For 2016, I chose three words: Present, Patience and Purpose.
I feel that in an ever increasing world of technology we seldom look up from our devices to actually pay attention to the world around us. We have so much at our fingertips, google, questions answered, maps, directions, anything and everything. I see so often, young adults who don't know how to be bored or to just enjoy one another's company because if they are bored they simply pull out a device and scroll, or read, or do something so they don't have to endure what they are currently situated in. I see this happening in church meetings, in conversations with family, during family events, at dinners, and any other time and place you could dream of. Being present takes action in this world. You have to want it, you have to try to be with people. I too am guilty of checking my phone WAY too often, of not letting things that need to be present in my life be. I respond to emails for my primary calling, texts for my Kimber Academy job, paying bills, making lists, reading articles I feel are necessary, all while telling the things I need to be present for "just a minute!" Yes, this trap is a tricky. Did you know that 20 years ago, I didn't even have a cell phone, heck 15 years ago I didn't. I went to town without anyone being able to get a hold of me. We went on vacations and shopping trips without the interruption of someone or something else in our daily routine, and We SURVIVED, actually we probably did so a bit better than today. So, the first part of my focus this year is to BE PRESENT! To put the blasted phone away and not have to email or text back when someone wants to converse. Trust me if it's that important, they'll find me! And if they don't, well it obviously could wait.
Patience, I've struggled with this for.....forever! Also, not being present creates a lack of patience, with so many things at access so quickly no wonder we all have no patience, we want it now and we have no need to wait, no need for delayed gratification. This is something I hope to work on diligently. To be patient with my family, to be patient with others choices, to be patient in the Lord's timing, to be patient with myself and to be patient as a wife and mother. So many good things are worth the wait. A baby takes 9 months to grow, can you imagine if we just wanted them here NOW, it just can't work that way, GOOD THINGS ARE WORTH THE WAIT! Purpose, with all of these things, purpose ties in so perfectly! We need purpose, if we are looking for an answer on google we need a purpose, if we are responding to emails and texts we need purpose. Instead of flying on a whim, if we purposefully choose to respond to those emails, to do the laundry, to read our scriptures, to play with our kids, to clean the bathroom, we will be able to accomplish more and to be doing so with a PURPOSE behind it. I don't want to find myself scrolling through Facebook for hours unless that is my purpose and I've given myself time for that. I want to live this life with PURPOSE to have my choices be meaningful and my decisions be made with intent. I want to look at Pinterest with my girls with purpose, I want to make time to play at the park, and by having purpose in my actions I can create this time and the things that need done will come first. Priorities will come more easily with Purpose.
With all that said, I have to be a better blogger this year as well. Writing to me is healing, it helps me sort out my thoughts, to be a better version of me and to express ideas and things I keep penned up in my head. My mind is clearer when I get to write what's in there. I hope my sharing will help those reading as well.
May we all practice being more Present, having more Patience and having a Purpose in all we do!
