I was recently reminded of an activity that makes me very happy. I would have just tacked it on to the list of an earlier post, but I thought this one could use its own explanation, especially since some think it might need one. Something that makes me happy is summit-ting mountains. I just love it! There is something to be said about reaching as high as you can go and then looking back at the progress you have made. It is a situation in which the effort you put in provides tangible and relatively immediate results. And it doesn't matter how fast you are, or how strong you are or how smart you are, if you put in the effort, you will move forward.
And once you reach that top, man! Not only do you feel the elation and sheer sense of achievement, the view is sooooo incredible! I am able to look down at the world I live in, and see it for what it really is - one piece of the big picture. My life in that little section from home to school, is not all there is. Sometimes we get so caught up in our little worlds, and up on the top of a mountain, you see that there is so much more. I like the dose of perspective that can be administered up on the highest peaks.
We truly are blessed for this world we live in. It is so beautiful, and I consider that a tender mercy from a very loving Heavenly Father. This world didn't have to be that pretty, but he made it that way for us. My run today reminded me that I need to look out more - get out of my usual 5-mile radius. And that I need to climb mountains more! Once this winter ends, I want to climb every mountain I can! The sense of achievement and perspective are so worth the energy and effort!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year
It is 2012!!! Can you believe it? I will admit, I have never really been a fan of all the New Years celebrations. Something about sparkly shirts, midnight kisses, bubbling beverages, and Lady Gaga performances, etc. never really appealed to me. Worst of all would have to be New Years resolutions. My level of commitment to both creating and following through on these resolutions has fluctuated over the years, and this year, I decided, what is the point? Why bother spending precious brain energy coming up with resolutions that I know will meet their end by February (if that long)?
For some reason or another, I ended up watching the movie Becoming Jane on the 1st of this new year, which oddly enough inspired a contemplation of why society does what it does. In the movie the couple could not be together due to society-imposed economic pressures, and my thoughts turned from that to, yes, New Years. Though it may seem like a strange connection, I wondered where society comes up with stuff like New Years resolutions and having a holiday to celebrate what in reality is just another day. The reason cannot be that we feel starved for holiday spirit, because New Years falls just a week after Christmas. Some presents may still lie in a stack, with plastic and tags still attached.
And then it hit me, it all makes sense. How fitting that a holiday in which we recognize and remember the gift of the Savior, both in his being born to this earth and in all he has done and continues to do for us, should be followed by a focus on repentance. It seems that such a focus on the Savior naturally compels us to consider what can be changed in our lives. Remembering Him makes us want to be more like Him. Many people may be hesitant to categorize New Years as such, but in essence that is what we do. We pause and reflect on what needs improvement in our lives, and make, dare I say it, resolutions to be just a little better, a little more like Christ in the upcoming year.
So to all those naysayers out there, all those who think the cause is over before you've even begun and not worth the try, I encourage you to join me to take a moment to reflect and consider what change(s) YOU can make in 2012 to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Or as the world likes to call it, "New Years resolutions."
For some reason or another, I ended up watching the movie Becoming Jane on the 1st of this new year, which oddly enough inspired a contemplation of why society does what it does. In the movie the couple could not be together due to society-imposed economic pressures, and my thoughts turned from that to, yes, New Years. Though it may seem like a strange connection, I wondered where society comes up with stuff like New Years resolutions and having a holiday to celebrate what in reality is just another day. The reason cannot be that we feel starved for holiday spirit, because New Years falls just a week after Christmas. Some presents may still lie in a stack, with plastic and tags still attached.
And then it hit me, it all makes sense. How fitting that a holiday in which we recognize and remember the gift of the Savior, both in his being born to this earth and in all he has done and continues to do for us, should be followed by a focus on repentance. It seems that such a focus on the Savior naturally compels us to consider what can be changed in our lives. Remembering Him makes us want to be more like Him. Many people may be hesitant to categorize New Years as such, but in essence that is what we do. We pause and reflect on what needs improvement in our lives, and make, dare I say it, resolutions to be just a little better, a little more like Christ in the upcoming year.
So to all those naysayers out there, all those who think the cause is over before you've even begun and not worth the try, I encourage you to join me to take a moment to reflect and consider what change(s) YOU can make in 2012 to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Or as the world likes to call it, "New Years resolutions."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)