"Hour of Power"

Henry and I have been listening to the motivational speaker Tony Robbins's cd set. In one of his cd's he tells us to do what he calls an "Hour of Power" each day. We followed his advice this morning, our schedule being something like this...

• Got up right away when the alarm sounded at 6:15am. No snoozing...
• Breathing technique (4 quick inhales through nose, then 4 quick exhales through mouth) while walking around the block. 
• Also while walking, we thought of things we're grateful for in our lives.
• Then we started jogging and visualizing what we wanted our lives to be like as if it had already happened.
• Next, we focused on what we wanted this day specifically to be like while continuing to exercise.
• Finally, we spoke incantations to ourselves (we came up with a saying to repeat over and over, it can be anything positive) 

The incantation I thought of that I really felt like I needed today was, "The things I do have GREAT  PURPOSE!" Lots of days I start to feel like there's no real purpose in the things I do. I believe that Satan, or "the adversary" as we sometimes call him and his minions in my church, tries his hardest to keep each of us from being happy. Here's a quick scripture from the Book of Mormon... 

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." (2 Nephi 2:27)

Anyway, I think the adversary whispers to me that I have no purpose to try and discourage me. Before I got any further in my day, I wanted to journal entry about the purpose in some of the things that I do each day so as to counteract the discouraging things I'm feeling. 

Household duties like cleaning, cooking, laundry, finances, etc:

Makes home a nice, clean, orderly place to be--a place where the Spirit can be present. It's a service to my husband, and there is always great purpose in serving. 

Teaching Violin:

Helps my students develop a skill that makes them feel really good about themselves, and teaches them super valuable principles like dedication and discipline. It also provides income to support me and Henry and our future family. 

Practicing Violin:
God wants us to develop our talents. Practicing is in preparation for performances which will inspire people.

Spending time on hair/makeup/fashion: 
Helps me feel good about myself, and feel more confident. Allows me to express myself artistically. It's important to look attractive to your spouse. 

Projects/Free Time:

Creativity is a noble thing to develop. It helps me enjoy my life and see beauty all around. By posting on this blog, I'm hopefully helping others to be creative and try new things, and ultimately enjoy their lives more.

Service and Church Callings:

Serve man and you're serving God. Nothing is more important than growing close to God and helping others to do so too.

Ok, so I feel more encouraged about my day. Please comment on this post something you do that brings purpose to your life and why it does. I hope I can start to sincerely believe today's incantation that "the things I do have GREAT PURPOSE!"