Flag Poles

Now that I have your attention, let's kick this bloggaroonie into action!

My companion and I have been ranting and raving about this topic for a while now: Progression.  "A movement or development toward a destination or a more advanced state, esp. gradually or in stages."  So it's moving forward.  Going from one stage to a harder more advanced level.  Each of you think back to your Super Mario days (yes, for some that was only a second ago (good for you)).  What would it be like if at the end of the stage, there was no flag.

I can hear the answers now, "What?!?!  No flag?!?!  How could that possibly be?!?!"  There you would stand; stuck in a world you have already mastered.  Sure you could jump around, maybe jump on a goomba or two that you missed, but that's it.  No underground, underwater, or castle levels.  Not to mention that in future Mario Bros. games you'd never experience Yoshi!  <GASP> I know I know, it's all seemingly unimaginable.  But, is it really?

Let's take a look at our own lives.  We go through life and what do we hope to accomplish?  Do we have a vision?  Like in Mario, the big "vision" is conquering the game.  Beating every level and foe that stands in your way.  Our vision should be to live with God again one day, ergo we set goals to achieve it.  So, are there any "flag poles" in our lives (aka, goals)?  Once we have these goals, it's time to do everything we can to achieve them.  Give it our all to reach those "flag poles".

Word of caution, it's not going to be easy.  Hopefully we have all realized this by now.  The comforting thing is, that as we rely on the Lord and stay close to Him, it's easier.  Still not easy, but He gives us a LOT of help.  He gives us the little helps we need such as the Prophet, scriptures, friends, family, prayer, and so much more (like the fire flower, super mushroom, starman, and 1-up mushroom).

For those that don't have a vision, get one.  For those that have goals but aren't doing anything to reach them, get on it!  There's no time like the present!  Consider this blog a push forward.  As we speak I am setting goals and making plans to achieve the vision I have for myself.  I've got the flag poles in my sight and have that vision of defeating Bowser, do you?

Maybe we are all like Cain

This past week I have been reading a talk by Hugh Nibley entitled "Leaders and Managers."  At first, I found it a bit intense and had to re-read parts of it over and over.  But, by the end, a giant light bulb turned on.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Biggest "a-ha" moment I have had in a while.  I could go on and on about the talk and why everyone should read it, but I choose to focus on a particular part of the talk.  Towards the end, Hugh Nibley speaks of an assignment he gave to his students where they were to compare themselves with some character in the Pearl of Great Price.  The student he quotes chose Cain.

Many times I wonder if many of my desires are too self-centered.  Cain was after personal gain.  He knew the impact of his decision to kill Abel.  Now, I do not ignore God and make murderous pacts with Satan; however, I desire to get gain.  Unfortunately, my desire to succeed in business is not necessarily to help the Lord's kingdom grow [a refreshing bit of honesty].  Maybe I am pessimistic, but I feel that few businessmen have actually dedicated themselves to the furthering of the church without first desiring personal gratification.  As a business major, I wonder about the ethics of business--"charge as much as possible for a product which was made by someone else who was paid as little as possible.  You live on the difference."  As a businessman will I be living on someone's industry and not my own?  Will I be contributing to society, or will I receive something for nothing as did Cain?  While being honest, these are difficult questions for me.

All I could think was wow!  I have NEVER thought of my future desires that way.  Am I working towards the betterment of the Lord's kingdom?  Is the first thought when I ponder my future "how will this help the Lord?"  Honestly, this has changed how I view my future.  There is so much re-analyzing that needs to happen.  This student made me realize how much like Cain I truly am. 

Many of the plans I have for my future involve the betterment of myself.  It may sound selfish, but it's true.  I want to finish school and further my education.  But my desire for that isn't, or wasn't, to help God's kingdom.  A new challenge has been erected in my mind.  My future goals are being re-evaluated and being sifted.  The new goal for my goals (if that makes sense) is for them to help in the furthering of the church.  This task is far from easy.  In fact, it is down right hard.  I am too human for it to be any other way.  But, I know that with the Lord's help, it can be done.

Life's Short, but Exciting. Write it Down

My big goal for the mission has been to write in my journal everyday.  This may not seem like anything big, but it is huge to me.  Never in my life have I kept a journal.  There may have been random notebooks that have a thought or two written down, but never any consistent "journal" or "diary" entries.  So far, I have written in my journal every day since entering the MTC.  I have discovered that it is very therapeutic.  Journal writing helps me to express my feelings about the day.  Allows for spiritual promptings and feelings to be written down and read again later.  Not only are they read again, they get to be felt again.  But, it has been a habit that has had to develop over time.  Lets just say, the beginning was very rough.

Towards the beginning of the mission, some of the journal entries were pathetic!  You would have thought I had been in a cave all day and experienced nothing.  Here is one of the entries: "Today was the same.  Nothing really exciting to say".  There's no way I did nothing.  No one can be that boring.  Not only did I have to just write in my journal, I had to pay attention to my day.  Reflect on what happened, how I felt, what conversations I had, and just realize how much goes on in the day.  After realizing this, the goal became much bigger than previously thought.

The latest journal entries are far from perfect, but they are improving.  There are a few things that have helped me to improve my journal-writing skills.  One way my entries have been better is that I write things down throughout the day that stick out to me.  Things that I want to remember and write more about later.  These things can be anything from how a lesson went, "a-ha" moments in the day, funny stories or events, and people I have met.  My memory is equivalent to that of a gold fish.  If it doesn't get jotted down in the moment it happens, it won't be remembered.  Making notes about things throughout the day has made my nightly journal writing that much more memorable and more worthwhile.  

The goal is now a habit.  It is continuing to develop and is becoming something I look forward to.  There are blessings that I never could have imagined from keeping a journal.  Going through past entries helps me to remember how much the Lord really is looking out for me.  He has guided me through everything, whether I realized it at the time or not.  My journal has helped me see where I was, where I am, and set goals to where I want to be.  Life's short, but oh so exciting.  Write it down.

"Never tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon"

"What are you going to do when you go home?"  Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"  "What plans do you have for your future?"  These are some common questions that I am asked frequently, especially while on my mission.  Sure, I can answer them with what I want, but will it happen?  How can we achieve the things we want in our lives?  Elder M. Russell Ballard said: "I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain in this life". 
As a missionary, goal setting is a daily thing.  We make plans and even back-up plans to be able to achieve our goals.  Sometimes we ask ourselves; "how do we know what kind of goals to set?  Are we aiming too high, or maybe too low?"  Having been a swimmer, I have loved the quote by Michael Phelps: "You can't put a limit on anything.  The more you dream the farther you get".  We can't limit ourselves to anything.  Our goals should be reasonable, but not easy.  Preach My Gospel states "Challenging goals will help you work effectively and lead you to stretch and grow".  If our goals are too low, we aren't challenging ourselves.  We limit our room for growth.
The ultimate goal each of us should have is to make it home to our Heavenly Father.  I know that each of us can attain this goal by doing what we need to now.  Set those small goals, such as being more obedient, so we can reach the ultimate goal.  It is possible and nothing is impossible.
-Sister Nestman