Power!
By Vickey Pahnke-Taylor

Editor’s note:  If you’ve always wanted to sail the Mexican Riviera, you can do it in the company of Vickey Pahnke-Taylor and Meridian Magazine.  Click here for details.

There is great power in gaining a healthy perspective. Just like a widened lens on a camera, as we see a larger field of vision we gain such a deeper understanding of things of significance. It is a great way to improve the quality of our journey through mortality. There is great power there.

By widening the lens of understanding, we may deepen our conviction to do the best things, and improve our chances of empowerment in the things that count. The key is to focus on making that perspective a more healthy one, and get rid of the things that stunt personal growth. 

Here are a few “out of focus” things that may hamper our perspective or lessen the strength we must be trying to build:

1.  Entertaining ourselves.  We live in a ‘right now” kind of world. You know — fast food, interactive computer stuff, microwave dinners….  Videos and iPods and all manner of entertainment choices cry out here and there.  If we are not careful, we may get to the point where we expect to be entertained too much of the time — instead of learning skills, developing talents, and growing our character.

2.  Expecting too much.  This is especially true of ourselves.  How often we may see people beating themselves up because they didn’t do this or that, forgetting about all the great stuff they did accomplish.  Thus, they fall prey to discouragement.  And get in their own way of growing and accomplishing.  President Hinckley has clearly and lovingly told us to ”just do the best (we) can do, and the Lord will accept of our efforts.”

On the other side of that coin, if we genuinely want to see a difference in our lives, we have to make the effort.  Elder Richard G. Scott has told us that “to reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done.”  Just take it slow and easy, and move in the right direction!

3.  “Here and Now” counts most. Ridding ourselves of the “I want it now” mentality (If you have seen the original Willy Wonka movie, you know exactly what I am talking about here) goes a long way in extending our ability to be gracious and see beyond ourselves and our wants. When we are no longer the center of the universe, it is amazing how much more clearly we may see things.  It helps to remember the Savior’s counsel to get rid of the beam in our own eye before worrying about the mote in someone else’s!

There is danger in focusing only on the here and now, forgetting the importance of long-term perspective.  That old story of the tortoise and the hare teaches a valuable lesson about moving forward, regardless of the pace.

4.  Being caught up in the daily grind.  Whether it is school, work, extracurricular activities or what-have-you, we are reminded to never forget the sweet influences of eternal things. 

Elder Dean L. Larsen said it this way, “Too often we permit the narrow demands of our daily routine to dull our appreciation of the beauty of God’s creations and the refining influences that are all about us… In today’s complicated world with its diversity of demands and sometimes distracting voices, it is so important for us to keep our eyes upon the basic things that matter most and that will have the greatest eternal consequences for us.” 

Great advice.  Eternal consequences are tied irrevocably to long-term perspective!

Elder John A. Widtsoe simply and beautifully encapsulated the way to keep the right perspective: “Live the gospel every day, practice it, and study it regularly; do not let the affairs of the day that deal with the making of our temporal living crowd aside matters that pertain to the gospel.” 

Perfect!  This way, we keep in mind the things that are really important — that will give us genuine joy and purpose.  If, as young people, we can learn to weed through the enticing things of the world we can steer clear of so many things that will impede the happiness of our journey!  We can come to know, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell knew:

“It is vital to know that there really is a God, that there really is a Savior, Jesus Christ, that there really is impending immortality for all men, that there really will be a  judgment with genuine personal accountability, and that there really is purpose in life and a divine plan of happiness for man.

When we know such basic truths as these, then we know what really matters, how to approach life and how to view man in the universe.  There is great power in perspective.  Therefore, the adverb “really,” as used by Jacob (Jacob 4:13), is deeply significant.”

I have used this quote before.  I will use it again.  There is great power in it. We “really” may empower ourselves by enlarging our field of view, making sure to include the things that really matter!