Despite what you choose

I try and try,
I work and work,
To show you I'm the greatest,
To show you no shirk,

I climb up the ladder,
And then right back down,
To have you just tell me,
My feet were off ground.

I realize that someone's perspective is off,
Is it me? Is it you?
Which one deserves to be scoffed?

I think that depends on which way you choose,
Whether that be-towards me or towards you.
I will be the best me, despite you think that is odd,
The one whom I care about most is---

God.

Independent on being dependent

People need people to need themselves.

Being independent is an interesting thing. We either shy away from it and depend on others (family, friends, government) to help us in every way; or to contrast, we become so independent that we begin to believe that we cannot rely on anyone else to do anything for us, and that we are ultimately the only ones that can bring that happiness to us. T0 quote Boyd K Packer,

“The principle of self-reliance or personal independence is fundamental to the happy life. In too many places, in too many ways, we are getting away from it..."(Boyd K. Packer, Conference 1978)

I think we're missing something...I think we're missing...the innate need to be independent while dependent.

Not one or the other, but both.

I've found that when a person learns to be independent with their own personal growth (spiritually or physically), and they find the balance between dependence and independence, this is when the most growth happens.

When a mother of 5 is stricken with cancer and she begins to understand that she needs to be strong (independent), but she also needs friends and family to step in and help with making the family meal (dependent)....

That is when change and growth happens.

You independently lift weights, but you depend on the spotter, or on the machine pulleys to keep you from crashing the weight down and hurting yourself.

You can't solely depend, and you can't solely be independent.

I should be better at this. Although I feel that my spirituality is independent to me....

....I'm not sure that it is....

So I'm trying to be more independent....

While being dependent.

Believe in the Fish

I recently read a study done in New England. The study was about a fish.

This fish loved life. He didn't have to share anything with anyone, and he did nothing all day but eat minnows. The fish would eat and eat and was very content with life.

Then one day, one of the scientists changed the routine. Instead of dropping minnows freely into the tank, they placed the fish in a small glass tube. The tube was designed so that water could flow freely through it. The large fish could see the smaller fish, but as he tried his hardest to get to the food, he couldn't get to it.

This was his food! He didn't deserve this! As the fish got hungrier and hungrier, he would swat at the tube with his tail. No luck.

Harder and harder he would swat at that tube until the hunger became completely overwhelming. So he gave up.

He walked (or swam) away from that which could bring him the most good.

After watching this for a little while, the scientists pulled all the minnows out of the tube and dumped them freely into the tank with the big fish. Can you believe what happened next?

The large fish starved to death.

Why? What happened? The minnows were swimming all around him! The answer isn't obvious, but it is simple.

Once he stopped believing he could eat the fish, he no longer tried.

"behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can do no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." -Alma-

Always believe.

Believe in remembering, believe in changing,

Believe in the fish.

Idea on Ideals

We all have ideals.

Notice, I did not say idols, I said ideals. Ideals are what you believe to be the perfect scenario.

Keeping in touch with your best friend since high school, growing old with him and building a house next door. Ideal.

Graduating college with a job set in place with a starting six-figure salary. Ideal.

Children have thousands of ideals. Jayden comes over to grandma's house with the ideal situation that he's going to have thousands of toys, lots of games, and a plethora of movies.

Yes. A plethora.

Each of our ideals may vary. There is a problem that confronts us though, when ideals are not met. We can become very upset that someone or something was not ideal.

Whether it's hitting traffic when you weren't expecting it, someone leaving you, or spilling food all on yourself during your date with that "perfect person". We can begin to take offense to someone or something...because our "ideal" was not met. A lot of the time, no one knows what our ideals are.

None of us are mind-readers, (breaking news to all you X-Men fans) and we cannot completely know what others' ideals are 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We must talk.

Communicating brings about our ideals.

At least...that's my idea.