Tools for the Trials of Life and the Negative Thoughts that Tag Along

Life, for most people in the world, consists of stress and busy schedules. Everything we do occurs at top notch speeds. The activities we engage in, the shows we watch, the music we listen to, the commodities we buy, the relationships we have/want seem to fly by at rapid tempos. We are easily upset if something seems to be taking "forever" to happen. I know that I have, on more than one occasion, stood in front of the microwave cursing my pre-cooked burrito for taking too long to get warm. Pathetic, probably, but it just shows how much a part of a high-speed society I really am.

With such a society, running as fast it can, responsibilities like family, jobs, and school seem to stack higher and higher. Trying to keep up to par with everything may be difficult and when one falls behind, it seems like there is no way to catch up and the glimmer of hope can quickly morph into a black hole of despair.
Perhaps, you have experienced what I am describing. If you have ever felt like you were drowning in an ocean of stress-overload you probably know what I’m talking about. You are discouraged at yourself for falling behind. You feel mad at the world for throwing so much stress and chaos at you. You feel bad for letting your boss, teachers, and/or loved ones down. You feel horrible about not being "good enough" and then the thoughts begin to make their way in, the negative "just give up" kind of thoughts. "You'll never be able to fix everything or come out on top." "Why are you even trying?" "It is too hard, there’s sooo much to do and not enough time." "There is no hope for a bright future, if you can't handle your life, right now" "You've lost control, stop trying, it is no use."

These thoughts are horrible! They bring with them confusion, doubt, fear, and a disgusting knot in the stomach that forms when a lie is told. This is because these thoughts and thoughts similar to them are lies. Satan, the father lies, wants to destroy us, to make us as miserable as he is. D&C 10: 22 states that: “Satan leads souls to destruction.” And in Moses 4: 6 we learn more about the devil’s evil intentions when we read that: “Satan [seeks] to destroy the world.” He was our brother in the pre-earth life. He knows us: our weaknesses, our talents, our strengths. He knows our great potential and wants us to fail. He, as well as his legions of evil spirit followers, will do all that they can to hinder our progression. Though they cannot read our thoughts, they can whisper evil and degrading things into our minds. If we allow these things to stay, little by little we will fall away from reaching our God-given potential. Steven A. Cramer, in his book, Putting on the Amor of God, states the following phrase repeatedly: “What gets your attention get you.” Negative thoughts (like the aforementioned) have popped into everyone’s head (I know that they’ve popped into mine), but this does not mean we have to keep them there. Even the Savior of the world, He who was perfect, was tempted of the devil. When Jesus had fasted for forty days he went into the wilderness and the devil came to tempt him. In Matt 4: 10 we read the Savior’s response. He commanded: “Get thee hence, Satan…” and like the Savior, we mustn’t allow Satan’s whisperings to stay with us.

We have had and will continue to have challenges in our lives. Satan will continue in his endeavors at feeding negative thoughts into our heads in hope that we will let them linger to torture our souls. Today, though, I want to talk about how we can deal with the stresses of this world and how to replace negative thoughts and feelings with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and hope in His infinite Atonement.
In his talk entitled Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Elder Kevin W. Pearson said: “Challenging times require greater spiritual power” (40). How true that is! The bar has been raised in missionary requirements and it should be raised in our own lives. The standards of the world are progressively falling. We see it everywhere (in the streets, at school in the media, and etc). With so much chaos and confusion surrounding us, we need to do more to protect ourselves from falling right alongside the world; we need to do all that we can to stay close to the Lord.

There are many tools like prayer, the words of the prophets, and temple worship available to help us through the hardships of life. Let’s talk a little bit more about each of these tools. First, we can pray. Heavenly Father is there. He listens to and answers every single prayer. He loves us and wants us to come to Him, to give Him our thanks, to share with him our desires, our heartache, to ask Him for help. In D&C 10:5 it says, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.” Prayer is such a simple thing and yet it is so powerful.

