Help Me Overcome
Every week in church, someone has mentioned dealing with anxiety—or maybe my ears perk up and catch it more often. One woman gave a talk about how she had her whole life planned, and it turns out that God’s plans for her were so much better than her plans for herself. She ended up saying how grateful she was that things didn’t work out, and what she originally thought was a struggle was a blessing. She was grateful for her anxiety. That threw me. I wish I remembered the reasons she mentioned… Did it bring her closer to God? Did it help her grow? Did it show her miracles?
Here are some concepts I found helpful and encouraging.
Gratitude
My journal is now just a Note with the following prompts. Often I don’t get past the first one, but some days I will intentionally not answer the last two because internally I always know there’s room for improvement and it gets me down a rabbit hole of negativity that defeats the whole purpose of this mental exercise. Even on the worst days, I can remember God’s love for me even if I’m unable to feel it.
Something I am grateful for today:
The best thing that happened today:
Something I did well today:
How I could have made today better:
How I’ll make tomorrow great:
Upward Slope
“We believe in the divine potential of all of God’s children and in our ability to become something more in Christ. In the Lord’s timing, it is not where we start but where we are headed that matters most. […] Focus on where you are headed and not where you began.”
Elder Clark G. Gilbert, “Becoming More in Christ: The Parable of the Slope“
Small Reachable Goals
— Rachel Macy Staffer
go big or go homego small & show up
It’s okay for me to just do a little; I’m less likely to get overwhelmed, I don’t have to overthink the situation or try to consider all the ramifications in the grand scheme of things. The sheer weight of my expectations can either freeze me or cause me to just give up. This advice to “go small” reminds me that even if the execution isn’t how I wanted it, the most important thing is that I did something– I didn’t let it stop me from participating!
Perfection
“God does not need people who are flawless. He seeks those who will offer their ‘heart and a willing mind’ [Doctrine and Covenants 64:34], and He will make them ‘perfect in Christ’ [Moroni 10:32–33].”
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
