You’d think that situation would turn me away from gratitude, but I had an experience the other day that turned me around.  I realized that anyone can adapt to undesired change.  You just need to find your new joy.

We’re all creatures of habit, and I certainly have habits when it comes to the holidays.  As I just mentioned, many of those habits involve food.

My condition won’t last forever.  One day my recovery will end.  I don’t expect I’ll go back to how I was before my first ER visit, and I’m not sure I’ll want to go back.  But I am sure I’ll want to partake of my favorite foods occasionally — and indulge a bit when the annual holidays come around.

That’s all cold comfort for me right now.  Or at least it was.  Sure, the thought of being around people gorging themselves on delicacies I can’t now enjoy doesn’t exactly fill me with delight.  I already cancelled my birthday food plan.  Now I’ll need to cancel my food plans for Thanksgiving and probably also Christmas and New Years.  You’d think I wouldn’t have gratitude from this — and you’d be right before I had this wonderful experience the other day.

I was shopping for some new diet items and of course conscious of the items in others’ carts — items I wanted in mine but dared not on penalty of pain.  So I tried distracting myself by focusing on accomplishing the task before me.  I would get what I needed and go.

That’s when the thought came to me.  I’m not that bad off.  First, I’ve been moving towards my present diet for some time in increments.  I just didn’t want to surrender my favorite foods completely.  My current condition won’t tolerate the increments; I have to be there now.  That sudden shift gives new perspective on how much moving in small increments was really worth, and that’s something to be grateful for.

Second, removing those foods from my diet left a lot of space, so I’ve been searching out recipes online that meet my restrictions.  One by one, I’m finding them.  Not only that, I’m finding new worlds of flavor as I avoid usual fillers like sugar and embrace spices and seasonings.  I’m not sure I’d have all these wonderful new taste experiences without my health challenges driving me, and that’s something to be grateful for.

Third, many of these recipes are so easy to make and way cheaper than the pre-packaged versions that I’m finding a new perspective on convenience.  The short term convenience of time I get a can or a box doesn’t outweigh other conveniences like more flavor in my mouth, more health in my body, and more money in my bank account.  All that’s something to be grateful for.

When I put it all together, I have an experience I wouldn’t otherwise have.  And that gives me a new perspective on not just my health but also living my life and finding more joy in it.

Yes, I’ve had some undesired changes in my life, but I still have access to joy.  It’s not the same joy I had previously; my circumstances won’t permit that.  But new doors open for every old one that closes, and behind those new doors are new experiences, perspectives, and joys that all give reason for gratitude.  So even though I won’t be partaking of the usual Thanksgiving Day feast tomorrow, I will be reflecting on how grateful I am for the new joys I’ve found and continue to find in my new life.

So when your situation changes in a way you really don’t want, please take a moment to consider what you do have and find your new joy.  You’ll gain new perspectives and new experiences you’ll wish you would have found earlier, and you’ll find yourself grateful you did find them.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, which the pancreas can heal on its own.  But to do so, it must be allowed to focus on that task.  Calling it away for its usual duty of producing digestive enzymes or insulin will distract it and thereby prolong healing.

That restriction has wrecked some havoc on my diet.  Initially I was on a liquid diet and then slowly graduated to more solid food.  So long as I stay within my restrictions and keep my meals small (this also helps the pancreas to focus on healing), I should be fine.  That said, I still feel swings in my abdomen.  Some moments feel better than others.

I have even worse swings from my pulmonary embolism.  The blood thinners I’m on have some funky side effects, one of which is lightheadedness.  It comes and goes, some moments being better than others.  Today was particularly bad.  The lightheadedness was extreme as I’d never before felt in my life, and it stayed with me the whole morning.  I spent much of the day today in the emergency room, where the doctor finally concluded I was experiencing a side effect of my meds.

How do I deal with a condition that not only constantly changes but changes so often I don’t really know how I’ll be the next day?  The only real option I have is to do the best I can to attend to the demands of the moment.  My condition forces it on me.

