Look Heavenward

"There comes a point in your life when you realize how quickly time goes by, and how quickly it has gone. Then it really speeds up exponentially. With that, I think you start to put a lot of things into context; you start to see how huge the world is, and really, the universe."

-Michael Keaton

All we do makes an impact wherever we go, on whomever we meet. Time goes by too quickly and it can be easy to get lost thinking of the future and not living in the moment. 

I have learned and grown so much living in Kansas! All the experiences I've had have truly made me stronger spiritually. I have made so many good friends in Kansas, those still here and those who've moved to new places. Although I am unsure of what my future holds, I know that God will guide and direct me and my family.

Even though things are hard to understand, we need to trust that God will provide for us.

"[...] Peace as promised of God. I speak of peace in our homes, peace in our hearts, even peace in our lives. Peace after the way of man is perishable. Peace after the manner of God will prevail." 

The steps to finding peace as defined by President Monson include: 

1. 1. 
   Searching inward;
2. 2. 
   Reaching outward; and
3. 3. 
   Looking heavenward.
4. Finding Peace- President Thomas S. Monson 

Any advice I could give would be to look for opportunities now to make your life better and more fulfilling. Hope brings peace and God has that for us. Serve others now; look for the good in others; strive to be the best person you can be. Life is too short to live it regretting chances you didn't take. Take a chance and make your dreams come true! 

"Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality."

-Jonas Salk

Obeying Counsel

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I recently attended a broadcast of the General Women's Meeting and there was beautiful counsel given. Most of the evening was devoted to the topic of "Temple Worthiness" and "Being an Example." President Deter F. Uchtdorf gave a powerful talk on how each of us is a blessing in the lives of our family and peers. He spoke of how "Now is the Time to Act" and that each of us is responsible for using our talents to uplift others.

We have all been given special talents and gifts in this life and the best way to show gratitude to God is by serving others and using those gifts to benefit others. We do not all have the same gifts, we each have individual talents both known and unknown. 

"For all have not every gift given unto them; 

for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God." 

-Doctrine and Covenants 46:11

Sister Linda K. Burton spoke of personal worthiness and being virtuous. Spiritual growth cannot be handed out and shared, it must be developed from within and as Sister Burton said, "we must practice virtue and obedience" daily to receive spiritual blessings. God wants us to obey his laws and commandments and that to do so is showing our love for him. 

"If ye love me, keep my commandments." 

- John 14:15

Sister Jean A. Stevens spoke of covenants and family history. She spoke of how each of us makes covenants with God and how we are responsible for keeping true to those covenants and worthy to receive the blessings they hold. In the Temple we make sacred covenants that last through eternity and these "eternal promises provide comfort." We must be prepared for Gods instruction and guidance for our lives and take each opportunity to offer gratitude to Him. As we keep and obey Gods commandments we will leave behind a legacy of strength and faith for our families and peers. 

As we go throughout our daily life we have been counseled to, "give a voice to truth and be a righteous influence to others." As we live worthy lives as examples of Jesus Christ we will be blessed with the Eternal blessings God has for us. 

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and the blessing God has given to me. I am grateful that we receive counsel from the Lord through His servants, the Prophet and Apostles, and the opportunity I have to watch General Conference this coming weekend. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He has provided a way for us to return through His great atoning sacrifice and that I have the ability to repent of my sins. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Change... it happens!

For some people, change is very hard. Whether its physical, emotional, mental or maybe school/work, we all go through it.

Change is necessary for our lives to stay exciting and versatile. Growing and learning from mistakes comes from changing something in our lives. With a new school year approaching, change is right here.

As a kid/teen I attended 9 different schools k-11. It was hard each time because I'd have to make new friends, adjust to a new environment and learn to accept it. Looking back at it now, it was a good thing. Each change was to help me improve my life and my future.  I made so many different friends and I had so many different experiences that brought new opportunities. Being a military kid now makes everything I experience from now on an easier transition. I accept change and all that it has to offer me.

