District Leader
Wow...
My entire family forgot to email me this week? Either that or they are having internet problems...or they don't like me... or they are all dead!
They descended rapidly! I suppose it's also possible that the world will explode in 30 minutes...
Sometimes, though we have those distressing slides into distressing thoughts. Sometimes good things happen, and we interpret them as bad. For instance, you might receive a gift from someone. Things you might think are:
They really care about me!
That was so nice!
I wonder why they did that?
I should do the same for them.
These are all great thoughts, but sometimes, that doesn't happen. Sometimes it's a little more sour:
They just gave it to me to cheer me up
I can't believe they think they can help me with material things
They are shallow, and don't really care, because if they really cared, they'd talk with me or spend time with me
Or perhaps:
Oh, great, now they will expect me to give them a gift! How am I going to pull the funds together to do that? I don't even know what they like! I can't get them just anything, it has to be as good as or better than their gift…It wasn't given out of a sincere desire...Gosh, they are so selfish.
Maybe even, if it turns out you don't like, or can't use the gift:
Wow, they just wanted to make me upset!
They give a gift and don't even take time to find out what I like?
It doesn't even work, (or maybe) it doesn't taste good (or maybe) I'm allergic to that!
What an idiot!
Leaping Lizards! what kinds of thoughts are those?
It's true, sometimes we are wronged, but let's consider a different situation:
Walking through a mall, and someone bumps into you. 3 different thoughts might come:
1. Wow! how rude! that selfish oaf just thinks he owns the world!
2. Oh dear, I am so clumsy! I have such a problem with that, I shouldn't even be here...
3. What an idiot...has no awareness...grumble...mumble...why I oughtta teach him a lesson.
Or perhaps we could not have these thoughts. I mean, they bumped into us, so what? Did that cause you to lose your job, or get a deadly illness? Perhaps you could just say:
Whoops!
And then go on your way. Don't let it bother you.
Sometimes we make connections that just aren't there.
In high school, my band teacher showed us an interesting concept:
There is a band named Pink Floyd, and they have an album I believe called Dark Side of the Moon. If you play it directly from the correct time on a muted copy of the old Wizard of Oz, there are many parts of their songs and sounds which seem to fit exactly with the things that happen in it. But it isn't an exact science. Mostly it demonstrated a principle, where we like to make connections, even when there are none.
So perhaps, you walked into a room, and a group of people laughed. Maybe they laughed at you...But maybe they just finished a joke as you walked in.
I guess what I am trying to get to is that sometimes, we have destructive patterns of thought. This leads to being angry, or sad, or frustrated, or upset, or depressed an inordinate amount of time. This can sometimes even lead to being suicidal.
This can cause you to close yourself off to outside help, by constantly thinking of a negative response to every effort to aid, by becoming frustrated with well-meaning action, and sometimes discounting what might be key to your happiness, or even the salvation of your soul.
And that is why we study the gospel.
But we also need to work on our thoughts. Sometimes these destructive patterns will cause us to misinterpret the scriptures, and become frustrated, discouraged, or confused with the things the scriptures say. These patterns lead guilty souls to focus on God's anger, and frustrated souls to focus on the narrowness of the path, or everything that doesn't (yet) make sense. And so we turn away.
But it came from our thinking.
Our minds are powerful tools. We must learn to program them. We must learn to fight negative thinking, and often that means to think more.
When you get a negative thought, recognize that, and take a step back. Then, when your head clears, talk back to that thought. Think of a better way to look at or think of a situation. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
This is how repentance occurs.
This is how Despair is turned into Hope
This is how Doubt is turned into Faith
This is how Fear is turned into Courage
This is how Frustration is turned into Patience
This is how Unhappiness is turned into Gratitude
This is how Selfishness is turned into Love
As we build better patterns of thought, life begins to brighten. It becomes easier to forgive, we become calmer in trial and confusion, we begin to see something so very important:
What we can become.
By using good patterns of thought, the scriptures become a source of pleasure, joy, and reassurance. By developing patterns of patience, all that does not make sense at first finds its proper place in due time. By developing patterns of Hope, and Love, and Gratitude, we focus on the sweetness of the gospel, and even God's seemingly harsh condemnation becomes a just recompense and a reward for righteousness, and a merciful and loving act to stop the pain and sadness that comes to others because of the wicked. But we don't focus on those scriptures. Instead we think of how God lengthened the days of man so they could repent, gave them prophets and scriptures to teach them the manner of happiness, Shed the blood of his perfect innocent Son because he felt you were worth it, and will always be worth it.
WE SEE WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD. And so is everyone else.
Let us build, and not tear down. Let us practice better patterns of thought.
We over here are approaching transfers. The district leader is transferring to manila to become a Zone Leader. I have been called as District Leader here in Taytay, so I will not be going anywhere.