The words of the prophets are another tool. Whether it be President Monson and the general authorities of today or the prophets of old. Messages of comfort and guidance from the Lord are relayed through them to us in church magazines like the Ensign and in the scriptures. This is also a simple thing and so much strength and joy (even answers to prayers) can come from simply reading! I don’t know how many times I have read my scriptures or flipped through talks in the Ensign and had several questions answered or received direction as the Spirit whispered to my heart that what I was reading was truth. Elder Sheldon F. Child in his talk A Sure Foundation pleaded: “Brothers and sisters, if God loves us enough to send us prophets, then we need to love Him enough to follow them. Following the prophets will help protect us against the storms of life and lead us to Christ. [hold scriptures and ensign up] These are words from our Heavenly Father through His servants to me and to you. They can be our guide to surviving and even thriving in these troubled times.

Temple worship is also a source of strength and power in times of need. Elder Richard G. Scott gave a marvelous talk in General Conference last month on this very subject. In his talk he suggested several ways that one can benefit more from attending the temple. Such suggestions include [read out of ensign](44). He also testified that: “When we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances then come what may, we have no reason to feel despondent”(45). What a blessing it is to have a temple in the very city we live. Travel time is only a matter of minutes and we can be within the walls of the temple, away from the cares of the world. For those of us who are not endowed, we have opportunities several times a week to go do baptisms for the dead. And for the endowed the opportunity is always there. I don’t take enough advantage of this. I get caught up with being too busy or not wanting to sacrifice a few hours of sleep to get up early and go, but I know that when I have gone it has been awesome. The Holy Ghost is strong when I do service in general, but it is especially strong within the sacred walls of the temple, as I participate in ordinances by proxy for those who have gone to the spirit world. If you don’t currently hold a temple recommend, schedule an interview with the bishop to receive one. If you are unworthy to receive one, then get worthy! Again, talk to the bishop, he loves you and is there to help with the repentance process so that you can once again enjoy the blessings of the temple. Attending the temple can strengthen our testimonies and make us more able to deal with the stresses and doubts of the world.

Negativity may crash in from all around us. Circumstance may be treacherous. And with such, doubts and sorrow can crowd our hearts and minds. Even with (ESPECIALLY with) the hard times we are experiencing and/or will experience, we need to remember the many tools that God has provided for us. Prayer, the words of the prophets, and temples are only a few of the resources we have available to us. We have family and friends, home and visiting teachers, institute classes, beautiful and inspiring hymns and music, and other things and people in our lives that can aid us in this earthly experience. Going back to Kevin W. Pearson’s Talk Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he closed with his testimony that “Because He lives (He being the Savior), there is always hope smiling brightly before us. In a household of faith, there is no need to fear or doubt. Choose to live by faith and not fear.”

I want to close with my own testimony. I know that God lives and loves each one of us. I know that Jesus is my elder brother and my Savior. I know that he lived a perfect life and that if I follow his example I will be blessed. I know that he suffered the Atonement because he loves me and each of us. I know that he experienced all of my pains and all of my heartache. He knows exactly what I have gone through, all that I am going through, and all that I will go through. He died and was resurrected so that we may live again with Him, our Heavenly Parents and all of our loved ones. Life may bring me down, I may be a horrible sinner, but everything will be okay because I know that I am not alone. I know that through repentance, no matter how bad I mess up, I can be made clean; I can be forgiven! I know that Satan is real and that he is doing his best to confuse us, to make us doubt, to lead us away from the blessings that come through living the gospel. Even with the distractions of the devil, even with the stresses of mortality, I know that men are that they might have joy. God wants us to be happy. Times may be hard, but there is no reason to fear. He has provided us with the means to endure. I know that with God we can do and get through anything.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bubble Sheet Blues

[As you have probably already guessed... I'm a fan of using my other sources of writing to create blogs. I lack a sense of creativity, I suppose. Hehe. Sooo yeah.... Below is an excerpt of an email that I sent my friend, yesterday. If you're reading this, dear friend, I hope you don't mind me snatching this from our correspondence. Thanks!]


