"I just want to see you BE BRAVE"

Last Wednesday (May 21st..this post is a little late) was a LIFE CHANGING DAY!! Let me tell you why...

Tuesday, the day before, was a rough day. I can't put my finger on why, but I didn't feel like I had much to contribute to missionary work. I was frustrated with my efforts and with what I was doing. I don't know how I started to have such negative thoughts, but I did.  Negativity definitely puts a downer on things. 

Wednesday turned out to be a fantastic day! We had a missionary meeting for most of the day.  Sister Riggs, the mission president's wife, gave a talk that changed my life!! She talked about how we can reach our potential.

One of the ways really hit home to me. She said that we can't ever think:

"THAT'S JUST THE WAY I AM."

As I thought about that, I thought of specific ways that we could put this limitation on ourselves. Here are some examples that I came up with:
"I'm not friendly."
"I'm unlovable."
"I'm intimidating." 
"I'm lazy."
"I can't do that."
"I'm not talented enough."

The list could go on and on, but it's not a very happy list, so we will stop there. 

This hit me like a ton of bricks!! I realized that I had been putting negative statements and limitations on myself.  No wonder I felt so terrible yesterday. 

Sister Riggs then quoted this from Elder Hallstrom, a general authority from our church,

"WHO WE ARE IS NOT WHO WE CAN BECOME."

I'm so grateful that that is true!! Our limitations don't define us. What defines us is who we are willing to be. And we show that willingness through getting up everyday and working to be better.

Here's another quote that I LOVE from Julie B. Beck (a former Relief Society president):

"You are doing better than you think you are, 

but you can BE better."

And we can become so much more because of our Savior Jesus Christ!! He has felt how we feel. The most comforting part for me is knowing that he knows how it feels to have our weaknesses, but he overcame all of them. He will help us to overcome our weaknesses. We just need to turn to him for peace, comfort, and guidance.

The next thing that they showed us was a music video....not usually what happens in missionary meetings. We never watch media or listen to music, so this was a RARE occasion. We watched the "Brave" music video by Sara Barreiles.  While watching it, the words "I just want to see you be brave" really stuck out to me!!   Change is hard. Standing out of the crowd can be embarrassing. Becoming your best self requires growing pains.  As I watched the music video, I could just imagine my Savior telling ME, "Sister Udall, I just want to see you be brave."  That was the life changing moment!!!  Christ wants ME to come to Him. He wants ME to do hard things. He wants ME to stop putting myself down. He wants ME to not care about what others think. He wants ME to face my weaknesses and work on them. It's OK if I mess up and look silly.  The point is that I am BECOMING. I am going out and doing something about it!!  

And if he wants me to be brave and do hard things, I know that he wants everyone to! He has died for all of us. He knows all of us perfectly. He knows who we really are and what we will accomplish.

Just remember...Christ wants YOU to BE BRAVE!