very applicable, because it is something that I struggle with. I am guilty of being on my phone more often than I should and when I do that I am sacrificing time, memories, and learning with my children. In all honesty, being on my phone matters least to me, but at times I seem to do it the most. That was really eye opening to me, that I am sacrificing what I really for what I really don't want. What things matter to you that are at the mercy of things that matter least?
Those are just a couple of the things that I really liked from those tapes (yes my car is old, yes I still have a cassette tape player, yes it still works, yes I use it frequently) (One time I was taking a Co-worker to get her car and she was very awed by the fact that I had a cassette tape player in my car that worked, and that I still used it.)
It takes effort to do these things, to live intentionally and deliberately. But it brings SO much more happiness! I have been incorporating what I have learned into my life and I am a changed person. I love my learning, growing, trying, and becoming better! I may be slow at transformation but I am transforming. Are you?
At least three times every day take a moment and ask yourself what is really important. Have the wisdom and the courage to build your life around your answer. -Dr. Lee Jampolsky
Are you enjoying your moments you have? Do you enjoy your life? Are you in tune with the Holy Spirit? Do you love your God? Do you enjoy your family? And the relationships of close friends? What is really important to you? What do you want most in life?
Sometimes it is nice to remember what we really want in life.For me, it is a close knit family of righteous disciples, with kids who trust and ask questions of me. I want to engage in intelligent and understanding conversations with many. I want to participate in many wholesome recreational activities with my family and friends, such as biking, hiking, camping, cross country skiing and many more wholesome activities. I want my kids to have good memories of me helping them learn and grow. I imagine being able to be there for those who need my help and knowing the right ways to help them. I imagine creating beautiful oasis with nature for others to enjoy and also enjoying God's creations. I imagine always having food prepared for extra people at our table and feeding many. I imagine meal times being a joyful time to discuss things that are going on in life. I imagine having a close relationship with my Savior and Redeemer and happily being an example of the believers (and non-believers).
I have dreams.
I have a lot of dreams.
And I hope you do to. What are your dreams? What do you really want?
We have to be deliberate in reaching our goals. We have to spend time working to get there. We have to put energy into things that will take us there, and dispose of energy that isn't getting us to where we want to be. Don't put your energy into things you don't want. Only put your energy into things that you do want.
I do want a righteous family and children.
I need to put energy into teaching my children the principles of righteousness and helping them understand the gospel. I need to happily fulfill my calling and be an example unto them.
I do want my kids to have good memories of me.
I need to do my best to enjoy moments with them and have that unconditional love that loves them regardless of the choice they make. Also, realizing that part of loving them is teaching them and properly disciplining them.
I do want to have an open house where people feel welcome to eat.
I need to learn to cook a variety of meals that taste good.
I do want a close relationship with my Savior and Redeemer.
I need to study my scriptures and His example and live like Him.
I do not want to be known as an in-attentive scroller that no one likes to really talk to because they are always on their phone or device.
If I don't want this I need to spend less time scrolling and more time on some of the items listed above.
I do not want to be so stressed that I don't enjoy my life.
I need to try different methods that help relive stress so that my panties aren't always in a wad.
Most of all I need to believe that I CAN that I have the power necessary to get where I want to be in life. No one can do it for me, and no one can do it for you. Only YOU CAN! Only you can take the the steps necessary to change yourself. If you are happy with yourself and the direction that you are going it makes it much easier to have desires to help others! One step at a time try to become deliberate in you life (this is a next phase in our Hands Free Journey but goes along great with what I have learned at Limitless) . Do things on purpose and mentally work on taking those negative thoughts out of your subconscious! It isn't easy work but it is worth it.
A while back I wrote a post about manifesto's that I was going to work on. There were ten positive thinking manifesto's that were mine and I was going to work on them. It didn't take me too long to figure out that ten was WAY to overwhelming. So bagged the ten and I went with one simple manifesto that I tell myself every time my subconscious pushes a negative thought my way and it is: 'I am thin, I am beautiful and I am in control.' I have been telling myself this every time I think that I am fat, ugly or out of control and over time it has made a HUGE difference in my life. I am fitting into my old clothes, I am more confident and I have more control over what I eat. I am not perfect at it but I keep trying and I have slowly improved in just the time of a few months. I even have felt that I can add another manifesto and it won't overwhelm me. So I have added 'I am a good wife and mother and I patiently teach my children values.' (The whole patient mother thing will take time but I am confident that if I keep trying I will make headway) I am just working on two manifesto's, and I had to work on one for sometime before I could add another one, but we can train our subconscious to work for us and not against us. Live Limitless! Live how your Creator designed you to live! Be Happy and find Joy in the Journey! I care about you and your progress and would love to hear how you are trying, learning and growing! We are in this thing called life together! Lets learn together and help each other out!