But that’s not very different from what I’ve been sharing here on Joy in the Journey Radio.  We find our best joy in life from living in the moment.  Letting go of what things will mean tomorrow opens a door that otherwise remains closed.

For example, LDS singles leave much joy on the table when dating by worrying about what different social interactions will mean for them tomorrow.  “I don’t want to sit next to those people because then they’ll think I’m interested, and I’m not.”  We think we know so much, yet in truth, we don’t know that much, and we see even less.  There’s countless tales of couples who didn’t think they were right for each other but who are very happy today because they let go of what they thought they needed and embraced the opportunity in the moment.

Of course, letting go of what things will mean tomorrow isn’t license for leaving the covenant path.  I’m in no way suggesting we ignore the consequences of sin.  What I’m saying is that within the confines of our covenants we too often focus outside of the present moment, and that focus leaves a lot of joy on the table we could have every day by living in the present moment.

By embracing the moments that come within the confines of our covenants, we position ourselves for maximum joy.  Redefining what we consider opportunity to be reveals more pathways to experience that joy.  The road can still be rough, as I can attest.  Some of the moments that confront me are less than pleasant.  But I know by doing my best with each moment, I know I’m making my journey as good as it can be.

Embrace your life one day at a time.  When you stop living in some future that never seems to come or the past that you cannot change, you find more possibilities in your life.  You’ll gain more perspective that breeds more hope for the future.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

What impressed me the most in that meeting was a Japanese sister.  As she rambled on in her broken English from one topic to the next, I struggled to make sense of what she was trying to say.  But then she spoke two words that captured my attention: Expect miracles.

I have no idea why she said those two words.  Perhaps she was referencing President Nelson’s address from the last Conference on spiritual momentum.  Perhaps she was talking about something else related to miracles.  Or perhaps she was talking about something completely unrelated and the Spirit prompted her to say those words because I needed to hear them.

I say I needed to hear them because they captured my attention.  And as I began pondering those words and remembering what I said about them in a recent episode of this program, I immediately felt prompted to make them the focus for this episode of Joy in the Journey Radio.  So perhaps there is someone out there who needs this message.

Regardless of the need, I do believe this message is important for all LDS singles to review on a regular basis.  We need to nourish our thinking with better assumptions, better perspectives, better attitudes, and better self-talk.  The idea of expecting miracles encompasses all four of those elements.

For example, too many LDS singles assume the future will be just like the past.  They place so much emphasis on the choices others make, they do not perceive the power inherent in their own choices.  A discouraging outlook encourages a despondent attitude.

And all of these elements then find reinforcement in self-talk: “What’s the point of trying?”  “Why would anyone choose me?”  “I’m not good enough.”  “I’ll never be loved.”  All these messages played on autopilot via habits of thinking reinforce the faulty assumptions, the diminished perspectives, and the failing attitudes that will never lead to success.

Expecting miracles reverses all that.  Expecting miracles in your life assumes miracles can and will come to you.  Expecting miracles exchanges the perspectives focused on the past for ones focused not just on the future but on a future that’s very different from the past.  Expecting miracles encourages an optimistic positive attitude.  And expecting miracles encourages uplifting self talk: “I’ll keep trying because I will succeed.”  “My miracle will choose me.”  “I’m more than good enough for my miracle.”  “My miracle will happen because I’m already loved.”

There’s a night-and-day difference between expecting miracles and the less effective ways of thinking many LDS singles choose to tolerate.  Many so choose because they simply aren’t aware of the difference.  But having that awareness, why would you choose not to expect a miracle?  Why would you cheat yourself of the glorious best life you could have?

Of course, miracles are more likely to come and are therefore easier to expect when you get your game on.  Put yourself in a good financial position.  Serve faithfully in your Church calling.  Take care of your responsibilities, including those involving self-care.  These changes likely won’t come overnight, but every effort to move in that direction moves you closer into a space where miracles can more easily come.

