Toiling Upward in the Night

It is interesting how sometimes the lessons for this class end up being life lessons the Lord needs me to learn in order to more fully progress. This week was yet another gentle reminder of the importance of discovering and remembering who I am in order to fulfill my divine role here on Earth. In Jan Newman's speech, he spoke of how the Lord doesn't really care how much money we make or what we do for our job as long as we are tending to our stewardship. I really appreciated that comment because sometimes I lose that perspective when really, the work I am doing within in home and the ward I am in is sufficient for the Lord. In contrast, but also support to this, N. Eldon Tanner really stabilized the importance of obedience and how when we are obedient and work for the Lord first, we are promised many blessings. Financial stability, happiness, peace of mind, endurance, and confidence are all promises that I will hold tight to in order to make life enjoyable and worthwhile. What an exceptional life we have been granted! Although it is difficult to sift through experience that propel us upward and those that send us adrift, we can be sure that the Lord is aware of our plight in figuring out who we are, because once we really know, once the self- realization kicks in, we become part of His plan! We become partakers of the bread of life and get to experience the joys of leading, and guiding, and walking beside a world that desperately needs goodness and those who know who they are. This week's lesson really helped me recognize the importance of working with the Lord to dixcover what it is I am to be.

Just like the movies

I am learning, especially this week how my vision of the future is pretty romanced. I have these big ideas of great things. Sometimes my husband thinks I am too big of a dreamer, but I honestly feel like what I imagine life to be like in ten years can be that way. I feel so strongly about it, but I feel so strongly about my ability to make it happen. I am a put your shoulder to the wheel woman and when I want something I go for it. Sometimes things don't work out like I plan, and I try to take that in stride. I am getting better than I used to be about accepting failure or setback. When I was younger it threw me for a loop, but the more I learn about the Savior and His plan, the more I realize how imperative it is to keep an eye single to His glory and let life happen. I think my plan I spoke of in my mentor session is beautiful and I want it badly. I have married someone that will make my dream realistic and doable for him and we can go places with it! I love feeling excited about the future and planning even if it doesn't work out exactly how I imagine. I know the Lord is aware of me and my desire to do good continually so I trust that the effort I put into creating my own dream life won't go unnoticed and He will help us get there.

Measuring My Life

This class has been such an eye opener for me. It has really helped me gain greater insight into who I am as I think about articles and books I have read. I love that there is still a lot of great people in the world trying to motivate others to be more great. I get overwhelmed with how busy and frantic the world is when really I can slow down and focus on progress and the service of others. I am at a place in my life that there is a need for change. I have been the same Jaclyn for a long time and I feel like the Lord is telling me it is time to move upward, to be uncomfortable, and to start changing. Usually I would kick against such a notion, but what I am learning here in class is to gladly accept the invitation to be a better human, to contribute more, and make a name for myself. I love that the gospel is all encompassing in that, we can apply great principles taught by the Savior to our business ideas, careers, and livelihood. I love that there is a way to balance family life and leisure, hard work and discipline, and gaining knowledge and communing with God. Such a cool plan!

"It emerges."

In The Start Up of You, Hoffman says, "Your identity doesn't get found, It emerges." This week I have been really interested in the developing of self or rather the discovery of who is really inside this lady. The articles and assignments have really had my focus concentrated on the importance of developing skills and having values that while enable a wonderful person in many aspects of life emerge. 

I really connected with Sister Dew's talk about integrity and her fierceness in stressing how important it is to honest and strengthening the ability to be accountable and and trustworthy. She quotes "President Boyd K. Packer said this:

The world is spiraling downward at an ever-quickening pace. I am sorry to tell you that it will not get better. I know of nothing in the history of the Church or in the history of the world to compare with our present circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and Gomorrah which exceeds the wickedness and depravity which surrounds us now....The first line of defense–the home–is crumbling. Surely you can see what the adversary is about. We are now exactly where the prophets warned we would be (Boyd K. Packer, BYU J. Reuben Clark Law Society Devotional, 28 February 2004)."

This quote made the urgency to develop who I am so much more real and vital. We no longer have time to not take immediate action in aspiring, setting goals, and accomplishing. This week's assignments really impressed me that in order to be successful in a world that is "spiraling downward" is to focus my attention upwards. Developing, changing, and progressing to become who I was up there so that person can make society and the environment I live in better. Kind of exciting right?!

Begin with the End in Mind

This week has been an interesting one. I went out of town to visit with my family in Colorado and have had to juggle school and family life. I had read The Last Lecture right before I had my first baby so it was nice to have a little refresher course. What an amazing example of making sure you lived your very best life and taught what you deemed most important for your kids. I love dreaming. I think it is essential for a person's sanity to have dreams and I think it more essential for a person's confidence to accomplish big dreams. I am a firm believer of the "as a man thinketh" concept and it's relativity to our success in this life. What we think really is who we are and training our minds to think big and better can be a challenge. It is just as hard to think positively and have a good affect ont hose around us, but it is possible. I always think of Willy Wonka and his extraordinary ability to teach children that dreams are possible. They are what make this world beautiful. They create stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things and those things motivate others to do great things. Dreams create good in the world and happiness in a world full of turmoil.