Of Things That Matter Most

So, Day 29 is put a picture of yourself as a child.  Haha, Day 18 was put a picture of you 10 years ago, which for me and Brock = Childhood.  So, on to, Day 30!  Oh my goodness this 30 days of randomness has come to an end!

And the topic is....  Something you learned about yourself in the last 30 days.

Well, counting back to Day One, this "30 Days" actually took me 114 days.  So I have learned that there are other things to do in life besides blogging?  hahaha.  Just kidding.  We have had a great last 114 days.  This summer has rocked!  And I will tell you something I have learned this summer.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk last year entitled, "Of Things That Matter Most". It really hit home to me.  My whole life I have always been "go-go-go" nonstop.  Always finding ways to keep myself as busy as possible.  Always ALWAYS stressed.  I was falling into the category Uchtdorf said of people who "think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little sense of meaning in their lives."  I heard the talk, thought it was great, but I didn't change anything right away.  I was scared of changing and I didn't know how.  Hence, I still kept busy. 

And this summer, I decided to change that.  I decided that life is too short to rush through it.  I decided to follow President  Uchtdorf's advice that "there is more to life than increasing its speed...focus on the things that matter most."  And I taught myself how to relax.  I quit my unnecessary second job.  I put a cap on how many piano and voice students I would accept.  I organized my schedule so that free time for myself was always part of it.  I made a list of what was most important to me and scheduled out my time to prioritize them.  My priorities became:

Be a good wife
Be a good member of the church
Be happy, stress-free, and relaxed (AKA Aubrey time)
Be a good daughter/sister/family member
Be a good home-maker
Be a good friend
Be a good teacher


I devoted a little bit of time every day to each of those roles in my life, because I decided that in my life, that was what mattered most.  And I will tell you, and Brock will tell you, I am a changed woman!  I feel so good!  And I want to share this advice with the world!  We are never required to run faster than we are able.  This life is about learning and being happy.  I am so grateful for this opportunity I took this summer to self-reflect and really decide what is most important to me in this world.  I am fully, genuinely, happy.  And virtually stress-free.  Whoever is reading this, I invite you to join me in the club!  Take a leap of faith and de-stress your life.  I promise it's worth it.  It's scary, but it's worth it.  You can do it!