A Solution to the Bog

Friends!

What a wonderful day! First off, my professor canceled class due to the snow, which gave me time to sit and write on the wonderful experiences of the past 24 hours.

It is amazing how the Lord answers our prayers. Thank you all for your wonderful answers to my prayers. I am in awe of the swiftness of this answer, however, because I know not all prayers are answered in a day--well, technically I'd been praying about this for weeks, but you get the picture. I've taken all of your comments to heart and am using them in this change of pace.

I want to post a video Doug left on my comment feed. It is taken from a talk by Elder Busche. I think it's important to see and internalize because it is true.

I also want to express gratitude for a person who knows me well enough to give me personal advice. You see, for those who work in education, you've probably familiarized yourself with the color personalities:

Stephen and I are both Blue personalities. We place high value on relationships with other people and we hate confrontation. However, in times of stress, your secondary color begins to strengthen and take the place of your primary color--just for that time. Well, as it turns out, Stephen and I both have Gold as our secondary colors. Yesterday, while talking to Stephen about my frustrations with not living up to my potential, I asked him, "What is something I could improve in my life that is manageable?"

I suggest everyone have someone in their lives who know them well enough that they can ask this question. I am grateful because in turn, Stephen told me what made him feel so good at the beginning of this semester was that he had gotten into a regiment. He said that waking up early, studying scriptures, going to school, then to Studio C, then DC, then doing homework with me, then going to bed at a decent hour was a great way to get things done and that the structure made him achieve more things and thus feel better about his contributions. Are some of you repulsed by this idea? You might be an Orange. Those of you nodding your heads-- you're probably a Gold.

So after Studio C rehearsal yesterday, I came home and decided to write up a schedule for the next few days that I could follow that would plug in everything I wanted to do (productive, spiritual, and social activities alike). This is what I came up with:

* = Can substitute for Stephen time 

Italicized = A one-time event 

To Do 

Finish thesis revision notes and turn into department head

As class was canceled today, I'm moving my blogging time to now.

I blanked the last column because it's not extremely necessary for you to know that list. (:

This has helped immensely. I'm making time for the things I want to improve on and setting it up in a way that I best respond to, but it may not be the best solution for everyone. For those of you who are heavy Blues, maybe a solution to your feelings of inadequacy would be to spend time with those who encourage you and serve serve serve (this is a good strategy anyway, but I know it would especially pierce Blues). For Oranges, perhaps you need to start a new project that helps you see your talents and how you can build up God's kingdom. For Greens, maybe scripture study is the fuel that drives you and you need to lay out some topics to study and ponder. These are surface answers, but I think this system is a great way to work with who we are-- Heavenly Father does.

At any rate, I think the key is working with what you've got. But that means you've got to work. As Lorenzo Snow said:

There must be a labor of mind, an exertion of those talents that God has given us; they must be put into exercise. Being enlightened by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, we may get those ideas and that intelligence and those blessings that are necessary to prepare us for the future, for the sceneries that are to come... We have to exert ourselves…. This remaining idle without putting ourselves into action is of no use; if we remain perfectly neutral, nothing is accomplished. Every principle that is revealed from the heavens is for our benefit, for our life, for our salvation and for our happiness.

So, first we must put in the work, then we will be enlightened by the Holy Ghost. It's just as Elder Busche mentions in the video above, "The greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do."

I am grateful for Heavenly Father's relationship with me. I'm grateful for His personalized methods of communication that can reach me, specifically, and strengthen my resolve as well as my confidence in my standing with Him. This life is a beautiful one, brothers and sisters, and whenever I come to re-realize that, it is because I see God a little more clearly in my life--in myself.