With Love,
Elder Streeter
My entire family forgot to email me this week? Either that or they are having internet problems...or they don't like me... or they are all dead!
They descended rapidly! I suppose it's also possible that the world will explode in 30 minutes...
Sometimes, though we have those distressing slides into distressing thoughts. Sometimes good things happen, and we interpret them as bad. For instance, you might receive a gift from someone. Things you might think are:
They really care about me!
That was so nice!
I wonder why they did that?
I should do the same for them.
These are all great thoughts, but sometimes, that doesn't happen. Sometimes it's a little more sour:
They just gave it to me to cheer me up
I can't believe they think they can help me with material things
They are shallow, and don't really care, because if they really cared, they'd talk with me or spend time with me
Or perhaps:
Oh, great, now they will expect me to give them a gift! How am I going to pull the funds together to do that? I don't even know what they like! I can't get them just anything, it has to be as good as or better than their gift…It wasn't given out of a sincere desire...Gosh, they are so selfish.
Maybe even, if it turns out you don't like, or can't use the gift:
Wow, they just wanted to make me upset!
They give a gift and don't even take time to find out what I like?
It doesn't even work, (or maybe) it doesn't taste good (or maybe) I'm allergic to that!
What an idiot!
Leaping Lizards! what kinds of thoughts are those?
It's true, sometimes we are wronged, but let's consider a different situation:
Walking through a mall, and someone bumps into you. 3 different thoughts might come:
1. Wow! how rude! that selfish oaf just thinks he owns the world!
2. Oh dear, I am so clumsy! I have such a problem with that, I shouldn't even be here...
3. What an idiot...has no awareness...grumble...mumble...why I oughtta teach him a lesson.
Or perhaps we could not have these thoughts. I mean, they bumped into us, so what? Did that cause you to lose your job, or get a deadly illness? Perhaps you could just say:
Whoops!
And then go on your way. Don't let it bother you.
Sometimes we make connections that just aren't there.
In high school, my band teacher showed us an interesting concept:
There is a band named Pink Floyd, and they have an album I believe called Dark Side of the Moon. If you play it directly from the correct time on a muted copy of the old Wizard of Oz, there are many parts of their songs and sounds which seem to fit exactly with the things that happen in it. But it isn't an exact science. Mostly it demonstrated a principle, where we like to make connections, even when there are none.
So perhaps, you walked into a room, and a group of people laughed. Maybe they laughed at you...But maybe they just finished a joke as you walked in.
I guess what I am trying to get to is that sometimes, we have destructive patterns of thought. This leads to being angry, or sad, or frustrated, or upset, or depressed an inordinate amount of time. This can sometimes even lead to being suicidal.
This can cause you to close yourself off to outside help, by constantly thinking of a negative response to every effort to aid, by becoming frustrated with well-meaning action, and sometimes discounting what might be key to your happiness, or even the salvation of your soul.
And that is why we study the gospel.
But we also need to work on our thoughts. Sometimes these destructive patterns will cause us to misinterpret the scriptures, and become frustrated, discouraged, or confused with the things the scriptures say. These patterns lead guilty souls to focus on God's anger, and frustrated souls to focus on the narrowness of the path, or everything that doesn't (yet) make sense. And so we turn away.
But it came from our thinking.
Our minds are powerful tools. We must learn to program them. We must learn to fight negative thinking, and often that means to think more.
When you get a negative thought, recognize that, and take a step back. Then, when your head clears, talk back to that thought. Think of a better way to look at or think of a situation. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
This is how repentance occurs.
This is how Despair is turned into Hope
This is how Doubt is turned into Faith
This is how Fear is turned into Courage
This is how Frustration is turned into Patience
This is how Unhappiness is turned into Gratitude
This is how Selfishness is turned into Love
As we build better patterns of thought, life begins to brighten. It becomes easier to forgive, we become calmer in trial and confusion, we begin to see something so very important:
What we can become.
By using good patterns of thought, the scriptures become a source of pleasure, joy, and reassurance. By developing patterns of patience, all that does not make sense at first finds its proper place in due time. By developing patterns of Hope, and Love, and Gratitude, we focus on the sweetness of the gospel, and even God's seemingly harsh condemnation becomes a just recompense and a reward for righteousness, and a merciful and loving act to stop the pain and sadness that comes to others because of the wicked. But we don't focus on those scriptures. Instead we think of how God lengthened the days of man so they could repent, gave them prophets and scriptures to teach them the manner of happiness, Shed the blood of his perfect innocent Son because he felt you were worth it, and will always be worth it.
WE SEE WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD. And so is everyone else.
Let us build, and not tear down. Let us practice better patterns of thought.
We over here are approaching transfers. The district leader is transferring to manila to become a Zone Leader. I have been called as District Leader here in Taytay, so I will not be going anywhere.
With Love,
Elder Streeter