Guess what? *sigh* (and I really did just sigh, too) I had an econ test today, for which I studied hardcore (and by studied hardcore I mean that I seriously crammed) I even stayed on campus until midnight, last night. It was awesome!. I felt prepared, I'm pretty sure that I was prepared, and I think that, answer-wise, I did pretty well on the exam this morning. I took the full hour and was feeling pretty good about the whole situation (I knew that I'd probably missed a few, but hey... this was the best I'd ever felt after an econ exam), and then I turned in the bubble sheet and suddenly every happy emotion I had previously been feeling was replaced with heart-dropping nastiness.

I had forgotten to fill in the bubbles of my name and ID number! My teacher, after noticing this, transformed from her happy nice self into a monster. "You know you're losing 75 points for turning it in like this!" she angrily piped. What am I supposed to say to that? " Yup! I know, I planned it that way. I figured that failing my first test would be the way to go!" Yeah right! I felt retarded. My name was on the bubble sheet line on the opposite side of the paper. Who designed bubble sheets anyhow? The identification bubbles should be on the front so that forgetful/loserish people, like myself, will remember to fill them in. AHHH!

I apologized and asked if she would pity me. Her reply, "It's not my sorry it is your sorry." I was like "I know. Hence why I said I'm sorry not you're sorry." I actually said that, can you believe?!? It was definitely not the best moment of my life. Even with my dumb remark, she did eventually give in to my pleas by letting me buy an opportunity to fill in the stupid bubbles. I ended up sacrificing 15 glorious points!!!!! That is an automatic 85 % ( if I aced the exam... and I know that didn't happen.) I should be grateful for the second chance. 15 points is definitely better than 75!!!!! Stupid bubble sheet. I had my name on everything, even the bubble sheet... just not in the bubbles. :(

After this annoying escapade, I ended up losing control of my emotions and bawling in the girl's restroom. It was pathetic. I couldn't stop crying and I'm not an attractive crier. I managed to pull myself together enough so that I was only a few minutes late to my next class. I think my teacher forgave me for being late the instant I walked through the door, due to my red face, blood-shot eyes, and puffy cheeks. I received the "are you alright?" look from everyone. It was nice to know that they all care about my well being, but still... Crying because of a bad grade-- a total Brooke thing to do and yet very embarrassing. I hate it when high hopes are crushed so unexpectedly.

Passion

I really need to be more passionate about giving my all in everything that I do. Lately, it feels like I've been thoughtlessly and carelessly going through the actions of life. I used to be so excited to be alive and to learn new things. Now, I feel numb to the world and everyone/thing in it.

This past weekend, at my friend's house, my friend's dad went on for about 20 minutes about a book he has been reading and the history that goes along with it. He seemed so intrigued and exited to share what he had been learning. It was amazing and I loved every moment! His enthusiasm made me realize how much I need to change. Because of this, a bit of passion has been aroused from within me and it has made me want to try and be more excited about my daily tasks and hobbies. Haha, whenever I say the word "try", I hear Yoda's voice in my head stating his famous line:"Do or do not, there is no try." Such wisdom :) . So much for try, I'm gonna do.

Verb, it's what ya do...

The Secret

As most of you know, I am a fan of positive thinking. I have several books that emphasize the power of intention and the like. Recently, my mother and I were watching Oprah and a lady was on the show who was advertising a book called The Secret. The contents,of this book pretty much fit perfectly with all that I have previously learned about changing life for the better. We bought the book and a DVD that goes a long with it.

