He says that "rest unto your souls includes peace of mind and heart." So often, I feel conflicted, and full of doubt and worry - I would like to feel some peace!
Elder Malm counseled,
The thoughts that we dwell on inside our minds, the feelings we foster inside our hearts, and the actions we choose to take will all have a determining impact on our lives, both here and in the hereafter.I notice that he assigns responsibility for this impact to me, and not to others. My thoughts, feelings, and actions: my responsibility.
He shared a simple story to illustrate how our actions can also influence others.
In our day-to-day actions, it is often the small and simple things that will have a long-lasting impact (see Alma 37:6–7). What we say, how we act, and how we choose to react will influence not only ourselves but also those around us. We can build up, or we can tear down. A simple and positive example is a story told about my grandmother. She sent one of her young children to buy some eggs. The trusted child was probably joyfully walking home along the road, but most of the eggs were broken when the child arrived home. A friend of the family was there and admonished my grandmother to scold the child for behaving so badly. Instead, Grandmother calmly and wisely said, “No, that will not make the eggs whole again. We will simply use what we can and make some pancakes that we can enjoy together.”
When we learn to handle the small and simple daily things in a wise and inspired way, the result is a positive influence that will solidify harmony in our souls and build up and strengthen those around us.Note to self: If I work on controlling my thoughts, feelings, and actions, I can find harmony and peace within myself, and build up those around me as well.
I loved this talk (though I confess it was hard to listen to the first time, buried in the second hour of a later session...).
ReplyDeleteI find that controlling my feelings is very difficult. In fact, I can't control my "instinctive" feelings about a situation. But what I can control are what I say and do -- I can recognize my feeling, then choose how to react. For me that's been a really important distinction.
Loved the example of the grandmother. ;-)
Thanks for your comment. I suspect that learning to recognize our feelings, and then consciously acting (instead of reacting instinctively) is one of those important things we're supposed to be perfecting while we're down here...!
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