I never had a pet. The only animals I was exposed to belonged to other people. My brother had a couple of tarantulas, but we've never even had so much as a goldfish. Hubs never had a pet, but for his sister's cat. I am not a cat person. I never thought I was a dog person. My friends' dogs would come to me wanting to be petted and loved. I did not share that love, so I would push them away. When Hubs and I discussed pets before we married, we both agreed a pet was not something we wanted. Adopting a dog was never something we thought we would ever do.
Adoption Day!
Some might find it odd that the passing of two of my sisters' dogs would result in me desiring a dog. My sisters had had their dogs for a really long time, and I cried with them when the dogs died. I couldn't help but think that those dogs had really good homes. They were loved by their families, and they loved their families back. They were good sweet dogs. These two events touched me, so when I saw some puppies for sale on Facebook, I became dog hungry. I ached for something to love and that would love me back without exceptions. Short story even shorter, a few days later, Hubs and I adopted a dog, Victor. He's a two year old schnoodle, a schnauzer/poodle mix. Hubs and I are fortunate that we found him only a few days after he was surrendered to the shelter. He was so new his neutering incision still had to heal (that was not a fun thing to deal with).
Victor has been with us for almost five months now, still alive. Which is amazing because being first time dog owners, or "pet parents", we have no clue what we are doing. Our learning and training skills come from YouTube videos, Cesar Milan shows, and various websites. We are lucky that Victor had good training before we got him, so mainly it is learning what he knows. He knows a great deal, and Victor is mischievous enough that I am sure he takes advantage of our ignorance. In these five months though, Victor has become not "just a dog" to us. He is part of our family.
Don't leave me!!
It has been delightful to watch Victor's personality show itself. When we brought him home, he was so shy and hesitant. Now Victor is this energetic dog that loves to play keep-away all day and charge up and down the stairs. I would say that Victor is a typical dog that does typical dog stuff. He barks, sometimes growls, at young boys and flirts with the girls, cowers from our next door neighbor, and is super excited around kids. He loathes baths, loves walks, and loves to eat. He is smart and curious, so he wants to explore everywhere and everything. Snow, Hubs discovered, is something in which he enjoys running around. Odd because he does not like rain. Our home is littered with dog toys, yet he still wants to chew on our socks and underwear.
As each day passes we bond with him a little more. Victor is my sweet boy. He is always ready to give kisses, but he growls when he feels he is being ignored. He loves going everywhere with us and is so sad if we leave him behind. Taking Victor on walks has been entertaining to say the least. The boy cannot walk in a straight line. He zigs zags. Just when you think he will walk straight, he takes a sudden 90 degree turn, or he will suddenly stop dead in his tracks and won't budge. Consequently, I have stepped on his paws, tripped over him, or leaped ungracefully. All the websites say to start walking a different direction when the dog gets ahead of you to teach the dog to stay at your side. I tried doing this for over an hour one day (the recommended practice is 15 minutes). Victor never showed any progress and got so irritated that he just laid down and refused to budge. Ergo, I've given up trying to keep him at my side when on a walk, he follows his nose and while he doesn't tug much anymore, he still walks ahead. Cesar Milan might say that I am not being the alpha, but there really is no rhyme or reason to where his nose leads him. Plus, he will follow my lead with gentle tugs, so I am not worried.
Victor begs for food in the kindest ways.
Although there are challenges to owning a dog, like the cost of food, grooming and toys, or finding places to put things out of the way of their jaws, there are so many more rewards. The most important of which is that Victor loves. He does not care if I don't wear makeup on the weekends, or if my nose is crooked. He loves me anyway. Victor does not care if Hubs wears his pj's all day, or doesn't trim his toenails. Hubs is loved. Victor is not going to judge us for any of that. He will judge on how we treat him. Victor, without hesitation, trusts his life to be in our hands. I love the way Victor returns our affections. My favorite is when my 21 pound dog thinks he belongs in my lap and plops down and takes a nap. I can't breathe very well, but knowing he is comfortable enough with me to do so is an honor.
I never thought I would ever own a dog. Until now. I never thought I would come to love a dog as much as I love our Victor. Until now. I never thought that a dog could ease away some sorrows of life. Until now. Until now, I never thought a dog could ever make me happy.
I love you, Victor!
