“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” — Seneca

I’ve been thinking about this quote all day! What does it even mean? The first line made me ponder, trying to understand more of its meaning—more frightened than hurt? So I did a little research to better understand this. From what I’ve learned, being “more frightened” is to react to a situation with fear. Questions arise such as “What now?” “Why me?” “When is this going to end?” and so on. For most of us, we don’t react to the emotional side of things until later. We’re more fearful of the unknown.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of the things that make me feel fearful. The majority of this feeling comes from the unknown of what the future holds. When fear starts to overstay its welcome with me, I refer back to what President Boyd K. Packer once said:

“Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness” (Boyd K. Packer, “What Is Faith?” in Faith [1983], 42–43).

We weren’t promised an easy life, but we are promised blessings when we decide to live a life of faith. It’s a difficult thing to understand at first, but after some practice, you’ll realize it’s one of the best things to teach yourself.

For the second part of that quote, “We suffer more from imagination than from reality,” I think for the most part we understand it the same. We typically hope for any outcome to turn out the way we imagine it in our heads. So how do we work around that? I’ll clue you in on what has worked best for me. The number one rule (and only rule): BE FAITHFUL!

I know that is such a vague answer and maybe not the one you expected, but let me explain: in every situation I find myself in, the thing that has always comforted me is that no matter the outcome, the Lord knows what’s best for me and will always give me those things as long as I stay faithful to Him and follow His plan for me.

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I believe that we have to walk through those dark nights and experience feelings of doubt to help us build our faith in ourselves and in the Lord. In those times, you may not see where the dim path is taking you, but choose to walk by faith and not by sight. If you’re like me, this may be a hard thing to learn at first, but it’s one of the best things we can do for ourselves. It’s been a huge blessing for me!

“Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come” (D&C 68:6).

So walk with your head held high and your heart filled with hope. No matter where your life take you, don’t be fearful. The Lord walks alongside you and will show you the light in every dark night. Don’t be afraid, but be faithful. Keep going and keep believing.

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

I could list all the things that went not according to plan and all the curveballs that were thrown my way, but I won’t. Instead I’ll tell you what I learned most: personal growth and better decision-making. Do you want to know something really cool about personal growth? We have the opportunity every day for it! But do you want to know what often gets in the way of that? Decision-making!

We can make decisions based off of what we see working for others, or we can even have someone make them for us. Although those two options aren’t the worst things we can do, if you really want to make a better decision, the fact is that it needs to start with YOU! Believe it or not, real growth comes from making decisions for yourself.

When you’re really struggling with a decision, it’s often because your mind thinks more practically while your heart wants something else. If you’re like me, that’s a tough thing to work through! Here’s what I’ve learned: pay attention to what you hope will happen.

For example, when you speak to someone, some part of you is hoping for a specific outcome from the conversation.The truth is, we’re not 100% rational humans, and that’s okay! Listen to your hopes because they often give you deeper insight into the decisions you actually want to make.

We have been given one of the greatest gifts from our Heavenly Father: free agency. It’s an amazing gift!

Yes, we can make whatever decision we want for ourselves, but I’ve learned that including the Lord in our decisions always yields the best outcome.  When I make decisions with the Lord, He has always let me know that I made the better decision to include Him. I know He doesn’t ever want me to feel alone in my trials, but I also know He never wants me to feel alone in my decisions, either. This understanding alone has influenced my life for good because having the Lord as my priority when making decisions has made my decisions better and has allowed me to better prioritize. The best part of all of this is that His desire for our life becomes so much more evident when we include Him in our decision-making process. So try it!

It’s important to note too, though, that when it comes to smaller decisions (and sometimes even bigger ones!), the Lord expects us to act for ourselves. As President Dallin H. Oaks said:

“[A person may have] a strong desire to be led by the Spirit of the Lord but . . . unwisely extends that desire to the point of wanting to be led in all things. A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are meant to experience in mortality. Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don’t receive it. For example, this is likely to occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable.

 

“We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment. Persons who persist in seeking revelatory guidance on subjects on which the Lord has not chosen to direct us may concoct an answer out of their own fantasy or bias, or they may even receive an answer through the medium of false revelation” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” October 1994).

