Keys to a Successful Life

What is success?

A lot of our friends and family have shared what they believe to be some of the most important things someone can do to live a successful life. See why they have to say! :) then check out what a living apostle of The Lord said about living a successful life

Craig Gordon:

1) Build your worldview from the ground up instead of from authoritative figures down to you. Can't go into this one enough. It does amazing things to help you realize potential and appreciate yourself.

2) Do what you love and love what you do. 

3) Even if there is a pie in the sky, the chance that it will fall on your plate is very slim. Make the pie yourself and you're much more sure to have desert that night.

Julia Greene:

1) Live with integrity.

2) Love your spouse with all your heart.

3) Choose to be happy, no matter what happens.

Kristie Moffat:

1) Maintain a strong sense of personal integrity and don't give your integrity away for any perceived advancement 

2) maintain an individual balance between work and personal life, being honest with yourself when setting time priorities. If your family is most important, reflect that in how you manage your time 

3) be in touch with what makes you the happiest and define your path of success based on that not necessarily on typical success factors (money, prestige, position)

Laura Graham:

1) Truly impacting someone else's life positively (at least one other person).

2) Stand by your decisions & what you believe is right.

3) Have a good sense of humor!!!

Jennifer Molnar: 

1) Care about something. Something important, preferably (people, especially, and God) and more than one, if you can, but if you can't manage that, then at least care about something. A hobby, an ideal, anything...so long as you have something you can care about, God and meaning and purpose can still reach you. 

2) Observe & think honestly. I think of this as identifying the truth of a situation--the participants, the motivations, determining the most relevant details as well as those that may be initially hidden or have unexpected implications. Then to parse that information carefully, with understanding.

3) Take action in your life. Deal with facts and consequences like you can do something about them and take responsibility for them. Then you're not stuck.

Noelle Houston:

1) be disciplined 

2) know what's the most important thing(s) to you and why 

3) don't sacrifice what you want in the long run on account of things you want in the present. 

Matt:

1) make what's right more important than who's right 

2) don't let what you can't do stop you from doing what you can do/ don't define yourself by what you can't do

3) pray/mediate daily.

Taylor Petty:

1) Work to always follow the Spirit. 

2) Eat healthy and exercise. 

3) Think of others more than yourself.

Grant Molnar:

1) Be willing to take risks

2) trust even with its dangers

3) love

Ariel Reilly:

1) Love God

2) Love people

3) Keep trying.

Derek Hodges:

1) Live a goal oriented life

2) Choose to be happy

3) Don't lose your perspective on what really matters.

Wanda Molnar:

1) Find the will of God for you and do it (that means be able to recognize and respond to the Holy Ghost)

2) Have good relationships. 

3) Change someone's life for the better.

Tamia Gordon:

1) accept yourself

2) love everyone

3) be grateful for whatever you have.

Emily Larsen:

1) find happiness in what you do 

2) fulfill dreams/desires

3) do things to better yourself as a person.

Kayden Caldwell

1) Love God

2) Hear the voice of the Lord

3) Do what He says. 

Hayden smith

1) Relish the past

2) Enjoy the moment

3) Hope for a better future

Olivia Mayer 

1) Pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost and follow it 

2) Look outside yourself to serve others as the Savior would 

3) Strive for excellence in all that you do

Erica Hawkins 

1) Understand who you are and your relationship to God

2) Seek, be worthy of, and apply personal revelation every day 

3) Put the happiness and welfare of others before your own

Kari Alexander

1) Live worthy to have the companionship of the holy ghost 

2) Love  no matter what

3) Serve

Gary Alexander 

1) Live the gospel of Jesus Christ  2) get as much education as you can

3) marry in the temple 

Carlie Palmer

1) Honor your covenants.

2) Keep the commandments.

3) Choose to be happy.

We see a lot of different points of view and also many similar views. Here is a list of ten keys to success given to us by Elder Richard G. Scott, a living apostle of The Lord Jesus Christ:

To Succeed in Life

1. Establish principles to guide your life.

2. Don’t make exceptions to your standards.

3. Be loyal.

4. Live so that the Lord can guide you.

5. Serve others.

6. Smile.

7. Don’t complain.

8. Always have a Church assignment.

9. Worship in the temple.

10. Follow the Savior’s example.

To read more about these ten points check out Elder Scott's full talk here:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/02/living-a-life-of-peace-joy-and-purpose?lang=eng

How to find your valentine

Probably some of the biggest decisions most of us will make during the "decade of decisions" involve who we will date and who we will marry. Elder Lund, a prominent  *leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and his wife gave a talk about this important topic.

