April My Happiness Project Phase 1

April MyHappinessProject

Finances

Interestingly enough taxation and #MyHappinessProject align in the month of April!!!  As I have considered this topic I have arrived at the word Budget which leads me to columns which leads to pluses and minuses or debits and credit or gains and losses.  As I ponder this I am led to all the things that go under these sub headings and into the said columns!  death and taxes, Money and calories, credit cards and cash, weight and self image, sit ups and push ups, walking and running, screen time and what I eat - the columns can go on and on... do you see where I am going with this?

Last month I got lost in the big world of "thinking and considering", without the specific task to do, although I did learn things and I will apply them to my lifestyle and resolutions I continueing to work on them.  I need actual, specific things to budget and account for.  There it is  - the word, the other word I ran into in my pondering - Accountability. Without kids, without a job, without a real schedule to keep, without a chur  ch responsibility well,  I have no accountability!  This silly blog has proven to be my accountability this year giving me the checks and balances of my present circumstance.  And so as I like to say; Thus we see...   I need to get real here and actually be accountable for my columns in life. set some real goals / #resolutions....  her is how I'm going to approach that.

Phase 1 is 21 days  (remember my old blog enteries 21 days 21 days at a time. #Endure

1. track money spent

2. track what I eat   

3. track how much I move 

that is it!   no more than that or I won't do any of it them.  I also realize I am pretty good at tracking.  The next step will be writing down what I AM GOING TO DO and then doing it!  this is where my Sub (spiritual) Happiness Project topic comes in Humility and why I have to track these things first,  because I can't say I'm going to this or that - since I have no accountability. I don't know where to start. I am giving myself 21 days to find a starting point and then to re-evaluate and do the hard thing that is to set the limits and then be accountable. 

Personal side note; I dated a few guys in my time as they fell away no one ever REALLY said why (and thus we see I have a few attachment issues) anyway One young man did say. His name was Glenn and he told me he couldn't marry me because "I wouldn't endure".  Isn't it funny such a small thing would stick with me and echo in my head constantly for all these years.  OR IS IT!        I have always applied it to church, and I hate to admit that ya, maybe I had my non enduring moments, but 98% of the time I always WANTED to ENDURE and that really does help, the "want to", the "desire to".  But this is the other thing I learned in the early month MyHappinessProject research, I don't endure in finances for sure, but I may have other issues I'm not enduring in too, like; diet and exercise.  For instance because of my tracking (Phase 1) I noticed I drink alot of Coke Zero.  Too much soda for me. I came to the conclusion that I needed to STOP.  So I haven't had a soda for a week when I weighed in this morning I had gained 3 pounds.  My thinking is with no soda I should have had a loss in that column not a gain!!! Now I just want to go have a soda, and thus we see my lack of endurance. 
In Phase 2 I will make the accountability happen, after the initial 21 days of tracking and enduring with said topics, I have to evaluate and set reasonable achievable new goals /#resolutions to be accountable for in my ledger of columns with the headings of; budgeting money, calories, movement and time.  

Here we go !!!!  Who knew Finances and humility would lead me here?!!!!

For Review #MyHappinessProject Resolutions already executed to continue to build on

NOV
1. Be Healthy  I am putting into action no snacking.   Drink my shakes for meals. Move everyday. 

DEC
2. Family History

4 years one month at a time and continue the search.

JAN
3. Civility

Mostly I am "working" at Keeping it together this month. "KeepItTogether""KeepItTogether""KeepItTogether"!

3b. Scripture study His Words Keep reading everyday everyday everyday.  I can only ___________ Me! (Insert word control, save, etc etc etc!)

4 books and the parables

FEB
4. Joy

I don't know what to do here. Throw it all away, give it all away or garage sell it all?   Keep it or move it? because of my lack of ability to make a choice on this I have only reorganized and re labeled.

The life changing magic of tidying up.  

4b. Repentance

I do need this everyday. 

MAR
5. Mindfulness  BE mindful of what I am "certain of"...  Back to my basic question of yester year "What is the One thing today that I stand for, would fight for, believe in?"  Be Certain what kind of Character I have, portray and want to build on. 

5b. Procrastination set some goals.  achieve them.  I got my pocket watch to wear around my neck, like Emmaline!!!  It will remind me of the words "but for a very short time."  Make Time count!

