After reading The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs,who took on the daunting task of reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica from A to Z. I took on a challenge of my own: to read all of the Ensigns available online. And thus, this blog began.
For more info about this challenge and for a review of the above book see my first post.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
There are too many great articles written by the brethren to limit myself just to the Ensign articles so as I come across these talks that really speak to me I am going to blog about them too!
I stumbled on this address by Elder M. Russell Ballard entitled: Go for It ! while helping Josh prepare for a Sacrament meeting talk.
I often struggle to know how best to fulfill the expectations that I have for myself and even more importantly the expectations that the Lord has for me.
Elder Ballard recommends we strive to develop the characteristic of a "positive attitude". He says," I am a great believer that what you and I think about will ultimately come to pass....I believe if we think about what it takes to be successful long enough and if we are willing to discipline ourselves to the principle of success, we will experience success."
So right off, I see I need to repent! I struggle to maintain a positive attitude! And so far success has eluded me but I have hope! I am going to immerse myself in the word of God and I am going to study success and think success. Hopefully someday I will be successful at accomplishing the work the Lord has sent me here on earth to do. I am going to do my best from here on out to think about life in positive terms. Elder Ballard believes we can train ourselves to be positive thinkers! Vaughn will be grateful if I can really do this!
Goal setting is important. Says Elder Ballard,"if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life." I don't want to vege any more in this life! I want to set goals and slowly but surely become the person God wants me to become. I want to reach my full potential!
The first step in the goal setting process is to write the goals down and put them in a prominent place like on the bathroom mirror or on the fridge. Then we must practice personal self-discipline.
Elder Ballard quotes Benjamin N. Woodson who said:
"For my part, I have concluded that the quality which sets one man apart from another--the factor which lifts one man to every achievement to which he reasonably aspires while the other is caught in the slough of mediocrity for all the years of his life--is not talent, nor formal education, nor luck nor intellectual brilliance, but is rather the successful man's greater capacity for self-discipline."
I am rather weak in self-discipline, but oh, how I want to get out of the slough of mediocrity! I am going to try to make self-discipline a strength in my life! With Heavenly Father's help I am sure I can do it!
Mr. Woodson gives this advice:
"All you need to do is this: Beginning this very day, stop doing some one thing you know you should not do" Elder Ballard said: "After you have written this one thing down, stop doing it"
So what is that one thing that I know I should not do? I can actually think of a few things that I do that I know I shouldn't: I need to stop over eating! I need to stop wasting our money on soda and junk food! And I need to stop letting corrupt communications proceed out of my mouth!
Will I be able to do it? Or a month from now we I still be letting these same bad habits hold me back from being my best self?
No I am really going to do it! I am going to discipline myself and get these problems out of my life!
But I can't just stop there Mr Woodson says: I must "start doing each day one thing I know I should do!" And Elder Ballard agrees, "Write down one thing that you are going to start doing that you have been meaning to do for a long time but that you just haven't gotten around to."
What should I be doing each day to make myself a better person? I need to improve my prayers and be more consistent in my scripture study! I need to exercise each day: walking and strength training! And I need to take that money I am going to save from not drinking Diet Coke and so much junk food and actually save it!
If I actually make these changes and make this a regular practice I will start to fulfill the Savior's teaching when he said,"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48) Elder Ballard says, "Perfection is a process by which you and I learn to eliminate the things in life that are not good,and replace them with the things in life that are eternal in nature.
Let's do what Elder Ballard has taught! Let's go for our righteous goals! Let's pray for the inner strength to have the self-discipline that we will need to reach our goals! Let's have faith in God, faith in Jesus Christ, and faith in ourselves! Remember our ultimate goal is to inherit eternal life!
Remember we are trying to get to the celestial kingdom! Elder Ballard reminds us. Our "greatest thrust" should be to build upon the things of the Spirit. "We cannot ignore keeping the commandments of God. We cannot excuse ourselves or rationalize or justify even the smallest things in our lives that we need to master. We must work to overcome them. We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals that will lead to higher ground so that we can become what our Heavenly Father wants us to become."