"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." Roger Caras
Much to be happy about today and lately. I am truly blessed. Just a quick note today. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers. Happy belated Mother's Day to all the mothers. May was a busy month for Hubs and I, and this month has just been busy with life. I've wanted to write and just haven't done it. I am just lazy.
May is Hubs and mine's month of celebration. It is my birthday, which lands on or around Mother's day. Then Hubs and I celebrate our anniversary. Then Hubs' birthday falls a week later. It is a month of happy togetherness with lots of love and all things good.
So first a shout out to the fathers in my life. To Hubs' dad: You are very kind and patient. You raised an awesome son, and taught him well in the gospel and in life. I enjoy visiting with you, and you are an awesome example to me. We love you.
To my dad: You are the best dad. You have always been there for me and supported me in everything. You have been the one to chase away nightmares, and have been someone I can count on for a strong arm. You taught me how to be strong in my beliefs and faith. We love you.
To the mothers in my life: To Hubs' mom: You are amazing. I can see you love your children and do what you can to help them. You are always willing to help. You are talented. You are strong. You raised an awesome son, and taught him how to be strong. You are a great example to me. We love you.
To my mother: You are the best mom. You have always supported me and you are there for me when I need love and comfort. You are always willing to help and serve others. You are smart and talented and taught and helped me develop talents. You taught me the value and love of reading. We love you.
Now a shout out to Hubs, who is a great husband and I know will be an awesome father. I didn't do much for his birthday, or for our anniversary, but I thought it high time I wrote him a love poem. I've written poems to another guy (ugh), and for my parents, but I've never written a poem for Hubs. I wrote this on our anniversary in only a couple of hours. Normally I would spend days on a poem, so this is very rough. Still I think it turned out kind of sweet. He gave me permission to share. (I have yet to use my name or Hubs name on here. So where I say "husband" I had originally written his name. It has the same number of syllables so it doesn't throw off the rhythm. 9 syllables per line. It is not written in iambic pentameter like traditional couplets in case you were wondering.)
"It isn't the big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones." Jean Webster
"Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything." Norman Lear
There are times when I just want to complain and be contrary just because. These are times when I lose sight of things that I have and things I should be grateful for. I could call it the "Why don't I have this Syndrome." We all get these thoughts at some point or another. Still there is a way to get past these unpleasant thoughts.
I am not saying it is not okay to dream. You should aim, dream, and wish for things to get better. You may and should have goals and plans to reach those dreams. The greatest achievements to have ever happened began with a dream.You have to work for the dreams to become reality though. A house just doesn't build itself all on its own. You have to have wood, screws, nails, and the correct tools. Too many people get caught up in wanting everything all at once forgetting that you have to get the little things first. It is also essential that you exercise faith. Faith in God and in yourself. Life just doesn't hand you things.
My thing is sometimes I get so caught up in the big things that I have, and wish to have, that I believe will make me happy, I forget sometimes the little things. I have mentioned many of these things before, but it is beneficial for a reminder. So here is a list of a few little things that make up big things, but without these little things the big things wouldn't have come to fruition.
1. I am happy that I have all my fingers, toes, arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose etc that allow me to function. My body is a fantastic piece of God's work and creation. I know God loves me because he created this beautiful body for me to take care of. With this body, I can live life and make choices. This is a huge deal.
2. I am happy for time with family and friends. I come from an awesome family. I married into an awesome family. Hubs is a wonderful person who loves and cares for me. I have wonderful brothers and sisters, and they have done and do so much for me. My dearest friends are also part of my family. The friend I've had since I was three, you know who you are. My Facebook friends, a diverse bunch of individuals. All of you hold a special place.
3. I appreciate being appreciated. There are people who smile at me everyday, and truly mean their "Good morning!" One gentleman in particular compliments me on my smile, and indulges me in saying that it makes his entire day. And on days when I am feeling particularly down about myself, my supervisor doesn't even realize that her cheerful "Good morning beautiful." raises my self-esteem that day.
4. Hearing our children sing on Sunday during singing time is so great. The young kids don't even realize that they bring in the Holy Spirit like no adult can by their sweet voices. There is one song in particular that is my favorite to hear them sing. It is called "I know that My Savior Loves Me." A couple of weeks ago all the adults, myself included, were in tears as our sweet kids sang their precious hearts out. It was part of the primary theme several years back, but the song really touches me. I listened to several renditions and this family choir won the coin toss. It is such a beautiful song with a beautiful message.