My friend provides a good example.  His real interest in attending that Sunday School class was a special “person of interest” (as he calls her).  During the drive back, he told me they’d met only one month ago.  I was surprised to hear that.  Given the way they hugged each other in the parking lot before leaving, I thought they’d known each other longer.  But apparently they just hit it off really well.  I’d call that a miracle.

So expect miracles in your life.  Believing in and opening yourself up to possibility can improve your probability of success.  By working as you can on improving yourself and your situation, you can move yourself into the space where your miracle can more easily come.  That miracle can be the door that swings your best life wide open to you.  And that will bring your more joy in your journey.

Conference provides a great opportunity to reflect and recommit ourselves to a better path.  But truth be told, every single day holds the same opportunity.  Each day provides a new opportunity to consider your ways and act to change your life.

We all have the same 24 hours each day, but we all choose to spend it differently.  And how you spend your time reveals what you value most in life.

Me?  I’ve always been a big fan of sleep.  There’s no way it’s overrated.  It’s fantastic!  But you can pursue many things to excess, and sleep is no exception.  I’m sure we’re all familiar with the admonition in D&C 88:124 to “arise early.”  I’m actually still working on that.

But I’ve found, when I can do it, an early start radically changes the entire day.  I’m way more productive, producing more value more easily.  I feel more focused and energized throughout the day.  And at the end of the day, I’m just more satisfied with myself.

I don’t get those benefits if I prioritize personal playtime and consuming content, and neither will you.  If you want your best life, you need to answer these questions: Do you devote more time to worthy causes or frivolous pursuits?  Are you the captain of your life’s ship, or do you just float wherever the waves of life take you?

Speaking of sleep, what does “retire to thy bed early” mean?  I think we each must find our own way.  For myself, the sooner I get to sleep, the easier it is to beat the sun up.  My body simply takes what sleep it needs, so staying up late doesn’t help me “arise early.”  And if I don’t get up early, I won’t get the resultant benefits.

In fact, getting up late usually means getting the exact opposite.  I get tons more desire to play and waste the day.  If I do manage to drag myself into some productive pursuit, I’m anything but focused.  My mind goes all over the map.  At the end of the day, I’m left with nothing but the shame of having wasted the day.

On my mission, I heard an African story.  Every morning a gazelle awakens.  He knows his best chance of escaping the tiger hunting him is to get as much of a head start as he can.  But every morning that tiger also awakens.  He knows his best chance of eating that day depends on catching the gazelle before he starts running.  Thus, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a gazelle or a tiger.  When the sun comes up, you had better be running.

Your sleep schedule is just one of many ways you should consider.  We should all reflect on what we need to get where we each want to go and then consider getting what we don’t have but need.  Sometimes that means gaining new knowledge.  Sometimes that means acquiring a new tool.  Sometimes that means having the right people in your life.  Your Heavenly Father, the Lord, and the Spirit are indispensable members of that support team.  Don’t forget to include them in your plans for success.

In the end, you won’t get the most out of life unless you live intentionally.  Only by choosing your activities with intention can you get the most juice for your squeeze.  And the best intention for your time includes your own personal ministry by which you contribute to making the world a better place.

So consider your ways.  Are you making the most of every day?  Are you living with intention?  I can’t say I always have.  But I can say I’ve experienced real joy in living when I’ve consciously chosen how to spend my time to achieve worthy goals.  And I’m grateful to be reminded of the opportunity each day brings to consider my ways and make changes where necessary.

If you haven’t considered your ways recently, do so now.  You’ll open the door to feeling more satisfied with yourself each and every day.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

But I really wasn’t capturing the full depth of those words.  Maybe I needed some time and distance as well as some more experience with the world to appreciate what he gave all of us.  Indeed, you could say that’s one thing I’m learning.  And after the program today, perhaps we all can say it’s one among many of what we are learning.

Addressing the global pandemic, President Nelson shared four lessons he hoped we’ve all learned and won’t forget.  I sense a greater sense of optimism in his words now than I did six months ago.  That optimism increases my appreciation for his first lesson: The home is the center of faith and worship.

