Hope on. Journey on.

                One of my favorite quotes is from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk this past general conference. It simply says “Hope on. Journey on.” Although it is short and sweet I have found such powerful meaning within it.

                We often seem to focus on our trials instead of the blessings that are in store for us. We allow our trials to take over our lives and bring us down. The more we focus on them the harder they seem to get adding more and more weight to our shoulders. Not only does that cause those specific trials to be harder, but it also causes our whole perspective of trials to change all together. The worse these feelings get, the harder it is to be happy.

                Elder Holland’s words remind me that no matter hard the situation at hand may be if I simply hope and journey through it I can recognize the great things ahead of me. This reminds me of multiple situations where I would come home late from practices or games and stress over the load of homework sitting before me and the amount of sleep I would get that night before waking up at 5 to go to seminary and start another crazy day. The funny thing about all those situations is that no matter what those assignments always got finished. Sounds like these experiences made me pretty happy right? Wrong. I had spent all night feeling so stressed and angered that I failed to recognize the blessing I had just received. If I would have “hoped on” and “journeyed on” and done my work with a faithful heart I probably would have much happier as I left my house early that next morning and been a lot more receptive to the amazing lessons I was being taught. We are blessed with tender mercies everyday of our lives. It is our choice whether we keep ourselves in the right mindset to fully recognize them or not.

Imagine if you gave someone a really cool birthday present and they just toss it to the side because they’re so mad that their cake was vanilla instead of chocolate? You would feel pretty bad right? Now imagine how the savior feels when he blesses us and we toss it to the side because we’re mad something didn’t go exactly like we wanted it to.

                So when life gets hard and things get tough remember these simple words from one of my favorite people. “Hope on. Journey on.” Who knows maybe they can help make you as happy as they make me?

                Discovering sunsets, one day at a time. Hope on. Journey on.