What Do You Really Want?

Don’t talk yourself out of what you really want. If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.  —Dr. Steve Maraboli

Most of us have dreams, or at least goals. Aiming for a specific target is good. It gives us something to work towards. We all need to feel a purpose in our life. Dreams and goals provide reasons for living—for continuing on this sometimes exhausting journey that is the life experience.

I always wanted to be a writer. That goal, of necessity, was put on hold until my “golden years”—but that’s okay, because now is my time to write. In the interim years, I never gave up because I could never stop thinking about it. It would have been easy to give up and talk myself out of becoming a writer. I could have told myself that there was no reason to foster the dream because by the time I could begin writing, I would be too old to do anything with it. Yet, I continued to hone the skills necessary for the ultimate goal. I would not allow myself to give up, or to talk myself out of doing something that I really wanted to do.

Writing was a life dream for me, and life dreams are important. There are other dreams that are even more important—in fact, they are core to our very existence. Before we were ever born, we had an eternal dream, or hope, to return to our Heavenly Parents at the end of our life on earth. This dream wasn’t just mine, but was shared by all of God’s children. We had hope that we would choose the right path in our earthly existence to lead us back home.

Life gets so complicated sometimes, that it is easy to talk ourselves out of that eternal dream or goal. The path that leads us back home seems too complicated, or too hard. Roadblocks always seem to thwart our travels, and that bright eternal light often is clouded over with mortal pollution. We may find ourselves rationalizing away our dream as not even possible, or even silly—but you won’t be able to forget. Somewhere in the core of your heart is a spark of light that is not extinguishable. You won’t be able to stop thinking about it. It will gnaw at you, even if you deny it, until the very end of your mortal existence. Heavenly Father wants you to find that flame and burn it bright. He wants you to remember the eternal dream and work for it. He wants you to succeed—because He loves you and wants you home.

What do you really want? You know what you want, so don’t talk yourself out of it. Don’t tell yourself that it is too hard, too impractical, too crazy, too silly—too anything. Just continue on the path to the ultimate destination. Make the dream reality. You can do it. The Master Builder has given you all the proper tools to complete your heavenly home. Don’t settle for a tent when you can have the castle.

President Thomas S. Monson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has spoken more than once about building our heavenly home.

Where could any of us locate a more suitable blueprint whereby we could wisely and properly build a house to personally occupy throughout eternity?

Such a house would meet the building code outlined in Matthew—even a house built “upon a rock” (Matt. 7:24), a house capable of withstanding the rains of adversity, the floods of opposition, and the winds of doubt everywhere present in our challenging world.

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This, then, is our building project. We are master builders of eternal houses, even “temples of God.” (See 1 Cor. 3:16.)

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” (D&C 88:119.)

Then the Lord, even our building inspector, may say to us, as He said when He appeared to Solomon, a builder of another day: “I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (1 Kgs. 9:3.) (President Thomas S. Monson, “Building Your Eternal Home,” Apr. 1984 General Conference).

In a very real sense, we are builders of eternal houses. We are apprentices to the trade—not skilled craftsmen. We need divine help if we are to build successfully. The words of instruction provided by the Apostle Paul give the assurance we need: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16)

When we remember that each of us is literally a spirit son or daughter of God, we will not find it difficult to approach our Heavenly Father in prayer. He appreciates the value of this raw material which we call life. “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” (D&C 18:10) His pronouncement finds lodgment in our souls and inspires purpose in our lives (President Thomas S. Monson, “Your Eternal Home,” Apr. 2000 General Conference).

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Don’t let the world trample your eternal dream. Keep your dream intact. Don’t try to extinguish the forever flame burning within your heart. Find the courage to continue down the path. Pray for strength. He will help you. Don’t ever give up the hope that He put in your heart long ago. Don’t talk yourself out of what you really want. Never stop working for it.

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