LiVE

My sister Laura had a recent post about evaluating and simplifying our lives.  She referenced this General Conference talk by President Uchtdorf.  (I liked this post so much that I decided to copy and paste most of the quotes from her post.  Hope you don't mind, Laura.)

"When stress levels rise, too often we attempt to keep the same frantic pace or even accelerate, thinking that the more rushed our pace, the better off we will be."

"It is easy to be busy."

"Some unnecessarily complicate their lives. They often feel increased frustration, diminished joy and too little sense of meaning in their lives. Any virtue, when taken to an extreme, can become a vice. The wise resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life. In short they focus on things that matter most."

"The search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ — "The simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring, eternal and all-knowing father in heaven. These core doctrines and principles, though simple enough for a child to understand, provide the answers to the most complex questions of life."

"Most church members intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are, they just get distracted by so many other things that seem more enticing. It is so easy for the basic gospel message to get lost amidst the deluge of information that hits us from all sides. [Remember that] the pure doctrines... are the gateway to truths of profound meaning."

"We would do well to slow down a little and focus on the things that matter most. [These] will lead us to the savior of the world."

"As members turn to their Heavenly Father and seek his wisdom regarding the things that matter most, they learn over and over again the importance of four key relationships: with God, with their families, with their fellow man and with themselves. "As we evaluate our lives with a willing mind we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way (his way). The eyes of our understanding will be opened, and we will recognize what needs to be done to purify our heart and refocus our life."

1. Your relationship with God is most sacred and vital. "As we seek Him, as we learn of His son Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Ghost, our lives become more stable and secure."

2. Your relationship with family. "Since no other success can compensate for failure here, we must place high priority on our families."

3. The third key relationship is with a person's fellow man, President Uchtdorf said. "We build this relationship one person at a time — by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them, and giving of our time and talents."

4. Finally, he said, the fourth key relationship "is with ourselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better."

"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most."

"Let us simplify our lives a little. Let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the sublime beauty of the simple, humble path of Christian discipleship — the path that leads always toward a life of meaning, gladness, and peace."