Hope for Today

whenever my day isn't going very well i seem to get down on myself, trying to figure out what i'm doing wrong to make my day go so badly. sometimes it is just life. most of the time, things are out of my control and i need to be more conscious in recognizing the amazing things that i do have in my life. i have so much to be thankful for. i am so blessed, and when i have down days i just need to remember that i have the hope of the gospel in my life. 

forever i figured the word "hope" mean i "wish for something to happen" but having researched it more, and after having a lesson on hope recently in relief society, hope has a whole new meaning. Hope is the confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness. hope is being Confident that something will happen as long as we righteously desire it. many of my bad days are followed with a "hope" for a better tomorrow, which is completely true. i can have a "confident expectation" that each day can be that much better than the last. 

but today i need to work on making it better now. not just hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. i need to remember all of the things my life has been blessed with, today. 

i have a loving heavenly father who hears and answers my prayers. i have a family who is always concerned with my happiness, doing everything possible to help me. with that i have parents who are so good to me and have always provided a means for me to accomplish anything i've set my mind on. i have siblings who are there to give me counsel when counsel is sought, and who put a smile on my face whenever i am feeling down.  i have the blessing of the knowledge of the gospel, and a knowledge that i will be able to be with my family throughout eternity. i have a Savior, who suffered through everything i have and ever will so i will never have to be alone in any trial. i am blessed to be able to get an education. i have been blessed with so many different areas of knowledge, through college and hair school. i am able to use my talents. cutting hair, playing the piano, making friends, laughing. i am blessed with such good friends who are always there to give me a helping hand and lift me up when i am in need. i am blessed with an apartment to live in and a bed to sleep in every night. i am blessed to have clothes and shoes in my closet. i am blessed to have food in the cupboard. i am blessed to have running water. hot water to shower in, and cold water to drink. i am blessed to have a car to get around town. i am blessed to have a job, especially for how long it took me to find one. i am blessed to be able to walk and talk and run and laugh. i am blessed to have had experiences in my life that have made me the stronger, better person that i am today. 

it's so nice to remind myself of these things. 

my day just got 100 times better.

Motto of the moment:

it seems to me that i am writing one blog a month... i know you are all thinking, wow michelle, you should probably update us so much more than that because we are all So interested in your life. okay okay, i'm doing my best. the hard part is that i feel like nothing is really changing in my life. i updated the events going on in my life. 

but now that i get to thinking about it, i realize- life is always changing. you are never just sitting. you have the opportunity and choice to make the events in your life meaningful and put you in the direction you want to be-for me that direction is being happy. so many things happen each day that help me to be happy, so i know i'm not just sitting still, my life is always progressing and i need to stand back and savor every moment.

 i had a conversation with my sister last night that was about all sorts of things, but the one thing that really stood out to me that she advised was this: 

live in the moment.

 i feel like i take a lot of good times for granted and i don't step back to see the effect they have on my life. i'm always concerned about "what's going to happen next?" or "what should i be doing in order to make this situation turn out the way i'd like it to?". i need to just appreciate things as they come, then i won't be disappointed. my sister is so inspired. she is always so good to go to for advice and i'm so blessed to have her to talk to anytime.

something else that has been happening more in my life lately.....dating. i feel like i've been going on dates so much and i can't say that i don't enjoy it. it is so fun going out with new people and learning new things about them and new things about myself and what i feel like i want in my life. this is where my brother in law's advice came in so helpful last night.. 

motto of dating:  make him go more than 50 percent.

 it's an interesting concept for me to consider. i have a hard time stepping back and letting other people do things that involve me.. it's a curse really. i like forward guys though. i like guys that take the initiative and i feel like this is a good way to show if a guy is that way, making him go more than fifty percent. 

Seriously, between my sister and brother in law i am set on any kind of advice i could imagine!