Ever since I was younger, I’ve never told myself no, EVER. I like to buy things, pretty things, fun things, whatever - and as sad as it is to admit, it’s true. I have no problem saying no to others, I do it all the time, except when it comes to myself the word “no” does not exist in my vocabulary. This needs to change, now. So June (I can’t believe it’s June already) is my month of no.
No to excuses
No to new toys
No to un-healthy foods
No to “I need it I think”
No to overspending
No to buying non-necessities
This month I will only buy items the are essential. I will only eat foods that are good fuel for my body. So I suppose I should change my “mantra” to No to Bad/Non-Essential and Yes to Good.
One of the leaders of our church, Kent D. Watson (Second Quorum of the Seventy) gave a great talk on this topic, at least I think it fits well. He says, “Likewise, a temperate soul—one who is humble and full of love—is also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride. With increased spiritual strength, we can protect ourselves from the dangerous excesses and destructive addictions of today’s world. We all seek peace of mind, and we all desire security and happiness for our families. If we look for silver linings in this past year’s economic downturn, perhaps the trials some have faced have taught us that peace of mind, security, and happiness do not come from buying a home or accumulating possessions for which the debt incurred is larger than our savings or income can afford. We live in an impatient and intemperate world full of uncertainty and contention. It is like the community of converts to various religions where Joseph Smith lived when he was a 14-year-old boy seeking answers to his questions. Young Joseph said, “All their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.” 7
Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things. Peace of mind comes from strengthened faith in Jesus Christ.”
Be steady in our lives - with everything, we need not have the short, frenzied, outbursts of emotion, but the steady and tranquil dedication of a lifetime. I really want to work on this, this month. So in saying no to myself for the extras, I will be saying yes to developing my self-mastery and learning to live with moderation. The video below (the first 20m) is one that I want to listen to often and become that strong, steady righteous person.
By saying no, I want to become: The one who goes to bed at a decent hour each night to get enough rest to attend to my next day duties. The one who puts away the excess hobbies (whatever they may be)to focus on the needs of myself, and my family. The one who diligently attends Sunday meetings. The one who studies scriptures and journals every evening. I want the focus on my life to be on the good. While doing the excess (computer, video games, friends, television, movies, etc.) is okay - I want to re-align my priorities, to be that of putting my number one focus on pursuing the greatest self I can be, and on my Family and Faith, and the rest will fill in accordingly. Have you ever seen the rocks/sand demonstration? Steven Covey does a video of it, that is great, but this month I’m dumping out all of my stones, pebbles, and sand and re-organizing them!
Do not say, “When I am free I will pursue wisdom; For you will never be free”.
So here's to re-focusing, and re-prioritizing!
