More

If you are anything like me, you're probably always looking to the future, to better things and better times. You may think "I will be happier when _______ happens." When I have a bigger house, when I have a boyfriend, when I get that job, when I finally move to ______. You live in the future a bit. I am living in the future right now and honestly? Its depressing. If I could live in the future right now, I wouldn't even be here. I'd be living in New York, with my job/internship at a fashion house helping with the inspiration board that will turn into the SS16 collection. I wouldn't care if I had a boyfriend but I would love to have somebody to think about. I'd be making enough money to support myself. Because I would be surrounded by fashion junkies, I'd probably be eating healthier and as a result, feeling better. I would be in a super cool new church ward, full of beautiful New York singles. I hear the Wards there are awesome. I'd just be happier.

But how does any of this help my happiness now? Future planning? There is a quote I heard a while back and text to my uncle that says "If you're not now here, you're nowhere." If you don't live in the present, where do you live? I want to live NOW. And believe me, I am trying. My uncle shot back another quote that says, "He who looks outward, dreams. He who looks inward, awakens."

So I have my Big Plan of Happiness. I am praying, reading my scriptures, I truly believe that finding my spirituality right now will help me find the happiness I am looking for to live in the moment. And don't get me wrong, I am also looking for a new job right now and working on building relationships. But I keep trying to add things to my project. It feels like its not working! I want MORE! I always want more and I think this is a problem. How do I stay happy with what I have now? The answer is probably pretty textbook for most, I think I need to recognize what I have now. I also need to live in the moment more. I want to feel happy now. So maybe another resolution, find joy in all the small things.

I guess I am really happy about this Macbook I am using. I bought it like 5 years ago, but its actually really pretty still. And sleek. And its actually looking really sunny outside, and that drastically affects my day most days.

I'm going to focus. I actually feel better now. :)

M

Openness

I am finding it hard to give myself any check marks beside Openness on my resolutions chart. I want to learn how to be aware and listen to the council of others. This will help with learning Obedience. 

I was thinking this morning, and its not like I have spiritual, intriguing talks with people everyday that let me exercise this. So, I have resolved to start a "One-liner a day" journal where I will record something I find significant, everyday. It can be from the scriptures, after my 20 minute read, or I think I will follow a Quotes Page on Instagram or twitter.

Hopefully this works! I also have this perfect, pocket-sized moleskin book from chapters that I will keep with me in my purse to be able to record! I honestly just love hand writing, so carrying this with me will be motivational too! Plus, who doesn't love a good collection of good quotes? The more I think about this, the more excited I get.

So here it is to my revised resolution! Listen and record! Once a day!

M

Rules of Engagement

Last night, I got reaallllyyyy excited about this project and decided to look through some old Spiritual Thoughts that me and my brothers had shared back in September of last year. While I was reading, it dawned on me just how IMPORTANT it is to record everything! I have always been really good at recording. I love taking notes on things. People say, "You wont ever look at that again," but they are just so wrong! I reread my notes all of the time. It helps to have them when you need to write a talk for church or prepare a spiritual thought. I like having them to remember how spiritual I once was and to reclaim that Fire that is so evident underneath the writing. To be able to re-feel those precious moments of insight or sheer emotion is such a gift. And if I hadn't been recording, I wouldn't have found this gem I just came across from September 30, 2014! (Found Below).

I have resolved to make myself a very thought-out list of Rules and Truths that I will hold to and remember during this project. Things that are very singular to me, but that others may also find true for themselves. It will be a list to remind me of when my bad habits are creeping in and stopping me from my quest of fulfilling my Big Plan of Happiness!

Rules of Engagement:
1: Be grateful
2: Record, record, record
3: Do it now
4: Be present
5: Own it
6: Let go of offence and anger
7: Stop second-guessing yourself
8: Moderation in all things
9: Be honest with yourself
10: Enjoy the process

Big Truths:
Charity never faileth
What you put in is what you get out
You affect every one you come into contact with
There is an individual plan for all of us
Waking up early makes your day so much better
Laziness never was happiness
Distraction is the easiest adversity
Do good, feel good
By doing a little bit each day, you can get a lot accomplished
What you do everyday, matters more than what you do every once in a while
Messing up does not mean you need to start all over again
Ask and ye shall receive
All impressions of the Holy Ghost are small promptings of revelation
Your actions will shape your future
There is joy in tribulation
Obedience is the highest form of self-confidence
Enthusiasm is a social form of courage
People are often your angels
Forced obedience yields no enduring fruit

And to reiterate what my March Resolutions are for Mindfulness, I will list them below:
Pray in the a.m. and in the p.m.
Think prayerfully
20 minutes of scripture study
Say a small prayer before reading
Openness

And you know what else I have realized? This whole project is so much more fun, the more you put into it. Right now, I have hardly nicked the surface and yet, making these "Rules & Truths" lists has been so motivational! I am so much more excited about organizing and scheduling the different areas of spirituality that I will be focusing on. For a sneak peek I will tell you that in the coming months I will be looking to focus on Charity, Obedience, Relationships, Fellowship, and Keeping the spirit with me! Thats all for now. Look below to see the quote I wrote myself when I was more in-tune with my spirituality! This is just proof that I can get there again. :)

M

September 26, 2014

Hellooooo!! D&C 6:8 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, even as you desire of me so it shall be unto you; and if you desire, you shall be the means of doing much good in this generation.” Desire. This is something I have been thinking about lots. I have a firm testimony that if you lack desire, whether for the gospel, to follow teachings, to serve, to bring about much good, it is simply because you lack understanding. Once you are at a point of understanding the happiness and joy the gospel brings, but further, the truthfulness and importance of each teaching, once you understand the connectedness between the gospel, between this life and the next and have an understanding of what the true meaning of life is, your desire to wield good to all you come upon will explode. Your desire to achieve the state of happiness that can only come through Christ will explode. You will no longer need to try so hard to follow principles and won't think of the standards as “rules” or “hard to follow.” The desire continues to burn but the blessings continue to be tangible. It's the fruit of life. And if any of you lack understanding or lack wisdom, let him work his butt off and ask of God. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.