5. Like the song says, I know that my savior loves me. I am happy my savior loves me. He doesn't love all the mistakes I make, but He loves me because I am His sister. Heavenly Father loves me because I am His daughter. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." In turn his son loved us that he suffered in the garden and died on the cross for me, for you, for everyone. Jesus loves me. This makes me happy.
Now these are just a few things in my life that I love. I may not have the greatest, or most glamorous life. I don't live in a big house or even a new house. There are so many things and people that I am surrounded by that make me feel all cozy inside. For this I am truly grateful. To repeat myself, it is all these little things that build the foundation to our mansion of happiness.
So I must apologize that I have been lax on publishing any posts. I've been writing, but everything that I've written has been flat and passionless. I've been in self-evaluation mode, and it put me in kind of a funk. While I'm still trying to figure things out, many blessings have come as a result of doing the right things, speaking up at the most opportune moments, and seizing opportunities when they are offered.
"If you were waiting for the opportune moment, that was it." Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
On Groundhog Day when I went into work I was not expecting anything special to happen. There would be 6 more weeks of winter regardless what the groundhog did or did not see. So it was not a special day. The Friday before I was asked if I was interested in more hours because there might be a position available. I, of course, expressed interest. I have been vocal about wanting more hours at work. I was told that they would have to shift some things around and chat with other people before anything could happen. I wasn't promised anything. So this groundhog day I was not expecting my supervisor's boss to walk and talk with me as I was trying to fix a button that had come undone in a most inconvenient place. I was not expecting him to tell me to chat with him after my shift. I was not expecting the offer of a promotion to happen so soon nor so quickly after being hired. I accepted with vigor and a tiny giggle (I didn't think it very refined or professional to jump up and down in celebration). If I was waiting for the opportune moment, that was it, and unlike the character in "Pirates of the Caribbean", I took the chance. I couldn't be more excited at this new opportunity, considering where I started in my "working career".
When I was old enough to start working, I promised myself that every time I went from one job to another it would always be a step up (in my mind) than where I was. I started with a summer job as a cleaner for the public schools. Then I became a sweeper (janitor), to a tutor, then a data collector (phone surveyor), to sales associate in retail, to assistant manager in retail, to phone sales person (for 2 weeks and then I was fired. haha), to receptionist, to administrative assistant. It has been quite the journey. Each job that I had/have I learned so much. People say that jobs build character, good and bad. This is true. For instance I learned a certain amount and different ranges of patience in all of my jobs. I've learned respect. I learned kindness. I learned a lot about myself and of what I am capable. I learned what I enjoy doing at the work place. Currently I am learning a certain confidence. I am used to a certain environment that could really fry your sense of self if you let circumstances get to you.
Now I am in a work environment that I absolutely love, and it is an amazing feeling. I believed that I would be in retail back in Wyoming for the long haul. The thought always made me cringe. I loved the people I worked with, and I was grateful for the work. But the thought of working in a store for a career filled me with dread. If my family didn't rely on that paycheck, I don't know how much longer I would have lasted. I always felt like I should be doing something else with my life. I am a person that thrives on positive reinforcement. I am a person who wishes to be of some use to others. If I am to be paid, I would rather I be worth my employers' money. Working as a receptionist and administrative assistant (and yes in this instance they are different), I feel I have value and am entrusted with responsibilities that give a wondrous sense of accomplishment when they are fulfilled. It is such an awesome feeling when someone who doesn't see you very often (Such as the president of the establishment) recognizes your work, thanks, and praises you for it. How many of you can say that the head honcho knows who you are?
This is the perfect opportunity for me to mention again that Heavenly Father watches out for us. When we continue to do what is right, He will bless us in so many ways. I have never been one to really be great about consistently reading my scriptures, so it has been a goal of mine to change that behavior. So when I received this promotion, it popped into my head that me reading my scriptures everyday helped me achieve this promotion. Now I really need to make sure I am reading them consistently everyday. (see my previous post about scripture study)
Just one last word of wisdom from former LDS President David O. McKay, "Let us realize that: the privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, the love of work is a success."
