Approach life with LOVE and not FEAR

Last week at work while I was on one of my brakes I read an article in a magazine that really touched me and made me think. It is something we hear about all the time but I think that is only because we need to always be reminded!

The article was about a woman who's mother recently was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her mother is young, in her 50's, and they are very close. It was a real trial for them and their family and it brought a damper on their home. The woman said, "I decided my job was to find joyful moments during what could have been a terrifying time." Despite what they were going through she DECIDED to find the joyful moments. There are some times you have to look harder than others for those joyful moments but whether you believe it or not, their there!

She also said, "Just because a situation is grim doesn't mean you don't have the right to smile". You're the one who puts the smile on your face! You're the one who gets to decide if it's there or not. I know there have been many times in my life that I have forgotten to smile or just didn't want to. It seems that those times are the times we need to smile the most and not so much for others but for our self. It's usually easier to find those joyful moments when your smiling!

"It isn't about 'being strong' and pretending everything is okay; it's about finding joy WHERE YOU CAN". As I was reminded yesterday there are things that happen that we don't understand and that are beyond our control. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why me? It's easy to ask these questions and many more because most of the trials we receive don't seem fare. It's not always easy to find the joyful moments. During these times more than ever we need to rely on the Lord to help us find them (the joyful moments), to help us remember the good times as well as the other bad times we have had and gotten through with His help. We need to find the good things where we can. In a way, to me at least, those good things I can find during the hard times remind me that I am loved. That Heavenly Father is watching out for me. That I'm not alone.

It's so hard because we don't have control over the trials we go through (for the most part) but we do have control over our reaction to them. If we can approach our trials with faith and with a desire to try and figure out what our Heavenly Father is trying to teach us we will get more from it. Our trial will help us to grow!
While I was thinking about this I was reminded of two quotes from two amazing men. The first is from President Hinckley "life is to be enjoyed, not only endured." The other from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come what may, and love it." If you look hard enough, and with a smile, you can always find the bright side. Sometimes it takes longer than others and most of the time you can't do it on your own. Heavenly Father is always there for us and He loves us so much that he also gave is mothers and fathers, sisters and bothers, husbands and wives, children, friends and neighbors who love us and who are there for us. We just need to remember to decide to want to find the good things, try and put a smile on and ask for help and you will find the joyful moments, the good things. You will find the bright side!