Who I Want to Become

When I think of who I aspire to become, I begin by thinking about all the people that I admire and trust.  My mother, my father, My grandparents.  Then I think of all the noble and great men and women from the scriptures and history as well as men and women today who are leading in large and small ways.  I am inspired by their stories and find so much to emulate.

Then I begin to think of all the people for whom I need to be noble, great, and worthy of admiration and trust.  These give purpose and form to my aspirations.

For my children:  I want to become a wise mother who chooses her battles and senses when enough is enough.  Better yet, I want to be the kind of mother who teaches through example and inspiration, rather than compulsion and fear.  I hope that they will never doubt that I love them.  I want them to know I am imperfect because I tell them that I'm sorry when I make a mistake.

For my husband:  I want to be his friend and confidant--a devoted companion and help-meet.  I want him feel my love because I show him love unselfishly--in ways he understands.  I want to be humble and helpful, fun and spontaneous--someone he truly enjoys being with.

For my family:  I want to become a sister and daughter who reaches out to share life.  I want to promote loyalty, unity, and love within my family bonds.  I want to become a historian of our family culture and tradition.  I want to become a strong link in the chain.

For my friends:  I want to be the kind of friend who gives rather than receives.  I want to keep confidences and inspire trust.  I want become a listener rather than a speaker.

For my country:  I want to become a defender of freedom, mainly by how I raise my children in our home.  I want to become a patriot, willing to pay the last measure of devotion that I might give the gift of freedom to my children, grandchildren, and beyond.

For my Heavenly Father:  I want to become a valiant disciple of Christ, one upon whom He can depend to follow and obey his word.  I want Him to feel my love because of the way I live.  I want to become a servant for Him.

For myself:  I want to become educated--truly educated.  I want to become enlightened.  I want to become peaceful, even in the face of deep adversity.  I want to become strong, even in the midst of deep waters.  I want to become sensitive to the gentlest promptings of the spirit.  I want to reason and intuit equally well.  I want to become what God intended me to be.

Who knows what that is--what God intended me to be?  But I have to assume that He expects greatness of me.  I am His child.  He has promised me everything He has.  So ultimately, that is what I hope to become--everything He is.

Transformation Lecture Notes

TJED revolves around answering the following question:
What does God want me to do with my life and what do I need to learn (who do I need to become) to do that?

Lay the Foundation
You not them - set the example for your children.  Study every day, even if 15 minutes every day.
Study in your Core Book every day
Build a relationship of trust with your student (child)

Writing

• Take Notes - TJED Bookmark, Pad of Paper, Write in the book
• Freewrite (Journaling) - Let your thoughts flow on the page.  Do this every time you finish a book.

Who do I want to become?

How do you learn a new truth?
Usually, the learning of truths follows a failure.  This is difficult for a society that avoids failure at all costs.  Also, many times there will be other people who don't want you to accept new truths.  They want you to stay with them on the path of mediocrity.

Cycle of Transformation:

1. Learn a new truth
2. Accept it (Or reject it which leads to the path of mediocrity)
3. Hard Work to apply it to your life (or give up and return to mediocrity)
4. Reward
5. Growth
6. Which leads to the learning of new truths!!!

Challenge for September:

• Committed study time every day
• Core Book
• Writing
• Write a personal essay about who you want to become. (And comment on all the other essays that were written).  Due end of the month.

Andrea Rice: Personal Experience led to realization that "I have to be the expert for my own children."

Essays

Transformation