“Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.” – Clare Booth Luce

Once you have decided ‘what’ you want to be when you grow up, your dream is in place, you now need action.   Many times, once you act on your desires, you sometimes fall and need to get back up.   You need Courage to get back up and do the things you need to do to fulfill your mission; complete your task at hand; achieve your goal.

It’s tricky sometimes to organize your life, balance your activities.   I’ve been taught to prioritize the important things and work on those things first.  The rest will fall into place, and if you are virtuous in your life you will be able to take Courage and achieve the good things you’ve desired.

LDS UnPlugged is located online, http://www.ldsunplugged.com and originated from the opinion and thoughts of the one and only, Eddie G!  That’s me.

I grew up in Utah and love the entire state from Bear Lake, Garden City down to Zion, St George.  Heber Valley is where I reside now and it’s an amazing valley nestled in between the Wasatch and Uintah mountain ranges.   It’s here in the valley and mountains that I gain much of my inspiration!

Want to find out more of how cool Utah is, check our http://www.utah.com where you’ll see what I’m talking about, it’s the greatest place on earth!

When we are born, we are given a special light, a light of Christ.  This ‘Light’ is a special witness that He Lives, He Loves us and through Him we will be able to return to our Heavenly Father’s presence.

We are all spirit children of a divine being.  Our creator gave us this ‘Light’ so we can remember the ‘good news’ also known as the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Take a minute this day to ‘behold’ the little children who most recently came to this earthly world.  Look into their eyes, feel their sweet spirit, you will see and feel something special.   That something special is the ‘Light’ that we all have.

Let’s find our own ‘Light’ and let it shine bright for all to see and feel the glory that we have before us.

Maddening… Irritating… Bothersome… Frustrating… Disturbing… Infuriating

The opposite of annoying is:

Pleasing… Helpful… Agreeable… Pleasant… Soothing… Welcome

Now, don’t you feel better?   I know I do!

I’ve been reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by the late Stephen Covey and wanted to pull an excerpt from his book this am:

Habit 2:

So, what do you want to be when you grow up? That question may appear a little trite, but think about it for a moment. Are you–right now–who you want to be, what you dreamed you’d be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest. Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty–successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster.

Habit 2 is based on imagination–the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint. If you don’t make a conscious effort to visualize who you are and what you want in life, then you empower other people and circumstances to shape you and your life by default. It’s about connecting again with your own uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself. Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination, and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen.

One of the best ways to incorporate Habit 2 into your life is to develop a Personal Mission Statement. It focuses on what you want to be and do. It is your plan for success. It reaffirms who you are, puts your goals in focus, and moves your ideas into the real world. Your mission statement makes you the leader of your own life. You create your own destiny and secure the future you envision.

Today, I’m going to ‘Begin with the End in Mind‘ and see what happens.   It’s something we all naturally do, yet sometimes forget how important it can be to achieving success in our goals and desires!

Have you ever thought of the impact of the following magic words?

• Please
• Thank You
• I’m Sorry

Try using them today and watch the ‘magic’ happen!

We are given 7 days a week.   Two of these days are an opportunity for us to replace worldly media; entertainment; and music with wholesome activities and recreation.

My favorite thing to do on the weekend is attend a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Sacrament Meeting and Partake of the sacrament.   This morning I read an inspiring talk by Elder Russell Ballard from this most recent conference, ‘God Is at the Helm’ where he reminded us on how we should ‘cling to observe the Sabbath day by making it a delight.’

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/god-is-at-the-helm?lang=eng

The ‘Old Ship Zion’ is steady and true.   Let’s hold on and stay in the boat!

Need I say more??

Remember, tomorrow is the first day of the ‘rest of your life’.  🙂

What happened to make LDS UnPlugged what it is.   As I mentioned in ‘The Who’ post last week, this web blog and site comes from thoughts and ideas of making a commitment to UnPlug from media; entertainment and activities that do not necessarily uplift you as other forms of media; entertainment and/or recreation.

For example, imagine taking 15 minutes out of your normal, regular day to put your phone down, keep it down (a good idea is to silence; put on do not disturb; or even turn it completely off).   During these 15 minutes, be quiet, in solace, no distractions… It may seem like an eternity as we are always use to having our phone with us, always checking for messages, always viewing the latest notification, etc.   Try it, you’ll see what I’m talking about.   Now, this has to be done during your normal, busiest time of the day.   You will realize in a short (to you it may seem super long) how we are really connected to our phones!

Now, if you work a regular 9-5 job, you’re entitled to two 15 minute breaks; and a 30 min lunch.   If you were to do this exercise during your break (usually is opposite of what most people do), it will condition you to be in a position where you can take the LDS UnPlugged challenge:

Turn off all technology distractions for a set period of time each and every day.   During this time, interact and converse with your children. 

For most of us, our children are our most precious things in our lives.   Let us, as has been told in ancient and modern day scripture, ‘behold’ them; have a ‘conversation’ with them; ‘hold’ them; ‘love’ them.   I promise, if you do this simple thing (on a daily basis) your relationship with them will grow and you will find joy and happiness in ‘being’ with them.

There you have it, this is ‘The What’ of LDS UnPlugged.

“The Purpose of our lives is to give birth to the best which is within us.”  – Marianne Williamson.

This quote is something to ponder.    We are all spirit children of a loving Heavenly Father.   We are born, dependent on others, then we grow into independence, and eventually fulfill our purpose by interdependently giving the best of ourselves to others around us.

The purpose of life really is simple.  We are all destined for greatness!  Let us  embrace it, learn it, and live it!