Loyalty!

This week I realize that we need to learn to be loyal to ourselves. We can deceive others but not ourselves. We all have a great heritage. We are sons and daughters of God. And we need to act according to that heritage. I had the opportunity to listen to the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and the beautiful way he taught how to be loyal to ourselves and our companions. I love this part when he says: "When we look for the worst in anyone, we will find it. But if we will concentrate on the best, that element will grow until it sparkles." Many times we focus our efforts in the wrong direction. We judge people because they have weaknesses, and all of us had some. We need to focus on the best of the people and as the prophet said they will sparkle.

Everything that we give will return to us. If we trust in the people they will trust back. It is hard to believe that in this awful world with a lot of bad people we can still trust in human beings. But there are still good people that like us is working hard to spread the goodness in this world. The light will always be stronger than the dark.

Good values and principles are still important in this society. If we want good things for our world we need to start the change within ourselves. We can make a change.

The Lord knows me....

I have been seriously thinking of quitting my studies. I feel like it is too much for a mother of two little children. I have too many things to do. I am a wife, a mother, I am starting my own business and also helping my husband with the family business and I am also starting again my education. I have tried to organize myself but there are days that I feel that I can't. I feel that it is too much. I want to spend more time with my family and don't stress up because I have assignments to finish...

This week I listened to a talk given by Elder Holland and his wife on January 18, 1983 on a BYU devotional, titled "However Long and Hard the Road".

The words of Elder Holland 21 years later were an answer to my prayers. I felt the Lord telling me to press forward and don't quit. Good things require an extra effort. Elder Holland tells all the struggles the early members of the church had to endure in order to build the Salt Lake City Temple. I already knew the entire story because I served my mission at Temple Square; I remembered all the sacrifices they made and all the good things I learned from my experience during the time I served. I had the privilege to stand in a place that was built with a lot of effort, they didn't quit. It wasn't easy but they endure to the end. Some of them were not able to see the outcome of their hard work, but now so many are blessed because they endure. I won't quit. I have the opportunity to study from my home and take care of my children when they need of me. I am grateful to God for His tender mercies and for letting me know that he knows me. He does answer our prayers!

Being true to ourselves!

Many times we try to deceive ourselves. We often forget who we are, where we come from, and where are we going. In order to be accepted by our "friends “we lower our ideals in life. All of us want the best of this life. We want to be happy and we think that by being accepted by the most popular group we will be happy. We are too far away from the truth. Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley said "Being true to ourselves means being honest". When I was listening to his words I started thinking in my little daughter. I want the best of this life for her. I don't want her to suffer. But I know that she will experience many trials during her life. I want to have the tools to guide her. I am a Latter day saint and I know that it is hard for a young women live according what is expected from her. The prophet said "No other generation in all of history has offered women so many opportunities. Your first objective should be a happy marriage, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and followed by the rearing of a good family. Education can better equip you for the realization of those ideals."

The world is changing every day. The technology is moving forward. But as the prophet said "The truths of this gospel are everlasting and eternal. Philosophies change. Customs change. Culture changes. But with all of these changes, there are gospel fundamentals that have never changed and never will change." We can use the gospel as our compass in life. The gospel will ever point to the north. It is constant. 

We have to be true to ourselves. Our standards may seem wrong to the world. But it is better to follow God than to follow the world. God will always be with us if we decide to follow him! We don't have to deceive ourselves. We know the path and we must follow it!

Achieving the best in me!

Can I become a violinist? Can I be a successful entrepreneur? Can I become the best of me? How hard is this? How much this would take? Why I'm not always the best in everything I do?

Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves. We want to be the best and this week I learned that it is possible to succeed in life, it all depends on us. Sometimes we blame everyone and everything because we are experiencing hard times. God has given us our free will the opportunity to choose what we want to become. We have the ability to choose whether we want to become doctors or teachers. It all depends on us. I learned this week that if we want something the only thing we have to do is to work towards that. We will have many distractions on the way. But we can decide if we want to accomplish our dreams or if we will stop because the conditions were not the ideal for us.

Anything in this life is easy. Everything requires an effort. I have tried many times to lose weight. I decide that I will follow an exercise plan. I decide that I want to work out at least 45 minutes a day. I make my plan. Day one has some difficulties but it works because I am motivated. Day 2 I feel good because I am following my schedule I work out but instead of 45 minutes I decide that 40 are ok. It's just 5 minutes more so no one will notice any difference. Day three... I was really busy and had no time to work out. But tomorrow will be a new day to start over...

After a month I realized that I have done nothing to lose weight. I am still the same... I start thinking that probably I need to try with a diet because exercise doesn’t work for me... As humans we try to blame others, or our circumstances. Everyone else is responsible of our failures. But this week I learned that I have the potential within me to become everything I want. It won't be easy, but if I persevere it will be possible.

Perseverance.... enduring to the end...

Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don’t give up even when others say, “It can’t be done.” James E. Faust

It is common to hear people saying that life is too hard, and actually it is. We are here on earth to become better. No one can be better without doing anything. No one can finish a race without giving the first step. We know that good things are difficult to achieve. But the final reward after working hard and giving our best is indescribable. Some people try to cheat in order to achieve their goals. They don't walk all the steps of the race. They try to find a shortcut to the finish line. And they can make it to the final line, but they have missed the entire race. And it is in the process, during the race that we become stronger, better and qualified people. We have to endure; many people surrender just a few meters before the final line; before achieving the goal. Perseverance will bring great satisfaction and a lot of accomplishment in our lives. Sometimes it's easy if we know what is at the end of the road, so here is a hint.... if we endure to the end we will be living again with our Eternal Father... I think this reward is priceless... Would you persevere for this award?

Give my very best!

"Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success." Clayton M. Christensen

How will I know if my life was a success? What am I supposed to do? I think that the answer to these questions is different for everyone of us, and everything depends on our priorities in life. What do we invest our time on? Sometimes we think we have set our priorities. We think that we live according to them.But if we make a list of the things we have done this day. How would we answer this next question? Did I spend most of the time of my day working on my priorities? We may think that God, our family, our education, or our job are our priorities. But if we evaluate each day of one week we would see where our time is really going. The good thing about evaluating is that we can make changes, if we realize we are not working towards our priorities and goals.
I love having the knowledge of the gospel because I know that I can start over every day. We are here on earth to become better. In order to become better we have to experience trials and tests. Those trials help us to become better. As a musician I used to spend many hours rehearsing just one single staff but when I mastered that I was able to see that I was better at that.
When my time here on earth finishes I want to know that I gave my best and specially know that as a mother, a wife,a daughter, a sister and a friend I was a success.

True Blue

"Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." Alma 48:17

This week I learned a lot about the kind of woman I want to become. I aspire to become a successful entrepreneur and I know that if I work hard I will be able to accomplish my goals. I have to make many choices in order to achieve my goal. I have to know and decide now that I will  stand always true to my convictions and principles. 

There are many ways to make money. Sometimes the fastest way is not the right way. Joseph F. Smith had an amazing experience when he was returning from his mission. His life was threatened but he remained true to his beliefs. A man with pistol in hand, demanded, “Are you a Mormon?” Joseph F. Smith responded, “Yes siree; dyed in the wool; true blue, through and through.” Joseph F smith remained tru to his beliefs. I picture him like Moroni both of them were great man of God. 

God has provided commandments for our behalf. They are not there to stop us but instead to protect us against the evil of the world. I want to teach my children that there is always a right way to accomplish our righteous desires. We have to trust in God. He will be there for us to support us in times of despair and need and if we endure to the end we will receive the same promise made to Joseph Smith "And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."  Doctrine and Covenants 121:8