200

Well, this is my 200th post.
I've been doing this since the Halloween of '06. I Haven't missed a month.

In lieu of this being my 200th post, I wanted to do something EXTRAORDINARY, but nothing extraordinary has happened... up to this point... I forsee an eventful finish to this year however!

But, I thought I'd share with you a little something I've been pondering, and even gave a lesson on it in Relief Society...

How to be Totally Miserable...

How can I be totally miserable? Well, if you think about it, there are PLENTY of ways to be miserable. Enjoying the journey of life is often just a matter of your ATTITUDE.

"Daily, Constantly, we choose by our desires, our thoughts and our actions whether we want to be blessed or cursed, happy or miserable." -- Pres. Ezra Taft Benson

Here are a few quick ways to get you started on your trip to Misery...

• Avoid Good Company

• Avoid Adventure (... "mom are we lost?" "No sweetheart, we're on an adventure!")

• Put Yourself Down

• Re-live Your Bad Memories
  

• Avoid Scripture Study
  

• Avoid Personal Communication With Your Heavenly Father

• DON'T Smile, or Laugh

• Complain About Your Blessings

• DON'T Learn Anything New

• Procrastinate Repentance

Did you know that Happy people Act, Miserable people are Acted Upon?

I see it this way... Think of a bucket, what does it do? Nothing. It sits there and waits for somebody to fill it up or empty it or to move it. It doesn't get up and move itself! Somebody else comes and does the work... fills it up, empty's it, moves it etc. Those "somebody's are the happy people acting on those around them.

Have you ever felt like the happiness was being SUCKED out of you when you were around somebody who complained, and was miserable all the time?
When I started thinking about it that way, I made a goal for myself, that I would not be that person. I wasn't going to be the bucket.

I decided that whatever happened or how frustrated I was that I wasn't going to rain on somebody else's parade because I was choosing to be a "sucker"
Since this "deal" with myself, I have tried hard to look for the humor, silliness, etc. in situations that are ever present in my daily life. I believe that a good sense of humor is a characteristic of a well balanced person. So I'm trying to be better balanced myself.

I'm going to modify a short story to prove my point here...

A hunter walked by a man sitting casually under an apple tree watching the clouds roll by. The hunter asked why the man was sitting around wasting his day not being productive. The man under the tree answered him with a question, "Do you keep your bow strung up all the time?" The hunter said of course not! The man asked the hunter why not? The hunter replied it would lose it's spring! The man sit it was just so with his mind... he didn't want it strung up all the time.

I feel as though I can take a deep breath, and not let the stresses of daily life overwhelm my brain and thoughts. I understand the importance of taking ME time. Blogging for me is a ME time. I use my blog as a therapy session... well for now anyway...

So to finish this epic post, by saying Life is Good! Life in the Service of the Lord is GOOD! Yes Service to your family is indeed a service of the Lord :D

I am taking on the challenge to be happy in what I do. I'm trying to better cultivate a spirit of gladness in my home and subdue and overcome all elements of anger, impatience, and mean talk among us that the light of the gospel might shine more brightly from our faces wherever we go and whatever we do.

I truly have a reason to be happy and of good cheer. The Lord has blessed me and my family greatly this year. I challenge you to find things to be happy and cheerful about... even if it takes a while to find something to be happy and cheerful about!

In all of living have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured!