(a Laurel in Young Women)
CHANGE. This is a word that most of us aren’t very comfortable with. Yes, change is exciting, but it can be hard to get used to.
 |
| from http://mormonwoman.org |
At this time in our life, we as Laurels are going through some of the hardest stages of life. We have so many decisions and changes to make--a lot of them this year! We are deciding which college is best for us, or if we should even go to college right now. We are deciding whether or not a mission is for us. We are dating--well, trying to, at least! And eventually finding our eternal companions.
We have so many decisions to make--all within these upcoming years. Change is going to happen to us. This is kind of scary to think about! As we make these decisions we are DEFINITELY going to have temptations that may lead us down the wrong path.
In 2 Nephi 9:29 it says:
O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.We will need to remember who we are and not give into the cunning one.
As we go through these changes, we need to set our standards high! Which, I know, is way hard to do. In my life I have always been taught to keep high standards, so that’s what I’ve done! This has not always been easy for me. I get teased ALL of the time. People are always bugging me that I haven’t seen some of the movies they have, or don’t listen to all of the new songs, or stay out past my curfew. But I can tell you that I am so grateful I have kept my standards high because, I know I will be a happier person if I do.
And people notice! Just the other day I was on a date, and some of the other kids wanted to turn on a movie that we all knew wasn’t the greatest movie to be watching on a date. One of my friends spoke up just before we turned it on and asked, “Would this movie meet up with the ‘Brianna Standard?’”
I’m going to be honest, at first I was a little embarrassed, but we ended up watching a different movie because they knew my standards. I’m grateful for good friends who help me live my standards!
Life is full of hard decisions, one of them being education.
Ever since I was little I have wanted to be a hairstylist! I love doing hair, and I felt like it would be a good "mom job," because really I just want to be a mom! In ninth grade when I found out that you can have free tuition at the technical college while you were still in high school, my mom called and put me on the list. It is something I have been preparing to do for my senior year since ninth grade.
When it came time to sign up for classes for senior year at the end of my junior year, I was really hesitant to put cosmetology down as the majority of my classes. I did not want it to be a waste of time and money. I knew it was not going to be easy right at first, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be very good at it.
I had so many people tell me that the only reasons why girls go into cosmetology is because 1-They’re dumb, and 2-They just don’t know what to do with their lives. I had teachers tell me that I shouldn’t even consider wasting my time doing hair, and that I should go to college and learn something.
This became such a difficult decision for me. I loved doing hair! I knew it would be a career that would help me in the future as a mom and would allow me to help other people. This career could allow me to work at home and I could help my family financially, if needed. I knew it would be such a fantastic skill to have. But I did not want to be known as the dumb girl!
I prayed many times to know what would be best for me. I did not get my answer immediately, but it did come and I had a strong confirmation that cosmetology is what I loved and what was best for me!
As we move ahead making these changes and decisions in our life, we need to have faith. Having faith in hard times is what helps gets us through, because we can’t do this alone.
So, despite what everyone was telling me, I DID IT! I have been in it since the beginning of the school year and have just graduated from the Basics of Hair class. I started this week on the salon floor and started the nails class. I absolutely love it! It is definitely not the easiest thing I’ve done, and it keeps me very busy, but I enjoy it! I have remembered through this process a quote I learned in Mia Maids, “I can do hard things, and with Christ I can do all things.” I know this to be true! It has helped me through many trials in my life.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said, “Wherever you find yourselves on this journey through life, whatever trials you may face, there is always a point of safe return; there is always hope. You are the captain of your life, and God has prepared a plan to bring you safely back to Him, to your divine destination.”
As we move ahead making these changes and decisions in our life, we need to have faith. Having faith in hard times is what helps gets us through, because we can’t do this alone. Jesus Christ is there for us and has already suffered for us, and we just have to learn to let Him help us. He is my very best friend.
I am so grateful for his sacrifice for me. I am so grateful for this Gospel. I know it is true. I am so thankful for the scriptures and the guidance and comfort they bring into our lives. I love my family and am so thankful that we can be together forever. I’m so grateful for my older sister’s example of serving a mission, and I can’t wait to go on one myself!
