So much greatness is waiting for ALL OF US!

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except 

by those who dared believe that something inside them 

was superior to circumstances."

 -B Barton

This quote just came across my Twitter Timeline and it is seriously amazing.  It really encapsulates all I've felt my whole life: that I was different.  No matter what anyone has said, I knew that I was special and capable of more than any negative person or my own negative thoughts could make me believe.  Not because I'm some uber-spectacular person (although I am ;) but because I, like you, am of divine origin, as we all are.  The problem with this is that I am also flesh, blood and bone, prone to mistakes and failures.  Success will come, not in the meshing of the two, but letting our Spirits take over.  This comes by way of aligning our thoughts and actions with something greater than ourselves: Our Heavenly Father and Creator.  

I don't mean to get "preachy," but I can only think of the many instances in my life that could have been "poor-choice-free" if I had only known what Heavenly Father wanted me to do.  If I had been paying attention and listening to what He was trying to tell me, I might not have had to endure certain hardships in my life.  


"If I had known..." is a mind-game we often play with ourselves, but I don't believe it really does any good.  More than anything, it builds regret.  When we make poor choices, the idea isn't about feeling regret, because we have, after all, gained experience, even if that experience came at a cost. I am not saying that experience should be gained at any cost, because some prices are too high and too risky to pay, but our mortal life is a probationary period intended to be used by us to gain experience, not regret.  

It's one thing to feel repentant and another thing entirely to feel regret.  We may feel remorse for certain actions, but you have to act on it for it to become true repentance.  So, where does the quote at the top of this post come in?  Circumstances don't dictate our ability to achieve great things.  No matter what has happened in your life, you're not a victim.  At least, you don't have to be a victim.  If anything circumstances would help us to be successful, because, by circumstance, we all have a rich, divine heritage and Heavenly origination: we are created in the image of our Heavenly Father and we CHOSE to be here on this Earth. 

We came here to experience mortality and achieve splendid things!  It may not be creating an amazingly-successful company ala Steve Jobs, but we are ALL important to the big picture.  WE. ALL. HAVE. OUR. PART. We must play it well, to the best of our ability, regardless of whether our part is as an educator, the trash man, a window cleaner, a receptionist or CEO of a Fortune 500 company.  Are we playing our parts the way we should?  Are we listening to the counsel and to that still, small, voice that we have been given, to guide us and protect us?  Are we allowing what we view as our "circumstances" to dictate our "station" in our mortality?  The only thing stopping us, is us.  Heavenly Father gives us the tools and is qualifying us daily, are we rising to meet the challenges we face, or are we letting them trample us?

Go out there and dream! Live life and love every minute of it!  You are gaining so much from every experience.  If you are allowing mistakes to hold you back, apologize, fix it if you can and allow yourself to move on!  Forgiving ourselves is one of the most liberating feelings we can experience.  Whoever has wronged you, forgive them too, even if it's hard. Pride will never bring happiness, but letting go of it allows us to release guilt we've been carrying. Allow yourself to experience greatness and success!    

YOU. ARE. MEANT. FOR. THIS. TIME. THIS. DAY. THIS. GENERATION.  

YOU. ARE. DIVINE. 

YOU. ARE. A. CHILD. OF. GOD.

DREAM. BIG. 

YOU. ARE. MEANT. FOR. BIG. THINGS. 

I hope you know how awesome you are!!!

Ashlie