This talk really hit home for me. I haven't been the greatest at setting and accomplishing goals but I am going to make it an important part of my life from here on out! I really do want to overcome, with the Lord's help, my weaknesses and be a master of my destiny. I am going to be what Heavenly Father wants me to become!
I stumbled on this address by Elder M. Russell Ballard entitled: Go for It ! while helping Josh prepare for a Sacrament meeting talk.
I often struggle to know how best to fulfill the expectations that I have for myself and even more importantly the expectations that the Lord has for me.
Elder Ballard recommends we strive to develop the characteristic of a "positive attitude". He says," I am a great believer that what you and I think about will ultimately come to pass....I believe if we think about what it takes to be successful long enough and if we are willing to discipline ourselves to the principle of success, we will experience success."
So right off, I see I need to repent! I struggle to maintain a positive attitude! And so far success has eluded me but I have hope! I am going to immerse myself in the word of God and I am going to study success and think success. Hopefully someday I will be successful at accomplishing the work the Lord has sent me here on earth to do. I am going to do my best from here on out to think about life in positive terms. Elder Ballard believes we can train ourselves to be positive thinkers! Vaughn will be grateful if I can really do this!
Goal setting is important. Says Elder Ballard,"if we don't set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life." I don't want to vege any more in this life! I want to set goals and slowly but surely become the person God wants me to become. I want to reach my full potential!
The first step in the goal setting process is to write the goals down and put them in a prominent place like on the bathroom mirror or on the fridge. Then we must practice personal self-discipline.
Elder Ballard quotes Benjamin N. Woodson who said:
"For my part, I have concluded that the quality which sets one man apart from another--the factor which lifts one man to every achievement to which he reasonably aspires while the other is caught in the slough of mediocrity for all the years of his life--is not talent, nor formal education, nor luck nor intellectual brilliance, but is rather the successful man's greater capacity for self-discipline."
I am rather weak in self-discipline, but oh, how I want to get out of the slough of mediocrity! I am going to try to make self-discipline a strength in my life! With Heavenly Father's help I am sure I can do it!
Mr. Woodson gives this advice:
"All you need to do is this: Beginning this very day, stop doing some one thing you know you should not do" Elder Ballard said: "After you have written this one thing down, stop doing it"
So what is that one thing that I know I should not do? I can actually think of a few things that I do that I know I shouldn't: I need to stop over eating! I need to stop wasting our money on soda and junk food! And I need to stop letting corrupt communications proceed out of my mouth!
Will I be able to do it? Or a month from now we I still be letting these same bad habits hold me back from being my best self?
No I am really going to do it! I am going to discipline myself and get these problems out of my life!
But I can't just stop there Mr Woodson says: I must "start doing each day one thing I know I should do!" And Elder Ballard agrees, "Write down one thing that you are going to start doing that you have been meaning to do for a long time but that you just haven't gotten around to."
What should I be doing each day to make myself a better person? I need to improve my prayers and be more consistent in my scripture study! I need to exercise each day: walking and strength training! And I need to take that money I am going to save from not drinking Diet Coke and so much junk food and actually save it!
If I actually make these changes and make this a regular practice I will start to fulfill the Savior's teaching when he said,"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48) Elder Ballard says, "Perfection is a process by which you and I learn to eliminate the things in life that are not good,and replace them with the things in life that are eternal in nature.
Let's do what Elder Ballard has taught! Let's go for our righteous goals! Let's pray for the inner strength to have the self-discipline that we will need to reach our goals! Let's have faith in God, faith in Jesus Christ, and faith in ourselves! Remember our ultimate goal is to inherit eternal life!
Remember we are trying to get to the celestial kingdom! Elder Ballard reminds us. Our "greatest thrust" should be to build upon the things of the Spirit. "We cannot ignore keeping the commandments of God. We cannot excuse ourselves or rationalize or justify even the smallest things in our lives that we need to master. We must work to overcome them. We can become the masters of our own destinies by practicing self-discipline and by setting worthy goals that will lead to higher ground so that we can become what our Heavenly Father wants us to become."