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As we practice good decision-making, using the agency and power of reasoning God has given us, we will grow stronger and more capable — and if we are trying to follow God and we end up making a wrong decision, He’ll steer us back on track.

What I’ve learned most last month (all 74 days of it!) is that sometimes when we’re burden with hard things, we’re also reminded of all the people who are on our side cheering us on. I’ve learned that every day is an opportunity to learn and grow as a person. Making better decisions for ourselves becomes more important as we get older, and when those tough days hit you (because they will) that you can get through it because YOU are tougher!

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

Elder Richard G. Scott

It’s been a little while since I’ve asked myself, ‘Am I proud of where I am in my life right now?’ Most times I would say, ‘I guess so’. What I’m really saying is, I know I can do better and do bigger things in my life, but sometimes I doubt myself. This is an act of keeping myself a prisoner in my own life. – Don’t do this.

It goes back to the simple phrase our parents have told us growing up, ‘You can be whoever you want to be as long as you put your mind to it’. So why is it so hard to change some aspects of our lives? I believe it’s because we fear the unknown. It’s easier to play it safe rather than to challenge ourselves and to reach our full potential.

It’s easier to stay in a bad habit, because we feel that it takes too much work and time to change. What we must always remember during those troubling doubts is that Heavenly Father does not put fear in us. He expects us to go about our journey in this life believing that we can do all things when we put our trust and faith in ourselves, but also in Him.

You ask, ‘what if things don’t go the way I plan?’ I say, we should always be prepared for the worst knowing that sometimes we won’t get the results we want. In the same sense understanding that God knows the plan for our lives. A bigger plan! We need to remember and remind ourselves in challenging moments that where we are in our lives, where we go, that we will be okay because we can do all things with Him.

To read more of Jen Narra’s articles, click here,

If in your lives right now, you are not happy or if you don’t feel your life improving.. Change your way of thinking, change your circumstances and change YOU! Don’t ever feel like you can’t live up to your full potential, or can’t continue to improve you. Heavenly father wants us to feel every ounce of happiness, He wants us to live a life we can be proud of.

When things can’t seem to feel any worse for you, take a deep breath; Remember what a blessing it is to live this life and to make it what you want. Every single day we’re given the opportunity to change and to be better people; So we should always give our best efforts to. Lastly, always remember, You can change because, as Richard G. Scott said “He gave His life so you can change your life.”

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

This is why it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time;  I’ve been asking myself a lot lately “Am I proud of where I am in my life right now?” Most times I would say, “I guess so.” What I’m really saying is, I know I can do better and do bigger things in my life, but I have a lot of self doubt. This is an act of keeping myself a prisoner in my own life. (Don’t do this.)

It goes back to the simple phrase our parents have told us growing up, “You can be whoever you want to be as long as you put your mind to it.” So why is it so hard to change some aspects of our lives? I believe it’s because we fear the unknown. It ‘s easier to play it safe rather than to reach our full potential.

It’s easier to stay in a bad habit, because we feel that it takes too much work and time to change. What we must always remember during those troubling doubts is that Heavenly Father does not put fear in us. He expects us to go about our journey in this life believing that we can do all things when we put our trust and faith in ourselves, but also in Him.

You ask, what if things don’t go the way I plan? I say, we should always be prepared for the worst knowing that sometimes we won’t get the results we want. In the same sense understanding that God has already given us a plan for our lives. A bigger plan. We need to remember and to remind ourselves in challenging moments that where we are in our lives, where we go, that we will be okay because we can do all things with Him.

To read more of Jen Narra’s articles, click here,

If in your lives right now, you are not happy, or if you don’t feel your life improving.. Change it! Don’t ever feel like you can’t live up to your full potential or can do any kind of self growth. Heavenly father wants us to feel every ounce of happiness.  He wants us to live a life we can be proud of.

When things can’t seem to feel any worse for you, take a deep breath; Remember what a blessing it is to live this life and to make it what you want. Most importantly always remember, You can change because “He gave His life so you can change your life.”

