Gandalf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrOqnZdvI6M

Let us not forget the power of choice. How wonderful is it to know that no matter what circumstances befall us, we have the power to choose to make the best of them? We can’t control our circumstances, but we can control ourselves.

Albus Dumbledore’s words are perfectly true:

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

There is so much we don't know about the future. There is so much we don't know about the pain that others suffer and how it might influence their choices. There is so much we don't know about God's plan for us personally, including which adversities he grants us by design for the strengthening of our faith, the showing of his power, and the better influence we can then have on others because of it.

No matter our trials, there is so much good that we can do. When all of this is over, I want my posterity to know that I chose to be optimistic about the future. I want to be remembered for choosing courage in the face of adversity. I want to use my own suffering for the uplifting of others in their time of need. I want to leave this world with a prayer of thanksgiving on my lips and a song in my heart. Every one of us has an important part to play. Wonderfully, mercifully, you get to decide what to do with yours.

The Mirror of Erised

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ck4Bk6SKO7o

“He was despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

- Isaiah 53:3

I know that for most people, if someone were to ask what we would see if we looked into the Mirror of Erised, we would burst into a flood of heartbroken tears. We have all dealt with feelings of inadequacy and envy, rejection, depression, and desperate longing for something more. We think that if only we could change something - our marital status, our figure, our job, the past, our health - then we would not only have, but BE everything we wish we could be. The Savior knows how this feels. Living through mortality is not an easy task, especially when we feel we are failing at every turn. Jeffrey R. Holland has said:

“I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone, “robes … made … white in the blood of the Lamb.”

My mumsy used to say to me, when I went through a period of self-loathing and felt I wasn’t as good as my friends, “If Heavenly Father had wanted another Jane, he’d have created another Jane. If He had wanted another Betty, he would have created another Betty. But He wanted a Melissa.”

Heavenly Father wanted YOU. You have flaws and you always will in this life. But these make you REAL, unique, and beautiful. And the things we experience in mortality are meant to teach, strengthen, and help us to fulfill our unique destinies, whatever they may be. Now get out there and be YOU.

You’ve Always Had the Power

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrotkcWJFwo&t=12s

I think there are times when we can be so oblivious. We can become so distracted by the mundane, or even the not-so-mundane, that we freak out like we've been marooned on a desert island with no chance of survival. There is never a need to panic. Our Father in Heaven didn’t leave us stranded on Earth without help or direction. Not only do we have access to the straight-shot path that will take us home, but we have access to 24/7 roadside assistance from the Lord, we can receive constantly updated travel information on our own spiritual GPS, and we have companions trekking along the road with us. We were given all the tools we need to complete the journey and arrive safely back home. We’ve always had them. We always will. No obstacle of the Wicked Witch’s can change that.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

- Proverbs 3:5-6

Cinderella

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-PnlDzp6jo&list=PLUbMYlNTQSbWJjCYazBjOMs1dydoWlm04&index=12&t=0s

“For a moment, think back about your favorite fairy tale. In that story the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milkmaid, a ruler or a servant. You will find one thing all have in common: they must overcome adversity.

Cinderella has to endure her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters. She is compelled to suffer long hours of servitude and ridicule… 

In [this story] Cinderella has to experience sadness and trial before [she] can reach [her] “happily ever after.” Think about it. Has there ever been a person who did not have to go through his or her own dark valley of temptation, trial, and sorrow?

Sandwiched between their “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” they all had to experience great adversity. Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not simply live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy, and love?

The scriptures tell us there must be opposition in all things, for without it we could not discern the sweet from the bitter… 

In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way. Our loving Heavenly Father has set us in a world filled with challenges and trials so that we, through opposition, can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience joy…

“Happily ever after” is not something found only in fairy tales. You can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father’s map…Please embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ! Learn to love your Heavenly Father with all your heart, might, and mind…“Stand … in holy places, and be not moved,” regardless of temptations or difficulties. I promise you that future generations will be grateful for you and praise your name for your courage and faithfulness during this crucial time of your life.

…Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your “once upon a time” is now.”

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Your Happily Ever After, April 2010

Have you ever thought of yourself as the hero in your own fairytale before? If not, start thinking of yourself in that way, because you are! You are currently living in your own “Once upon a time” story and it’s not over yet. There are wonderful things ahead of you. You are not left without help. Let Heavenly Father be your trusted guide and the final page of your story will undoubtedly state: “And [insert your name] lived happily ever after.”

Through Heaven’s Eyes

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J5JkWC4hYk

You do more good than you know. Give yourself some credit. Let your spirit remember things by thinking outside the sphere of mortality. Look at the big picture and try to see yourself as the Lord sees you - through heaven’s eyes.

Remember Who You Are

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGQnGQzlAmA

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. It means I don’t have to be confused about my identity or personal mission. I don’t have to wander strange paths looking for truth because it’s there before my eyes, and the truth is this: I am God’s child, and as such, I have part of him inside of me. You do too. Your spirit remembers this, even if your mortal mind does not. You can inherit all that he has and we are here to learn how. Remember who you are.

"None of us come to this earth to gain our worth. We brought it with us." 

- Sheri Dew

I have been nervous to share this, but I feel prompted to do it now. I once made this as a pick-me-up program (mostly for me). It is a 30-day series of uplifting and grounding messages for times of trouble. I call it "30 Days of the Force".

DISCLAIMER: These messages come from deep in my heart, and many from my own experiences. If you disagree with anything I post, I invite you to remember the Thumper rule and please make no comment. Thank you.

I Am Moana

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEiSF8HpyDg

Do you know who you are? I am a princess, I am descended by those who left a legacy of sacrifice and faith just for me, and I have a divine destiny. Knowing my identity as a daughter of God isn’t just a little throw-away fun fact; it motivates my every decision, fuels my passion for life, and reminds me that there is a purpose to this wild and crazy existence in a terrifying, fallen world. 

You were not placed here at this time just for the heck of it, for no particular reason. You have a divine heritage and potential. You are more capable than you know.