"Get Out of Bed"- It Needs To Happen

What's the hardest part of your day? Often times for me, its getting out of bed each and every morning. Why is this though? How can we "get out of bed" even when its the last thing we want to do? I have been thinking about this for a while now and I would like to share the insights I have gained through conversations and pondering on this topic. I think I have an idea and I would like to share it with you.  

Lets begin with the why. If we think about this literally, we often don't want to get out of bed because its warm and comfy and we are still tired. We don't want take on the challenges of the day ahead. But lets look at this another way. We often don't want to "get out of bed" because of a few major reasons: we feel life is too hard or not worth living, we have no hope, or we enjoy the complete feeling of solitude while in "bed."

1. Life is too hard or not worth living. All of us, including myself have felt like this from time to time. We feel like everything is just too hard: our job, our schooling, our relationship or family problems, or whatever it may be going on for you personally.Then feel like we don't make a difference, like nothing we do matters. we physically feel like nothing(s). FALSE! Everything that you do matters to someone, everything you do can change your life or someone else's or even both. YOU ARE SOMETHING! 

2. We have no hope. Life gets tough sometimes. A lot of the time life is really hard. School is hard, work is hard, everything in life is challenging. Life wasn't meant to be easy, if it was where would the fun be in that? We would be bored, we wouldn't have chances to be creative, to change, to do new things. Even thought the colors and life may seem dull right now, I promise it does get better. Things will look up!

3. We enjoy the complete feelings of solitude while in "bed." We often get to this state after much wallowing in ourselves. As well as not wanting help or not wanting to get out "bed". We can get this way after accepting the lie that things don't get any better. We then get to the point where we think we have it harder than anyone and no one understands us. But honestly, if you look back and remember what you have been through to this point, is this current trail something you can't get through. Is it really impossible? Is it worth putting yourself through what you are? I want to say no because I KNOW you can do it and get through it. 

Now the question arises "how do you "get out of bed?"" Well it starts with YOU! It starts with YOU having hope and believing in change. It then takes acting on that hope and belief to fight the urge to "stay in bed." It then takes "getting out of bed", asking those we love and trust to help us, it takes being vulnerable, trusting, and a leap of faith. It then takes everyday work and a tough fight to keep this battle going. As much as I wish it was a one day thing, its not. Its a day, if not multiple times a day battle that may seem impossible at times. We have to literally "get out of bed", we also have to physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually stop being complacent and "get out of bed." But I know "getting out of bed"  and fighting this battle is more than worth it every single day. Your future self will thank you! 

Every single day is a new day. A new day filled with new opportunity knocking at your door. A new day to believe in hope. A new day to get out and do something more for yourself or for someone else. A new day to renew our hope in life. A new day to believe that life is worth living, because it is. 

In my life, what has helped me most is faith in Christ and God. I know all my readers may not believe in such and I accept you for you and your beliefs. But for my readers that do have these beliefs, this faith has gotten me through the hardest things in life and situations that I never wanted  to "get out of bed" again after. But His power and His mercy and His glory can literally help us rise above all. I can testify of such.

A quote from Jeffery R. Holland an Apostle from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints said "don't you quit! You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon.Some come late, and some don't come till Heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, the come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God, and believe in good things to come." 

DON'T QUIT, KEEP WALKING, KEEP TRYING. HAPPINESS IS AHEAD. 

Even though things seem dark and hopeless now, this feeling doesn't last. Keep "getting up" and keep improving everyday and look for the brightness in life. Things do and will get better! Keep fighting and keep going with the journey. 

Thanks for reading, feel free to share and comment!

Change Your "Socks"- It Can Be Done

Socks are something we wear on our feet and we wear them daily. We change them daily because we get them wet, sweat in them, they feel gross and whatever other reasons. But if we don't change them our socks often become gross, hard, crusty and most importantly stinky when we take off our shoes. Now this is just one big analogy but why did I use socks? Well socks are changed daily, and we must also change daily. If we don't then we become gross, hard, crusty and stink when we do "take off our shoes" or in reality open up to someone.

Changing our "socks" daily, this is no easy task. But its a task that needed every single day in our lives if we do not change daily for the better than we are only hurting ourselves. But how do we change? As much I wish  there was cookie cutter mold for change, there isn't. Then if  there was I wouldn't have any purpose in writing this blog. But I do know that each of us, have something every day we can change, a habit we can begin to break, something we can do better, a way to live better and happier. But how do we do this? I would like to share what I've done and things I have found that helped.

