Elder Dube spoke of hastening the work of the Church. But I think there is a lesson in there for many of us singles about being single. Many of us singles have some discouraging life experiences. You were never considered “good enough” and so never married. Or maybe you were married but not anymore after a painful divorce. Or perhaps you endured the bitterness of a spouse’s death. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. The adversary wants us to keep looking back. We may be reliving negative moments in our lives, or we might be congratulating ourselves on some former accomplishment. Either way, we’re not looking forward at we have yet to do. But how do you do that? How do you keep looking forward when the past keeps tugging at you? People all handle the same challenges differently. But the most successful people have some common traits in their approach.
Faith is about the future Of course, looking ahead to the future requires a good measure of belief. You must believe that your future — and note that I said your future and not just the future — can actually be better than your past. It is one thing to believe that the future in general can be different than the past. It is quite another to personalize it and to believe that your future can be different than your past. Elder Dube touched on this pointed when he quoted Elder Holland: The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Because God has given you agency, you can choose today differently than you did yesterday. Own your life, make conscious choices, and you can have a brighter tomorrow. Watch the self-talk ![]() One of the most important choices you can make today is to watch the messages that you receive, particularly the ones that you give yourself. Again, it’s natural for people to wallow in the mire. But that naturally results in people staying in the mire. You will find it hard to imagine what a brighter tomorrow would look like if you have been reminding yourself of all your imperfections and all the other reasons why you cannot succeed. Belief becomes easier when you constantly receive messages that encourage belief. So make conscious choices to immerse yourself in positivity. You are your best source of positive reinforcement. You can conscious choose to give yourself messages of encouragement and faith that keep your focus on the brighter tomorrow that God wants you to have. What are the messages you give yourself? If more are negative rather than positive, then review some of my tips for improving your self-talk. Your focus determines your reality, and it’s hard not to focus on something when it constantly surrounds you. If what surrounds you is more negative than positive, guess what you reality will be? This is what helps me, but if something else works for you, please don’t keep that to yourself. We all have a part to play in the overarching plan of God for the world. Help us keep our gaze forward on what we have yet to do. Leave a comment and share your suggestions with the rest of us.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
Howdy! I'm Lance, host of Joy in the Journey Radio. I've been blogging about LDS singles life since 2012, and since 2018 I've been producing a weekly Internet radio show and podcast to help LDS singles have more joy in their journey and bring all Latter-day Saints together. Let's engage a conversation that will increase the faith of LDS singles and bring singles and marrieds together in a true unity of the faith.
Comment
Joy in the Journey Radio encourages the free discussion of ideas but reserves the right to remove and/or block comments which do not conform to LDS standards.
Donate
Joy in the Journey Radio offers many free resources to help LDS singles everywhere, but it certainly isn't free! Help Joy in the Journey Radio in its mission to improve the lives of LDS singles by donating today.
Posts by Month
November 2022
Categories
All
|