Change forces us to step back and assess our lives. Difficulties or trials we go through are not only a change in and of themselves in our lives but, they encourage us to change our attitudes and to strengthen ourselves.

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."

-Maya Angelou

Time will change the physical world, but the rest of it comes from us and the choices we make. Change is good and with the right attitude, can be the best window of opportunity we have to work for a better future! 

Confidence is silent... insecurities are loud!

Confidence is the power to rely on yourself.  Confidence ultimately comes from within, and though others can encourage us to use that confidence, we have the power to choose how we will. There are many ways to be confident: you can have confidence to win a game for a sport, or the confidence to give a public speech. There is however, a fine line between having a sure confidence and becoming prideful. Being humble is a choice, to not brag about your capabilities and to have good sportsmanship. On both ends of the confidence scale, you find those who are over confident, and also those who lack any confidence. Those who are confident don't purposely display this inner strength, it's those who wear their insecurities that can't find this silence.

Media tells young people to "Be Yourself" but they never stress the fine print, "Be Yourself, but only if..." and they convince you that to be yourself you have to be someone who dresses a certain way, or wears all kinds of make-up, or says this, watches that, or has these friends.  So many people believe this cleverly disguised lie, and become a false person based on what they personally deem socially acceptable.

To be yourself is to have a sense of personal courage. Confidence is something your can wear to show the world who you are. There is no standard that the world has set that you are required to meet. What other people think is hardly comparable to what you think of yourself. If everyone displayed their own personal confidence, how different would this world be? We wouldn't need to compare ourselves to others, or to buy things that someone told you was how you should be. You shouldn't need to be like everyone else to fit in. Be exactly who you are and the people who accept you are the people you should hang around.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” 

- Dr. Seuss

Don't be ashamed to be yourself. After all, you ultimately create your own happiness. 

Words to Admire... People to Inspire!

Words... the smallest meaningful unit of [a] language. So many people use words to express emotions and feelings differently. We use words to describe feelings of anger, frustration, jealousy, accusations and gossip. Or words to express gratitude, love, hope, encouragement and kindness. Words are powerful and can leave a lasting impression on someone.

As a society we have changed the meaning of words and language has become slang, improper and inappropriate. Rather than use words to encourage others, we use words to degrade others, to criticize, to bully and to belittle. Recently I saw an advertisement by Always that proved how careless we use the phrase "like a girl." It's an insult used to stereotype an entire gender as incapable of doing something society believes everyone should be able to do a certain way.

So many people don't realize just exactly the damage their words cause to other people. Gossip is one of the most esteem-shattering problems in society. Rumors and gossip spread like fire, especially aided by technology, and there is almost nothing the victim can do to stop it. When you are in a situation in which the topic of discussion has turned to gossip, change the subject or leave the situation. It is better to stop rumors yourself rather than to just send them on to fit in.

I've learned that the smallest word of encouragement can make the world of difference to someone and you would never know. Just saying "hello" could make somebody's day who otherwise never gets talked to or gets verbally abused at home.  I once randomly told my sister she was beautiful and that made her day. Your words should reflect the kind of person you are.

Cursing and swearing is also another issue in society. Swear words that have become so commonly acceptable are in reality harsh, vulgar, unintelligent ways of expressing your feelings. Cursing is very repellent to people who are around you, and the words you speak influence the choices you make. A common problem people have is taking the Lord's name in vain. Using it to complain, or just casually throw around is offensive to God and to other people around you whether you know it or not. Be aware of who you are around and the situation you are in to watch how you speak.

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good." 

-Ephesians 4:29

The most powerful words come from God, the scriptures that He has provided for us, aka the Word of God. Blessings come from adhering to what God has commanded us and obeying His commandments, which include clean language and a respectable use of His name. (1 Nephi 15:24) .

Just remember that your words are a reflection of your true character and the person you are becoming. It might be hard to break a habit of swearing, or to stop gossiping, or to quit criticizing everyone, but the end result is worth it and you will feel uplifted and happier. 