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

I have a good friend I’ve known for more than half of my life whose free spirit is just one of the many things I look up to. The other day we had a conversation and she asked me a question along these lines “What if it’s me, what if I’m doing something wrong, and what if I’m the one that messes everything up?” My response was a laugh followed by, “You’re crazy.”

Now I know that wasn’t necessarily the response she was wanting, but she was talking crazy! I told her that she should never blame herself for something that just didn’t work out.  And that if she knew she did all she could and believed in that, to then accept it and treat it as another lesson learned and keep moving forward.

We should always remember that we are not perfect and we will always be in situations where we blame ourselves for something. I know that to be 100% true because I’ve been there. I may be the world’s biggest critic of myself because of how I can pick at my flaws and everything about me, and that can break me down.

There are times where I bluntly think – ‘Wow, I’m terrible.’ It took me a while to really understand the basics of knowing that I’m not perfect. There’s a simple phrase that goes, “You are not the mistakes you’ve made.” – I feel that ties in so well with understanding that it’s okay to not be perfect and to accept that you’ll probably never be in this life.

Here are some of the things I remind myself of when I’m getting down.

#1- Because I make mistakes doesn’t make me less worthy to receive the help and love of my heavenly father.

#2- Treat those “mistakes” as lessons to be learned and to really learn from it, so I can avoid making them again.

#3- I don’t ever entertain the thought of “No one knows how I’m feeling.”

#4- Most importantly, I always forgive myself so God is able to take the pain away and lead me back on the path where I’ll find true happiness.

We truly have so much in this life that can help us stop speaking and feeling poorly about ourselves. Whenever you feel yourself piling on one thing after another that you dislike about yourself, stop. Talk to your family and friends and vent to them. Sometimes we think we are alone in our feelings of guilt or shame, but you are so not alone. Again, no one is perfect. Now what’s really great about that is we are able to still keep trying over and over again, to be the best we could be in this life! I think that’s such an awesome way to think of it.

Don’t give up on yourself and all the more you can be.

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When you make a mistake, acknowledge it. Learn why that mistake led you to feeling down or guilty.  Apologize to whom you need to. Then forgive yourself. You’re not alone. The only real mistake you can make in your life is not thinking you’ve made any mistakes.

Continue to always do your best in life!

“Be mindful of your self-talk. It is a conversation with the universe. You are a being, full of infinite possibilities! Focus your mind with positivity and you will have dictated the direction of your journey, your soul and your being, cascading in infinite abundance.”   ― Angie Karan

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

In a Slump

Are you in a rut?

I think for the most part, It’s been more of the fact that I’ve become a little too comfortable in being in such a routine with everyday life. During the week I wake up at 4:30am and my day doesn’t end until about 9pm. Within those hours, I go to work, nap, eat, run errands if i need to, then its an early night to bed. It’s been that way everyday for sometime. I basically had slumped into a very set routine and almost autopilot kind of living with even the same feelings day in and day out.

There was no motivation to do anything else when I had the opportunity to do so. It was like my brain couldn’t wrap itself around the idea of doing something else that wasn’t already a part of my everyday routine. If you’re wondering.. Yes, I even cancelled out on date nights. It was a frustrating cycle and I knew I needed to put this to an end.

As I mentioned in my opening sentence, I needed to recharge my goals, my life, and who I am.

This is how I did just that:

How to fix it

I started to think, ‘what can I do to get that motivation to break out of the routine I’ve been in and to do more fulfilling things in my everyday?’ So I asked myself this simple question “what am I passionate about?”.. Being who I am and loving to help others feel good about themselves has always been my main motivation for things. The influence it has on me is such a blessing in my life as it’s given me so many different opportunities in reaching out to those in need.  And it fills me with such great gratitude. So I knew if I focused more on helping others that new ideas would arise.
I realized that by expressing my gratitude on a daily basis would also influence my motivation to do more good things in my day. My happiness is in gratitude. Behind that I believe is enough to motivate me to remember my goal in lifting others. It motivates me to show and give more good in life. It motivates me to be a better person everyday.

