A Child of God

Mirrors have an interesting way of telling us information about ourselves. What we see in a mirror is a reflection of ourselves. On good days we will see a reflection that we are pleased with. Other days we may feel disgusted with what we see. Our reflection is what we see first in the morning after waking up, and the last thing we see as we prepare to go to bed. Mirrors are everywhere. They are used practically (in bathrooms and bedrooms) and they are used decoratively. We see our reflection in the rearview mirror; in the glass pane of a door; on the back of a spoon. Seeing our reflection is such a common occurrence throughout the day that we hardly think about it. Often, we simply stop for a moment to absentmindedly consider our appearance before carrying on with business as usual.

            Mirrors also have an emotional and mental impact on us. We look in the mirror and see what we want to see. We see what our mind projects when we look at our reflection, whether it is positive or not.  Too often we see our flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings when we look in the mirror. On a good day we may see our successes and feel good about ourselves. What we see in the mirror affects how we feel about ourselves. Also, how we look in the mirror affects how we feel about ourselves.

            One particular moment in my life that I tend to reflect upon is when I was thirteen years old. I was attending a “beehive camp” by the name of Oakcrest. Every morning and night my counselor, Shortcake, would gather our cabin of girls together for a short devotional. One particular night, there was no light in the cabin except for a few small candles. Sitting in semi-darkness, Shortcake took out a large, framed photograph. She kept the picture hidden from us as she explained that the image in this picture portrayed the most beautiful of God’s creation. The framed picture was passed slowly through the circle of girls as our counselor slowly explained more about the beauty and pure magnificence of the creation. As one of the last members in the circle, my anticipation of receiving the picture grew. What was the most beautiful and greatest of God’s creations? In the dim candlelight, the most stunning of revelations came to me as the frame was passed into my hands. I found myself staring at a reflection of myself. Completely surprised, I lost my breath for a long moment. Looking at the thirteen-year-old version of myself, I would never in a million years have considered the fact that I as an individual am one of God’s greatest creations. But in that moment, looking into my own eyes, I began to recognize my own divine nature. I was able to fully understand that I am a Child of God. I am his greatest creation.

So whenever you are looking at yourself in the mirror, PLEASE remember that YOU are a Child of God, and YOU are his greatest creation.

XOXO, Hardy

"Who You Are"

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!

This week I would like to share two videos that have changed my perspective on self worth in many ways. They will change how you view yourself and others. One video is made for women, the other is for men, but I encourage you to watch both! No matter where we are in our lives, these messages are inspiring because they convey the message that we always are, have been, and will be loved by our Heavenly Father. To be honest, I felt slightly awkward and uncomfortable when I first watched the video addressed to women. I told myself that I felt that way because it was "cheesy". Now that I have thought about it, I have realized that I was uncomfortable for different reasons. I find it ironic that often the compliments that we want to hear or need to hear, are the messages that we struggle to listen to. If you find yourself in the same predicament, please watch the video again. Watch it as many times as it takes to convince you that this message is true and you are comfortable with the wisdom that it gives concerning who you are.

Thoughts, feelings, or experiences? Please share!

XOXO Hardy

Who You Are: A Message To All Women:

Who You Are: A Message To All Men:

Serving Others

“We Never Walk Alone”

In the 2013 Relief Society General Broadcast, President Monson ‘s talk rung home to thoughts and feelings that I have been considering for quite some time. I have chosen some of my favorite parts to share on this blog:

“We were not placed on this earth to walk alone. What an amazing source of power, of strength, and of comfort is available to each of us. He who knows us better than we know ourselves, He who sees the larger picture and who knows the end from the beginning, has assured us that He will be there for us to provide help if we but ask. We have the promise: ‘Pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good.’”

In his address, President Monson shared a story about a woman named Tiffany whose many stresses and responsibilities in life had caused her to slip into feelings of despair and depression. When it seemed that her circumstances and feelings would not lift, a woman that Tiffany hardly knew showed up at her door with a homemade loaf of bread. President Monson then summed up this woman’s experience by saying:

“And so it happened that the Lord sent a virtual stranger across town to deliver not just the desired homemade bread but also a clear message of love to Tiffany. What happened to her cannot be explained in any other way. She had an urgent need to feel that she wasn’t alone—that God was aware of her and had not abandoned her. That bread—the very thing she wanted—was delivered to her by someone she barely knew, someone who had no knowledge of her need but who listened to the prompting of the Spirit and followed that prompting. It became an obvious sign to Tiffany that her Heavenly Father was aware of her needs and loved her enough to send help. He had responded to her cries for relief.”

