Create a Life of Meaning

When I was a kid I wanted to be and do so many different things. As a teenager I wrote down a bucket list of things I wanted to do when I was older. I recently pulled it out for a class assignment and I just had to laugh at my teenage self. What I wanted to do then has changed so drastically from what I want now.

I think the reason for this is how much my life has changed since I was a teenager. I am now married and expecting a baby, I guess you can say my calling in life has changed.

I read an article by Jeffery Thomson, titled What Is Your Calling in Life? One quote paragraph in particular stood out to me, it reads “their sense of calling—they were part of it. The work was meaningful because of the trials and burdens. That is an important lesson. We can’t expect deep meaningfulness from our calling unless we are willing to assume its burdens as well.”

Now that I am about to be a mother I can see how my priorities have changed. I know what the rewards of being a mother can be (from examples of my own mother), but I also know that they don’t come easily. It will be a long and hard road but I am excited to do it.

Many of my choices in life have led me to this junction. Randy Pausch said “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” There is an ironic truth to this. I can see how many things that didn’t pan out or go exactly how I wanted them to but it benefitted me in the end. It is a hard lesson to learn to fail, even harder sometimes to keep going, but that is what this life is for. We are supposed to fail and learn and to try again.

I think a lot of creating a life of meaning comes from finding meaning in life’s failures or life’s unexpected blessings. No one will end up on the exact path the expect, but we can always find a purpose and a motivation to better ourselves from where we currently are. I think that’s how we create a life of meaning.

Introduction Week

First week of the semester is always exciting for me: a new class, new people and new opportunities to learn new ideas regarding the business world. I love the idea behind this journal. However, in the past I haven’t been very diligent with my personal journal writing. The bits that I have done I do enjoy looking back and seeing where I was in the time of my life when I wrote the entry.

Over the years, I have taken many excellent courses that gave me amazing references, ideas and quotes, but I never bothered to write them down. Looking back, I wish I had so I could reference them. I hope this journal will be the beginning of a wonderful habit.

This week - Lessons Learned

I watched an incredibly inspirational video from President Hinckley. He said “… your responsibility [is] to do your very best.” School has never come easily to me. I struggle constantly and I tend to be tough on myself. President Hinckley’s reminder to do your very best stood out to me; it reminded me that I just have to try (and not be lazy). I don’t have to do everyone’s best – just my own best.

This week my younger sister entered the MTC in Provo, Utah. I am incredibly proud and happy that she has taken this step in her life. While reading Elder Bandar’s talk his reference to 1 Corinthians 2:16 popped out at me. “A disciple of Christ is one who is following and learning to be like Christ – learning to think, to feel, and to act as He does. He or she is striving to gain… the mind of Christ.” My sister is off serving the Lord and I am working towards my degree, but we are both learning to be disciples and are preparing ourselves for future service to the Lord, to our families, and to our community.

Lessons Not Yet learned

From the e-Corner video, “Doing what you love – the money will come later,” I was reminded that patience has never been one of my best qualities. I need to see results right away.  Yet I know life isn’t like that. I have historically been quick to give up on ideas if they didn’t seem lucrative. In fact, that’s why I’m in this program. I started out in Interior Design, but quickly realized that the future and earning potential in that field were going to be limited except for an extremely competitive few who would have to fight for the few entry level positions in the field that actually paid enough to make it all worthwhile.