Letter to the World #3 - On Discouragement

Dear World,

It's been a while, hasn't it? Life gets busy this time of year, and I run out of time for everything else. But I have been inspired, so I want to tell you about it.

You know those times when it seems like the universe is trying to tell you a message? When the same couple of words keeps popping up in your head, in songs and speeches you hear, in conversations with other people. Well, lately I think the universe has been censuring me on my attitude. To be honest, I think God is the one censuring me, but for all of you atheists out there, we'll call it the universe.

It started at the beginning of this month, during General Conference. General Conference is a thing my church does twice a year in which the leaders of the church give talks on all sorts of spiritual topics. It ends up being about ten hours all together, and it's something I look forward to every April and October. The talks are always completely incredible and moving, but this time I heard the best talk on gratitude that I have ever heard in my life. It's called "Grateful in Any Circumstances" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. You can check it out in the link, but I'll sum it up for you. It talked about literally having an attitude of gratitude - not just being grateful for things, but being grateful in all circumstances. That concept was a little hard for me to wrap my head around, but once I finally did, it changed my life. It means being happy no matter what, constantly looking to God - or the universe, if that's what you like - in gratitude, joy, and humility. It means never, ever being discouraged.

The theme of never being discouraged continued popping up throughout my month. Just a few days ago, I was talking to a couple of friends, one of which has had what seems to me as an incredibly difficult year. Through everything, I have been impressed and moved by how he never complains and always has a positive attitude. The epitome of this occurred in our conversation in which he was encouraging another friend of mine who was feeling down, but couldn't tell us quite why. He was simply discouraged.

The first friend told the second that when he is feeling discouraged, he makes himself feel bad about it. "Who am I to be discouraged, when I have so much?" he asks himself.

In my mind, if anyone has the right to be discouraged, it's him. But I'm not sure anyone has the right. I'm rather convinced, in fact, that being discouraged is not a right at all. It is not a pleasure, a reward, something deserved because of trying circumstances. If anything it is a disguised punishment we willingly give ourselves when we are already at our weakest. And it is also a choice.
The climax of these occurrences of the message of never being discouraged in my life happened this morning during church. One of the speakers gave an entire talk on not becoming discouraged. He said the germ of discouragement is in us, not our circumstances. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Our stars being our situations, fates, destinies, circumstances, trials. They are not what discourages us. We discourage ourselves by making the choice to allow it all to get to us, to focus on the negative, to see the half glass empty. The fault is in the one thing we can completely, absolutely control.

The climax of these occurrences of the message of never being discouraged in my life happened this morning during church. One of the speakers gave an entire talk on not becoming discouraged. He said the germ of discouragement is in us, not our circumstances. "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves." Our stars being our situations, fates, destinies, circumstances, trials. They are not what discourages us. We discourage ourselves by making the choice to allow it all to get to us, to focus on the negative, to see the half glass empty. The fault is in the one thing we can completely, absolutely control.

Isn't that relieving - isn't that encouraging? Discouragement is conquerable! It is not attached to misfortunes, it is not a side effect of being alive! It is within us, and it doesn't have to be! So there you go, world. You can be happy - and not just because I give you permission. Because that is your right, and it is something your are in full and complete power to give yourself, no matter your circumstances.
Sincerely,

Mikela

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