Do It Anyway

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've always struggled with school. I'm sure even if you've been following this blog you'll know that I've been in a constant battle with it, well, pretty much my whole life. I've also written on here before that I had no idea why at first, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I needed to get my RN. The reasons why are becoming a little more clear to me, but the thing I've taken away from this the very most is that doing hard things is important.

It's gonna suck... But just dig your heels in and do it anyway.

You can swear. You can cry. Those are both excusable offenses while you're in school.

You might have to retake a class, or you may not get into the program of your choice the first time around.

Just do it anyway.

I'll tell you why.

With every step you take in the right direction, it will be confirmed to you that you're on the right path.
You may start your journey like I did, feeling absolutely certain that the goal is impossible, but you're going to give it a shot, just in case you're wrong. You may have complete confidence. Do it either way. You'll have moments where the path will be unclear, and doubt will inevitably start to creep up on you. But, more importantly, doors will materialize out of nowhere, options you didn't even know existed will make themselves known, and people will be introduced who can help you reach your goal. You'll get there. But only if you want it really really bad.

You might not hate it as much as you think.
I walked in to my first Microbiology class this semester with nothing but sheer dread. I hated studying all the organelles and processes in the cell in my Intro to Biology class, and the thought of spending months learning about bacteria and mold made me physically ill. Wanna know something funny, though? Four weeks later, I love what I'm learning. It's so applicable and fun to study all these microbes and pathogens. I help treat patients every day with strep, UTIs, fevers, colds, etc. Now I actually know what causes them, and why it's so important to have the right treatment.

Truly, NOTHING is impossible.

“Things work out, it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out, don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in him, if we will pray to him, if we will live worthy of his blessings, he will hear our prayers.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

I'm learning how to do this. I'm not perfect at it yet, but I really see the value in setting out on a path and sticking to it, even when I'm knee-deep in mud.

Ours is a generation of hand-outs and trudging the path of least resistance in every facet. WE'RE NOT DOING OURSELVES ANY FAVORS! If you choose to stand out as one who is willing to work hard for what you get, people will notice.

Eventually the end will come, and you'll realize that it was only the beginning.

10 years...

I know, it's been a long time since I've blogged, and I don't really want to right now. But in light of the events this weekend, I'll post this wonderful article by our beloved prophet. I love when members of our church get to write in public places and especially when our prophet takes the opportunity, it's a blessing I'm sure not many readers realize they are privileged to have. So enjoy this story and it's great message.

9/11 destruction allowed us to spiritually rebuild

The calamity of September 11th, 2001 has cast a long shadow. Ten years later, many of us are still haunted by its terrible tragedy of lost lives and broken hearts. It is an episode of anguish that has become a defining moment in the history of the American nation and the world. This week, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with Tom Brokaw, will pay its own homage to the unforgettable events of September 11, 2001.

By Thomas S. Monson

There was, as many have noted, a remarkable surge of faith following the tragedy. People across the United States rediscovered the need for God and turned to Him for solace and understanding. Comfortable times were shattered. We felt the great unsteadiness of life and reached for the great steadiness of our Father in Heaven. And, as ever, we found it. Americans of all faiths came together in a remarkable way.

Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed. Healing has come with time, but so has indifference. We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt. Our sorrow moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives. The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment. But we are forgetful. When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well.

Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change.

But we are less faithful than He is. By nature we are vain, frail, and foolish. We sometimes neglect God. Sometimes we fail to keep the commandments that He gives us to make us happy. Sometimes we fail to commune with Him in prayer. Sometimes we forget to succor the poor and the downtrodden who are also His children. And our forgetfulness is very much to our detriment.

If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust. We too should be with Him in every season.

The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near Him every week and each day. We truly “need Him every hour,” not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to Him, listen to Him, and serve Him. If we wish to serve Him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed.

It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.