I think most of us recognized the prophetic nature of the 2018 announcement regarding home-centered church.  But I’m not sure that was true before COVID hit.  I certainly didn’t recognize the significance of some of my pre-COVID promptings.  For instance, shortly before the first lockdown I felt impressed to purchase white tablecloths.  What do I need white table cloths for? I thought to myself.  When am I ever going to use a white tablecloth?

I found out soon enough.  What a blessed privilege was mine to partake of bread and water in memory of my Lord and in my own home!  I truly felt closer to my Heavenly Father in those moments than I had in any worship service in a chapel.

In response to such an experience, President Nelson asked,

Considering what we need to do to increase the security and serenity of our own homes would be time well spent.

President Nelson’s second and third lessons, that we need each other and your priesthood quorum is more than just a meeting, seem especially intertwined.  We really do have a unique opportunity to leverage the present pandemic to unify God’s children like the world has never before seen.

But that will become reality only if, as President Nelson asked, our shared trial has drawn us closer to one another.  These days it seems the pandemic is driving us farther apart.  But if that’s true, it’s because we’ve forgotten the two commandments President Nelson declared could guide us — first, to love God, and second, to love our neighbor.

I especially love President Nelson’s teaching that

Flip that around, and see the profundity of the Prophet’s teaching.  Why has God sent us to earth in families and wards and stakes?  He wants us to work together and help each other.  Why has He asked us to serve and minister to each other?  He wants us to work together and help each other.  Why has He asked us to live in but not be of the world?  He wants us to work together and help each other.  One could apply that answer to this question: Why has God organized priesthood holders into quorums?  Priesthood is indeed more than a church meeting.

President Nelson’s final lesson from the pandemic ties the others together.  The home is the center of faith and worship.  We need each other.  Your priesthood quorum is more than just a meeting.  And we hear Jesus Christ better when we are still.

As I just mentioned, the pandemic seems to be driving us further apart.  We seem more agitated and contentious than ever.  President Nelson confirmed we’re living in prophesied days of commotion and fear.  He didn’t declare that commotion would be temporary.  Rather, it’ll increase.

But we need not be in commotion.  If we can be still, we can hear the Savior’s voice speaking peace and confidence to us.  As President Nelson taught,

Making time for quiet reflection will become more and more essential as the world becomes more and more contentious.  If we will do as the Prophet instructs, we will see the fulfillment of his promise that “the future is bright for God’s covenant-keeping people.”  And that will bring us more joy in our journey.

Looking back on my decision and its outcome, I still have no regrets.  But I also have something else, something that I didn't anticipate.  Looking back on my trip and my lack of regret for it got me thinking.  Why can't it be that way for everything in my life?  Why can't I simply decide to live without regret?

I don't regret my trip because from the start I saw it for what it is.  I don't know the future, but I know that, if that opportunity to see my mother would be the last to make memories while she could still recognize me and I didn't take it, I would regret it for the rest of my life.  I refused to live with that regret.  And so I embraced my travel with the end in mind.

And that's the key.  Stephen Covey's first habit of highly effective people is to begin with the end in mind.  That speaks to the need to be self-aware.  After all, you can't begin with the end you aren't aware of.

That's more than just an awareness you want a life without regret.  It's an awareness of the choices you can make today that promote or prevent that end.  I didn't know and still don't know whether the opportunity I just took is the last to be with my mother while she still recognizes me.  But I do know the potential it had to become such.  And I refused to tolerate that possibility.

It's really not any more complicated than that.  Gain an awareness of yourself and the potential your choices have to lead you towards or away from the end you want.  And then act accordingly.

That's not just for living life without regret.  That's for any end you want in life.  Adopting an end in which your life has no regret is just a good place to start.  It will give you courage to go farther and pursue your fullest potential, a life without regret, the life that is your best life.

