"Of Regrets and Resolutions"

This weekend I have been reading about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and what different Prophets and Apostles have said in relation to it. One of the talks that I was reading was given from President Uchtdorf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, "Of Regrets and Resolutions", and although I had heard this talk before I fell more in love with his words as I read over them once again and this time they had a new meaning for me.

It is now a new year and it is time for those "New Year Resolutions!" I think it is safe to say that most of us picture our "perfect" selves and then come up with every resolution to get us to be that person. Most of the resolutions are pretty extreme, only lasting the first few weeks, and then discouragement sets in when we don't look like that Victoria's Secret model we were hoping to be shaped like! Dang it! Well, I want this year to be different. It has been 2013 for a few weeks now, and for these past few weeks I have been really thinking about what I want to work on to make myself better. Reading this talk couldn't have come at a better time, but that's just how Heavenly Father works isn't it?

In the talk, Of Regrets and Resolutions, President Uchtdorf tells the story of a nurse who would ask her terminally ill patients, "Do you have any regrets?" Most of their answers were the same and consisted of three main answers. 1) Many of the patients felt as though they had allowed themselves to get so caught up in the business of life that they did not take the time to stop and give larger amounts of quality time to their families/people they love. 2) Another regret was that the patients did not feel like they became the person that they knew they could have become. 3) The last regret that the patients experienced was that they felt as though they had not allowed themselves to be as happy as they could have been.

Taking a step back, I can recognize these regrets starting to form in my own life. Life is so fast paced and I feel like I can barely make time to call my family in between classes or even have an in-depth and inspiring conversation with my husband at the end of the day. Sometimes I feel the discouragement of not being able to become my best self and as happy as I am, I know that I do not allow myself to experience all of the happiness that is out there for me.

My New Year's Resolutions for 2013:

-Spend more time with the ones that I love.

-Strive more earnestly to be the person that God wants me to be.

-Resolve to find happiness, no matter the circumstances.

Yes, I have other goals, but these are the major ones and all of the other ones build these up. I am grateful for the loving leaders in this Church and for their inspiring words. I am excited to start working on these resolutions. :)