Every morning, I listen to inspirational messages. But I decided to not only listen to them, but to also use what the message shared.  And I decided to share the message with other people for that day to give them the motivation that the message has given me. It’s incredible to see what that can do for someone. I write more. I read more. I research more ways to do some volunteer work to help others. I even call my family and friends more often, just to say hi and make sure they’re okay.  Or simply to just share my gratitude I have for them.

You can too!!

God wants us to help others and wants us individually to keep growing. If we become so routine in our daily lives and forget those important things, we won’t be able to recognize that someone may be in need of our help that day. We won’t be able to recognize that we ourselves may need help. Don’t let yourself slump in autopilot.  Keep moving, keep doing your best everyday, keep looking out for others and keep looking out for you!

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My advice for you, find the things you’re passionate about. Remember that there’s a difference between what you’re good at verses what you’re passionate about. You’ll find more happiness where your passion lies. When you begin to feel like your life is on auto pilot, slow down. Breath. RECHARGE! Everything will be okay.

“Appreciate the little things, small joys and victories that are gifts to continually lift you and recharge your spirit”

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

I thought about how it was more than just the news that he had a job, but it was more realizing that his long and tiring trial had come to an end. He had gotten through it and he was able to breathe again! That scene always instantly puts me into tears.  I think of the courage this one man had to have to overcome the trials and awful  moments that could have broken him down and made him give up. And they were pretty severe.  But he didn’t give up, and he made it.

So I then thought about the difficult moments in my life where no words were ever enough to express the anguish I was feeling inside.  And those succeeding moments when things started to turn around for the better. It’s a moment of relief, happiness, and freedom to be over with a trial that took all your energy. With all the many struggles I’ve experienced, the one most important thing that I’ve learned is to stand up to myself.  And to be brave in my heart. What I mean by that is despite of how physically and emotionally tough a trial may seem, all I needed to do was gather my inner strength, knowing by doing so I can get through it.  Because my faith and my strength will always be stronger and bigger than anything I have to go through if I remember that God is with me.

In all truth and honesty, it’s still a dream to me to see where I’m at physically and spiritually in my life because I struggled so long to feel strong when things were difficult for me. It was so frustrating before I found my inner strength.  But I knew I could do it and all I needed to do was just to stand up to myself. When that moment came, and I decided to step up for the first time in my life, I felt more alive than ever.  Now I live more fearlessly.  I’m happy and determined to always try my best no matter what. I’m not perfect, and sometimes I forget what I’m capable of.  But when I remember how much inner strength I do have and I’m blessed again with God’s spirit and I feel alive and strong.  I’ve struggled to get here.  But now I’m feeling and becoming more, because I’m standing up for the right.  And when things get hard I’m holding onto my faith. This has changed my life and who I am.

What I know to be true and real is that strength comes when you decide to stand strong on the Lord’s side. Pray and most importantly LISTEN. Listening becomes the most important thing to do during the growing process because sometimes God will whisper things.  And if you’re really listening, you will know that those whispers are from Him.

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I believe that God has given us all the tools we need to live in this world and overcome all the trials we face, because we have already agreed to them before we were born.  And we have come to this earth to take on those challenges. My aunt has always reminded me during my own trials that God will never give you more than what you can handle. I believe that to be true.  I also believe that He will never let us drown in our trials ever, but it’s our job to find that strength within us to always keep trying. God will shine His light and show you that faith helps us move forward. Believe that with all your heart, it will give you confidence.

What the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” means to me that we should never give up. No matter what trial you go through or what all stands in your way, be strong. Stand up for yourself, find strength inside yourself, stand up to your trials and let your faith not only show, but LET IT LIVE within you!

Here is a clip of that very powerful scene from the movie to give you a visual of what true happiness feels like when you decide to never give up on your trials and keep pushing forward!

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

Thomas S. Monson

“May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”

I love the simplicity and truth he teaches about the importance of our choices in our lives. Speaking for myself, I’m thankful to have never been trapped in any kind of addiction that so many struggle to steer away from.  But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t made my own wrong decisions. Every “easier wrong” choice I’ve made has given me only one thing – A temporary fix.  It’s easy to choose what in that moment feels right, but ultimately leaves you empty.