As the Costco cashier said, "Once you get past the weird music and whispering" it is an amazing DVD filled with the basic truths of the universe. The main truth discussed is the law of attraction. Basically, people attract people, places, experiences, and things into their lives. Quoting from the movie: "thoughts become things." If our thoughts and feelings are positive, then good things come into our lives and vis versa. Using an example from my own life: when I'm running late, it seems like I hit every red light. This is because I am constantly thinking, "I'm going to be late." I am thinking about being late and so I end up being late. Yeah... This stuff is disgusting, if your a pessimistic individual. On the flip side, though, knowing how to harness your positive thoughts and feelings assists you in money matters, relationships, health, goals, dreams, and an infinite number of things. Check the website at http://thesecret.tv/!

Good quotes that agree with all self-help/positive thinking material:

"Imagination is the key to all things" ~Albert Einstein

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" ~Luke 11:9

"What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality" ~Otto Rank

"Empires of the mind are empires of the future" ~Winston Churchill

"I think therefore I am" ~René Descartes

Oh Ye of Little Faith

"There's no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune"~ Henry V.

The above is quite a quote, wouldn't you agree? On my Google homepage I have a Shakespearean insulter. It usually provides me with nothing more than a daily giggle, but today's actually started to turn the rusty cranks of my brain. It brought up several thoughts and memories.

Thought/Memory #1

I have a piano student who has serious ADHD and a form of autism. At his last lesson, the student's father took 5 minutes to inform me of his child's disabilities. It would have been better to know about such things, at an earlier time, if he had to tell me at all. I had basically figured the boy's issues out (through the past weeks), anyway. I thought and still think that the kid progresses well. His father, on the other hand, made sure that I understood his minimal expectations. He didn't want much more than the basics for his kid. "I'm just glad he is playing the piano, quoth he.

It is good to be glad about such things, but HONESTLY! Where is this man's faith? If he doesn't have faith in the kid, the kid won't have faith in himself. It will definitely be harder for a person with disabilities to do anything, but all things are possible (for everyone). From what I can see, learning and continuing in music could only help the boy. He improves each week and will continue to learn like I learned and all of my other students are learning.

If a person is going to put forth the time and money to learn how to play the piano (or any instrument!), that individual should learn properly. He or she shouldn't just leave lessons barely knowing how to play. Anyone can teach themselves how to barely play an instrument! I am of the opinion that technique, memorization, theory, and etc. are all necessary aspects of piano lessons. He's handled what I've required, so far, and (with little steps) he'll grow to handle more. All it takes is a little effort and faith!

#2

My brother is having some health issues. Throughout the whole of his life, he's spent many a day in the hospital. In fact, it seemed like (for awhile) every other week he'd take a trip to the emergency room.

Through the years, my family has come across several sources of assistance. The books, Feelings Buried Alive Never Die [by Karol Truman] and Remembering Wholeness [by Caroll Tuttle], introduced the power of positive thinking into our household. Because of these books I have seen and experienced many amazing miracles. I have, also, come to know that the words "I am" are powerful. Thoughts about ourselves, our lives, and etc. play a big role in what happens to us. If we constantly think negative thoughts, negative things will happen. It is a law of attraction; negative attracts negative, positive attracts positive.

Once we discovered the above mentioned, my brother slowly started to do better. His health progression continued for a long time. The act of positive thinking was healing him! Recently, though, he has become very frustrated with life. His positivity has been on the down-ward slide. Being around him, one can feel the negativity. It is almost tangible! I talked to him about this, the other day. It was a very sad conversation. I love my brother, want the best for him, and (because of this) it hurts to see him giving up. "I don't believe in that stuff, anymore. It doesn't work!" he muttered, annoyed. He went on to mention that God had given him trials and that only God could take them from him.

