I am grateful for the gift to choose...

"Happiness, Your Heritage"

I was thinking of this talk given by President Uchtdorf awhile back at a Relief Society meeting. The night he addressed all the women of the Church, I was touched by the Spirit, especially by his words about "creating." Since that night, I have often thought about what he has said, and it has been a blessing and a help to me in my life. I wanted to repost a link to the whole talk, which is above, as well as the video that was made on "Mormon Messages."

Whenever I watch this video, it just fills me up with happiness and I always hear the smallest whisperings from the Spirit of how loved I am by my Heavenly Father...of how much I am like Him...and of how I can be MORE like Him as I strive to "create" within the walls of my home.

 There are many things in this world that can contribute to a woman feeling unhappy, lacking in self worth or confidance, discouraged, judged, feeling lost and uncertain, and there are many things in the world, if we allow them into our homes, minds, or hearts, can bring about negativity, loss of an eternal perspective, and frustrations.

Throughout my life, it has occured to me that I have control over what I allow into my life, my home, my mind and heart! I can dispell negative thoughts, I can ignore the worldy media, magazines, and views about what my body should look like, how I should dress, and what makes me of any worth. Instead of indulging in celebrity gossip and reality shows, I can read my scriptures, the Ensign, and good books. I can be more active today than I was yesterday, I can watch minimal television (because really, in my opinion, the more you watch, the more worldly influences affect you), and if I do watch t.v. I can choose shows that are good and uplifting. As parents, we often teach our kids this concept, and change the channel when something is on that we feel is inappropriate for our children, but we fail to apply the concept with ourselves. I am trying to be better about that...not that I watch t.v. much anyhow!

I can control what I choose to look up on the internet and how much time is spent online. Social networking is huge, and has become a great resource and asset to the lives of all people. But I think it is becoming an addiction too. We say to ourselves, "Oh, I will only be a few minutes" and we all know what really happens, right? It can take us away from what is more important. Awhile back, as I was doing nothing productive online, my kids were pulling at my pants, trying everything to get my attention. I kept brushing them off, "Just a minute bud, okay." or "We will do that soon, Anna, just be patient." The more they waited, the frustrations began to build, to a point where they were no longer happy and I was no longer happy. Did I really have a good reason to make them wait? No. The social network kept me from spending quality time with my children, time where I could have shared smiles and laughter, had teaching moments, and opportunities to just talk with my kids and play for a bit. When we make sacrafices to serve...even to build a Lego pirate ship with our 4 yr, old, our lives and our homes are improved upon.

The more I started recognizing when social networks and googling were taking me away from my kids, the more disgusted I felt about myself. And I started making changes. We can be bitter, or we can be better. (a friend of mine said once on Facebook...see it can be good for something!) My family and their needs always come first. If I am online and I am needed for any reason, I put the computer or iPad down. There is nothing to gain by putting off my children for a computer screen. Occasionally, I still have those days....but they are becoming less and less. (especially when you wait until naptime or bedtime...then you don't have the disruptions anyways)

Everyday involves choosing. Even deciding NOT to make a choice, is still a choice. (yeah, we've all heard that) If we notice that there are certain things that bring us down, then eliminate them from our lives. It is that easy. If we notice things that bring happiness and joy to our lives, then include those things in our lives more often! When I listen to uplifting music it makes me feel so much better. But there can be weeks that go by and I don't listen to anything! Making music more important will bring about blessings for me and my family. We are responsible for ourselves and our families. It's not about competing with Jane down the street, comparing our abilities, lives, children, and homes with those around us, it's about making better choices each day to bring about a home that is filled with the Spirit, and influenced by the Spirit.

I hope that the talk and the video (and not neccessarily my "rantings") makes your day go better, and I hope you can share with me, and others around you, what brings a greater happiness into your home and heart.