I must apologize for my lack of posts lately. I just have not been inspired. Everything that I would start to write would not come out properly in words. So I have been editing posts and re-editing, but nothing lately has excited me. If I am bored by my posts, then I know for sure you will be. So for this week's post, I thought I would share a modified version of a talk I gave today in church. I spent a lot of time on this talk, so I might as well get more than one use out of it.
For those of you not familiar with how an LDS church meeting is run, I will explain. Basically a few people from the congregation are chosen from a member of the bishopric to give the "sermon." It's not a sermon, but generally we will get up and talk about a topic given to us about a week prior. Hubs and I were asked to talk about the scriptures and why it is important to study them. Just for a little bit of exaggerated truth, the beginning of a talk might sound something like this. No I did not introduce myself this way. I only mentioned that I was nervous because it had been over a year since my last talk.
HAHA! This is probably only funny to Mormons, but it is more or less true. So I am sorry to my few non-LDS readers who don't get it. It's okay. Alright now for my talk. As mentioned this is slightly modified for this medium, but it is pretty much what I said. (I apologize for the length.)
Vaughn J. Featherstone (a past general authority) said “I believe that the scriptures have every dimension of life that we can cleave unto and find a pattern for living, if we will just go back to the scriptures and study them and learn from them.”
When you think of why studying the scriptures is important to life what comes to mind? You might think several of the following things.
The scriptures teach about Christ and His atonement.
They are a source for personal revelation.
They instruct and give guidance.
They teach how to discern what is right and wrong.
They remind us to have faith and pray.
They allow the Holy Ghost to be a constant companion, and in conjunction with that the scriptures can be your most precious friend.
I am a bookworm. I love books. Many of my books in my library have become my friends, and I relate and share thoughts and feelings with the characters on the pages. Each one of my books has a memory attached to them, and much to [Hubs] chagrin means that I cannot get rid of them if we ever move again. Reading is a most intimate past time for me. Emily Dickenson said, “The dearest ones of time, the strongest friends of the soul—books.” The scriptures can be our "strongest friend of the soul" if we allow them to be. This part of my talk is inspired and has a lot of quotes from Richard G Scott’s talk entitled “The Power of Scripture."
Richard G. Scott said this about scriptures, “They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed.”
So how do we allow the scriptures to be our friends, our constant companions? By reading, studying, pondering, and memorizing, or the recently popular term “ponderizing” coined by Elder Devin G. Durrant in this last conference. If you don’t remember, or don't know what that is, "ponderizing" is 80% pondering, 20% memorizing. I will touch on this later. Elder Scott referring to memorizing scripture said that it is “to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change.”
We go to our friends, whoever they may be, when we are down and we need a confidant. Or even when we are celebrating. We seek comfort and guidance, and our truest and most loyal friends will provide and not disappoint. Elder Scott says, “Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.” So in a way, scriptures are better than our people friends because they are not bound to their daily lives that take them away from us. You can read your scriptures at 3 AM and they won't hate you for it. Scriptures will be your most loyal companions. We can carry the scriptures in our phones now. They are literally always at our fingertips, or back pocket, ready and waiting to be read.
While Scriptures are a source of comfort and friendship, reading is a source of knowledge, and the scriptures are too. In around 7th or 8th grade, I struggled in math when they decided to put letters in the equations. My grades dropped dramatically. My dad counseled me to read the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon, more diligently and it would help me succeed in math. Well I tried it, and lo and behold, I received a much better grade on my next math test. It never happened to be again on a math test, but I did pass the classes from then on out. Reading the scriptures can help you in whatever is important to you when it is righteous desire, like stellar grades. Elder Richard G Scott said, “Scriptures can communicate different meanings at different times in our life, according to our needs (my math class). A scripture that we may have read many times can take on nuances of meaning that are refreshing and insightful when we face a new challenge in life.”
He also said, “Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high.” So whether for school, or personal gain, scriptures can be a source of light, and truth, and knowledge. We all know the cliche, "Knowledge is power."