 An Unforgettable Service

For me, last December was very similar to the stressful winter the year before, but with the addition of more responsibilities. At this time I had two jobs, I was one of the three officers of Dance Company, I was a member of Seminary Council, and I was attempting to keep up my schoolwork and piano lessons while attending a ballet studio. My busy senior year in high school was a mixture of running to early morning seminary, to school, to dance, to work, and then back again without a moment to breathe. One cold afternoon I rushed to the grocery store after school in order to purchase items to fulfill several of the responsibilities I carried at the time, as well as a few necessities that I required to take care of myself. I approached the cash register to pay for my things, only to discover that my debit card was not in my wallet. I had left it in a different purse that I used for Winter Formal the weekend before. I only had a ten-dollar bill with me at the moment, which was not enough to pay for the things that I needed to buy.  I knew that I would have to leave my groceries there to rush home to grab my card, but I was running late for a rehearsal and my car was very low on gas. This knowledge sent an overwhelming sense of anxiety over me, and I couldn’t’ help but feel that I was utterly alone against everything I needed to do. At that exact moment, a woman from my home ward saw me and came over simply to say hello when she discovered my predicament. I was mortified to admit that I would have to leave some of my groceries there simply because I did not have the means to pay for everything right there and then. She immediately insisted on helping me, allowing me to hand my ten dollars to the cashier before she paid the difference.

Although this woman sacrificed a small amount of money for my sake that could easily be paid back, I can never repay her for what she did that day. In the midst of my hectic schedule and pile of burdens, she has shown me that God will send people to us when we need it the most, when we feel the most alone, and when we cannot recognize our own worth. This woman who recognized me, came to say hello, and then served me with a smile, gave me a perspective on my own self worth as well as my worth in the sight of God and others.

“And They Did Fellowship One With Another”

This past Tuesday at Brigham Young University, Neal Cox gave an address at the weekly devotional concerning the phrase “And they did fellowship one with another.” Brother Cox admonished us to reach out to others instead of keeping to ourselves. He explained that if we stepped outside of our own world and did something for others, then we would not feel lonely, and we would be able to find true happiness. What most stuck out to me during his talk is this: “As you care less about what others think of you, you will care more about how others think about themselves.” This comment has made me consider how important it is to reach out to others.

Not only is it important for us to reach out to others to cure our own loneliness, it is more important to reach out to others to cure their loneliness.  Perhaps I can help another person the way one woman helped me. Now that someone has shown me my worth, it is time to help others recognize their own worth.

This week I challenge you as a reader to help someone remember how important he or she is to you and our Heavenly Father. This could be through service, a compliment, or even a smile to a stranger passing by. Doing so will help ourselves, but more importantly help others.

XOXO Hardy

Monson, Thomas, S. "We Never Walk Alone." General Relief Society Broadcast. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Utah, Salt Lake City. 28 Sep 2013.

Love Yourself Boosts

Hey everyone!

This week I have asked two of my lovely roommates Nicole and Carly and the cute, spunky girl across the hall, Kayla, to contribute to this week’s post. I have asked them what “learning to love yourself” means to them, and what they do when they need a “Love Yourself Boost”!

(Disclaimer: I tried my best to paraphrase them, but I hardly do them justice! These girls are amazing and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to know and hang out with them!)

Nicole: The biggest part about self-image is not comparing yourself to others because there is always going to be “someone better”. We need to learn to love ourselves how we are, remember that we are who we are for a reason, and we are meant to be who we are.

“Love Yourself Boost”: Nicole usually goes to her number one supporter: her mom! Another thing she likes to do is count her blessings and to see that things are good the way they are.

Carly: In a world that’s so consumed with self-image it’s really hard to love yourself. Most of the time models are unrealistic, and they use Photoshop and other technology to digitally enhance beauty. I always remember that Heavenly Father created us in his image, and being the divine king that he is, our bodies are perfect the way they are.

“Love Yourself Boost”: Carly likes to pamper herself by doing her hair, or having a chick flick night with her mom because it makes her remember that she is important and she is beautiful the way she is.

Side note from Hardy: See! Even though we’re in college we still need our mamas because the people that raise us are able to see the best qualities we have even when we can’t see them for ourselves. Shout out to Mama Hardy, LOVIES!

Kayla: It is easier to be happy when you love yourself, and then it’s easier to serve others because you fully understand your own self worth. Learning to love yourself will help you serve others with more love.

“Love Yourself Boost”: Back home, Kayla always went to the beach when she was upset because looking across the water was like looking across infinity, and it helped her remember to look towards the future instead of staying in the past (Hakuna Matata anyone?). Another thing that helps her is music because it helps her learn about herself and music has been a part of her life for such a long time. She loves to play music to help boost her mood and I quote: “NO ONE CAN BE SAD WHEN YOU PLAY A UKELELE!”

I hope these girls have given you some ideas about your own thoughts and feelings about learning to love yourself! I would love to have some comments about what you think and some of the things you do when you need a “Love Yourself Boost”, so feel free to share!

XOXO Hardy