Optimism

Yesterday in my Miamaids class, our lesson was on optimism and how we can have a positive attitude. Of course I was the one that was participating because optimism is my absolute favorite thing to talk about. Besides Boys. :)

Optimism is such a sensitive subject to me because in 6th grade, I had an experience that changed my outlook on life. Most of you have probably heard this before because I told this story in church. But I will tell it again anyway.

In 6th grade there is a program called N.O.V.A. It stands for Nurturing Opportunities Values Accountability.

Illuminating the path to Excellence.

Now you have to understand something. Back in the day, I was a super shy person. I didn't talk very much. I kept mostly to myself. I had 2 or 3 friends max. I actually didn't like my life a whole lot. And I feel bad saying that because you should love life. Well I didn't at the time.

So one day in N.O.V.A, Officer Wilson gave a lesson on confidence. It was really an eye opener for me. He started out by saying that he needed 3 people to help him with the lesson. He had already decided on who was going to help him. For some reason I knew one of those students was going to be me. I was right. He pointed to me and said ok, I want you to walk to the door and then back to me. So I walked to the door and back to him. I walked with my head down, my arms folded in front of me, and slowly. Officer Wilson was commenting on the way I walked. He told me to go outside and wait. As I was waiting, he chose another girl, Keliana, to do the same thing that I just did. She walked almost the exact same way that I did. Then she came out to join me. The last girl was Paige. He had her walk to the door and back to him also. Now Paige walked a lot differently then Keliana and I did. She walked with her head held high and with her arms out to her side and she walked briskly. Not exactly fast but not slow and trudgy. Do you know what I mean? Well then he had Keliana and I come back in the classroom and us three girls stood at the front of the classroom. He stated that if a creepy person who would want to kidnap someone would probably choose me or Keliana. But if we walked like Paige, with confidence, we were a less likely victim to a kidnapping.

The point of this lesson was to walk uprightly and you won't get kidnapped. I, however, took it as if you don't walk confidently, people will think of you as someone you might not be. They will think of you as a person who is quiet. Who doesn't care about anything. Who might be a pessimist. Well as I was thinking about that, I decided to change. As Hank Smith says, "I'M GONNA CHANGE!" Ever since that day I have been trying as hard as I could to walk uprightly.

Doctrine and Covenants 90:24.

"Search diligently, pray always and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another."

This is one of my favorite scriptures. The lesson I get out of it is that if you walk confidently and show no fear, and if you believe in yourself, all things shall work together for your good.

I absolutely believe it.

One of my favorite speakers, Hank Smith, tells a story about a girl he knew in his sophmore seminary class. Her name was Laura Larsen. He described her as happy. She "glowed". He also described her as the nicest person he has ever known. She was nice to everybody. In this story he tells of how he was a pretty mean person and how he didn't care too much about others. She sets an example for him to be a nicer person. To smile all the time. He finally decides to change and be nice to everybody. Hearing him say this, I said the exact same thing. I thought back to 6th grade when this event happened in my life.

This summer I got the opportunity to go to EFY. I wasn't going with any of my friends so I was a loner. I didn't know anybody. This story inspired me to be like Laura Larsen. Whenever I leave the house I think, "Ok Jenny. Be Laura Larsen today." And I am! Anyway, at EFY, I had the privelige to meet Hank Smith. On the last day at breakfast he came up to me and we talked for a while. And then he stated as he was about to leave, "You know, you remind me of Laura Larsen. So good luck to you, Laura Larsen." MY GOAL IS FULFILLED! Of course I am still working on it everyday, but Hank Smith himself called me Laura Larsen! It made my day. That was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.

Be confident.

Walk uprightly.

Believe in yourself.

Self worth comes from yourself.

Change your attitude.

Optimist or Pessimist?

You choose.