Go viral

Today I’m on the road returning from a trip to help my brother.  He asked me to be with him during his surgery and then to stay afterwards to help with his kids.  So I looked at my travel options, decided that driving my own car was the best option, and then spent two days hitting the road.  It was great to have some quality time with my niece as well as to hold my newborn nephew.  I’m now in the midst of the return journey.

Getting out of town often gives you a new perspective on your world.  And, for thinking people like me, new perspectives can lead to revelation.  My recent trip was no exception.

I’ve been posting lately about singles and marrieds coming together into a unity of the faith.  And I’ve posted previously about the need for singles to take the initiative to change the culture that prevents us from having that unity.  Looking back, especially to some of my most recent posts, I wonder if perhaps I’ve been a bit too self-absorbed.  A higher vision involves us helping both ourselves and others.

---

Own your life

LDS singles frequently look to a program to meet their needs.  It’s mostly from upbringing.  We start out in the Primary program, then move to the youth program, then move to the YSA program.  We’ve been programmed to look to programs to supply our needs.  And that programming constitutes a habit.

Instead of living life on autopilot, make conscious choices for yourself, including how you meet your own individual needs.  Quit looking to a program or to your leaders to meet your needs.  Many of them simply don’t have the vision needed to guide them in meeting your needs, and they never will have it until you show it to them by example.  Start looking to yourself.  Own your life.

I’ve posted before about owning your life.  My life has changed considerably since my first such post (January 2014).  I’m finding new opportunities and looking forward to the future.  That always happens when you own your life.  Why?  Because taking responsibility for how your life results puts you in a place to see more readily opportunities to improve yourself and your life.  And when you look for those opportunities, you tend to find them because the Lord is so anxious to bless each one of us that He has placed lots of them around all of us.  We need only look to live a life of joy and happiness.

Don’t wait for circumstances to bend to your favor.  Get on the happy train now.  Own your life.

---

Spread the joy

But as I said before, it’s not just about us as individuals but about everyone coming together as a broader community.  That’s another result of owning your life.  And sometimes those opportunities you find can really rock your world.

Take, for instance, something that has rocked mine.  I posted last month about attending RootsTech, the world’s largest genealogy conference.  It was a great event.  One of the sessions focused on using Internet radio to promote family history.  The format of broadcasting online intrigued me, so I added the session to my schedule.

All during the session, I couldn’t get out of my head the thought of using online radio as another platform for unfolding my vision for singles and creating a greater unity of faith.  And that has continued for the past month since attending that session.  In addition to my upcoming book and this blog, an online radio show can provide an interactive level of support since singles can call in and ask questions or talk about whatever is on their mind.  That forum can combine with this blog and almost complete book to support more and more singles.

I’m not waiting on my leaders to do what they will likely never do on their own.  I’m taking action to support those of us who aren’t getting our needs met.  Keep your eyes fixed here for more details on my online radio show.  I’m going to spread the joy that God wants all of us to have here and now.  I’m going viral with it.  And I invite you to join me.

What can you do spread joy in the community of Latter-day Saints where you live?  Whatever that is, go viral with it.  Own your life and become everything that God wants you to be.

---