Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Resolve to be better

I was on a run today with my neighbor, and she asked me if I wish I would have done anything different throughout high school and if I had any regrets. I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head but I've been thinking about it throughout the day.
On Sunday, a kid I've grown up with and who I have gone to church with for years took his own life. I was shocked when I first heard and I didn't want to believe it. This really opened my eyes and made me feel more deeply for those around me.
So, with this tragic event that just occurred and the question I was asked, yes I do have regrets. Two big ones.
Regret number 1: I wish I would have reached out to others more.
Everyone needs a friend. Everyone needs to feel loved. Thinking back to so many people who I could have gone and sat by who was alone or saying hi to someone who looked distressed makes me wish I would have done those things. I regret not befriending people who needed it the most.
A guy in my seminary class said "While Christ was on the earth, He spent all of His time with those who were afflicted or downtrodden or lonely. Why can't we do the same and spent our time with these people who need someone in their lives?"
We can be a light to people who are stuck in the dark. We are Christ's hands on earth.
"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of reward. Your life will never be the same again." -Og Mandino
It can be so simple. Give a smile. Say hello. Ask someone to sit by you in class. Give a compliment. Invite someone to lunch with you. Anything to show that they are loved. Remind them who they really are, children of our Heavenly Father.
"Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle."
Regret number 2: I wish I would have shown those I care about how I felt about them.
I think I assume that my friends around me know I care about them, but I can't remember any specific time telling them how I truly feel. After I received the news on Sunday, I did text three of my closest friends, telling them I loved them and I was grateful for them, but it's almost pathetic it took a big event like this to make me tell my friends I love them.
It has been easier for me to show my family I care about them this year because I know I'm leaving them in just a short amount of time, but same concept, it took me until my senior year to say I love you to my brother and to spent time with my parents on the weekend.
I wish I would have shown this love and care throughout.
I want my friends and family to know that not a day goes by that I don't think about any of you. I am so grateful to have you in my life. Every night in my prayers, I thank God to have you in my life. I am so grateful that I get to spend all of eternity with my family.
"We should remember that saying 'I love you' is only a beginning. We need to say it, we need to mean it, and most importantly, we need to consistently show it." -David A. Bednar
We all get annoyed with our friends and family, but I think it is during those times that it is even more important to show how much they mean to you. You never know when it will be the last time you see them, so make sure to speak kindly and say I love you.

I hope that those who read this can learn from my regrets and not make the same mistakes as I did. I am resolving to change and start living more Christlike now.
He reaches out to everyone and so should we.


Sunday, April 13, 2014

Sunday thought

Life is so fragile. Stop judging. Start loving.
When you step back, you can see everything as a whole. Take a step back when you feel lonely or depressed. You will realize you are not alone and that someone loves you.
Everyone needs to be loved. Be that one person who shows someone they are cared about.
Live with no regrets.
Tell your family and friends you love them. And don't forget to show them either.
Be kind. Be patient. Be loving.
Little things go a long way. The Lord works in small and simple ways to bring about great and marvelous things.
Be a friend. Reach out.
You are not alone.