the person I want to be.

Life is like a box of chocolates. cake

Forrest Gump

I have had the amazing opportunity to attend a lot of efy classes in my life. a lot. I have seen a lot of different teaching styles, and heard similar topics shared in completely opposite ways. I have sat through classes that are "painful" and others that seem to change my life.


Today I went to my favorite class I think I have ever been to at efy, and that is saying a lot.


He didn't try to be funny, yet he was entertaining and held his audience's attention. He used the scriptures, and had the kids searching and learning for themselves, yet directed their conversations. He was an amazing teacher- but what he taught was even more amazing.

the amazing cake my sister-in-law made for my sister's wedding.

He compared life to a cake. (he had the kids attention at the mention of cake, especially right before lunch) A cake has multiple ingredients. Some are some sweet, and some are bitter. Yet, when it is all baked it is sweet in the end. He talked about how hard times will come, but that our cake isn't "baked" yet, and it wont be until the end of our life- but with those bitter times we know it will all be sweet in the end. 


He talked about his daughter. He told a story of her when she was a little girl with this lamb they had gotten her who was completely rotten, and how sad she was when she found out he was most likely going to be killed after the fair. He then went on to tell how she was in a car accident. She was rear ended and the gas tank exploded and she burned to death. He shared something from her journal where she talked about the person she wanted to be. He challenged us to do the same, who do I want be? What do I want people to remember me as? You are remembered for the way you live your life, not the way you die. So here is my short, and public, explanation of the person I want to be (with a much more personal list to follow in my journal).


I want to be the person that loves everyone no matter what. I never want a rough day that I am having affect those around me, especially those I love. I want find joy in the small moments, and not let stress rule my life. I want to be the person who puts the gospel before everything else in her life, and that everyone knows loves the gospel. I want to be the person who is friends with those who are lonely, and is always serving those around her. I want to be the person my heavenly father knows I can be.


I left his class, and literally bawled to the BCs about how wonderful the class was. I wish I could have recorded it to put here for all to enjoy, words cannot adequately describe this class.


So I went back to his class after lunch for his second class of the day. It was wonderful, I didn't necessarily bawl afterwards, but he made me think of how I can be better. He shared a quote, that I thought fit perfectly with his first lesson.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

-Marianne Williamson

So- there is no excuse to not be the person you want to be. You have the choice. We can always come up with excuses, but why? We are the only ones limiting ourselves...


So I will start now, and I will be the person I want to be. It is not enough just to try. He made the comment that if when you get married your husband says "i will try to love you forever" that you should say- "sweet, try with someone else" we make commitments all the time, and success without commitments are impossible. So I am committing to be that person... wish me luck.