Windows to the Soul

                     Today my class got out early so now I am sitting in the Ricks building to pass time. As I was sitting here I noticed how beautiful the windows are. Have you ever thought about windows? Not just windows in general but "OUR" windows. The windows to our hearts, our souls, our own personal windows that make us who we are as individuals. Some people hide their windows behind shutters so people won't know the real them and some people hang curtains or turn off all the lights so nobody can see inside. No matter how different we all seem, all of us have windows. Some are large, some are small, and some are different shapes. We all have unique qualities and characteristics just as windows do but do we ever think about cleaning them??

Sometimes we forget to cean our windows and the world we look at becomes foggy and disfigured. The smudges and marks disfigure things we see everyday into objects and experiences that are unknown to us. When we aren't able to see out our own windows correctly it allows Satan to put question marks where God already placed periods. This happened to me recently...I woke up, looked through my window, and noticed that my atitude was different and I wasn't motivated. Things that hadn't worried me before all of a sudden came and bombarded me with questions and insecurities. When I realized that my window was dirty I pulled out my "Windex" and cleaned it until there wasn't even a streak to spot. Afterwards I was able to have a more postitive correct outlook on my life and my daily responsibilities and challenges as a human being.

So how do our windows get dirty? It's simple. Our windows gather dust and all kinds of dirt and smudges when we aren't doing what makes us happy, when we neglect our daily prayers and scripture study, and when we make ourselves so busy that we don't have the time to just sit down, think, and have a few quiet moments to ourselves, When we forget who we are, and when we forget to focus on the positives. These things may be small but they play a key factor in whether or not your looking through a clean window!

When I noticed how having a dirty window was affecting my mood, my behavior, and my motivation as a busy college student I knew I had to do something. I started doing the opposite of what I was doing before my world became obscured. I decided to keep myself organized, take at least 1 or 2 hours a day to relax and have some time to myself. (Running, reading a good book..ect.) I also made a note to say my evening and morning prayers because I would forget sometimes because I was "Too busy" or "In too much of a hurry" to do anything else. Managing my time became a lifesaver. I made a goal that after I was done with classes I would get all of my homework done before anything else so I could spend the rest of the day doing what makes me happy.

Its simple...BE HAPPY. If you know something's not going to bring you eternal happiness..DON'T DO IT.  When your feeling overwhelmed or stressed TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO YOURSELF. When you feel depressed or unmotivated remember that YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD AND THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. When you're having a rough day..SMILE..if you have to force it just keep forcing it and pretty soon it will be genuine. When my window becomes hard to see through I have to remind myself that we become what we constantly do and what we don't do eventually becomes us. The small decisions that we make every day determine whether or not our windows are bringing in the sunlight or casting shadows on our walls...Its your choice.

I have to head to my class in 5 minutes! Wow...it's amazing how much inspiration can come from the simple things that we look at or walk past every day. My day today is hectic but I am so glad I was able to sit by these beautiful windows and look out into the world...Its a good thing they were cleaned!!