Definitions Make a Difference

Growing up with heart problems, I have always had a special interest in the human heart. The heart is an organ that never stops working as it circulates blood throughout the body. When you think about the heart in a physical way, you will learn some amazing things. But there is another way to think about the heart. You can think about the heart in a spiritual way and learn incredible things.

I often think about how Elder David A. Bednar has defined the heart; the heart is the sum total of our thoughts, desires, feelings, and motivations. It's who we are and who we are becoming.

This definition of the heart means a lot to me. This is because a lot of what I feel,what motivates me, who I am and who I am becoming is a result of my heart. Looking at the heart with Elder Bednar's definition in mind helps me to see my heart problems as a blessing because my heart problems have taught me many lessons that I would otherwise not have learned.

One of the greatest helps I have to overcome the challenges associated with heart problems is the value positive perspectives bring to my life. I wish and hope that helpful knowledge such as Elder Bednar's definition of the heart will fill my mind and enable me to learn from the difficult situations that arise in my life.

Becoming a Big Picture Person

All of us have those experiences that change the way we view life. Often this means we gain a new perspective on a specific issue. While the perspective we acquire may not be very grand, novel or unique to the world, it is to the one who gains the new perspective. Like putting corrective lenses on one who has never before seen clearly, new perspectives, though small, change our entire world. This was one of those experiences that have forever changed my view.

When I was 10 years old, I was scheduled for an open heart surgery at Primary Children’s Hospital. The surgery that was to be performed had rarely been done on a child as young or small as me. I was nervous. As I sat one night thinking about the surgery, my mother came in and talked with me. As we spoke I noticed that she didn’t seem scared. This puzzled me, but then she taught me a lesson I will never forget. My mother then looked at me and said, “learn how to view your trials for what they really are-opportunities to become better.”

Even now, when I’m trying to see how a difficulty is an opportunity, it’s helpful for me to think of myself down the road and ask myself, “How am I better, more capable, or more helpful because I went through this?” In learning to view my trials from a different perspective, one that encourages me to become something more, I approach not only surgery, but life in general, with increased confidence and a positive mentality.