Joy In The Journey Radio
  • Home
  • Radio 4 LDS Singles
    • Recent Shows >
      • 9 Nov 22
      • 2 Nov 22
    • Archive 2022
    • Archive 2021
    • Archive 2020
    • Archive 2019
    • Archive 2018
  • LDS Singles Blog
  • Members
    • Members-only
  • World of TED
  • Firesides
  • Books
  • FAQ
  • Volunteer
  • Home-centered Church
  • Donate
  • Contact

continue the conversation

The power of yet

12/28/2016

0 Comments

 
You can listen to the host of Joy In The Journey Radio read this blog post by using the player here.  Feel free to continue the conversation by leaving a comment. And be sure to catch the latest episode of Joy in the Journey Radio by going to the Recent Shows page!
Picture
With 2017 almost upon us, many are reflecting back upon 2016 and making plans for the new year.  I’m doing more than that, though.  I’m comparing my intention for 2016 in January with what I actually have in December.

I had such high hopes in January.  I was convinced that this year would be my year in so many ways.  And I did make a valiant effort.  But comparing my hopes with the reality, I find myself wanting, and not by a small amount.

In some ways many LDS singles feel similarly about their lives.  They had such high hopes when they began adulthood.  But as years go by without any achievement or even apparent progress on the road to eternity, they find their lives working our very differently from that cultural life plan.

I understand that sentiment.  I can look upon the intervening years in my life and see how far I haven’t come.  That career hasn’t quite worked out for me, and that companion is still missing from my life.  If I see nothing but these cold facts, I’ll easily find despair and feel like a failure.

But I don’t have to stay that way if I remember the power of yet.

Learn a lesson

Picture
We can get so fixated on timetables for anything to happen that we set ourselves up for discouragement when reality differs.  In my new career as an educator, I’ve noticed an emerging discussion around this topic.  We insist that students learn on our timetable.  If they don’t learn what they need to learn within a semester, students receive a grade that reflects that performance.

That’s fine for students who don’t make any effort.  But what about the ones who did and still couldn’t make the mark?  These students can be easily discouraged from ever trying again.

Does it matter in the long run that they couldn’t learn quick enough?  Yes, some jobs require employees to ride steep learning curves, but not every job demands that.  And students who take longer to learn aren’t going for those types of jobs anyway.

That’s where the power of yet comes in.  What if students received a grade of “Not Yet” instead of a failing grade?  Would this nurture the potential of students who would otherwise waste it in surrender to discouragement and false identities of being a failure?

Apply the lesson

Picture
Many LDS singles aren’t very different from the students discussed in education circles.  We all know the life plan our culture gives us.  But what happens if your career and/or your companion don’t materialize according to that timetable?  Just like the students who wrongly label themselves as stupid and unable to learn, many LDS singles wrongly label themselves as failures and unable to achieve their righteous desires.

That all changes when we invoke the power of yet.  If we are not now what or where we want to be, then our performance alone is the failure, not us.  We haven’t done all that we need to do to be what or where we want to be.  We just haven’t arrived yet.

That word yet offers hope that the future can be different than the past.  And so it can!  We truly fail in any endeavor only when we stop trying.  By telling ourselves we haven’t succeeded yet, instead of declaring simply that we haven’t succeeded, we orient ourselves towards the light of a brighter tomorrow.

Of course, we can’t simply use the same approach and expect different results.  If we want different results, we need to adopt a different approach.  And that means learning from our previous approach what we need to do differently so that each next attempt is better than our last.

Feel the power

Picture
Looking back on 2016, I see the excitement I felt in January to put a dent in the universe differs substantially from the reality in December.  Although discouraged, I remain undaunted because I remember the power of yet.

I simply haven’t yet achieved all that I want to achieve.

That’s the great promise of 2017 and every new year we encounter.  We have the chance to review our approach and identify ways to improve.  We have another opportunity to renew our effort and keep pushing forward.  

If you’re looking at your life and feeling far from what or where you want to be, what are you going to do about it?  Will you tell yourself you haven’t succeeded before you lie down to die?  Or will you tell yourself that you haven’t succeeded yet as you improve your approach and keep trying?  With the power of yet, we can all take hope as we work towards a brighter tomorrow.  And that will certainly provide us more joy in our journey.

Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    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
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adrian Ochoa
    Agency
    Assumptions
    Atonement
    Attitude
    Attraction
    Autopilot
    Balance
    Becky Craven
    Believe
    Best Life
    Bradley R Wilcox
    Camille N Johnson
    Change The Culture
    Changing LDS Singles Culture
    Christ
    Christmas
    Clark G Gilbert
    Confidence
    Conscious Choices
    Covenant Mindset
    Dale G Renlund
    Dallin H Oaks
    Dating
    David A Bednar
    Depression
    Dieter F Uchtdorf
    Discipleship
    Donald L Hallstrom
    D Todd Christofferson
    Face To Face
    Faith
    Family
    Family History
    Fear
    Filters
    Finances
    Focus Determines Reality
    Full Life: Body
    Full Life: Heart
    Full Life: Mind
    Full Life: Spirit
    Future
    Gary E Stevenson
    General Conference
    Gerrit W Gong
    Goals
    Gordon B Hinckley
    Gratitude
    Habits
    Happiness
    Hope
    Jack Gerard
    Jean Bingham
    Jeffrey R Holland
    John A McCune
    John C Pingree Jr
    Journey
    Joy
    Leaders
    Legacy
    Life Of Meaning
    Live In The Moment
    Marriage
    Marrieds
    Michael A Dunn
    Michelle Craig
    Miracles
    M Russell Ballard
    Natural Mindset
    Neil Andersen
    Opportunity
    Own Your Life
    Partner With The Lord
    Peace
    Personal Ministry
    Perspective
    Philosophy
    Proclamation On The Family
    Quentin L Cook
    Real
    Reformat And Reboot
    Relationships
    Ronald Rasband
    Russell M Nelson
    Sacrament
    Self Talk
    Self-talk
    Service
    Sharon Eubank
    Stories
    Support
    Surrender To Love
    Susan H Porter
    Taylor G Godoy
    Temple
    Thinking
    Thomas S Monson
    Trials
    Unity
    Valentine's Day
    Vision
    Walk By Faith
    Yoon Hwan Choi
    Zion

    RSS Feed

Offerings

Home
Radio 4 LDS Singles
LDS Singles Blog
Books
Speaking
Recipes
Home-centered Church

Production

About
Staff

Support

FAQ
Volunteer
Donate
Contact
Joy in the Journey Radio is a production
of Aspire Mountain Media LLC.
© 2014-2022 Aspire Mountain Media LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • Home
  • Radio 4 LDS Singles
    • Recent Shows >
      • 9 Nov 22
      • 2 Nov 22
    • Archive 2022
    • Archive 2021
    • Archive 2020
    • Archive 2019
    • Archive 2018
  • LDS Singles Blog
  • Members
    • Members-only
  • World of TED
  • Firesides
  • Books
  • FAQ
  • Volunteer
  • Home-centered Church
  • Donate
  • Contact