Anticipate the Journey and Learn to Love the Ride.

"Anyone, who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is...Most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most marriages require a high degree of mutual tolerence, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

Life is like an old-time rail journey, delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

President Gordon B. Hinckley

I know at times enjoying the ride can seem like a nearly impossible concept and at times we even seem to enjoy sharing the difficulties of our life with others and find ourselves trying to out do others stories of woe with our own.

Its important to understand that challenges, difficult situations and emotionally trying times are critical to our growth and self development. In fact, we learn very little about ourselves during the easy times in life. This is not because there are not plenty of lessons to gain from as we experience our easy times in life. Its because during the easy times we don't feel pain or anxiety and go from day to day focusing very little on what is going on around us.

Everyone's goal should be to gain as much knowledge and perspective during our time here on earth. We should then focus our talents and abilities to bless others lives and help them become better prepared for the challenges they will certainly meet in the future.

I have found that one of the very best ways to be thankful for the "Ride" is to become actively engaged in helping others through their hard times. If we keep ourselves actively engaged in helping we will find that we don't have time to sit and feel sorry for the hardships we are experiencing and our lives feel more fulfilled.

It is easy to get frustrated with the never ending line of challenges and difficulties we will face in our lives and when people allow themselves to focus on these areas alone they become sad and bitter people who gain very little pleasure from life.

Truth is that life is difficult and those difficulties are truly blessings that help us grow into the people we want to be. Take the time to step back from your personal challenges and look around you. I am confident that while you do this you will see people with burdens much greater than your own. The perspective this gives will allow you to set aside feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy the overwhelming happiness that can only come from helping others who are in a time of need.

Keep this question in your mind and heart always. How many people have I reached out to and helped today? If we make sure that the answer to this question is at least 1 then the day was successful even if it failed in every other way.

Love ,

Dad