A few weeks ago, I tuned in to a lil somethin somethin called General Conference. As a member of the LDS church, I believe that God has called and given authority to men again in these days as prophets and apostles—exactly like Moses or Paul of olden times. Two times a year, we get to hear them speak on a variety of subjects. I consider these messages to be divinely inspired and the counsel of God to the earth as a whole, delivered through those appointed to do so—exactly as was done in the times of Moses or Paul. Given my stance on the situation, this is a big event for me and I look forward to it every six months.
One of the biggest reasons is because of another important facet of my faith: I believe that we are all literally children of God. I also believe that as such, we inherently possess the ability to communicate directly with Him. Hand-in-hand with this statement comes the logical inference and empowering reality that He, too, may communicate directly with us. In other words, we have the ability to receive inspiration individually regarding things we need to know in our separate and personal lives. This is my favorite part of General Conference: Though the messages go out to all of us as a collective and are generally applicable, personal inspiration seems to come more readily as we prepare to heed the counsel of the Lord through his appointed servants.
This General Conference, I learned several things, but I will focus on what was most pertinent for me:
We’ve all heard the old adage of ‘taking the bull by the horns.’ It’s an idiom that refers to taking charge or taking control of a difficult situation. It’s also good to remember that it’s just an idiom, and any horn grabbing should only be done metaphorically. At this point in my life, I have a decent list of responsibilities that I must tend to, as well as interests and goals that I wish to achieve. If I were to plan them out and do them, I could easily fill most days without a minute to spare. At this point in my life, I have also found myself to be quite ADD. Despite all the things I need to be doing and/or worrying about, I find myself not/naught. We join our hero in this predicament at the onset of General Conference...
One talk that was given was by a man named Ian S. Ardern. It was titled A Time to Prepare. The entirety of the talk was focused on the value of our time and the importance of using it to do things of significance. He warned of the dangers of wasting time and suggested ways that one can better make use of it. Later on in the conference, there was a speaker that said something that really stuck out to me. To be honest, I don’t even remember who it was or what they were talking about. They simply taught that living the kind of life we want to live is never easy. It requires constant hard work.
This was a very Duh moment for me. Those are two things that are probably pretty obvious to pretty much anyone. But sometimes I think we get in mental ruts where we get so focused on shtuff that we don’t recognize basic problems when they glare us obviously in the face. Or at least I do. Often. Despite the logical simplicity of the concept, I don’t think that my anterior mentality was in congruence with what superficially seemed so simple. I felt like I had just been coasting along for some time, doing what I needed to be doing as long as it was easy and convenient. But I had been neglecting to push myself to do what required more, both in the way of sacrifice and of myself personally. The experience was a pretty powerful one for me. Not only did I finally realize what I needed to know, but I realized it with some oomph. Some gusto. Some chutzpah. Some hair on its chest. And I think that put some on mine. The feeling that I needed to make this change struck me deep down, and it’s almost as if while it was down there it awoke something. It lit a fire in me and under me.
One of the biggest reasons is because of another important facet of my faith: I believe that we are all literally children of God. I also believe that as such, we inherently possess the ability to communicate directly with Him. Hand-in-hand with this statement comes the logical inference and empowering reality that He, too, may communicate directly with us. In other words, we have the ability to receive inspiration individually regarding things we need to know in our separate and personal lives. This is my favorite part of General Conference: Though the messages go out to all of us as a collective and are generally applicable, personal inspiration seems to come more readily as we prepare to heed the counsel of the Lord through his appointed servants.
This General Conference, I learned several things, but I will focus on what was most pertinent for me:
We’ve all heard the old adage of ‘taking the bull by the horns.’ It’s an idiom that refers to taking charge or taking control of a difficult situation. It’s also good to remember that it’s just an idiom, and any horn grabbing should only be done metaphorically. At this point in my life, I have a decent list of responsibilities that I must tend to, as well as interests and goals that I wish to achieve. If I were to plan them out and do them, I could easily fill most days without a minute to spare. At this point in my life, I have also found myself to be quite ADD. Despite all the things I need to be doing and/or worrying about, I find myself not/naught. We join our hero in this predicament at the onset of General Conference...
One talk that was given was by a man named Ian S. Ardern. It was titled A Time to Prepare. The entirety of the talk was focused on the value of our time and the importance of using it to do things of significance. He warned of the dangers of wasting time and suggested ways that one can better make use of it. Later on in the conference, there was a speaker that said something that really stuck out to me. To be honest, I don’t even remember who it was or what they were talking about. They simply taught that living the kind of life we want to live is never easy. It requires constant hard work.
This was a very Duh moment for me. Those are two things that are probably pretty obvious to pretty much anyone. But sometimes I think we get in mental ruts where we get so focused on shtuff that we don’t recognize basic problems when they glare us obviously in the face. Or at least I do. Often. Despite the logical simplicity of the concept, I don’t think that my anterior mentality was in congruence with what superficially seemed so simple. I felt like I had just been coasting along for some time, doing what I needed to be doing as long as it was easy and convenient. But I had been neglecting to push myself to do what required more, both in the way of sacrifice and of myself personally. The experience was a pretty powerful one for me. Not only did I finally realize what I needed to know, but I realized it with some oomph. Some gusto. Some chutzpah. Some hair on its chest. And I think that put some on mine. The feeling that I needed to make this change struck me deep down, and it’s almost as if while it was down there it awoke something. It lit a fire in me and under me.
So I was able to immediately recognize something in my life that needed some good fixins. Luckily, I felt inspired regarding several things I could do to get the process started. I was also reminded that it wouldn’t be easy. I suppose that’s a given, though. Most things that are of worth require diligent effort to obtain.
So! Like I said previously, I have goals and ambitions just like any other little boy. I am currently trying to remember more readily what those are. As I focus on them, it helps me to both steer clear of things that will distract me and steer near the things that will point me in their direction. I’m trying to be more disciplined with my time and cut the proverbial fat. Speaking of, losing weight is another one of my goals. I had a thought recently that I don’t think I would do a lot of things I do if I were to determine beforehand whether or not those actions would build towards the achievement of goals I have set. That was a thought I don’t think I’d ever had before, and it really made me think hard about the real purpose behind my actions. You know. I hope that thought passes through my mind more often and I’m able to better regulate my actions by recognizing what they are leading me to become. Imagine what could come of such foresight put into practice.
Wish me luck! Yay Conference!
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