What You Think of You

Anyone in need of an uplifting half-hour should search out the weekly broadcast of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Music and the Spoken Word. This week, the message was delivered by Lloyd D. Newell. He shared:

Life, in this world, can be hard on anyone. We hear and see things that are discouraging, even disheartening, and at times we may feel dismayed about the state of the world and the condition of our own lives. Yes, life can be hard.

But within us, deep down in our heart of hearts, resides a sense of robust hope and sweet expectation that can lift us out of life’s fog to see clearly who we are and our capacities. We lift the fog every time we count our blessings, every time we are kind toward others, every time we seriously ponder life’s purposes. We lift life’s fog as we pause to listen to our heart.

Each one of us is here for a reason, a purpose that may sometimes get lost in life’s heartaches and disappointments. Who are you really? Why are you here at this time and this place? What can you do to make a difference in someone’s life? How can you truly look into your heart?

"What you think of you is what finally matters,” wrote one observer. "When you look in the bathroom mirror in the morning, the court is open for business. And you are the jury and the judge on the case" (Robert Fulghum, What on Earth Have I Done? (2007), 5).

Thinking of yourself as someone capable and worthy of good things sets positive change into motion. Quietly, your heart begins to change. You then begin to see and think and feel that your life can be good—despite life’s heartaches. Listen to that small voice in your heart that whispers to you the power to change, the potential for happiness, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that what you think of you matters.

Positive self-image is empowering because we begin to see ourselves as our Heavenly Father sees us; that is, we begin to see ourselves as we really are. Elder Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, "Who are we? We are children of God. Our potential is unlimited. Our inheritance is sacred."

What you think of you matters. We will find the greatest happiness when those thoughts are based on the unchanging truths of our relationship to God and our ability to do all things in and through our Savior, Jesus Christ.