Life Goals

I feel like there is this nagging thing adults love to do where they ask little kids what they want to be when they grow up. People have been asking me that now for 21 years and honestly I am still at a loss. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. Then a cowgirl. Then a teacher. Teaching stuck with me the longest, but as I started college, I quickly began to pull away from that as well. I am now at the point where I have chosen the major that I will finish the quickest. That is psychology. Don't ask me why, but I love it. It is amazing to understand the way people think and why they do things. I will be the first to admit that a lot of the stuff is just opinion, but nevertheless I will eventually have a degree. So here is my first life goal:

1. FINISH COLLEGE.

Its in all caps because after 4 years and with 2 more still to go, it is a daunting task that is taking a lot longer than it needs. The reason deciding what I wanted to be was so hard was because the answer in my heart was never taken seriously. At least, not until I met my husband. To me, the best job in the whole world is a stay-at-home mom. People of the world look down on this, except in the church. My husband was thrilled that I wanted to stay home. He loves being the bread-winner. As I have studied more about the importance of mothers I have discovered this life goal:

2. Always be home at the crossroads.

This is a pretty popular saying in the world of mothering, but basically it just means being at home when your children are coming and going. Here are some more family-related goals:

3. Teach my children how to stand strong in their testimonies.
4. Encourage my children to be the best they can and to always remember how special they are.
5. Tell my children each day that I love them.
6. Support my husband as the priesthood leader in our home.
7. Encourage family bonding time.

There are probably many more family goals, but I also have religious goals:

8. Serve a companion mission with my husband.
9. Go to the temple as often as possible.
10. Develop as many talents as possible.
11. Create a lifestyle that is worth of exaltation.
12. Endure until the end.

Other less important goals include:
13. Travel to a different country.
14. Go on a cruise.
15. Buy a house.

View of Life

A person can go through their whole life without realizing that their views shape them. Each person sees the world differently and then acts upon these views almost unconsciously. What makes a person's view? How is it formed and why is it so powerful? I don't know the answer to these questions...not yet, anyways. I think the only way to figure out where your views came from is to figure out what your views are. Many great thinkers have relished in the idea of free verse to unlock your inner thoughts and views. The theory is that through letting your subconscious just spill onto the paper (or keys in this case) you can get a glimpse of what you truly think and feel. So I figured I would apply this to my views of life. If I just keep typing, hopefully some important things will make themselves know. 

If I were to create a list of things that are most important to me, my religion would fall at the very top. I often hear people say that family is more important than religion, but to me they are all the same. How can you love your family separate from your God? Without the many important things I know about family through religion, I could not begin to love my family as they should be loved. I am forever grateful to know that I can be with my family throughout eternity if I do my best and follow the commandments set forward. It is such an amazing thing to see the blessings that come through obedience. I have always been one to follow the rules. I think my conscience was build extra powerful because no punishment can outweigh the pain I feel when I have done something wrong. This is not to say I don't frequently do wrong things, but rather that I beat myself up for doing them. I think that forgiveness should be given to yourself too. There is nothing more caging than living with a grudge you have towards yourself. The miracle of the Atonement of Jesus Christ provided a way for all of us to repent and be forgiven. I cannot imagine how much love Jesus Christ has for each spirit to suffer as he did, but I will be eternally grateful.

Family means the world to me. I love and adore my husband. He is the hardest working man I know and he is constantly pushing me to be better. He is also equally patient with the fact that I suffer from extreme laziness. He loves me for who I am, but makes me better. I can't imagine anyone who would be a better husband or father than him (but I am probably biased). Our love and support for one another plays such a big role in how I go about life. It has been so amazing being able to start a family together and to experience life's many challenges. Our son is the sweetest boy in the whole world. He is only 6 months old, but he already has such a distinctive personality. He is so tenderhearted. At the smallest sign of contention he will become sad and need to be comforted. He doesn't like yelling and he is always smiling. I have never seen a baby smile so much in my life. I am eternally grateful for that smile because it is such an example to me to be a happier, better mommy.

Being a mom has turned into the most amazing experience of my life. The blessings I see each day as I love and teach my son are such a testament to how important being a mom is. I think parenthood truly is the greatest role each of us have and I can't wait to learn more through my children.