Turning Over a New Leaf

Even though a storm just came through, I can't help but think that Spring is just around the corner. I can feel it in the air and I know that we have been seeing this:

but it will soon become this:

I'm surrounded by beauty where ever I look, and I have been so blessed with friends and family that help me along.

A good friend of mine talked to me earlier this week, and helped me realized that I need to stop worrying about the things I can't control and focus on things that will help me get to work and serve others. She told me that I should take care of myself, but then I should, like President Hinckley always said, "Forget [my]self and then go to work."

So I realized that I'd been getting out of the habit of reading my scriptures and saying my prayers regularly, and I needed to do those. On my date last Friday, I was kind of talking about how I'd love to be able to sing in a challenging group again, how I missed that part of my life, and he told me that if I asked, I would be able to receive. I was very grateful that he told me that. I made me realize that I need to be more spiritually minded, which is something I've kind of put on the back burner for a while.

I had a heart to heart with my Heavenly Father, who gave me his endless love and forgiveness, and also helped me see the things I need to put my life in order. I made some goals, and I think that they will help me become the person that I know I want to be.

1. Read the scriptures and study them out. They won't do me a lot of good if I don't apply them in my life. I want to receive revelation and inspiration in my life.

2. Have meaningful prayers both in the morning and right before I go to bed. I have so much to be grateful for, and so much to be guided in. And I know who I can tell both to.

3. Have an exercise regime that I will stick to. One of the most happy and successful time of my life happened when I exercised regularly. I feel better, I look better, and I am a generally happier person.

4. Work on developing my Christlike attributes. Preach My Gospel is amazing because in chapter 8, there is a list of attributes and a plan to become those attributes.

5. Be helpful in every opportunity. Service is one way to lose yourself, and forget all of the silly things that frustrate us. It's so hard to see out of myself, that I know that I really need to work on this goal.

6. Take my callings seriously. I have been doing them, but it's been with a reluctance. I feel like I could be doing so much more than I have, and if I could lose myself in the work, I can show Heavenly Father's love to those I serve.

7. Keep doing things/Make things happen. Lately, a lot of my life has been waiting for something to happen to me. I want to make things happen. I'm tired of sitting on my hind end watching the world go on without me.

I think that these things will get me to where I need to be. And I've been doing pretty good. Not perfect mind you, but I'm getting there. :)

P.S. I ran 1.5 miles on Wednesday and almost 3 today. If I keep going like this, I'm going to rock in the Live wElle 5K this year. I want to run it in sub 28 minutes.