Week 7 - Enduring to the end!

This week we went to the beach. When I got in the water I remembered how much I love to catch the waves and feel the ocean water wash over me. As I got deeper I remember what my mom used to tell me when I was younger "don't go out alone.. always have someone with you". As I remembered this I thought it might be smarter to have my husband come out with me but he didn't want to go out as far as I was, so I decided to keep going because I was enjoying myself. The deeper I got, the closer I was to catching the waves but I could feel the current pulling me a lot stronger than before. I kept going out, but then there came a point when I didn't have any power over the current. It continued to pull me out into the ocean. I started to paddle my arms but it wasn't doing anything for me. I began to panic and was breathing hard. I started to cry because I was scared. In my moment of fear I called out to Heavenly Father to help me in some way to make it back to shore. Suddenly my body relaxed and I thought to do whatever it would take to catch the bigger waves to shore. For a while it wasn't working but as I kept going the waves finally started to take me in. As I got back to the shore I ran to my husband and hugged him and was just happy to be safe and in his arms.

There are many lessons you can take out of this little story. But, for this week in particular to relate to the things we read in class this week I take this as enduring to the end. As we go through this life sometimes we get too close to the edge. We make mistakes and ignore the voices in our head and the spirit telling us not to go a certain way. When we get sucked in and are facing trials and feel like we have lost control it is easy to be overwhelmed, scared, and lose hope trying. But, it is in that moment you need to turn to the lord the most and know that its never too late to turn your life around.

Its important to never forget that its never too late. I am grateful for the constant guidance that is there from a loving heavenly father and his prophet and apostles on the earth today. We are so blessed to have the gospel that can bring us up when we feel our lowest.

Week 6 - Habits that make or break you

This week brought all sorts of adventures into our life. We started a new school for the next two weeks for the company I work for, we had friends come from Utah to stay with us for the week, and ran into my first encounters with what it really means to have morning sickness. Oh boy! I must say I learned a lot about myself this week. I learned about what my breaking points were and also what habits I have created that have really changed me in both good and bad ways.

I enjoyed working at the school this week. The kids always bring a side out of me that can only come out when I am around them. Basically I just turn into a big goof ball and act like a giant kid. I particularly enjoyed this school more than others because they have a super cool system there. They have actually implemented the seven habits of highly effective people into everything that they do at that school. Each child has it memorized and they implement it in every subject. I found it perfectly fitting as we studied about this also in class this week. I was impressed to see that with that kind of structure the kids were behaved differently than at a regular school. The teachers were different as well. I found out that each week they anonymously pick someone and just say super nice things about them (a member of the faculty) and it gives them that affirmation that what they are doing is actually making some sort of a difference. The habits we create in the many environments we encounter every day really do make a difference.

As we housed our friends this week we had a blast! They have the cutest little baby and it made me really excited for when we have this baby and it was the best to see my husband play with her and be so cute with her (I think she had a crush on him haha). It also was a challenge as I faced a lot of sickness this week. I always get put in this super uncomfortable position when I want to be a really good host but I feel so sick. I had to kind of just put first things first and give myself a break and really not care that it might look like I am 'lazy'. Also being around them made me realize the things that we do as a family that I love and the things that I would like to change.

All in all I am super grateful and happy with the way our lives are. But of course there are always things to be improved and I just always want to remember that if you are stuck in some sort of habit you can always come out of it. It is easy to feel lazy when you don't feel good and justify certain things. But, I think it is important to get back up on the horse before its too late. A habit can make or break you. Good habits will continue to drive you forward and make you better, while bad habits can drag you down until it seems there is no life left. Always beware of what your habits are becoming and life will stay moving forward and staying happy :)

Week 5 - Knowing who you is what gives you direction

It is often easy to question the direction you are heading in life. Through out the different stages of our lives there are those moments we pause and ask 'is this really what I should be doing?'
As I have faced that question many times already in my life it always comes back to remembering who I am, where I came from, and where I want to end up. Sure, it sounds like the cliche mormon thing to say but I know that every time those things have been clear in my mind it has made it a lot easier to make decisions and know that what I was doing was right.

This week in class my thoughts on this were solidified as we read about self mastery. I think one of my favorite things about self mastery is knowing that when we are strong and pure ourselves and have control it is a lot easier to help others. The most important part of self mastery is continually repenting and reflecting on those things that you can do to be better. As we constantly reflect on these things we are able to reach self mastery. Not because we are perfect but because we are continually trying to be perfected through christ. When we reach that point that is when life is truly happy.

I know who I am and I am very grateful for that. Every day I recognize there are things I struggle with and need to be better at. Thank goodness for a loving heavenly father to help me when I make those mistakes. Not to mention a supportive and loving husband who pushes me each and every day to be better. This to me is the most important thing about anything we do. If we don't understand this part of our lives we have lost it. It we think we have 'made it'.. we have lost it! Continual progression and striving for self mastery is what will bring us to true happiness!

Week 4 - Choosing Happiness Daily

So, I hadn't posted the exciting news last week because I haven't told all of my family yet but chances are they don't see this blog. If you are my family and you are reading this stop reading and give me a call! For the rest of you who are pretty much strangers to me, Last week I found out that I was pregnant! This whole week I haven't been able to focus on anything but that it seems. I am so overcome with joy and gratitude for this new opportunity to grow as a wife and new mother. It is such a miracle and I believe the thing that brings us true happiness in life.

While I studied for school this week in my entrepreneur class we learned about what success and happiness really mean when it comes to careers and the business world. In all honesty I don't have this huge passion to be an entrepreneur. What I do have a passion for is being a good mom and helping my husband to accomplish his goals and dreams and I think that is a different side of entrepreneurship. So, naturally as I was reading and doing our assignments I reflected on how all of this can make me a better mom and wife. I also contemplated job opportunities I could do at home and realized that having my own business from home would actually not be that bad of an idea :). So, what do ya know? Without even realizing it I am trying to fulfill some sort of business.

Honestly, having a family is hard work. I am just at the beginning of starting my own but I have seen the hard work my own family has put into being successful in our relationships as a family. It takes perseverance. It takes skill. It takes luck. It takes character. There isn't just one thing that leads you to be successful. It is a continual effort that eventually leads you to finding that success you have been working for.

I believe that if you want something bad enough... you will get it. For example, ever since I was a little girl I have always wanted to serve a mission, get married fairly young, and start a family. All of which have come true! My dreams are coming true. And it isn't because I am some crazy amazing person that is so successful. Its because I know what I want and what makes me happy and because of that I am able to work towards something and go out and grab what I want!

Happiest week :) Life is so good and I hope I can continue to find happiness and success in this life