To me, this doesn't fully make sense. Yes, God can take our pain away, through the Savior's Atonement. After all, with God nothing is impossible. We can't forget, though, that He wants us to try our hardest to overcome our issues and live happily. We have to supply some effort and faith! Positive thinking worked before, why should it suddenly not be "God's way." He loves and wants us to be happy. Even if it didn't have a healing power, it is not like positive thinking is gonna make matters any worse... it could only help. *Sigh.*

"tick-tock" w/ a "ching-ching"

Tis' a shame that wasting time isn't a profession. If I were to gain one dollar for every minute of my life used "unwisely," I'd be good to go (economically, if in no other way). Quite frankly, I'd be one rich woman!

Finals are a comin', and I feel like I'm in a rut of procrastination. I suppose, in a sense, life goes through cycles of entropy; through time, a need to clean out and start over arises. I have my moments of serious self-discipline/motivation and then the function of my life oscillates. My highs often tend to hit lows. Perhaps, it's time for a "self-clean."

I read once that the cleanliness and organizational patterns of a person reflect how that person is dealing with the stresses of life. I have found this to be true, in my own experiences. When things are hectic, my room (and the whole of the upstairs, really) is comparable to a pig's pen. Cleaning at times like this can be very therapeutic.

*Brooke has changed her status to busy. She will return to blog mode at a later time.*

The Vacuum and my Phys Anth notes call! "Bla."

Weak.

The ROTC had a big shebang goin' on, today. I was walking to the SUB, observing the craziness, when I caught sight of one of my friends. He, being one of the ROTC guys attempting to get people involved, convinced me to head over to the activities and get some free stuff. Free stuff! What college student isn't always up for free stuff?!?! He led me over and hooked me up. The thing is, though, the "free stuff" wasn't exactly free (besides a selection of camouflage pencils). To get the good stuff, a person was to do some sort of physical activity. I decided to go for a T-shirt by busting out 78 sit-ups and 48 push-ups.

To keep things simple, let's just say that I could have done better. My attempt was pitiful. I did do enough of each to get a nifty U.S. Army water-bottle... Woohoo! You'd think, with all the junk I've carried around the past two semesters, that I'd be in better shape. Then again, carrying backpacks doesn't really work on a persons abs or biceps. I've pretty much decided that the only thing I've gained, from the months of backpacking around campus is bad posture.

I am determined to exercise more often. I do love running. Perhaps, I'll get back into the habit of jogging around my neighborhood. Yoga is awesome, too. Whatever works... Nonetheless, my push-ups and sit-ups definitely need some help. I am weak! :(.

The Point of No Return

I think I have used up all of the motivation and self-discipline that has carried me through the last few months. There comes a time, when the end of a semester is nigh and grades are pretty much stable, that I simply don't want to care anymore. I have reached this point and any thought of school makes me want to scream... "AAAAWWWW!" <--- Do you see what I mean? I need some kind of a boost to help me just keep chuggin' along. Ugg! Perhaps, if I make a paper chain (like we did in kindergarten), the thrill of taking off one link every day will do the trick.. ha. It's worth a try, eh? Any advice or prescriptions for my serious case of lackadaisicalness?

A Week of Big Plans

~OYEZ, OYEZ, OYEZ~

Spring Break has finally arrived.

Yippee! Hooray! Hallelujah!

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I am one who is constantly making lists. I have lists of words that need to be looked up, lists of "to do's" and goals that need to be accomplished, lists of adventures that need to be written in my journal (when I get behind), lists of positive affirmations that need to be said regularly (positive thinking is awesome!), lists of subjects that I want to learn about, lists of books I want to read, lists of lists I want to/already do make, and so on. It sounds ridiculous and can get completely out of control, but so is my list making fetish.

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This can, of course, be a bad thing. Though and thus far, my obsessive habits have tended to come in handy. Because of said lists, I am one who gets things done (or, at least, attempts them). Writing things down on paper provides me with a constant reminder of everything that would otherwise be jumbled about and eventually lost in the abyss of my brain. Also, I shan't be an old lady whose lost her marbles because I will have made a list of every one and its specific location. :) List making could almost be considered a self-made insurance policy, per se. Please take note that the word "almost" is used in the previous sentence. Thank you.

