The Ability to Succeed

At church I teach the 12 & 13 year old girls. I LOVE it. My class is awesome and I love being with them every Sunday. Today our lesson was on the ability to succeed. It was a very personal topic because it's only been in the past year or so that I have really come to appreciate my own ability to succeed. In the past I was too proud to try things I didn't think I would be good at, and now I am realizing that success isn't a measure of how good you are in comparison to others. Success is a personal standard. In researching this topic I re-read Jeffrey R. Holland's conference talk about the parable of the Prodigal Son. It brought me to tears because he described how I so often feel. The entire talk is worth reading, but I thought I would post this part that I am sure we can all relate to:

“One wise observer said: 'In a world that constantly compares people, ranking them as more or less intelligent, more or less attractive, more or less successful, it is not easy to really believe in a [divine] love that does not do the same. When I hear someone praised, it is hard not to think of myself as less praiseworthy; when I read about the goodness and kindness of other people, it is hard not to wonder whether I myself am as good and kind as they; and when I see trophies, rewards, and prizes being handed out to special people, I cannot avoid asking myself why that didn’t happen to me.'"

He then asks and then answers the question I have struggled with.

“How can we overcome such a tendency so common in almost everyone? For one thing, we can do as these two sons did and start making our way back to the Father. We should do so with as much haste and humility as we can summon. Along the way we can count our many blessings and we can applaud the accomplishments of others. Best of all, we can serve others, the finest exercise for the heart ever prescribed. But finally these will not be enough. When we are lost, we can “come to ourselves,” but we may not always be able to “find ourselves,” and, worlds without end, we cannot “save ourselves.” Only the Father and His Only Begotten Son can do that. Salvation is in Them only. So we pray that They will help us, that They will “come out” to meet and embrace us and bring us into the feast They have prepared.”

So, the next time you are feeling bad and doubting yourself here are the keys to success:
1. Go to the Father (in prayer and through the scriptures)
2. Count your blessings
3. Applaud the accomplishments of others (because we know that their success in no way demeans our own).
4. Serve!!!
5. Apply the atonement.

What beautiful, amazing doctrine. What a blessing it is to have specific guidance to help us navigate our way through life and hopefully back to the Father's presence.