Friday Challenge - Is It True?

How did you do with the "Fix it or Live With It?" challenge from last week?

We'll deal with the Live With It part of that soon,

 but the challenge today is to Question.

LIT Challenge #3

QUESTION????

Questioning is a simple thing to do, 

but it can make all the difference in your day.

When vexing thoughts begin to stir in you, simply stop and ask the question, 

"It that true?"

And remember, "Truth is verity." 

Truth is what is.

For example, your husband is late coming home from work and you begin to think that he must have been in an automobile accident. After all, he's always home by now. 

You begin to fret, but stop and ask, 

"Is that true?" No! He is simply late. That is what is.

You laugh at yourself and go on with your day.

This works with so many things in our lives not just worrying. 

Another example:

You put on a dress and look in the mirror and think, "This makes me look so fat!"

"Is that true?" Usually it isn't. 

We are just in a picky mood and no matter what we put on we'd think we were fat. 

So drop the thought and go out not thinking about yourself, but others.

One more example:

Your child wants you to help her do something, 

but you are very tired and put her off. 

She begins to cry and you think, "I'm such a terrible mother."

"Is that true?" No! 

You are not a terrible mother you are a tired mother. That is what is. 

There is a big difference between tired and terrible.

All of us get tired and don't function at full capacity from time to time. 

Questioning works really well with any of the stories we tell ourselves.

 "She doesn't like me any more." 

"Mother favors my sister over me." 

"I'm a hopeless failure." 

"I can't speak in public." 

So this week analyze your thoughts and answer honestly, 

"Is that true?" 

 and let me know what happens.

Just Be Curious

Awhile back I discovered a new Truth Tool that I used and then for some reason forgot all about. But it is a good one--Curiosity. I discovered it by watching how children deal with negative experiences. Children are naturally resilient and I realized that part of what makes them so resilient is their curiosity about life.

I love this Truth Tool and realize that I have used it on many occasions in my life without recognizing that it is a Truth Tool. Here’s how it works. When vexation starts to swell in you, instead of being sucked into the negative feelings get curious about them. An example will best explain how this works.

Let’s say you suddenly get bad news that your company is laying off 200 workers and you are one of them. Vexation! The negative feelings start to rise in you and the Should Sharks begin to attack. “What am I going to do? I’ve got bills to pay!” “This shouldn't t be happening. I’ve been a good employee for twenty years! I’m too old to find a new job.” “This isn’t fair!” “I always knew this company could care less about employees. All that matters to them are dollars.” These thoughts cause negative feelings to knot in the stomach and choke in the chest.

But then you remember the Truth Tools and pull out Curiosity and change the way you are thinking to things like:

“I wonder what lesson God wants me to learn from this.” 

“When God closes a window, He opens a door. I wonder what door will open for me now.” 

“I can’t wait to see what tender mercies will come my way to help me through this.” 

“I wonder how this is going to make me grow.”

 

In short, be curious instead of worrying and stay in the Realm of Truth.

A Taste of Love

Once again I am so excited to tell you what I am learning and experiencing from Living in Truth. As I explained the other day, I had an experience that a few years ago would have vexed me very, very much. But this week I recognized it as simply the truth of what had happened. It was nothing I could fix and so I had to live with it and to live with it I choose to just laugh at myself for being so stupid and the situation as being rather strange. It worked and I made it through without being vexed and without taking on any Unnecessary Pain.

But the exciting thing is what happened yesterday. I was simply walking along the sidewalk and an image of the person who had talked to me passed through my mind--no thoughts or feelings just her face, and as the image began to fade I suddenly was blessed with a powerful feeling of love for her. No, I take that back. It wasn't just powerful, it was overwhelming, warm, and extraordinarily beautiful feeling that I can't begin to explain to you, and now when I think of her I feel this same sense (but not as powerful) of love for her.

I know this was a gift from my Father in Heaven, and I know that if I had given in to the negative feelings and become vexed or vengeful or bitter or angry or in any way fallen into the Pit of Illusion, I would not have experienced that beautiful feeling.

