Shaping Me

Gratitude is one of the most important elements of joy! Focusing on the people, experiences, relationships, skills, and blessings we already have fills us with joy by appreciating those things. It also helps us take advantage of our opportunities, capitalize on our strengths, and draw on our relationships. Changing my mindset to be more grateful and creating a habit of intentional daily gratitude practice has changed my life.  “ There is not one area of life that doesn’t improve when we use gratitude as the lens from which to view it. ” -Robert Emmons, world leading expert on gratitude Gratitude is universally recommended by both science and religion to improve every facet of our lives. Research has proven that with consistent gratitude practice people flourish. Socially,  they feel less lonely, feel less isolated, and are more outgoing, forgiving, compassionate, and generous! Physically, people who consistently practice gratitude have fewer aches and pains, have lower blood p...

  It started when I was looking for some new running shoes. I began looking into some shoes that had good arch support, and found some Brooks that looked promising. Then I searched “best running shoes with arch support.” In the results, the top five results were blogs with various versions of “Why Brooks are the best shoes for you!” I thought it was eerie that I had just been looking at the Brooks website, and now all of the search results were saying that Brooks were the best. It felt like they were making the results tell me exactly what I wanted to hear. Turns out, they were! As an educated consumer, I knew that there was more information to be had, and when I scrolled to the bottom of the page, I saw a button there that hasn’t always been there- “Try without personalization.” Seeing this button confirmed my fears were true. I was being fed information that would only confirm, not contradict, what I already knew. I was in the echo chamber. Wikipedia describes an echo chamber as ...

I found myself spiraling in negative thoughts of self-doubt and hopelessness. I had two small kids, was pregnant, and felt like I was drowning. Drowning in dishes, laundry, tantrums, and honestly, toddler pee. I was absolutely beyond my capabilities and couldn’t stand one more child’s tear, spilled glass, or dirty underwear. I was overwhelmed by the messes, big emotions, and the physical, emotional, mental, and social strain of being a mother. It was in this despair that I heard a  small voice in my head say, “look up.” I distinctly remember the look of my ceiling in that moment- textured white- though it looked blue because of the afternoon light coming in through the blinds. This moment, however small it was, started a habit that has helped me take control of my mindset. I started to look up. When I read The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, I was first exposed to the idea that “We even quite literally see more of what’s around us when we are feeling happy….positive emotions ac...

  Every day, I find myself needing wisdom from on high. What does my struggling child need? How can I have balance in my life? Who should I reach out to today? What can I do to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ? Who am I meant to become? What do I need to do today to become the version of myself I want to be?  All of these questions are so individual, so personal, and so unique to my very circumstances that it can seem impossible to receive a direct answer. However, in the scriptures there is a promise, “Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing - unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God, yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed…” - Alma 26:22 The answers to my specific questions have never been revealed, but here we are promised that if we repent, exercise faith, bring forth good works, and pray continually we can receive answers to our questions. ...