The path that leads you there will of course have challenges.  I faced resistance before making my journey to see my mother.  My advisor expressed disapproval with my decision to travel home.  But I held firm and shared my rationale for my decision.  He understood, and we made plans for what would happen after my return.

I don't think everyone will have that experience.  Sometimes things won't work out.  Sometimes you'll stand your ground, and your challenges will overcome you.  But you can always hold your head high knowing you chose to live your life without regret.

I've made plenty of choices that brought regret into my life.  I've known regret in both the short and long term.  And now I know it doesn't have to be that way.  I can live without regret.

So can you.  You can live without regret if you will gain the awareness you need of yourself and your choices to know the end you want and then make those choices that will lead you to that end.  That decision won't remove the regret you already have from past choices.  Only Christ and His Atonement can do that.  But you can decide to embrace the Atonement, just as you can decide that from this moment forward you will live without regret.

So live without regret.  Life is too beautiful and time too precious.  Don't squander them with choices that will bring regret in any amount.  Know yourself, know what you want, and go after it.  And every day you don't have it, keep going after it.  Don't apologize, don't make excuses, and don't delay any longer.  Start living your life without regret today.  You'll savor the wonder of living more fully.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

That’s why I’m making this trip despite the inconvenience.  I want to make memories while I can.  I want to make memories a priority.

With my mother’s birthday approaching, it’s the perfect time to do this.  Still, I’m not sure what to expect in this trip.  As I said, I haven’t flown in eight years.

It’s not that I don’t like travel.  It’s just most of my travels have been accessible by car.  I say most because, when I started my PhD program, I could have flown instead of driving across the country.

But had I done that, I would have missed the opportunity to visit with one of my aunts who died just last month.  As I drove across the country, I made it a point to plan my route so that I would be able to visit with her.  And I’m glad I did that, because now that she’s passed on I no longer have that opportunity to make memories with her (at least not in this life).

Now I see a similar situation with my mother.  I’m not saying she’s about to die.  I’m saying I love this sweet woman who has done so much for me over the years, and I want to take advantage of the opportunity I have now to make memories with her while I can.

That’s a good approach to take not just with loved ones but with everything in life.  When we die — and we’re all going to die — we don’t take much with us beyond our desires, our knowledge, and our relationships.  Focusing ourselves here, then, should take priority in our lives.

I’ve found it’s always good to step back every once in a while and evaluate where I am in my life.  How am I doing?  And am I going in the right direction?

If you haven’t evaluated yourself recently, then take a moment now to do so.  Just ponder on those questions I just asked for the next few minutes and reflect on your answers to them.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself wanting in multiple areas.  That’s OK.  Just determine what you need to do to improve, and then decide to do it.  If you need tools or resources to support you, then go get them and put them in place.  If you don’t know how to do anything along the way, then partner with the Lord and let Him guide you to the who and what you need when and where you need them.

Overall, your life is what you make of it.  You only get one, so what will yours be?

Too many of us take for granted the opportunity we have to make memories with the family and friends we love.  In the busyness of living our lives, it’s easy to think we’ll always have the opportunity to make memories.

But you never know when you’ll no longer have that opportunity.  Accidents happen every day.  A festering medical condition could suddenly worsen.  An act of violence could unexpectedly shorten someone’s life.  Who knows what might happen?  You may not have the time you think you do.

Don’t waste the opportunity you have to make memories while you can.  Your life is what you make of it, and you only get one.  Make your life one filled with the blessings of treasured memories with loved ones that will yield satisfaction and joy for years to come.  Make memories your priority.  You’ll then spend more of your limited time building the relationships that matter most.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

When the options before you seem untenable, it’s time to get some new ones.  Most people simply accept what they’re given, but the truly successful open new doors when the old ones close, even if that means making the new doors themselves.  If you feel your dating options are limited or even non-existent, it’s time to expand your horizons, dare to step out, and strike new ground.

The key to increasing your success is thinking probabilistically.  Target actions that increase your probability of success.  Often that means increasing the likelihood of crossing paths with acceptable prospects.  When you know what activities those types of people have in their life, it’s easier to find new opportunities to meet them.

