A Little Hope From Someone Who Knows

November 11, 2007

In my wanderings through books and talks and articles today, I came across this quote from President Boyd K. Packer, a beloved leader in the LDS Church:

“It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. …
If [you] have a … miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, … stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.
There is great purpose in our struggle in life”
Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 1978



This actually makes me feel a warm sense of comfort; of reassurance that we are indeed human during this life and that's okay. The humanness, the frailty, the emotions--they are all part of something larger. Sometimes the counsel and the pressure ( especially on women) veers a little toward being super-human, and while I know I'm capable of that in some far future day, the idea shared above says that on the way to becoming super-human, take a minute to live and learn from being actually human.

This man had his share of miserable days as he struggled with polio as a child, then re-learned how to walk, then fought in WWII. Sometimes it is sort of overwhelming and even discouraging to hear the advice to "Don't Worry, just be happy." I love that he doesn't say to snap out of it if you have miserable days, but instead to face them, acknowledge them, learn from them. I like to be optimistic, but sometimes a situation calls for a little mourning. I am not down or unhappy today, but this quote will be secreted away in my heart for the inevitable miserable day or two in my future.



5 comments

  1. Thanks for such a great quote. It's so funny how we see ourselves. I look at you and hope to someday be as "super-human" as you are. It's comforting to know there's a greater purpose for our struggles.

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  2. Good thoughts. It's not even the big horrible days when I need it the most, but days like today when I'm worried about little things--like thinking I must have done the whole primary program wrong, and somehow I didn't give enough parts, or too many to already featured kids, and parents must think I'm using favoritism, and bla bla bla bla BLA! There is a way to get over this anxiety and self-deprecation. Nothing is perfect, but things will straighten out. People will forget. Life will go on.

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  3. Thanks so much for posting this. I needed it today.

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  4. like jann, i needed it too. that's a great quote and a great reminder that bad days are normal too and they pass. i hope... :)

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  5. Thank you for that quote. I love reading your blog--you express yourself so eloquently. If only I had more time to read it regularly, instead of playing this catch-up game every couple of weeks!

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