Perception controls emotion – if you can’t change your circumstances to find peace and happiness, change your perceptions instead.

By Appreciable Goodfaithepoet

As an example, one morning as my son was preparing to go to elementary school as he was zipping up his school backpack his hand slipped and he hit himself in the face, knocking out one of his teeth.
The other part of this story, the part that changes our perception of the events and thus our emotions, is that the tooth which he knocked out had been very loose for several weeks and each time we tried to pull it out it hurt very much. Because of these experiences my son would no longer allow anyone to touch his tooth. In other words we were all so happy that his tooth had been knocked out and nobody was happier than my son.

When we view things from an eternal perspective, we see things that same way that God sees them and we then can feel the same way that God feels about them. In the Book of Mormon we see evidence of this when Alma the elder rejoices in the immobilization of his son Alma the younger. Another example is when Ammon, one of the sons of Mosiah, witnesses thieves steeling the sheep that he is supposed to be guarding, he rejoices as well because he sees this as an opportunity to advance his missionary efforts.


Look up - 23 January 2010

When my mind is tired and weary
From the labors of this life
And my eyes are burned and bleary
From the stresses and strife,

I’ve focused only on the things
That man has built for me
With loneliness my heart then rings
God’s hand I cannot see.

My eyes are on the sidewalk
Or on the road ahead.
I hear the ticking of the clock
That drives me from my bed.

Yet, if I lift my eyes
To find God’s love for me.
I can gaze upon the skies
And see eternity.

I can see the lovely mountains
The cathedrals of the land.
Yes, I drink from these pure fountains
And I clearly see God’s hand.

I feast on milk and honey
That free and yummy food
Jesus gives us without money
And my soul is then renewed.


The eternal nature of friendship 27 January 2010

Seasons change in ordered measure
Clouds assemble and disperse
Fall leaves come to give us pleasure
Snowflakes can inspire verse.

A tiny plant takes life, then dies
Animals through life-cycles go
And people form strong social ties
Which forever continue as long as they grow.