Adjusting my Sails :)

"We...can choose to have a positive attitude. We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. In other words, we can choose to be happy and positive, regardless of what comes our way." ~ President Monson

I am learning more and more in life that there are many things that influence us, for good or for bad, but those things really can't determine our happiness. The situations that we face in life do not have the power to "make" us happy or mad. We are the only ones who have that power- the power to decide how to feel- due to the gift of agency that has been bestowed upon us. While we do not have the power to determine what will happen to us- this would jeopardize the agency of others- we do have the power to determine how we will react. I wish that I could say that I have mastered this quality in my life, but I haven't. Sometimes, I really like playing the "woe is me card," but I am finding that doing so doesn't make me feel any less "woe." In fact, it just fans the fire of anger or hurt that I am feeling. This reminds me of a favorite quote by Elder Holland, "No misfortune is so bad that whining about it won't make it worse." Today, I am making a resolve to change how I approach the winds in my life, whether they be a light breeze or a hurricane. Instead of hoping that the wind will stop blowing, I will pull myself up by my bootstraps, adjust my sails,  and smile. :)

To start off, I am going to pull out the highlights out of this past week:

• Spending Memorial Day with my family and  doing some of my favorite things- cooking, playing games, and laughing!
• Bringing my car to Provo- what a lifesaver it has been this week!
• Feeling the Spirit very strongly in my institute class.
• Spending the last two days of my tutoring job with my favorite little boy.
• Hiking the 'Y'.
• Finishing (kind of) one of my classes.
• Turning my math project in on time- I still had like 20 minutes to spare. :)
• Playing sand volleyball- and actually hitting the ball over the net sometimes, and having every serve make it over the net. That is success in my books.
• Spending a few hours with one of my best friends after class on Friday.
• Going to Wal-Mart Friday and Saturday evening with my cousin- I am seriously living the dream!
• Having time to study my scriptures between Ward Council and Sacrament meeting.
• Hearing just what I needed to hear from the Stake Relief Society President's spiritual message.
• Being invited to go to the temple by a sweet girl in my ward so that neither of us need to go alone.
• Getting a text message that brightens my day.
• Taking meal planning to a whole new level.
• Getting paid to sit and watch a video at work.
• Participating in the coolest "last-day-of-class" activity ever! My group sang a round in four groups and sounded awesome!
• Being asked by my younger brother if I would be his first date when he turns sixteen. :)

I'm sure that there are many more things I could add to this list, but I feel like that's a good start!

P.S. Don't make the same resolve as me unless you want to be tested! I had just typed a beautiful introduction and started on my list of things that happened last week when the page I was typing on closed and didn't save any of it. At first I was tempted to be a little upset, but I realized how ironic that was, so I just had to laugh! 

P.P.S., by the time I'm done with him, he's gonna be begging for mercy. (Name that movie!)