I think I was given a taste of what the scriptures call charity or the "pure love of Christ."And that taste has made me hungry for more.

There are so many blessings to be discovered by Living in Truth!

I'm Learning

Yesterday I had one of those interesting moments when Living in Truth saved me. Our ward is doing a Passover Seder this coming Saturday to help us prepare for Easter. While the Passover is traditionally a Jewish festival, God commanded the people to observe it in the book of Exodus which is part of our Old Testament. So to help our ward members understand the significance and why we as Christians are doing it, the bishopric asked me to speak about it in Sacrament meeting. They told me that there would only be two speakers, me and the high councilman so to plan on 20 to 25 minutes. So I did.

Well, I got to the meeting and they had added a speaker. And to make a long story short, I left the high councilman very little time which I feel very bad about. I cut a lot of my talk out, but it wasn't enough. I apologized profusely to the high councilman, but what was done was done. I really did feel bad about it.

Then as I was leaving Church a woman stopped me and said, "I really wanted to hear that high councilman speak today, and then when you went on and on and on." I wasn't sure how to respond to that except to say, "I'm sorry." She had poured salt into an open wound. But could I fix it? No. But I could learn from it.

I pulled out the Truth Tool humor and laughed at myself. I was in the wrong. There was nothing I could do to change it. Other people had noticed and wished I hadn't gone over time. Could I change that? No. So, I had to cry or laugh, and I choose to laugh. What can I say? I make mistakes. I hope I've learned from this one. And I should be thankful this good sister helped me learn my lesson. Bless her little heart!

Sabbath Scripture

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, 

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God 

and the Father by him.

Col. 3:17

Truth for Health!

We’ve talked a lot about Living in Truth and the help Truth Tools can be in your quest to Live in Truth, but I haven’t talked much about the advantages of Living in Truth. But there are many and they aren't just mental. A report from Johns Hopkins explains, “Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness, and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.” And relaxing and enjoying and loving life, whatever it brings to you, is what Living in Truth is all about.
 

Many studies now show that when we get trapped into the negative feelings found in the Pit of Illusion, it not only makes us miserable but it adversely affects our health. When we Live in Truth we are not only at peace but are healthier.

Friday Challenge

It's Friday! 

How did you do with Anchoring yourself to the present moment during the past week? 

I'd really would like to hear your stories. 

So report In!

Living in Truth Challenge #2 - Fix it or Live With It

Remember vexation is the first clue that we have left the  

Realm of Truth 

and drifted into  

Illusion. 

Let's use an example here that we can all relate to. Someone in your life disappoints you.

Perhaps they said they'd do something for you and they don't do it. Or maybe we expect something to happen and it doesn't like your spouse forgets your wedding anniversary. Suddenly you find yourself swimming with the Should Sharks. 

"He/she should have remembered. No one cares about me. If he/she loved me they'd remember." 

This week the challenge is to stop yourself the minute the Should Sharks attack and ask the questions, "Can I fix this or do I need to live with it?"

 If the answer is that you can fix it, go ahead and do it without wasting more time feeling sorry for yourself. If the answer is that you can't, then drop the  

Unnecessary Pain 

and get on with your life. 

Back to our example: Can you fix the fact that your spouse forgot your anniversary? No. What's done is done, and you can't change it. But you can control how you feel about it. You can make the situation worse by crying, complaining, getting angry, nagging, shutting yourself in your room and in other ways feeling sorry for yourself, etc. Or you can use the same amount of time and energy on fixing it. You can make a joke out of it and laugh. Buy yourself a present for your spouse to give to you. Take your spouse out to dinner. Or you can decide that next year you are going to send a note to your spouse before the date with a reminder or give some other hint so this doesn't happen again. At this point another Should Shark begins to circle: "If he/she loved me, he/she would remember!" Is that true? No way! Different people have different ways of showing love, and associating the ability to remember with the ability to love is an Illusion.

So. . . this week as soon as the vexation begins to boil, stop and ask, 

"Can I fix this or do I have to live with it?" 

and then do what you have to avoid the  

Unnecessary Pain 

and stay in the  

Realm of Truth.