We have all heard say that the scriptures are a source of power. in reference to the aforementioned "ponderize" Devin G. Durrant says, “The Primary goal of ponderize is to provide an uplifting place for your thoughts to go—a place that keeps you close to the spirit of the Lord…. You will experience a feeling of perpetual purpose, protection, and power.” I am not a powerful person. In fact I am quite the weakling. There is not much muscle in these arms, but I can find power in my mouth through the words I use. Sheri Dew, in her book "God Wants a Powerful People" she says, "There is power in the word, for the Word is God. And the Word is taught persuasively in the Book of Mormon, which a latter-day prophet has promised will bring power into our lives." The scripture that goes along with that is John 1:1. “In the beginning was the word of God, and the word with God, and the word was God.” So if God is the word, or if God is in the word and we know of the word. Don’t you think that the words, and you with knowledge of the word, will be endowed with power?
There is a book by Dennis Rasmussen called “The Lord’s Question." In it Rasmussen talks about the testimonies and words of the prophets. “Though man travels throughout his days, he need not wander. The way is marked by the testimonies of those who have gone before. In scripture the words of prophets whose lives belong to the past guide man's step as he enters the future.[...] Those who follow the prophets take upon themselves the task of building the words of scripture into structures of life and then sharing the words with all others.” There is power in the words of the prophets. But the words mean nothing if we only carry them in our minds. We must carry them in our hearts, which is where “ponderizing” comes in handy. Rasmussen says, “Those in former times did not hurry when they read the word of God. They did not use only their eyes. They placed the word in their mouths and in their hearts.” You need that foundation of the spirit testifying to you of the truth of the Word. You cannot build a building from the top down. Rasmussen suggests that you “build your souls with words” by taking and learning them by heart. I don’t mean by memorizing, but meaning as well.
Words don’t have meaning without the spirit behind them. Dennis Rasmussen defines what "word" is. “What is word? A vocalized breath? A set of symbols on paper? Both of these and yet more. Word is one of the titles of God himself, the very Son of God who was with the Father at the creation. A word is the sign of intelligence, and intelligence is the glory of God. Man can use words because he is the child of God. [...] To man was given the power to gather into words his wisdom and to hand it on to his children. [...] The words of Christ and his prophets are lifegiving. They alone can give all other words real meaning.” It is these words that give hope and faith to the testimonies written in the scriptures. Elder Scott said, “Throughout the ages Father in Heaven has inspired select men and women to find, through the guidance of the Holy Ghost, solutions to life’s most perplexing problems. He has inspired those authorized servants to record those solutions as a type of handbook.” With these words, this “handbook,” we can withstand the storms of life, and the war against evil. Words that are truly written in our hearts will heal, comfort, guide and protect us against the guile of Satan. Rasmussen also says there is no excuse not to study and read the scriptures. “I can easily convince myself that I have no time to study scripture. But truth remains: I do what I choose to do; I neglect what I choose to neglect. How often is there no time for reading scriptures when there is ample time for sitting before the glassy face of the electronic idol? [...] I belong to the people of a book. we are named after a book. Shall I not then study our holy books?” (referring to the Book of Mormon). In other words if we have time for our phones, tv, Netflix then we have time to read the scriptures. This is to be understood if we are to have power in our words.
Think of it this way with an object lesson that you may have seen. I mentioned I have weak arms. If I take this weight,
and I start moving my arm up and down, my arm will eventually become stronger. They will have more definition, and you might see a bump emerge etc. The weight will do nothing if it just sits on the floor and you don't pick it up. Your arms will not become stronger by osmosis or by positive thinking. You actually have to pick up the weight. The scriptures are the same way. They are useless to you if they just sit on your night stand. If you study and read the scriptures your “power” with the word, your faith, your knowledge will increase and be more defining, and people will know the difference. Pres Monson and all prophets before him, and all the general authorities. How much “power” and “presence” do they command? Tons. You can recognize it and feel it as they are speaking at the pulpit. They get this power from reading the scriptures and studying. Thomas S Monson said, “I reiterate what we have been told repeatedly—that in order to gain and to keep the faith we need, it is essential that we read and study and ponder the scriptures.”
I know that if you read and study the scriptures, you will find hope, faith, comfort, and strength that you need. I also know that if you allow the words and the prophets speak to you, you will find the most loyal and cherished friends in the scriptures.