Making the “harder right” decision always seems like a difficult process and something that’ll take some time to accomplish. I’ll admit that there have been times where the thought of enduring such a process has found me searching around for a ‘plan B’ instead. Which typically then leads to my making those “easier wrong” choices.

How many times have you walked down a trail or driven along a road that you felt would lead you to where you needed to be while you asked yourself, “Am I even going the right way?” Have your inner doubts made you question your direction? I know of no better example to share than that of a choice I made that changed my life. It was the choice to listen to the Spirit of the Lord telling me where I needed to be in my life and that I needed to do something about it right now.

It took a moment to accept that I was being guided to move away from my family to start a new life elsewhere.  But I knew that if I let my fear keep me away from the great change the Lord required, that I would have already chosen that “easier wrong.” So I listened and went in the direction that I knew was where I needed to be.

I will never be able to fully express my absolute gratitude for that moment in my life – and where I am now.  It has completely changed everything for me forever. That one choice that seemed like the “harder right,” turned out to give me more than I expected.  And it brought me to where I am today. That single choice has given me happiness on all levels, but it has also impacted who I am by giving me a beautiful life.

It’s an unexplainable feeling to be living everyday with greater faith. I’m becoming more capable of taking on life itself. The Lord’s guidance is a real thing!  I’m grateful for the “harder rights” as they have drawn me closer to our Savior. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the love I feel from our Heavenly Father will always be the absolute happiest feeling in my life.

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So that’s what I think about making the choices that President Monson calls the “harder rights”. I believe that it only takes one choice toward a “harder right” rather than an “easier wrong” to make you aware of your true inner strength. You will see how it can build your faith and change your direction of life. Most importantly, it will teach you that as you make those harder right choices, that they will become an easier choice each time because of the blessings you receive by choosing the Lord.

President Eyring shared in a Mormon message that if the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble. So walk with faith and know that no matter what, as long as you have faith and believe, you will always have made the right decision.

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

That’s what I wanted to talk about; Time. Time is the one thing in this life that we can’t ever stop. I know that’s such an obvious statement for the most part, but it’s true, and bending or changing time is one of the most desired super powers out there.  For the great moments, we wish for time to stop so we can enjoy it longer. For the not so great moments, we wish for time to hurry by so we can move on. Whether we wish for time to slow down or speed up, we know that it can’t change. Time is simply…Time.

In the past few months alone, I’ve learned that although time seems to be going by so fast, that I’m also given so much time at the same time. I understand it like this.. As time passes, I don’t feel as much hurt. As time passes, I can be better. As time passes, I can understand more. As time passes, I learn more. So although I can’t stop time itself, I can choose to stop and take all the time I need to do just that.  

The time I’ve spent in Utah has given me more than just the experience of moving away from family. It’s given me so many opportunities to learn more about myself and how to take care of myself. There have been moments where I think, ‘Why am I here and not home?’ I catch myself thinking of moving back because I feel as if family is who I need to be around. Although that can be true in some ways, I also remember that I was guided to be in Utah.

There was a time where I prayed consistently for some help with direction in where I needed to be. I was conflicted for a little while and never really felt certain of what to do. With time, my prayer was answered in a way that grew my faith and my own testimony tremendously. One day I was sitting in a drive thru picking up some food before work.  It took about 15 minutes just sitting there waiting. In my hands I held a few dollar bills in one and in my other hand I had coins pinched between my thumb and index finger.

With all the time I had to just sit and wait, I happened to just glance at the coins in my hand and the first coin that was on the top facing towards me was the Utah state coin. Coincidence? I don’t believe so. I immediately knew that was my prayer being answered in a way that I’d pick up on and understand. The Lord had answered my prayer. I felt so relieved and happy to have experienced a moment like that because it showed me that no matter how much I want to know something now, that I need to do is wait and give it time.

