Choose Happiness

Last Saturday our stake and the Holbrook stake had a combined women's conference with Sister Barbara Barrington Jones.  I learned so much and it has entirely changed my attitudes and outlook on life.  She was outstanding, smart, and really funny.  I thought I might share a little bit about what I learned. First there are three rules for living a better life;

#1 Choose Happiness

She said that our number one mistake is trying to live in the future.  That we are always "getting ready to get ready" instead of living the life we are in.  She told us that the only thing we are really lacking today is gratitude.  To fix this mistake she told us to choose happiness, start by thanking, everyone for everything.  Be thankful you have a dishwasher to load, be thankful your kids love you enough to want you to read to them, and don't just feel thankful, thank.  We need to stop thinking about the future so much and quit the ideas that "when I (fill in blank here) I will be happy."  And finally, smile when you talk.  It is that simple, but you will get back what you put out.  If you are smiling and friendly those around you will be drawn to do the same.

#2 Get Back To Basics

This is very simple, learn the difference between wants and needs.  Take care of your needs and stop focusing on our wants.  Learn what things we can do without and learn to love that which we have been blessed with.  Learn to be satisfied.

#3 Take Time For Yourself

She pointed out how on an airplane the flight attendants tell you to put your oxygen mask on first and THEN help your child with his.  This is because if you don't have oxygen you won't be able to help others even your own children.  This applies so nicely to life if you are struggling emotionally and physically what good are you to those you are trying to help.  Some ideas she gave for how to do this are: Plan your meals ahead of time, create and implement an exercise program, simplify your life, and inspire yourself.  She told the story about how a woman was being sent to earth and Heavenly Father gave her piles and piles of gifts to take with her.  She lives her life and it is good and then when she returns and sits down with Heavenly Father he pulls out two scrapbooks, opens the first one and says "this is your life and it was lovely."  She looks at her children and husband and grandchildren and basks in their glory until Heavenly Father opens the second scrapbook and tells her, "this is a book of all of the things I had planned for you to accomplish and experience with all of those gifts I gave you, why didn't you develop and use the gifts I sent you with?"  So start looking for those gifts God gave you and try to use them to your fullest potential.

Finally she talked about thinking funny.  That men are that we might have joy, not just endure.  She gave a formula for humor; Crisis + Time = Humor.  She challenged us to start thinking funny, instead of taking everything so seriously, try to find the joy and humor in every situation especially the bad ones.  So I am going to start a weekly post every Friday titled "Thinking Funny" where I am going to look at the funny side of the things that have happened to us throughout the week.  I hope that you can take anything from this post and use it to better your experience here on Earth, I know it has helped me.