My lesson in Relief Society today was about finding joy and happiness in this life, and I thought, "Oh good, some material for my blog." Sadly I don't remember much of what was said during the lesson except for a quote from the movie, The Music Man. "You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find yourself with a lot of empty yesterdays." Not what I want to talk about. After 30 minutes of writing blubber, I know what I want to write. Sorry I erased all the blubber. Hope it makes sense.
Over Christmas at my in-laws, we watched "Inside Out."(watch trailer here) I love Pixar. I really do, and this movie was so fun. Brief premise, it goes inside the mind of a girl named Riley and the "lives" of her emotions. They concentrate on the prominent emotions, joy, fear, disgust, sadness, and anger. It's a difficult movie to explain, so I won't attempt it except to say that "joy" is the most dominant of the emotions, but she has to learn how to live with other emotions especially "sadness." "Joy" realizes that there cannot be "joy" without the "Sadness." That bit to me was the most profound part of the movie. I have always understood the principle of opposites, and no not Newton's third law "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction (although it fits perfectly to what I am talking about, and it goes hand in hand with gospel principle). I am talking about, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." (2 Nephi 2:11, 13), and this movie made me think of it.
When I started my happiness journal, and then when I started this blog, I have come to understand more and more, that happiness is more of a journey. We don't just reach one moment of happiness, and boom we are done. We are happy. (That won't happen until after judgement and we live with God again) Most likely that happiness will fade, and we must find some more happiness. Don't misunderstand, there are people who seem to be always happy and chipper, and I love those people. I envy those people. They have a very unique perspective and personality. I, on the other hand, sometimes have to really search for my silver linings. A few of those extra happy people, one would be amazed to find out, that they have had the toughest lives full of heartache and sorrow. I always think of Job in The Bible. He really had it rough. He lost his wealth, his children, and was sick with boils and sores. Still, he remained "optimistic" that God would be good to him. Because of that "optimism" Job got everything back tenfold. I am sure the years to follow his ordeals were some of his happiest. Job had to go through hell to find his happiness again.
I wonder how many churches believe that Adam and Eve played a part in our understanding of happiness. Here is what I believe. Before the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve lived in a state of just being. They knew not good nor evil and in retrospect, happy nor sad. I cannot imagine a life without emotion. But when Adam and Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit, they came to understand happiness and sorrow. Without opposition what would be our purpose? What would God's purpose be? In verse 13 of 2 Nephi 2 (see link above) it says that if there weren't opposites then God would not be, because Satan would not be. In verse 25 of that same chapter it says "Adam fell that man might be; and men are, that they might have joy." God wants us to be happy, but first Adam and Eve must eat a fruit (or whatever metaphor you believe). What a wonderful gift they could give the world.
I would say I am a generally happy person. I am content and happy in my small world. I have had my ups and downs. I feel I definitely haven't had some of the more tragic downs as some other people. I also believe that God gives us our own set of challenges designed just for us. My challenges are mine, and they are not easy for me. Yours are yours, and they are not easy for you. Still those challenges can put many things into perspective. For those temporary trials, after they are done they are exhilarating. You can still find the joy rather easily. Now those life-long "chronic trials", they are a bit more challenging to stay positive. There is always a constant reminder of something bad. Those things that just can't be let go and forgotten. I know a lady who is blind. She has not always been blind, and I don't recall what made her go blind. I know she has struggled, and I am sure she gets frustrated. But she is one of the sweetest, kindest people I know, and one can't help but love her. I am sure she finds her silver linings and finds her happiness in other ways.
Many people say that happiness is a choice. Yes it is, and no it isn't. Yes because you choose how you react to situations. And no it isn't because it is impossible to be "happy" 24/7. There are things that will make you sad, or angry, or whatever. Quite frankly, happiness can be exhausting. Good exhausting, but exhausting. Remember opposition? Sometimes you need to shout out that anger to feel right with the world again. I write in a journal my bottled frustrations. It helps me, in the long run, be happier. But, for the sake of argument. Happiness is a choice. Here are 2 quotes to prove this point, and I will end it there and let you find your own happiness journey. I can only help so far with this blog in reminding you of things that might make you happy. The rest is up to you.
1. (I don't know where I got this, or who said it) "The key to happiness is letting each situation be what it is instead of what you think it should be."
2. From the LDS study book, "True to the Faith". Your success and happiness, both now and in the eternities, depend largely on your responses to the difficulties of life."
