Forget-me-nots

Just like everyone else I know who heard this talk - I LOVED President Uchtdorf's address in the Saturday evening General Relief Society Conference.  His words were a balm to my soul and a blessing to my spirit. 

He spoke of the Forget-me-not flower, small and easily overlooked, yet one of his favorite flowers and a source of great beauty.  He said like the flower has five petals, he had 5 things he wanted us to "forget not."

1 - Forget not to be patient with yourself.  So many quotable things throughout this talk, but under this one I loved when he said, "none of you are perfect.  And those people that you think are perfect?  They're not."  He talked of how we compare ourselves with others, typically comparing our weaknesses to their strengths.  He spoke of how we can be endlessly loving and compassionate to others, but we fail to extend that same love and compassion to ourselves.  That God sees all the SMALL and seemingly insignificant (to us) things we do, and he is pleased.

2 - Forget not that some sacrifices are better than others.  While making sacrifices are a part of life, sometimes we make sacrifices for things that are NOT of the greatest value or worth.    We need to consider if what we are doing is the best sacrifice for us to make.

3 - Forget not to be happy NOW.  He reminded us of the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in which people become so obsessed with finding the "golden ticket" that they lose the ability to enjoy the candy bar.  Yes, we should continue to seek for our dreams, but we must enjoy the here and now until that dream is realized.  We must look for and find joy in the "little things" everyday.

4 - Forget not the "WHY" of the gospel.   (This one a was harder for me to summarize/verbalize, and since one of my other friends already posted this awesome quote, I'm just using it too) "While understanding the “what” and the “how” of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the “why.” When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet.

Let us not walk the path of discipleship with our eyes on the ground, thinking only of the tasks and obligations before us. Let us not walk unaware of the beauty of the glorious earthly and spiritual landscapes that surround us... seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the “why” of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

5 - Forget Not that God loves you and has NOT forgotten you.  Pretty self explanatory and POWERFUL.  I loved how he declared it - "as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ,"...

It was an amazing talk and certainly one that I needed to hear. (and need to LIVE)  My thought last night was "I wish I could just carry President Uchtdorf around with me in my pocket and pull him out every time I need a little pep talk."  Then I thought, Hey, I guess I kind of can.  I can buy the recording of the conference and play it in my car when I need a lift.  I can keep a copy of the talk nearby to refer to when I am feeling inadequate or discouraged. And absolutely, I will be planting some FORGET-ME-NOTS.