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Occasions like New Years, the start of a new school year, the start of a new job, the beginning of summer (new beginnings, in general), and breaks (i.g. SPRING BREAK!!!!) are ideal times for list making. All a person has to do is whip out a good writing utensil and a desired paper product. After that, one can chicken scratch to one's heart's content. Its' a simple 1-2-3 step process. Remember the 3 P's:

1. Pencil/Pen (depending on preference)
2. Paper
3. Plan (I was going to say prospectus, but I'm a fan of informal lists)

Let's repeat that... Pencil/Pen, Paper, Plan. Get it? Got it? Good.

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This week's agenda is full/overflowing with big plans, as is indicated by the title of this blog. Motivation fuels my mindset! I want to allow myself plenty of relaxation time, as well as cross off "to-do" items. I have a couple of midterms to study for, a science paper to rough draft, scholarships to apply for, people (missionaries, friends, relatives) to write, instruments to practice, musical pieces to perfect, journal(s) to catch up on, friends to hang out with, dates to go on, shelves to dust, carpets to vacuum, a house to scrape (in preparation for a new paint job), muscles to exercise, food to eat, air to breath....

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I have big plans, my friends, big plans!

Brain Spasms

Today is Tuesday. For me, this means a slam packed day full of studying and classes. I am on campus from the early a.m. to the late p.m., carrying around a backpack, a shoulder bag and a violin. I look like the ultimate nerd, trudging along. Plus, (if you are familiar with the stereotypical nerd) because of my scratched eye-ball, I have to wear glasses which give me an extra zing of nerdiness. It is beautiful. :).

The day hasn't been too terrible, which is unusual. I am sure that my attitude has a part (if not the whole shebang) to play in my "terrible Tuesdays." I wake up, remember what day it is and automatically I hate the world and have a mindset that things aren't going to go well. This is not the right way to go about life. I admit it! I could probably use a serious attitude adjustment/kick in the pants. Any one have a good steel-toed boot?

My Physical Anthropology class was out of the norm, this morning. Instead of the usually boring note-taking session, we had a lab! My professor brought in skulls of all sorts of primates. It was exciting to be able to apply the information that we have been learning (dental formulas, sagital crests, post orbital bars/plates, etc.) to real bones!! I think I'll dream I'm a paleontologist, tonight... as if I can choose. Can a person choose what he or she dreams about? Do any of you have such an ability? If so, share you secret por favor. I want to know how!

Violin Lessons were canceled. It is always nice to bring one's fatty instrument case to school, for no reason... Well actually, for canceled reasons. NOT. *Sigh* On the bright side, though, it does strengthen my arm muscles. I killed (In all actuality, it died on its own. I am no murderer!) the shoulder strap and now have to carry it about like an elongated briefcase. Because of such circumstances, I should have Pop-Eye shaped biceps by the end of the year. I am looking forward to and planning on conquering some hardcore arm wrestling matches.

My BIO lab wasn't quite enjoyable. Last week we had the privilege of dissecting cow eyeballs. Today, though, all we did was count beetle populations and discuss a (soon to be due) science paper. In comparison to previous labs, this one just didn't measure up on my list of favorites. I must say, though, I have perfected the skill of beetle counting. It's all in the wrist, baby!

I have a Trig Test in a couple of hours. Wish me luck! I should be fine, hopefully, because I actually studied (amazing, I know.. jk). Plus, my professor has pretty straight forward exams. I aced the last one. Can you believe it? Miss Brooke doing well in math? Such things are unheard of! It was pretty much miraculous, I'm not going to lie. Hopefully, the math gods are still pleased with me.... Not that I am polytheistic or any such nonsense, ha. As for my grade, I suppose only time will tell. "Tick-tock."

I'm gonna go eat some grub, now. I'd better get my blood sugar up so that my mind can function. You know how it is...

Ciao!