Happiness Is My Heritage

"As spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

I know my family has a blog, but I wanted one of my own. I've been giving some thought to what I wanted to name it and came up with this title. There is a little history behind it as I have explained below. I hope you enjoy reading my blog as I record my journey through life seeking my own heritage of happiness.

Last September Susan, Emily, Natalie, Sher, Chelsea, Janalee and I got together to attend the General Women's Conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake.

As we ate dinner before the conference a conversation about taking dinner to a sister in Sher's ward led to a discussion about how we all felt we were lacking in talents and abilities. As I looked around at these amazing incredibly talented women it made me sad that we can't see what others see when they look at us.

I wish they could see that Susan has an amazing ability to manage money and children. Emily can play the piano beautifully and is an incredibly patient mom. Natalie has a knack for being able to create delicious recipes and also is a great mom. Sher has an amazing sense of style and great determination and drive to succeed in her career. Chelsea is very smart, has a way with horses and also has great determination. Janalee can keep anything organized and clean.

When we got to the confence President Uchtdorf gave a talk directed to us. He began by saying, "To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometime undervalue their abilities-they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are...it can lead to frustration, exhaustion and unhappiness."

He went on to talk about how creating and being compassionate can help us be happy. Creation takes place when we take unorganized matter and mold it into something of beauty (beauty is in the eye of the beholder.) Everyone can create something. Even the way you dress each day is a creation. We ourselves were created to seek joy and eternal happiness.

Being compassionate is another way to contribute to our happiness. When we reach out to others then our lives will be blessed as well. Service and sacrifice bring great blessings upon us. When we lift others, we rise higher ourselves. As we lose ourselves in service to others we can find happiness in our own lives.

James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan wrote, "Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

As we left the conference we all commented on how inspired it was that he would speak on a topic we all needed to hear.