For example, if you want a worthy companion you can take to the temple, you need to cross paths more with temple worthy people.  What activities do temple worthy people have in their life?  Service is a big one.  How do you cross paths more with people who have service in their life? By serving more yourself.

So expand the scope of your service.  Really delve into your ministering assignment.  Get more active with family history in family history centers.  Pray for and be attentive to service opportunities in your ward.  Spend more time in the temple.  My grandfather met his second wife while serving in the temple.

You get more opportunity to meet quality people when you cross paths more often with quality people.  The probability you’ll do that increases substantially when you position yourself for that crossing to happen.  And the best way to do that is to identify what the people you want to meet do in their lives and then do the same things in yours.

The advent of social media offers an amazing opportunity to do just that.  The business model social media platforms use lets you leverage them for free.  And when you understand the fundamentals of the dating journey, leveraging social media for dating becomes quite natural.

Too many LDS singles frustrate their own progress by thinking huge commitment when considering dating.  They aren’t being in the place where they are.  The dating journey has various stages, each with more commitment than the one before.  The first stage, Friendship, has zero commitment.  Guess what stage you’re in when you first meet someone?  Yep, Friendship.  So focus on building friendship when you meet people since that’s the stage you’re in.

Join groups that attract the type of people you want to meet, get active in group discussions, and you’ll increase your probability of crossing paths with quality prospects.  Then be in the place where you are — whatever stage of the dating journey you’re in — as you get to know people.  Your journey will go better when you’re in the place where you are.

My final suggestion I’ve mentioned before.  Long-time audience members will recognize my encouragement to adopt a personal ministry.  Find some contribution of goodness you can make, and then devote yourself to making that contribution.

Adopting a personal ministry makes you a more interesting person, which in turn makes you more attractive in dating.  And the people who’ll cross your path as you perform your personal ministry are more likely to be quality prospects interested in devoting themselves to causes similar to the one you embrace with your personal ministry.  What a wonderful foundation for a friendship that could grow into a wonderful foundation for marriage!

If you’re frustrated with the dating options LDS singles typically pursue, expand your horizons by imagining new options that approach dating in different ways while still based in the fundamentals of what you’re trying to do.  We all have opportunities all around us, and when we embrace new and different ways of thinking, we can see more of those opportunities and then take advantage of them.  And that will bring us more joy in our journey.

What an appropriate background for a broadcast tailored to singles!  Many singles believe they need a miracle to move the mountains in their lives.  As I studied his address in preparation for the broadcast this weekend, I could see how very appropriate President Nelson’s remarks were for singles.  Truly, faith can move mountains no matter the challenge.

Many singles wonder how the blessings they yearn to have can ever be theirs.  I love how President Nelson’s response to that reality begins with basic principles: “Everything good in life—every potential blessing of eternal significance—begins with faith.”  Deny not the power of God, and your faith unlocks God’s power in your life.

I then really love how he goes to Alma’s discourse on faith in the Book of Mormon.  Alma doesn’t ask us to hit a home run our first time up to bat.  He simply asks us to experiment.  All he asks us to do is to try.

And you don’t need anything more than what you have right here right now.  President Nelson quotes Alma’s encouragement to “exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe” (Alma 32:27).  You don’t need the whole toolbox of perfection.  Just step forward with the portion you already have, even if that portion is simply the desire to have a portion.

And here’s the beautiful part: You don’t need to be perfect to change your life.  You have everything you need to take the next step right now towards the better life you want.  It starts when you believe that truth.  President Nelson began his remarks on faith with that very idea.  As he taught,”

The place to start is wherever you are, and you can do that today.

Isn’t that’s exactly how many singles view the challenges before them, as the tallest mountain ever?  Yet Christ can give anyone the power to scale that mountain.

That happens for you when you exercise faith in Him.  Faith is a principle of action, and that means you must do the work to get the result you want.  President Nelson acknowledged as much when he declared,

He then lists five steps to increase faith and the access it provides to God’s power.

