One Day at a Time

"In any endeavor, one simple truth is all you need: 'One day at a time.'"

On my birthday this past year a good friend gave me a plaque with that quote on it. I love the message it puts out. No matter what is going on in your life, no matter how hard it may be, as long as you take it one day at a time, you'll make it through.

Being a college student, I have to balance classes, work, homework, church responsibilities, and a social life. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and do not know if I can have it all. I feel that if I want a social life I have to do less homework and studying, or if I want to get my church responsibilities completed, I need to make time for that by taking time away from something else. What I have realized this week is that it really is important to take it one day at a time. Especially since you can't plan in time for illness, pain, heartbreak, etc. Sometimes life just happens, and you can't plan for every little thing. That is why taking it one day at a time, one moment after each moment, is so important.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to talk with a gentleman in my ward here in Provo. There is just something so honest and real about the person he is. He helped me see how my life could be if I just let life happen, and took the blessings as they came. I am surprised by how much happier I am when I take each moment as it comes and as I enjoy all the little blessings my life has to offer. When you look at your life and see it as a huge strand of events and focus on the overall effects, you neglect to focus on all the little things that God has put right in front of our faces.

I will give you a small list, and I would encourage you to make your own list, of some of the little blessings you may take for granted...

1. Shoes- I am so grateful that I have not only a single pair of shoes, but multiple pairs of shoes. When I really think about it, I am so fortunate in this day and age to live in a place, and be in a situation where I can have shoes.

2. Clouds- I love clouds, everything about them. The shape, the size, the purity and whiteness. And what I love most about them is not only how gorgeous they are, especially when they sit right at the mountains, but how they protect us, give us shade, keep us cool. I just love them.

3. Music- What a gift it is to have music. To listen to when we are happy, when we are sad. To accompany our movies, to create our musicals. To enrich our lives. "Without music, life would be a mistake."

Take a moment to make a actual, or even just a mental list of the little things you take for granted every single day. And remember, if you take them time to focus on the millions of small blessings in your life, even when you have a hard day, its easier to get back up on your feet and smile. ツ

I hope you too can find some inspiration in the little things, and remember- good happens.

- J