Consistent Questions
I never really know where I'm going with things when I blog, but I know that eventually it will end up somewhere. So I start to write something and then I delete it, then I try and rewrite it a different way, and I worry about what people will think, who reads my blog, why they read and everything else. In the end I usually delete everything and just forget about posting anything at all. But today I've decided to not do that. I've decided to just throw caution to the wind and let my thoughts ride. What I want to talk about is consistency.
Consistency is; steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.. holding together or retaining form.
A while back I came to the conclusion with a friend of mine that we obtain more faith as we stay consistent in the gospel. I still believe in that conclusion one hundred percent. The thing is, being consistent takes consistent effort, all the time, every day.
Consistency is the key to a better life whether you believe in God or not. You can either be consistently bad, or consistently good. Really, there is no gray area. People try to say there is, but there isn't. You are either working out and eating healthy consistently or you aren't. There is no in between. There is however, a difference between my consistency and yours. My consistent could be working out three times a week, while yours may be working out every day. We are all different, which is how I believe it is supposed to be.
The question I have about consistency though is, how do you do it? How do you tell yourself that you want something, or that you have to do something, EVERY DAY or three times a week, for the rest of your life? How do you convince yourself to stay put when all you really want is to run in the other direction?
I was off soda for two whole months. Then, I had one, then two, then three. I tell myself that I was happier without it, but was I really?
I lost ten pounds in one month. Was I happier when I weighed less and spent more time running?
I made it a habit to stop using social media during the day. Was I more focused at work? Did it help me regain my presence in my life?
Honestly, I don't know the answer to any of these questions. I don't know because, because being consistent feels like a trap. It feels like I am drawing myself into a box and labeling myself before I even know for sure. Does that make sense?
I was listening to talks about self-mastery, how we are to tame our souls to want and need the things the Savior wants and needs for us. I read this quote...
Self-mastery is a challenge for every individual. Only we can control our appetites and passions. Self-mastery cannot be bought by money or fame. It is the ultimate test of our character. It requires climbing out of the deep valleys of our lives and scaling our own Mount Everests. - James E. Faust
A test of character! Consistency in living correct principles is self-mastery, it is a test of our character. It is a test that shows if we are who we say we are, if we are on the path to becoming we we say we will become. I know that doing good makes you happier, but do I live that? I know that prayer is real, but do I pray with real intent each day and every night? How do my attempts at being consistent shape my character? How do my failures and being consistent effect my life?
Sometimes you just have to ask yourself these kinds of questions to gauge where it is you are at. To see if you understand and if you know. Do you ever ask yourself if you really know something? Thinking you aren't sure, but then when you pose the question you find you have a strong belief on the subject that you never knew you had before? I think that's why we are asked to bear testimony often. The mundane and common tasks of life sometimes seek to override the special and unique feelings we receive by the spirit, and that isn't good for our eternal progression.
In the end, it's just good to see what we know, and how we really feel. What do you know and feel about consistency and self-mastery?
Consistency is; steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.. holding together or retaining form.
A while back I came to the conclusion with a friend of mine that we obtain more faith as we stay consistent in the gospel. I still believe in that conclusion one hundred percent. The thing is, being consistent takes consistent effort, all the time, every day.
Consistency is the key to a better life whether you believe in God or not. You can either be consistently bad, or consistently good. Really, there is no gray area. People try to say there is, but there isn't. You are either working out and eating healthy consistently or you aren't. There is no in between. There is however, a difference between my consistency and yours. My consistent could be working out three times a week, while yours may be working out every day. We are all different, which is how I believe it is supposed to be.
The question I have about consistency though is, how do you do it? How do you tell yourself that you want something, or that you have to do something, EVERY DAY or three times a week, for the rest of your life? How do you convince yourself to stay put when all you really want is to run in the other direction?
I was off soda for two whole months. Then, I had one, then two, then three. I tell myself that I was happier without it, but was I really?
I lost ten pounds in one month. Was I happier when I weighed less and spent more time running?
I made it a habit to stop using social media during the day. Was I more focused at work? Did it help me regain my presence in my life?
Honestly, I don't know the answer to any of these questions. I don't know because, because being consistent feels like a trap. It feels like I am drawing myself into a box and labeling myself before I even know for sure. Does that make sense?
I was listening to talks about self-mastery, how we are to tame our souls to want and need the things the Savior wants and needs for us. I read this quote...
Self-mastery is a challenge for every individual. Only we can control our appetites and passions. Self-mastery cannot be bought by money or fame. It is the ultimate test of our character. It requires climbing out of the deep valleys of our lives and scaling our own Mount Everests. - James E. Faust
A test of character! Consistency in living correct principles is self-mastery, it is a test of our character. It is a test that shows if we are who we say we are, if we are on the path to becoming we we say we will become. I know that doing good makes you happier, but do I live that? I know that prayer is real, but do I pray with real intent each day and every night? How do my attempts at being consistent shape my character? How do my failures and being consistent effect my life?
Sometimes you just have to ask yourself these kinds of questions to gauge where it is you are at. To see if you understand and if you know. Do you ever ask yourself if you really know something? Thinking you aren't sure, but then when you pose the question you find you have a strong belief on the subject that you never knew you had before? I think that's why we are asked to bear testimony often. The mundane and common tasks of life sometimes seek to override the special and unique feelings we receive by the spirit, and that isn't good for our eternal progression.
In the end, it's just good to see what we know, and how we really feel. What do you know and feel about consistency and self-mastery?
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