What do your words say about you?

Perks of being an Ambivert!

For the longest time I thought I was an introvert. Someone who keeps to myself and constantly has a running monologue in my head, which I do. However at random times in my life, I had extroverted tendencies to speak my mind and take risks. I was confused at how I seemed introverted yet had those extroverted tendencies. I finally found the description of my dilemma, I am an ambivert. An ambivert is a blended balance of both introverted and extroverted personality traits. Most of society believes that in order to be socially successful you need to be an extrovert. If not, you're an outcast, a silent weirdo who has no social interactions ever. Well, what about those who can't comfortably speak to random strangers or feel the need to express our lives to everyone publicly? Introverts have been very much misunderstood, when in actuality introverts are very creative and intelligent people. As with the introverts, ambiverts are misunderstood and can be seen as a bipolar personality. To one group you're outgoing, to another you're a confident quiet type. For me, I lean towards the more introverted side of my personality when it comes to interacting with new people and a new environment. 

I have a few very close, tight-knit friends who I can trust everything with. I do have many other friends and acquaintances who I try to communicate with as best I can. Personally, as with introverts, I hate small talk, anything to spark a conversation I am terrible at, which I've known since I was young. However, if the person I am speaking with continues the conversation, I am much more likely to talk with them comfortably. This blend of extrovert/introvert gives me an advantage as I can easily switch from one side to the other as the situation sees fit. 

It does, however, have its downsides, as when I am in a group setting for a long period of time and my energy has drained but I can't get away without seeming rude. Or when I'm at home all day alone and my energy is back but I have nothing to do to use it. Being ambivert allows me the advantages of both sides, I can easily make friends, but only if I see it as a potentially good friendship. Otherwise I stay clear of people I don't want to hang out with. Other times, if I want to be friends with someone, I can't find the courage or energy to pursue that relationship, and as with most introverts, have to endure myself re-evaluating that situation and criticizing how I could have done something better. 

To get a better clue as to what I mean, here are a few details from a article by Diplateevo, to enlighten you on the subject:

• Ambiverts sit on the spectrum of social interaction right in between the introverts and extroverts. Ambiverts love spending time with people, but get tired after spending too much time around people. Ambiverts are also very capable of doing things alone, but spending an entire day alone can suck them into a depressed, unproductive mood.
• Ambiverts love interacting with people, but in a very purposeful way. Ambiverts can have extremely animated and interactive conversations, or mellow and meditative ones. Ambiverts will defend both their personal time as well as their social time.
• Ambiverts process information best when they process internally and externally. Ambiverts need time and space to process things on their own, but they also need people who they can trust to process things with externally. In order for ambiverts to fully process information, they usually need both.
• Ambiverts seek breadth of knowledge and influence, but dive deep when they are truly passionate. Ambiverts can be thought or action oriented, depending on the situation, but they are also oftentimes both.The challenge for ambiverts is finding one thing to stick with. Because ambiverts do well socially and individually, it’s easy for an ambivert to become the jack of all trades, having knowledge in many different areas but not necessarily an expert an any of them.
• Ambiverts tend to do well adapting to any situation that they are placed in, whether it be a loud social scene or a secluded environment. ( http://diplateevo.com/?s=ambivert )

As with most things, I need to work on approaching something new, whether it be a person, activity or place. All of us are flawed and I know that even with this ambivert personality, I need to work on blending myself into one person and not different halves of myself with different people. We all have things to work on and to continuously improve ourselves. 

A Quest of an Inspirational Outlook!

Hello! I am Jocelyn Trishell Hall. I am a junior in high school just trying to leave an inspirational mark on the world. My goals for this blog are to inspire and encourage anyone who may be struggling. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or more common a Mormon! I believe in God and know that he will always be there for you! Even though we are all imperfect, I hope my experiences and lessons learned will give hope and guidance during life's trials. Thank you for taking time to read what I have to share. I hope to be posting as often as I can.

I hope you have a good day!