1. Study
   
2. Believe
   
3. Act
   
4. Partake of sacred ordinances
   
5. Ask God for help
   

I’d list those five steps differently, but we talk about the same things here on Joy in the Journey Radio.  First, learn how to change your thinking to get better results.  Get grounded in the fundamentals of what you’re trying to do.  Then believe in your power to change and to move closer to the life you want.  Then put that belief into action.  Along the way, practice regular rituals to keep yourself centered on the covenant path as well as your goals.  And partner with the Lord Who can make more out of your life than you can alone.  Changing your life is simple once you understand the different pieces of the puzzle and begin putting that puzzle together.

Whatever mountain stands before you, don’t focus on the obstacle.  Look instead for the opportunity.  Stand tall seeking ways in which your growing faith — even if it’s no more than a desire to have a greater portion — can grow more.  As the Savior taught, “Seek, and ye shall find” (Matthew 7:7).

Faith really can move mountains.  Nothing is impossible for the Lord, and He will grant you access to His power when you have faith in Him.  When you do, He’ll show you the changes you need to make to secure the righteous blessings you desire.  He’ll support you as you progress towards those blessings.  And one day you’ll have them every one.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.

The year St. Patrick died is in question (some say 461, others say 493), but all seem agreed on the day he died — March 17.  St. Patrick’s Day started as a feast held annually to commemorate the man who led Ireland’s conversion to Christianity.  The history of how the holiday has evolved is rather interesting, but I found one legend about St. Patrick particularly applicable to LDS singles.  And that connection will have me going green on St. Patrick’s Day for years to come.

Multiple legends involving St. Patrick abound, but the one catching my attention involves snakes. (And yes, I can hear Indiana Jones right now saying, “Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?)  As legend has it, God’s power was so manifest in St. Patrick as he preached on a hill that all the snakes simply fled from the island.

That’s not likely actual truth, since snakes were never native to Ireland.  But there is a Celtic legend of serpent-like spirits called nagas which supply water to trees and make streams and rivers flow.  The legend of St. Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes is probably an allegory for the missionary ridding Ireland of old pagan beliefs.

And that got me thinking.  What “snakes” in the form of old, defunct ways of thinking do I still have?  What habits continue to hold me back from living my best life?  Many LDS singles stand in their own way of experiencing the joy surrounding them every day.  Instead of fully living life, they live far beneath their privileges.

St. Patrick didn’t rid Ireland of “snakes” in a single day.  He didn’t arrive on the Irish shore greeted by masses of eager converts.  Rather he started where he was with what he had.  He went from village to village, achieving success one convert at a time.  With persistent dedication, over time he stepped into the conversion of the entire island.

It’s not much different for LDS singles (or anyone else for that matter) struggling against the challenges of their lives.  You won’t step into your best life all at once as it’s handed to you.  You step into your best life one day at a time as you slowly but surely create it.  And creating your best life always begins inside you.

What “snakes” inside you prevent you from experiencing the joy all around you?  What “spirits” do you need to remove from within you in order to recognize and receive that joy in your life?  The way you think determines what you do, and what you do determines the life you live.  With persistent dedication, over time you can step into your best life.

I know this take on St. Patrick’s Day seems odd.  Particularly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, St. Patrick’s Day has become associated with parades and parties.  We wear green and pinch people who don’t.  But behind the frolic lies a fascinating history offering insight into improving your life.  And that improvement always begins with changing the way you think.

Often what we need to trigger new thinking is a new experience, and St. Patrick’s Day offers many opportunities for new experiences.  Delve into the history of the holiday as well as Ireland and learn something new.  Or try your feet at an Irish jig.  Or experiment with an Irish dish.  St. Patrick’s Day offers many opportunities to have a new experience that can trigger new and different ways of thinking.

Embracing such opportunities can have you going green each and every St. Patrick’s Day.  And finding those opportunities every day of the year will open the door to the new ways of thinking you must embrace to experience your best life.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.