Skip to main content

Vision

What is vision? What does it mean to see something not with your eyes but with your heart? The great Bob Marley once said, "Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you're riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and Live!"

I've been thinking a lot lately about the dream I have for myself, the vision if you will of what I want my life to look like. Here are the bolded headings:
Covenant keeper
Sister, daughter, confidant, and loyal friend
Wife
Mother
Doctor
Happy and wise.

What's your vision look like? What's on your dream board for yourself?
Recently I have been talking with several friends whose lives haven't quite taken the straight course they expected (or for that matter, the winding course they were sort-of anticipating.) The older I get, the more I realize such is the experience of all of us who walk in this fallen place.

While it's true that your life won't take quite the road you expect or have lined up for yourself, it is still true that you can be happy in the winding. You can be amazed by the turning, twisting, dips and heights. You can still smile every day at the little things. The color in bubbles. The color of the sky. Laughter. A quiet moment to reflect on the goodness of life.

Recently in General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a message was shared where the speaker talked about seeing things differently. They were specifically speaking of the scriptures but it applies just as much to life - you don't necessarily get better experiences or see something different or new but you get new eyes.

Such has been my favorite lesson over the last year and I'm so grateful for it. It is not always easy to choose to be happy every day. Some days it's impossible. But there are times since I've been focusing more on this that I find myself paying attention to something that while not new, is now different under this new light in which I'm striving to cast my life. I see the world differently. That is the power really behind the enabling power of the Atonement of Christ. He can give a change of heart towards happiness. He did for me and He can for you.

Dream and be happy in your wandering.






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fear as a now third year medical student

It would not be a trial of our faith if our faith was not actually tried. Trials are essential, obviously, but how much of a trial can it really be if all the time we feel His guiding hand and Comforting presence? Can those really be considered trials? Today I am officially a third year medical student. Reflecting over the last two years, I want to take a moment to write down my thoughts. As a missionary, when the Spirit said I would be going to medical school it was a huge relief. I had struggled up to that point to really know what to do with my life. I knew I wanted a good career, a steady paycheck, a job that I loved. I knew I wanted to work outside the home, make a difference, help people. But I didn’t know exactly what that looked like for me until that moment in Virginia. And when I got home and got to work researching and then putting into action all that would be required to be accepted into a medical school in the US I had multiple moments of doubt. Heavy doubt. But I p...

getting to and through YEAR ONE

Hello? Oh, Hello there! I am excited to talk more about my summer as I enjoy the last few days before I dive into studying hard. It is almost the beginning of the second year of medical school. Last year was one of the hardest years of my life. I experienced more pain, suffering, doubt, tears, and heartache than I have ever before in such large doses. I staggered under the weight of my fears and found myself often on my knees with no where else to turn. It was a beautiful place to find myself. Of course it is easy to say that now, looking back as I stand proud. There was a lot that went into my decision to go to medical school. Ultimately it took a lot of prayer and a lot of planning. It took a lot of service hours, a lot of hard work in my undergrad, a lot of conversations with my mother. It was a grueling process which no one can understand until you've been through it. I often doubted I was making the right choice. As I was preparing for the MCAT, which is the entr...
I woke up this morning and after getting some breakfast I stepped out into the dim light of predawn and stood barefoot in the grass. I felt the dew on my feet and the soft cool morning air on my face and hands. I listened but the birds were still asleep. Taking a pair of scissors, I cut a bloom from the rose bush outside my back door.  Life is messy. And sometimes unkind. It is confusing, painful and discouraging. But an amazing thing happens when we decide to take it just one day at a time. It is a lesson I have to learn over and over. Sort of like Charity or Humility or Optimism. I have decided to have faith over fear. To trust that although I can't know what will happen, that a perfect Being who loves me does. And trusting in that is more important to me than knowing. So while it is difficult, and some would say perhaps a cop out for dealing with life, I choose to trust that God cares enough about me to have my best interests at heart. And if He has decided to not share...