Happiness Project Mindfulness - Be Prayerful

Yesterday at Church we talked about the need and importance of Prayer.  I felt inspired to "go home and write the impressions I had during this discussion down" and encouraged others to do so too.  And Thus we see here I am.  Testimony is an important thing to have, for if you have a testimony of something you stand for it tooth and nail, come hell or high water.  Once upon a time I was a teacher and a question I liked asking was "What is the One thing you Believe in?"  It was a cool thing for me to see what was important to those I spent everyday with.  Lately, well really I am on a roller coaster with prayer and not just lately.  I have a whole issue with the word submit.  Couple of things I specifically prayed for did not ever happen, some did and then fell apart and thus I then go straight to "why pray when He is going to do what He wants to do anyway". That attitude hasn't ever gotten me anywhere positive I can say for sure, and yet I roll back down speedily on the roller coaster of life at times, well more often than not I hate to admit.  The discussion yesterday was graciously led with the questions What? How? and Why? many personal experiences were shared and that was uplifting and a great reminder to me that Prayer is a mighty powerful source for many reasons in our lives.  So why don't we use it to it's full potential and why isn't it at the TOP of our Things We believe in List all the time or at least more often?   Since My Happiness Project topic is Be more Mindful and don't Procrastinate Here I am. Writing it down does help me remember and learn.  

These are the highlights that prompted remembrance of why I know that Prayer is One thing I believe in.

What to pray for?

• In Matthew Jesus tells us "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
• Fathers and Mothers Pray for your children. I'm going to add Kids pray for your parents!  No really I'm so serious. One of my favorite most innocently observed prayers was answered was a miracle was pure it was hearing our son and daughter prayer for their parents.
• Husbands pray for your wives.
• Wives pray for your husbands.
• Pray for Peace on earth. 
• Pray for wisdom and understanding.
• Pray for Forgiveness.
• Ask for blessings.
• Ask For Righteous Ambitions.
• the question is what couldn't I pray about?!!!

How to Pray?

• Individually, pray is personal.
• Pray with your family.
• There is something in the very posture of kneeling that contradicts the attitudes described by Paul in 2 Timothy:1-4 https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/2-tim/3?lang=eng
• Pray with the expectation of answers.  (which of course requires faith - Yikes!)

Why Pray?

• "Prayer unlocks the powers of heaven in our behalf."
• "Be prayerful and the God of Heaven will smile upon you and bless you, and give happiness in your hearts and a sense of peace in your lives.
• prayer is one of the basic medications that would check the character of our society. 
• I know of nothing that will help ease the family tensions, bring respect for the parents lead to obedience, ... than will praying together...How tragic is the loss for any family that fails to take advantage of this precious and simple practice of praying together."

For the complete discussion;  https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-gordon-b-hinckley/chapter-6-how-mighty-a-thing-is-prayer?lang=eng

The constant thing that I kept remembering through out this discussion was hearing my mother pray.  Knowing that it was an action she took often, more than often. Knowing me and who I am, I know that without her prayers - her Motherhood pulling out all the stops, calling upon angels, her unconditional love Prayers; I first of all would not have even been born and lived, but could never have dug myself out of all the holes I so very quickly dug myself into. Only that miracle and power of a mother on her knees, begging for her daughter could have got me here today. In this I do believe and am grateful today to have been reminded of that pattern she taught me thru her act of prayer.

Many instances did come to my mind and I was reminded in my heart that prayer is good, it works it can be powerful and when you see it happen - you've seen a miracle.  Some things I have learned about prayer is that it is a discussion, a discussion takes more than one person. It's not one sided.  Garth had it right his song "Unanswered Prayer" at times we get what we pray for and well we shouldn't have even ask for that.  It reminds me of bugging my mom tell I got what I wanted, nothing good about that! Prayer is physical as well as spiritual. I'm all about no man being an island but having been on an island for awhile now, it's not all that peaceful! Prayer is mindful for sure and humbling. Both things are awkward in this world when it's moving so fast and we want to have it all and we think we can do it all Alone, for ourselves without submitting to anything or anyone.  In those instances what joy, what fun is there in it, even in achieving, if you are alone.

I can't give Up

I'm strong and immovable
then I'm weak and wilted
I'm determined
and then I'm jilted.

I'm strong and courageous
 then I'm melted to not
I'm fearless
and then I'm bought.

I'm strong and hopeful
then I'm doubtful
I'm organized
then I'm drowning in a pool.

I'm strong and spiritual
then I'm tempted
I'm wise
then I'm cheated.

I'm strong and a teacher
then I'm wrong
I'm a student
then I'm made Strong.