Celebrate Today.

I don't talk about it a lot on the blog, but I went on a 1.5 year mission for the Mormon church.

It's something that completely changed my life, and I treasure it deeply.

I try to keep it special, and personal, and not thrown out for people to criticize. 

But I want to share a story about an experience that I had, that taught me a lot about life.

This story isn't a matter of religion, but of learning, and growing, and trying.

No matter your religious beliefs, or perhaps your struggle finding any to believe at all,

this story can be applied to you in a variety of different ways.

As missionaries we worked relentlessly serving others.

Our goal was to bring them love, and help them reach their full potential while in this life.

Some days were absolutely defeating, all of them were tiring, and my heart grew

1,000 sizes bigger I think. 

I'll never forget an experience I had with a sweet woman who I still keep in contact with.

She lives in the projects, and is the kindest soul I've ever met in my life.

She was searching for more in life, and wanted a deeper relationship with God.

After teaching her for several months, we realized that she still never felt comfortable 

praying around us, and we didn't know why.

She loved hearing us pray, asking God to bless her, and to fill her life.

But she was afraid to pray out loud in front of us.

Finally, this sweet woman opened up to us, 

"I'm afraid to pray in front of you because I could never pray as well as you can.

I don't want it to be bad, and I don't want to disappoint you." 

I smiled, and answered,

"There's no such thing as a 'bad' prayer. It's you, talking to God, and He 

doesn't compare it to other people's, and we sure don't either."

She bowed her head, and started to pray.

To this day, I have never heard a more beautiful, heartfelt, and simple prayer.

I loved how hard she was trying, and I felt so blessed to be in the life of this humble woman

who wanted nothing more than to please God.

No, she wasn't perfect, but she didn't have to be. She was trying.

I remember thinking that as she was praying, and distinctly learning something 

that took me over 20 years to learn.

As we go through our daily lives, a lot of times we think

This isn't good enough.

I'm not good enough.

I don't want to try to do that, because I will fail.

All the while, God is looking down, seeing us trying, and is so, so proud.

We beat ourselves up over little things.

Things that don't even really matter.

If we could change our thinking to I'm trying, and I'm getting better.

Rather than, I'm not good enough, and I'm never going to be...

Why can't I be more like here? She seems perfect.

We'd accomplish so much more in our lives, and feel so much more happiness. 

I think that our days should be full of celebrating our strengths, and working on

aspects of our lives to improve on.

Celebrate little moments that bring you joy, instead of dwelling on what is draining you.

Celebrate the highs of the day, while learning from the lows.

Celebrate your talents, and appreciate that they are going to be different than your neighbor's.

Celebrate the fact that you were able to spend time with your family,

even though the sink is full of dishes, and you didn't even put makeup on the whole day.

Celebrate life.

Celebrate happiness.

And most of all, celebrate you.

Because nobody can be you, better than you.