Continuing thoughts from yesterday’s post, former General Relief Society President, Julie B. Beck, shared the following lessons:
LESSONS LEARNED
“And now, like Adam and Eve, I have looked back on my mortal experience. It certainly has been different than what I imagined it would be, but I wouldn’t change it. What are some of the lessons I learned from my experiences at Dixie College and BYU?
- Keep moving. Life is a battle against inertia. This one physical law applies to so much in life. Starting is always more difficult than continuing. Tasks do not complete themselves. Big projects can best be accomplished by breaking them into smaller more approachable portions, but we have to keep moving. When we begin taking a few small steps, we can take other small steps. By working at a goal a little at a time, we come closer to the desired result. The simplest way to complete a goal is to keep working on it. The fastest way to the finish line is to keep going.
- Prioritize. In life we wrestle with priorities. Some people prioritize by choosing between good, better, and best. For me it is easier to choose between things that are nice to do and things that are essential to our spiritual well-being—which means that we are on our knees in prayer, we are spending time in the scriptures, and we are repenting every day—then we are focusing on things that will increase our faith in God. The necessary things will always be dominant in our lives. Just as Adam and Eve worked to earn their bread, we all must take care of physical, financial, and emotional needs. There is a great deal of work that goes into living and being self-reliant: wages to earn, food to be purchased and prepared, homes and belongings to be organized and cared for. We accept Church callings, and we have obligations to family members and duties in our communities. We cannot shirk opportunities to serve and the long list of things to do without falling behind and becoming disorganized. Most of us also have a personal list of things that are nice to do—things we enjoy doing, things that bring and relaxation to our lives. I have learned that when we focus first on essentials and then the list of necessary things to do, there is almost always time to enjoy many things that are nice to do.;
- Accept help. Because there will always be challenges, two heads working on a problem is almost always better than one. Teamwork gives the most beleaguered person an advantage. I was able to complete my part of our family goal only because I received much help from others. It was a blessing to receive help to lighten my load, and over the years I have had my own opportunities to help others in return.
- Focus on goals. It is worthwhile to set worthy goals even if they seem impossible. The challenges of life will continue to happen whether we set and work towards goals or not. Challenges come when we are serving; they come when least expected and never at a convenient time. We just need to work our way through interruptions and continue, as soon as possible, to move ahead with what we hope to accomplish.
- Learn new things. We can always expand our interests and develop new skills. A lack of proficiency or talent should not diminish our enjoyment of new endeavors. We are never too old to keep learning, and there is no end to the process of discovering new things and gaining new knowledge. The thirst for knowledge is inspiring and fortifying. It can be a pleasure to expand our perspective and increase our understanding.
- Be happy now. We should always try to be happy. We should pray to be happy. We know we are going to be happy in the end, so we can save time by just working at being happy now. My parents established a family motto: “Enjoy It!” They said that we will typically look back on our challenging experiences, talk about them, marvel at them, and even laugh about them. If we are going to enjoy those experiences later, we might as well appreciate them now.4
- Seek the Holy Ghost. With the companionship of the Holy Ghost, our minds can be quickened. We remember things we study sincerely. We can feel peace amid turmoil. We can be inspired with sudden answers and comforted when all does not go as we hope it will. With the Holy Ghost we are more that the sum total of our own intelligence.
- Rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Finally, we need our Heavenly Father and our Savior in every part of our lives. Because of Them, we can pray for miracles and expect them. Without them, our puny efforts will never be enough. Because of the Savior’s atoning power and through the covenants we honor with Him and our Father, we can depend on strength that is greater than our own during our mortal experience. We don’t know all that will occur in our mortal experience alone. ~ Julie B. Beck, Joy in the Covenant, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018), 72-75
(Continuing for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—) As we contemplate our time on the earth, it does not take long to realize that we do not control all our experiences. We cannot control other people. We cannot control most of our circumstances—the natural processes of human bodies or the events of the world. However, we can take responsibility for our choices—the goals we set and how we approach them. We receive strength through keeping our covenants. We are promised the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the blessings of the Atonement of Christ to lift us. As we journey through our mortal experience, we can have an adventure we did not foresee at the beginning—an adventure that will shape us into people who are grander than we ever envisioned we could be.) ~ Julie B. Beck, Joy in the Covenant, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2018), 72-75
