Day 6

"The only real sign of life is growth. And growth requires pain.... We find exactly what we're looking for. In spite of what happens to us, ultimately, we decide whether our lives are good or bad, ugly or beautiful."

I just finished reading a book called "The Walk" by Richard Paul Evans (I would definitely recommend reading it!)

It's about a man who basically loses EVERYTHING and decides to walk across the country. Along the way he learns what it really means to LIVE.

Life is hard. For everyone. When you see someone that is really happy, it doesn't mean they have a perfect life. They have just made a choice. A choice to LIVE, regardless of your circumstances.

The hard times in my life have really been some of my best times. They are chances for growth, learning, and new opportunities. But most importantly, they are chances for me to rely soley on my Heavenly Father. During my hard times, I have learned that I cannot make it through this life alone. I need the strength, help, and guidance of my Heavenly Father. I need The Atonement. These hard times are literally blessings in disguise because if we choose to do so, we can become STRONGER as a result of our trials. When we are challenged, we grow.

That is the whole PURPOSE of coming to earth. Not only to experience hard things, but to learn and grow from them!

Sometimes I find myself thinking that life would be SO easy and simple if I could just move away to a little island and have nothing to worry about.... WRONG! Life would be completely boring and EMPTY. I would waste away and would not make ANY progress.

So today, I am grateful for the hard times. They humble me. They make me stronger. They make me a better person. They make me GROW, LEARN, and LIVE.

"We can spend our days bemoaning our losses, or we can grow from them. Ultimately the choice is ours. We can be victims of our circumstances or masters of our own fate, but make no mistake, we cannot be both." --Richard Paul Evans