First, I took a stand against myself. A stand against negative habits and things that were holding me back from happiness. For some this could be a deciding to make lifestyle change,  planning and doing something we had been avoiding, planning to forgiving someone, calling for an appointment with a therapist/counselor or combination. It could something totally different. What ever you need to do, get up and make a plan, make a goal, then you will start to feel change happening and happiness coming into your life.

Second, I took action. I did what I planned. Started to met my goals. Took the steps I needed to start to see the change and be happier. This part of the process for me was by far the hardest. I want to share and experience of one of the hardest things I ever had to do: forgive my birth mother. One day, I felt ever so strongly by the spirit to call and forgive my birth mom for everything. For all the pain, sorrow, mental torment and emotional torment she put me though. I couldn't shake the feeling. I knelt down I said a prayer. Dialed the number and called her.  Skipped the exchanging of greetings and forgave her not only with words, but I truly forgave her in my heart. Since this experience I have been happier. I look back and think of how I was living with that pain and hatred in my heart for so long. It had truly been hindering me. I challenge you to make that call, send that text, make that plan, set that goal or DO whatever YOU need to do to free yourself and be happy.

Lastly, I never looked back. I kept my chin up. I kept faith in God and Christ. I also keep the motto "Do better, be better" in my mind at all times. In the words of President Gordon B. Hinckley from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints "Try a little harder, to be a little better." I would just like to challenge you to add the word "everyday" to the end of this magnificent quote.

Now, I am in no means perfect. I am still learning how to be better, and do better everyday. I struggle with different trails in my everyday life. We all do. Yours and mine are different however. But I do know that we need to change our "socks" daily. If we don't our "shoes" will stink and our lives will be harder and the only person to blame is ourselves. I challenge every reader of this blog, to change for the better. Get on your knees and pray for the strength to do. Then get on your feet and go and DO! Then while you're doing, don't give it up! The battle is not easy. Its long and tumultuous.  I can promise that change isn't easy. That life is not an easy battle. But, I know you can do it! HE knows you can do it! Your friends and family know you can do it. I promise that it will be worth it in the end!

Thanks you for reading. feel free to share this blog with anyone and everyone. Feel free to comment other topics you would like to read about.

Perspective- It can be changed and overcome

How many times over the course or your life have you said "I have never looked at it that way" or "I wish I could see things from your perspective?" Personally, I have said these two phrases along with several very similar to them. But what is perspective? In my opinion it’s subjective and difference for everyone and in every situation. But in everyday life, there is a best perspective and worst. 

What is that best perspective? If I knew the perfect answer, I would give it to you. But I have found that it all boils down to two angles. 1: happiness and 2: a long term perspective. But what do these mean?

Happiness, joy, bliss, love. These are feelings of happiness. But what if a situation sucks? For example: like a relationship ending or a passing of a loved one or failing a test.  Well, these situations may stink and may lead to tears being shed, time of your knees pleading with the Savior, talking with your best friend or even a combination of these and more. But isn't there happiness all around still? YES, ALWAYS! When any of these things happen we have things to fall back on: our family, our friends, exercise, our hobbies and other things that make us happy that we don't notice. For example when a relationship ends: we now have time to spend with our friends, exercise more, and better ourselves. It's all about how we look at the situation in the moment. We often miss out of the biggest opportunities of growth because we are focused on the bad. 

But all these situations last only a moment. Pain, sorrow, guilt, failure all last only a small moment in the long term. However, we often let these feelings dominate our lives later down the road. I am very much guilty of this. We often let one failed relationship dominate our next one. When a relationship fails, we get so torn down that we are afraid to start over. We don't want to go on, we want to be bitter and hate idea of dating. 

 But in the long term, there is something better. We let that mindset of failure after a test dominate us in our homework. When that was just one test. The next we can do better on. A wise man once told me "fail quickly." We let the sorrow and pain of losing a family member dominate us for years to come. (While in this situation it is okay to miss them and think about them.) But we often don't think enough about the fact that we will be with them once again.

What I am trying to really get at is the timeless saying "when one door closes, another one opens" and I would like to add to it and change it: when one door closes, another one is waiting for us to knock upon and open up. We have a lot of life to live, it’s not worth dwelling on the times of hardship and pain. I challenge you all to look within, to think of where your perspective currently is. Then change it in a way(s) so that you can be happier and grow.

Thanks for reading!

Jewell Young