Happy, bright, and you

I want to focus this blog post on the title of my blog: Be happy. Be bright. Be you.
1. Be happy.
Life is too short to be anything but happy! If something isn't making you happy, remove it from your life! Surround yourself with things and people that make you happy.
Of course there are going to be hard days and sad times, and it's okay to be sad and to cry. But through these times, look around and find the happy things in life. They are there! You just have to take a step back and look!
In the end, it's up to you to choose happiness. No one can force it on you. If you have a negative attitude about life, then you won't be happy. And no one can help you.
I was in a funk for a while, just feeling so down and I never wanted to do anything or see anyone. I realized what my problem was and I knew unless I fixed it, I would be like that forever. I didn't want to be gloomy and depressed any longer than I was! I removed the negative stuff out of my life and I have become much happier! I am still working on being completely cured of this negativity but my progress is one of the many things that makes me happy each day.
Do what makes you happy. Surround yourself with people that make you happy. Be in a place that makes you happy. If it's not, change it!
2. Be bright.
Each and every one of us has a light. We must not dim our light. Share it with those around you. Someone specifically needs you in their life. You have what they need. Don't be afraid! You never know the affect you could have on someone.
Your light is unique to you. Everyone's is different. It is made up of your divine qualities and talents.
Stand out among the crowd. You weren't born to be the same as everyone else. Don't be afraid to let your light be seen. It's needed in the world.
I was once commented on why I have a light about me. That was one of the biggest compliments I have ever received. I knew then that I wasn't putting out my light, but my light truly was showing and it was showing bright. And from then on, I chose to live that way so everyone around me could see my light.
I challenge the same to you. Don't dim your light. Shine!
3. Be you.
You were made to be exactly who you are. God made you and God doesn't make mistakes.
You can't go through life pretending to be someone else. Embrace the person you are no matter what people think about you. God's opinion is the only opinion that is important, and His opinion of you should be your opinion of yourself.
I have struggled with this, struggled with loving myself. But I know from personal experience that you will not find happiness, nor will your light shine, if you don't love you.
You are not here randomly or by change; you are here for a reason and you are who you are for a reason. Don't forget that.
Each and every one of us is a child of God. A child of the creator! How cool is that? He created the earth, the stars, the moon, and He also created us. We are creations of Him. We are literally His children. When you understand that, you need to treat yourself as such.
Wise words from Dr. Suess: "Today yo are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" You are special. No one else could replace you. Don't be someone else. Love yourself. Be YOU!

Forget Yourself

Service is one of the closest things we have to godliness on this earth. I personally know how important service is because it has changed my life. I have gone through some times when I would just sit in my room and cry and not want to go out with friends or do anything. I was miserable and I didn't want to be in public. All I wanted to do was be alone. I was going through medical problems as well at this time and I was given the choice to go talk to a professional about everything I was feeling, but I chose not to. I wanted to overcome this on my own, but I had no idea where to start. And then one day I realized how selfish I was being. I realized the only way I was gong to get over this was to get out, forget about myself, and serve. There are so many people who need my light and I was sitting in my room dwelling in my own self pity. I was keeping my light and gifts to myself when I needed to be out sharing them with the people around me. I devoted myself to serving every time I got the chance. I made cookies, I walked elderly women to their cars after church, I told people how much they meant to me, I did anything I could to share my light with someone else. Doing this has changed my life.
Service is so important to me. There is such happiness that only comes through serving others. I can't explain it, but I have felt it. Gordon B. Hinckley said, "The happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others." Through service, I was pulled out of my miserable state and I remembered why I am here on this earth. I am here to share what I have with everyone around me.
Forgetting yourself seems hard at times, but when it seems the most hard, that's when it is the most important. Serving others deepens your love for others, opens your eyes to what you have, and makes us discover who we really are. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "As we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness."
When Christ was on the earth all He did was serve. We are His hands on the earth today and we need to reach out to those who are struggling or down trodden. We are promised that when we serve, Satan will lose power over us.
Forget yourself and serve.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatama Gandhi

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 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.

None were with Him

With the Easter season fast approaching, I often find myself thinking about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what it means to me personally. 

I know He suffered for me personally to find out how I would feel when I came to this earth. He had to experience the heartache, the disappointment, the sorrow, the sin, that I would face during my life. And I know He suffered these feelings not only for me, but for every single person to ever live. 

I love Easter time because it is the beginning of spring. When I see the flowers and the trees start to blossom and grow, I often think of myself as I reflect on the Atonement. I am given the chance to start over again through theAtonement and become a person I am more proud of and my Savior would want me to become. Because of this sacrifice, I am able to do these things that I take for granted so often. 

Remember this unforgettable sacrifice and don't take it for granted because there was a price paid for each of us, whether we use it or not.  

During this Easter season, reflect on your life and make the changes you need to. Devote your life to Christ. 

"Because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to."

Forgiveness

This has been a hot topic on my mind lately. I have been trying to be more Christlike and one of my biggest weaknesses is I can hold a grudge like no other.
Studying Christ's life, I know that He forgave everyone and loved every single person. A few years ago, in church choir, we sang a version of Love One Another and one of the verses said something about how He loved everyone even those who killed Him. (I wish I remembered the exact words...) That line was special to me and always will be. He loved the people who took away His life, so I can forgive those who have hurt me.
I know forgiving others is hard. Believe me. But I know it is essential for us. These past few months, I have had a lot of hateful feelings, and I finally realized it started weighing me down and making me a different person. I knew I needed to apologize and forgive and forget, so I could get that burden lifted. I can promise that forgiveness is strength and a God given commandment because it makes a difference.
"Brothers and sisters, there is enough sorrow and heartache in this life without adding to it through our stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment. We are not perfect. The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life, it will always be that way. Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn to let go of such things. That is the Lord's way." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Forgiving others shows strength, but even harder is forgiving ourselves. I have experienced this as well. It is hard to forgive yourself and let go of what happened to start over.
The song Let it Go from Frozen reminds me to let go of who I used to be and be the person I am now. It is so crucially important to be able to forgive yourself because you deserve peace. Christ forgives and forgets so why can't we?

How Great Thou Art

Today, I just want to share with you my favorite hymn. How Great Thou Art has always been special to me because the first time I heard it, it brought such a strong spirit to me and I usually can hardly make it through the song without crying.
The words to this song are beautiful.

     O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, 
     Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; 
     I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, 
     Thy power throughout the universe displayed. 
  
    Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 

     When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, 
     And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. 
     When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur 
     And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze. 

     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 

     And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; 
     Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; 
     That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, 
     He bled and died to take away my sin. 

     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 

     When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, 
     And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. 
     Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, 
     And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!" 

     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
     Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
     How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

God has created everything. I look around and I truly am amazed at all He has made and how beautiful it is. And then I think that He took the time to create me while making this beautiful world. And I am part of His beautiful creations. And so is every person to live. 
He paid the greatest price for us and we will forever be indebted to Him. But, we can thank Him and in live in gratitude. 
Music is so powerful and hymns are a great source for spiritual uplifting. 
This is my favorite version of How Great Thou Art. Enjoy!