                        

    Sister Lund starts it off by wishing us a happy Valentines Day through the scripture John 3:16. Did you know that you can find all the letters of the word "valentine" in this scripture? "For God so loVed the world, that he gAve his onLy begottEn soN, that whosoever believeTh in hIm should Not perish, but have everlasting lifE."

This fun way of saying happy Valentine's Day illustrates the importance of keeping Christ in our relationships. Sister Lund explained that through all of our dating and marriage, the only way to be truly happy is through Christ. As we strive to follow the Savior we can be spiritually prepared for the important decisions we need to make.

She went on to explain that finding relationships founded on gospel principles is vital. We have to be equally "yoked" in our relationships. If we can find someone that will work hard with us and shoulder burdens with us then we will be okay. She advises us to keep our focus on others and we will be happier. She counseled to always live for the eternal things that matter most and never do anything we will regret. Save the sacred things for the person that matters most. 

Elder Lund started his presentation off by describing the two groups in which most of us could find ourselves. Even though we are all different and need specific things, we can try to see ourselves in one of these two groups. 

Group #1. Marriage is their highest priority. They are actively seeking to become a better person, but not finding much success in the dating world.

Group #2. They prioritize things above marriage. They don't feel ready. They are sick of their mom encouraging them to get married. They feel the timing is off to have a serious relationship.

Can you see yourself in one of these categories?

For those in group 1 Elder Lund gives this simple yet profound advice:

-Do what you can do. 

-Keep going. 

-Be ready to do hard things to become the person you need to be. 

-Don't worry.

-Remember that when you are doing your best and staying faithful, you will never be denied the blessings of our Heavenly Father, whether they come in this life or the next. 

For those in group 2, Elder Lund goes a bit more in to detail. He invites us to change our mindset. He talks about how the world is becoming increasingly more anti-family. Voices constantly tell us, "Don't get tied down. Don't get married too young. Go see the world. Get some financial security." He reminds us that Satan hates families because families are central to the Plan of Salvation. Satan is picking away at the concept of families little by little. Elder Lund counsels that when anything is placed before marriage we must remember where that influence comes from. He says, "You are not a complete organism until you have a spouse. You are walking through life in black and white. When you start a family, you begin to see the world in color." 

Elder Lund goes on to advise us not to settle with a "good marriage," but really invest in it and do what we need to do to have a great marriage.

He reminds us that it's not all about just making the right choice in a spouse. It's true that we need to be sure our priorities are the same, but no matter what you do, you are going to have conflicts in your marriage. He says, "You are going to find differences between you and your spouse, but those differences are what is going to sanctify you." Its not all about choice, it's about conflict resolution. As we work though those conflicts together, we become more like the Savior together. We don't need to be afraid of conflict. There can still be love and joy and happiness and goodness, even amidst conflict, when we keep Christ at the center of our lives. Yes,  somethings are non-negotiable, like covenants, but everything else is workable. It's okay to have differences on the things that don't really matter. Elder Lund counsels us to focus on the things that really matter.

He closes with a powerful testimony by simply saying, "Families matter."

He testifies that when God's power is in the middle of your family you will receive all His promised blessings. He proclaims that, "You are not going to find a perfect spouse, because you haven't made him/her that way yet."

He bears witness that the family brings greater joy than anything the world can bring and he exhorts us to be engaged in this effort because if we are, our lives will be blessed no matter what happens.

I was really happy to have been able to learn from one of Christ's special witnesses on this very important topic. For those of you that were able to attend, please comment with your insights and testimony. We can stand as witnesses that even though world may be trying to tell us otherwise, the family truly is ordained of God and is the center of His plan of happiness.

*Elder Lund is called by the Savior as a member of the Quorum of the Seventy. To learn more about his calling follow this link: 

http://www.lds.org/church/leaders/quorums-of-the-seventy?lang=eng