ABCs

With all the craziness that ensued last year, I have decided to go back to the basics and start at the very beginning, so to speak. Through a friend, I found an article in the Ensign (LDS Church Magazine) from January of 2012 called "Living an Abundant Life", which provided the inspiration for my focus this year and provided me with the three words of the year

I like to keep things simple and how much more simple can you get than the ABCs.

A- Attitude

B- Belief

C- Courage

Attitude:

To quote from the article by President Monson.

"So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment"

It is interesting how many times I find my self in the middle of a negative though or grumbling under my breath about this or that. I want to change my attitude. I want to be the positive person that I feel is in me. I want to help others. I want to be less hard on myself and on others. I want to feel like I can do hard things. A positive attitude can make a hard day a little better (or a lot, take your pick).You can look for the lessons and the blessing, instead of focusing on the negative. 

Belief:

Again from President Monson:

"Don’t limit yourself and don’t let others convince you that you are limited in what you can do. Believe in yourself and then live so as to reach your possibilities."

There are so many directions belief can be taken. My main focus is to believe in myself and that I am a good, capable, smart person who can do anything I put my mind too. This one has proved to be the hardest one for me. I have a few things that I really want to accomplish in life, but I find myself saying things like, "You can't do it", "You're too lazy", etc. I let what people think, or what I think people think (which is usually a lot harsher than it really is), dictate my sense of self. 

Courage:

One last quote from President Monson:

"There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember—David did win!"

This one has proven to be rewarding. I have done some things that have required me to step outside of my comfort zone and to be assertive. This will help me to keep going, even if the odds are against me. Some days it takes courage just to get out of bed and face a new day. Courage is needed to stand up for one's self. It is the thing that picks you up at the end of a hard day or after failing, and makes you try again the next day. 

These are my goals for the year. These three words, will hopefully change me for the better. I encourage you to read this article and find a way to implement it in your life. Happy New Year (a little late) my friends!!!

(P.S. I am writing and publishing this to keep myself accountable.)