I need to pray about it and remember that God will answer my prayers in moments where I’m still and ready to know. That’s how and why I pursued my move to Utah and I’m so grateful for the experience and that Heavenly Father’s guidance never fails. Although I miss my family everyday, I was also given amazing people to surround myself with to fill that void. He’s given me so much comfort and has built my faith in Him knowing that I’m where I need to be. 

Moving to Utah is just one example to me of learning how to let time be time. Everything isn’t perfect here. I still struggle with being away from my mother’s cooking. But I really do have the greatest things that have helped me- I have the guidance and comfort from my Heavenly Father that’s given to me every single day.  I’m so grateful for this closer relationship I have with Him because I know if I didn’t have that, life would seem twice as hard living away from my family, and living life in general.

I often remind myself of these few things. 1 – Give yourself time to love where you are even when it’s difficult. 2 – With time everything will fall into place the way it should. 3 – Give yourself time to understand that you are where you need to be in your life. 

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This life isn’t easy nor was it meant to be. But I promise that with time, those hard challenges will pass and you’ll be able to fill your days with happier times because you will know how to get past those hard times easier. Don’t let yourself be stuck in those confusing and difficult times. 

If you have faith, then remember that you’ve given yourself the time to build it, right? So have faith that time will work for you in all things. Know that it’s time with yourself, time with loved ones, and most importantly time with God that can help you see the light in any dark moment. Give yourself time to keep growing. Give yourself time to learn and understand more. And give yourself all the time you need to best better yourself. Be patient and your time will come. 

All you need is time, so take it!

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself re-reading my past chapters of my own life. I’m still trying to understand things. Still wishing to change things and still having those “what if” thoughts come to my mind. It’s frustrating!

My past experiences creep up on me, making me feel nostalgic or guilty, and stuck with those still unanswered questions or the uneasiness of it all. The worst part of the whole thing is having new questions come up, and you get lost in your past in your own mind. It makes moving forward more of a challenge every time it happens.

Then I remind myself that I don’t want to be always reading those past chapters still trying to make sense of it or trying to rewrite it in my head. I can’t change the past, but I can learn from it.

So I’ve taught myself a few things.  First I’ve come to understand more and more that the past will always be a part of who I am.  But I need to choose to learn from it rather than trying to erase it. Second, life only goes forward so I need to as well.

And lastly, Heavenly Father doesn’t want me to stop reading in the chapter that I still have questions or confusion about. He wants me to have faith that everything will make sense in the end as long as I keep moving and turning the pages.

So no matter how many times my mind may wonder back to past chapters, I know I need to remind myself that my story doesn’t end when things seem to be going wrong; leaving me feeling like there’s no way out. It doesn’t end when I fall back in my own struggles and need to start over.

Most importantly, it doesn’t end when someone else thinks it has. My story will end when I get to my happy ending. With God’s help, I know he’ll guide me to just that. How much of a blessing it’s been to teach myself such things and have a better understanding and peace every day.

We all have our own stories. We all have our difficult chapters; some more than others.  But that doesn’t make us any different because we are all after that same happy ending.

Remember that in order to have more happy chapters, you have to believe in your own story. Believe in who you are. Believe in this life. But most importantly, believe that our Father in Heaven is right there to guide us to make sure we reach our happy ending. Hold fast to what you know and have faith that God is in all things.

Here’s one of my favorite scriptures that’s helped me through my most difficult times-

2 Nephi 31:20

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

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Life is really just like a book. Sometimes you go back to past chapters to read about all the exciting and happy moments.  But sometimes you get stuck reviewing bad memories, and try to sort out unanswered questions.  Try to always keep the good parts of your past and let them make your current chapter happier.

Don’t be afraid to leave the bad parts in the past, but take the lessons you learned and move forward.  A book should only be read from the beginning to the end. Life should only be lived while moving forward.  So keep turning that page, keep trying to improve, and keep writing your book. Your happy ending awaits.

Have faith in you.  Have faith in your story.

Jen Narra

Jen has been inspired to give encouragement and faith through her uplifting writings. Her posts focus on overcoming the trials of life in hopes that they can help others in need. Jen has a love for the gospel of Jesus Christ and is happy to continue to spread His word to the world here on LDS Blogs.