Sunday Sustenance

This week, I've really been trying to find things that will help me become a better person and help me overcome my shortcomings.  We all have them, none of us are perfect.  I suffer from severe self doubt, depression, anxiety, and general fear of life a lot of times.  I will strike out to do something new when it's comfortable enough.  The last few months, I've been changing this.  It's hard.  It's scary.  It's worth it.  Here are a few things that have helped me along the way.  

Note:  These are all talks given by Brene Brown, a therapist and researcher who has been working on learning about living a full life. There is cussing in some of these videos.  It's ok.  It's nothing so bad that it detracts from the message.  If any sort of cussing offends you, make the choice not to watch them.

The Power Of Vulnerability:  The only way to make connections is to bring those walls down, folks, even though it is PAINFUL.

Why Your Critics Aren't The Ones Who Count:  LOTS of gems in this one, but my favorite is, "There’s an ideal of what you're supposed to be. And what a lot of us end up doing is we orphan the parts of ourselves that don’t fit what that ideal is supposed to be. And what it leaves - when we orphan those parts of ourselves - is the critic."  Deep, true, scary.  I'm finding out that scary can be good, though!

Listening to Shame: Why we need shame in our lives, and how it can make us great.  This one is magnificent!

Blame: Learning to take responsibility so that you can be your best self.  I love her story about blame because I think it definitely relates to all of us!

Empathy vs. Sympathy:  This is actually the first thing of hers I found and loved.  It has completely changed how I am trying to interact with others.  If you won't watch any of the others, you NEED to watch this one.  No cussing, just truth.  Scary good truth.

One last note about this week's list--I know that they aren't at all "religious", but as I've read my scriptures, prayed for guidance, and sought answers, these videos literally are what I was led to as answers.  I love how God allows us to learn from each other, even if we don't all agree with things all the time.  Have a wonderful Sabbath and a fabulous week! :)

Sunday Sustenance

Those of you who follow me on Facebook (my real profile, not this blog's page) know that I have been going through some health issues.  As I write this, they still haven't been resolved, but I do know that the health issues I've had over the past years have strengthened my testimony of the Savior.  It ties into this week's Sunday Sustenance, so let's get to it!

The Living Christ: In my living room, there is a framed copy of this document with a painting of the Savior next to it.  As I have pondered my situation the past few weeks, I have seriously thought about the Savior and what He went through for us.  I realized that there was no one here on earth that He could truly count on.  He was surrounded by mortal men who did not fully understand what He was going through.  His only true support was the Father.  No wonder our Father was anguished as the Savior bled for us in Gethsemane and the Spirit had to leave for a time.  As I've sat in the chair in my living room, often in pain, often tired and weary, I see the painting of my Savior.  I am so grateful that He will never leave me, that the Father will never leave me, that my Savior has suffered in the exact same way that I have.  Knowing that there is someone who literally knows what I am going through and will not judge me, but will only show compassion towards me, has saved me many times.  The only times that our Savior and our Father leave us are when we do the walking away.  The only way that the Savior and our Father can help us is through the hands of those around us.  I have been very blessed with good friends who have done this the past few weeks.

True Faith: This meme really helped me get through some of the issues I've had to decide this week.  I am confident that I can do what the Lord asks of me, even if it's not my plan for me.

The Lesson of the Saggy Burrito in My Pants: Okay, this isn't so much "uplifting" as it was needed to help me know that there are others in the world that semi-know what I'm going through.  Needless to say, my issues do deal with bleeding and hemorrhaging, so this article came through and gave me a good chuckle, and a feeling that perhaps the internet can teach people something. ;)  I apologize now if there is any profanity in the article, I wasn't paying that much attention as I read it, I just needed to do so and am glad I did.

Mrs. Dalloway @ Aunt Peaches: Aunt Peaches is one of my favorite blogs.  I don't always agree with her opinions, but I DO always learn something when I visit her.  This post was eye opening, and led me to be more open about the health issues I have quite frequently, as well as try to resolve issues that have been left to fester.  It also helped me to love Aunt Peaches even more as a person and as my sister, whether I agree with her all the time or not.  We can't always agree with everything everyone says...that would be boring!  Perhaps I'll do a 5 Things I'm Afraid To Tell You someday, but that day is not today.

I think that's all for this week.  I know only one is "religious" so to speak, but I do know that God's hand is in my life and led me this week to the things I needed so I could have the sustenance to make it through.  I'll be back next week (hopefully) with more links for you! :)  Have a peaceful Sabbath and a Spirit filled week, all!

Sunday Sustenance

Yep, two weeks in a row! ;)  Let's get to this week's list of good news.

The Hope of God's Light: This simple story, told by a fallible human like me, strengthened my testimony that God lives and loves each of His children.  This man's journey to know God is amazing.

Matthew 11:30: A reminder of the willingness of our Savior to carry burdens too heavy for our shoulders.

How Far Can You Get On Kindness: This story has restored my faith in humanity.

I'll be back (fingers crossed) next week with more inspiration! :)

Sunday Sustenance

I've decided, yet again, to be more proactive about my journaling here. ;)  So, I'm attempting something new, and I'm calling it "Sunday Sustenance".  I will make a list of things I have found that have uplifted me through the week and add them each week.  Who know how long each list will be, it is a mystery to even myself!  Enjoy!

The Comforter: A talk from the past General Conference by President Eyring that made me feel like someone understood.  It is like he looked into my heart and spoke the words found there about why it is IMPERATIVE that we serve those around us.

Students Recoginze That ALL Have Worth: Even the school janitor likes to be recognized as important.  Each job is important--the amount of money you make is not.  Without each other, the world would go nuts!

Going back to the first one: This story about a police officer who went FAR above and beyond the call of duty...or did he?  Love this one!

I'm sure there are more, these are just ones that impacted me to the point of remembrance.  I'll (fingers crossed) be back next week with more! :)