notes on my personal life philosophy

i was going through old journals the other day and i found this list. it was good to reflect on, to think about how these ideas have solidified and evolved in my heart since i wrote them down two years ago. and i thought they were worthwhile to share.

hard

january 2011

-in the glorious context of the plan of salvation, we can learn to love mortality – which includes all the good and bad sensations and experiences that come from being alive. when we remember that we chose this life and that it is our means to become like god, the worst of times are still the best of times. i believe that “hard is good” and that there can be “beauty from ashes.”

-living passionately is an essential responsibility that comes with the gift of life. we should drink it all in and pour it all out. we should relish, feel deeply, soak things up, find beauty everywhere. i really believe in carpe diem.

-we should actively live the law of consecration and not have too much excess. money should be handled oh so delicately, especially if we have a lot.

-i believe in spontaneity, flexibility, seizing serendipity opportunities, seeking for experience rather than things. there is great strength in routines and self-constraints and planning, but there is perhaps even greater strength in abandoning schedules or tasks for brilliant opportunities that present themselves. going along with tis, i really believe it is important to break the rules sometimes. i believe in adventure.

-to be real does not equal being pessimistic. i think optimism is real. i think those perfect moments in life are as authentic as they come. we can be logical and rational and smart about things, but we can also be romantic and idealistic and believe in the irrationality that makes us human and that is so real.

-covenants with god are the most important. i take them very seriously. i believe in making sacrifices, big and small, to keep them. they are real. god’s side of the deal is real – so of course we should do everything in our power to keep our side.

-every good deed counts. we can’t do everything, but we can do something, and every one of those somethings is recorded in heaven. we cannot get discouraged that our efforts are only a tiny drop in the bucket. in the grand scheme of things, every drop counts.

-i believe in expanding ourselves. i believe in global and cultural exchange. the world is great! and big! and so full of goodness! i am against narrow-mindedness.

-i believe in the human family – that we are all connected. no matter how different our lives are, we are brothers and sisters. i believe in compassion, in seeing others as god sees them, in giving people the benefit of the doubt and acknowledging that there is almost always a reason people act the way they do. people are good.

-life is all about balance. some things are worth sacrificing, and others are not.

-we should be true to our dreams and interests and passions. i don’t believe in working to live, but in living to work, and doing something you love for a career – fulfillment is important. i am an idealist.

-i believe in loyalty. this includes keeping friends and remembering memories.

-it’s okay to be quite mediocre at a lot of things. not everyone needs a definite calling in life; one doesn't have to only have one trade that they are extraordinary at. i believe in being a renaissance woman and experiencing lots of different things, developing lots of different talents, meeting and enjoying lots of different people, being broad-minded and a floater. who we are as humans in more important than our trade, talent or profession. one can be passionate about many things.

-it’s okay to keep learning the same lessons over and over, as long as we are gradually getting better. life is such a process. we will never be perfect and life will always be hard – every stage is hard. we just have to be honest with ourselves and do our best.

-i believe in the power of the atonement. it is the realest thing there is. the healing works. the hope for eternal life is real.

love life

as i typed those ideas, i thought about how much i have learned since i penned them. i still believe all of this with all my heart, but my philosophy has deepened and widened and grown. i’ll have to create a follow-up post soon!

Comments

  1. These are really solid thoughts. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. This is truly amazing, given that this was written two years ago. How could your life be more of a personification of what you have written? How could you know that you would need this advice from yourself at this moment? GREAT stuff!

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  3. You have such an amazing gift for expressing yourself. I love your enthusiasm for life!

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  4. Seriously, you are an amazing writer, and I always love reading what you have to say. I've been thinking a lot about all of this lately, and that first quote really stuck out to me. Thanks for sharing this. :) I just recently wrote a pretty personal post on my blog so if you ever want to come read it feel free (this is the link: http://peach-lemonade.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-story-of-girl.html) Thanks for being such a great blogger!

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  5. i love this char. you are wise and fantastic. i love you.

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