Hello 2010

I'm looking at the number 2010. Does it really say 2010? I swear I just got use to writing 2000 as apposed to 1999. Now today for the first time I wrote down 2010 and... yikes... suddenly I feel old!

So here I sit, thinking about what I'm going to do this year and what my 2010 motto will be. What's a motto... a short saying that expresses a rule to live by. I started this tradition a while back and I like it. It's motivating! This year I'm going to fine tune it and I'm going to develop 12 goals (one for each month) to help me stick to my motto! I just know I'm on to something!

Today I'm pondering over the old while trying to come up with the new. It's funny how I can look back at each year's motto and know exactly what I was struggling with the year prior. The struggles I face and the life lessons I learn throughout a given year motivates me to pick a new motto that will inspire growth in myself while providing me with goals to move toward for the upcoming year.

Starting with 2006, here's how my life's motto's have gone.
2006 - Just Do It! (Working on procrastination.)
2007 - A Thing Done When Thought Of Needs No More Attention! (Still working on Procrastination.)
2008 - 2008 Will Be Great! (Kelson would return home from his mission in December of 08. Preparing for his return was a great motivational theme for me. I also learned that it's my responsibility to make my life great. It doesn't just happen on it's own, and I constantly find attitude in life is everything.)
2009 - Rise Above it! (2008 despite the joy of Kelson's return had some trials and the beginning of 2009 showed some intense struggles as well. I had been pretty prayerful over my choice of a theme for this new year. While driving out of a dense gray inversion layer in Bear Lake where I could see nothing, the spirit delivered a powerful message to me. That day as Des, Kate and I finally reached the clear blue sunlight, I'll never forget as I looked at the stark contrast between the dense cloud that was now below us and the brilliant clear blue sky that rested ahead of us. That is when the spirit instructed me with great force, "You can rise above it." And I'm here to tell you --- I did --- In the year 2009, I did just that, I rose above it and it was no easy task. This last year I've never worked harder on myself. It's been arduous, grueling, difficult and very satisfying all at the same time. It's a great feeling to know with the help of my Father in Heaven I can indeed rise above that which threatens to put me down and hold me back. I learned somethings about myself this past year. It always feels good to conquer parts of myself!!!

I've heard alot of people refer to 2009 as a year of intense struggle. I guess I'm not the only one that thought 2009 was a hellish year, but instead of referring to it as a year of intense struggle, I'm going to refer to it as a year of intense learning. What's the saying, " Experience is a hard teacher because it gives the test first and the lesson later." Now here I am looking back at a year filled with so many hard lessons and I look forward to applying what I painfully learned. Wisdom doesn't come easy.

Therefor in searching for my new year's motto today I stumbled upon a quote "Happiness is not a station we arrive at in life but a way of travel." And looking back on some of the trials I encountered in 2009, I am reminded of a talk given by Elder Holland "Lessons learned in Liberty Jail." Probably the overriding theme of that speech was the counsel given to the Prophet Joseph Smith from the Lord Himself, "Be cheerful in all things!" It's a sure fire guarantee we are going to have trials in this life. So for the year 2010 I have happily chosen for my motivational motto: Be Happy! (Saying that out loud, I almost want to add "Don't Worry" in front of it.) Learning to be happy through all of life's difficulties is something I have long needed to work on. It's no easy task for me to be happy when things don't go the way I'd like them to go. But in my realization of just how short life is, I'm going to miss out on the best of it if I can't learn to be happy through the whole of it.

With those thoughts in mind, I look forward to this brand new year and the chance to apply all the life lessons I learned in 2009. Here's to doing it cheerfully!

So in finishing the above statement. This Year I Will... Be Happy!