This talk really hit home for me. I haven't been the greatest at setting and accomplishing goals but I am going to make it an important part of my life from here on out! I really do want to overcome, with the Lord's help, my weaknesses and be a master of my destiny. I am going to be what Heavenly Father wants me to become!
Becoming a Better Teacher
This life is definitely not easy but the gospel of Jesus Christ can give us hope, and provide the key to happiness. Who wouldn't want that?! The key to happiness!
As Latter-day Saints we must rise to the challenge of these hard times by renewing our dedication to really know the gospel, live it, and teach it to others so we can all have this key to happiness!
The Church has four vital teaching forces: the Family Home Evening program, the seminary and institute programs, the Church schools, and the Church classroom.
Satan is doing all he can to undermine and destroy the family. Applying the gospel of Christ to family relations is the only way to stop Satan's destructiveness.
Seminary, Institute and Church schools are also very effective in teaching our children the gospel. According to the article 95% of those completing institute marry in the temple. (I wonder if this is still accurate?)
In the Church class room teachers are a great influence for good but have the responsibility of continually striving to be even better teachers in conjunction with the Spirit. Every teacher in the church must make the commitment to really teach.
At this time the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles had just created the Teacher Development Program which strives to combine teaching skills with spiritual principles.
As I ponder about the teachers of the church I think it is amazing how the Church takes ordinary members and trains them to become great gospel teachers. We all need to rededicate ourselves to improve as gospel teachers using the inspired Teacher Development Program that was introduced to the Church so many years ago. Now is the time to take advantage of this now not so new program. Now is the time to improve! This is how we defend ourselves and our children against the forces of Satan.
Hmm.... this causes me to reevaluate my performance as a gospel teacher especially in the home since I don't have a call to teach in the church class room at this time. Not more than an hour ago, Rebekah told Vaughn and I that we needed to make our Family Home Evenings more fun! Of course she was comparing what we do: a short lesson from The Friend supplemented with a family singing time to what her friends in primary said they do: Mason's family goes bowling and Lexie's family goes swimming! Yes, I can see where ours could be considered a little boring. I will have to see what I can do to remedy this. Unfortunately we won't be able to bowl or swim often but maybe if I spent some time planning and preparing for FHE I could make it more enjoyable, and more memorable for all of us. I am going to make FHE one of my priorities!
As Latter-day Saints we must rise to the challenge of these hard times by renewing our dedication to really know the gospel, live it, and teach it to others so we can all have this key to happiness!
The Church has four vital teaching forces: the Family Home Evening program, the seminary and institute programs, the Church schools, and the Church classroom.
Satan is doing all he can to undermine and destroy the family. Applying the gospel of Christ to family relations is the only way to stop Satan's destructiveness.
Seminary, Institute and Church schools are also very effective in teaching our children the gospel. According to the article 95% of those completing institute marry in the temple. (I wonder if this is still accurate?)
In the Church class room teachers are a great influence for good but have the responsibility of continually striving to be even better teachers in conjunction with the Spirit. Every teacher in the church must make the commitment to really teach.
At this time the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles had just created the Teacher Development Program which strives to combine teaching skills with spiritual principles.
As I ponder about the teachers of the church I think it is amazing how the Church takes ordinary members and trains them to become great gospel teachers. We all need to rededicate ourselves to improve as gospel teachers using the inspired Teacher Development Program that was introduced to the Church so many years ago. Now is the time to take advantage of this now not so new program. Now is the time to improve! This is how we defend ourselves and our children against the forces of Satan.
Hmm.... this causes me to reevaluate my performance as a gospel teacher especially in the home since I don't have a call to teach in the church class room at this time. Not more than an hour ago, Rebekah told Vaughn and I that we needed to make our Family Home Evenings more fun! Of course she was comparing what we do: a short lesson from The Friend supplemented with a family singing time to what her friends in primary said they do: Mason's family goes bowling and Lexie's family goes swimming! Yes, I can see where ours could be considered a little boring. I will have to see what I can do to remedy this. Unfortunately we won't be able to bowl or swim often but maybe if I spent some time planning and preparing for FHE I could make it more enjoyable, and more memorable for all of us. I am going to make FHE one of my priorities!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)