Ways to Be

9 Ways to be Happy and Make Something of Your Life

Gordon B. Hinckley

1. Be Grateful

          

     There are many things to be grateful about as well as a day where you dedicate it to being grateful and thankful which in this case, that day is Thanksgiving. But can’t we be grateful any other day than on that specific day…? I’m sure we can but we intend to forget especially when the most grateful things are right in front of us. For example, we have a family we are grateful for because without them, who would have supported us through this journey we are facing/ heading too. How about friends we are grateful for, they are here when we need them and without them we would be lonely. What about life itself..? Aren’t you grateful for that..? I sure know I am because without a life, I wouldn’t be about to tell you about this or anyone at that matter. But just to be clear, grateful doesn’t have to be the big things nor the small things, it just has to be something you know you can be grateful for like being you!  

“Be Grateful for small things, big things, and everything, in between.”  - Anonymous 

2. Be Smart

          When it comes to being smart you think of someone that is passing all their classes and getting good scores and when it comes to work you think,” Damn they’re smart.” But smart doesn’t just define that, it defines many this just like categories. It just all depends whether it’s a smart move or not. You see…that one category of smart…a smart move. Let’s say you want something really bad like a video game or money from your parents. What do you do? Do you buy it yourself or ask your parents for it…or possibly take it without permission, in other words rob it. But which one will you choose? It doesn’t take much thinking because you already know which one is right and which one is wrong. But it’s all up to you to choose a side…choose the smart move.  Other examples include being smart, smart thinking, smart choices, smart saying, smart you, it all adds be smart. So the next time you do, think, or say something….be smart!

"Don't mistake silence for weakness. Smart people don't plan big moves out loud.”  - Anonymous 

3. Be Involved in Good Works

         

s                i                  g                    r

         j                            h

l                                        p

"The confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.”  - Saint Augustine

4. Be Clean

       Are you clean today? If you are in what way? Skin clean should pop into your heads but what about other types of clean. For example, physically clean, are you wearing a collared, button-up shirt or a t-shirt. What about mentally clean, are you able to focus today or remember the things you’re suppose to do today? Or spiritually clean, hanging out with your family instead of being on your phone all the time or maybe go to church and give your offering. There are so many types of clean that we don’t really realize about, which is pretty sad but we do know one thing. It’s not easy, I should know, you should know, and everyone else should know but we all get it done at some point. Like showering, most humans shower every day and some don’t but they do get it done eventually. What about wearing a suit for work or for an interview, we might not like it but it makes us look professional and of course makes us look clean. Then there is spiritually clean, it makes us feel happy, it brings your self-esteem up, and it makes you feel good. I don’t have an example for being clean since everyone has their own way of handling with it but all I can suggest is have a clean mind so you can think of the clean ways you can do…to be clean!

"Cleaning & organizing is a practice not a project.”  - Meagan Francis

5. Be True

         

       Be true…what does it mean? Does it mean to be true to myself…or does it mean to be true to my word…or maybe it means to be true to one thing? True, can come in many ways but it will always be right. For example, being who you are. Are you being true to yourself or are you pretending to be someone else. If so why? Why can’t you be the person who you are? If you’re you, you are being true to yourself and that will make you feel happy and amazing everyday but if you’re not, then you’ll be stressed out and unhappy because the person you aren’t is a challenge to obtain and might end up leading you into problems so try being you! Another example would be, be true to your word, tell the truth. It might not be easy, yes I know but its better than not saying or facing the truth at all. Let’s say you can’t complete a homework so you copy from someone else and then you turn it in. The teacher notices and asks you the meaning of what you did. One, you can tell the truth or two, you can lie. If you tell a lie, your let go, but then the consequence comes in later because you weren’t being true to your teacher and especially not to yourself.  But what if you say the truth? You tell the teacher what you did and yes, it might go bad but if you said the true. You stayed true to yourself, to the teacher, and to the people around you and the outcome of that was making you feel good and it also made you stay truthful!   

"Be kind, be honest, be loving, be true and all of these things will come back to you.”  - Anonymous 

6. Be Positive

          

         Being positive, something that’s not always easy to maintain but there are ways that can help. I for instance, am not always a positive person and it gets really tough but I try things that can help me gain back some positivity. Like listening to music, it helps me get through with work like cleaning or homework. It’s just a great way for me to stay positive and get the work done faster. If that doesn’t work, I take a break, get some fresh air, possibly a snack and watch something like anime. Those little things help me stay positive while releasing my stress. But what if I’m in an emotional state, like mad at someone or something or sad because of a problem. I can’t do anything about it but try to calm down and think about it. Like go into my bedroom and try to relax and thing about the situation and gain some positivity and then go out and talk about it or do the thing again. My ways aren’t very good to explain or for everyone, which means everyone has to find their own way to stay positive and just do you. Like if your religious, you talk to God to help you regain some positivity or just to calm yourself down since he’ll always be there for you. Or if you’re not religious maybe you do something else like go for a run or do something to clear up your mind. Overall, you find a way and you stay/maintain positive, which counts! Stay Positive in your OWN WAY!

"Even with all the ups & downs in life, always stay positive.”  - Anonymous 

7. Be Humble

          

          All of us are born in a world were we have things or we don’t. Some of us are born in a family that can provide us everything that we need to make us successful and some of us were born in a family that could not make that happen so easily. But when it comes to the needy…what do we do? Do we help out or back away? It’s like saying a person is rich but they are stingy…but why is that? Then there are people who are poor but give what they can…do that even make sense? I thinks it’s because some people have heart, some people appreciate what they have and there’s so much of it that they share it out. This might not make any sense but it’s pretty much saying give something in return, out of heart. For example you have a high paying job, you have everything you ever wish and one day you’re driving by the streets to go buy who knows what and you see a 12 year old child sitting in the streets cold and hungry. Do you just leave them there or do you try to help? If you leave them there then someone else will do the job but if you get out of your car and help them out then that’s being humble. It’s coming out of your heart and your giving back to someone. Its doing a good deed in return of nothing and it makes you feel good. So be humble even if you don’t have much because a little thing can help in a big way!

"Expect nothing & appreciate everything…that is being humble.”  - Anonymous  

8. Be Still

          S m  i  es

"All is how it should be. Just be. Just breathe. Just be Still.”  - April Peerless

9. Be Prayerful

Final  Reflection: Write an overall final reflection in your Nine Ways post about the 9 Ways to be happy and make something of your life. Include your deepest thoughts and feelings. Write what you commit to do to apply the 9 Ways.

      

        To be grateful is to be happy with what you have, like a family or a roof on top of your head. To be smart is to do an act where good comes out of it like smart thinking. To be involved in good works means to give back with the act in heart like community service or cherity works. To be clean means to be clean, which means look good, be healthy. Be true means to be you, be who you are and be honest with yourself. Being positive means to stay clear of things and dont bring yourself down like listen to music to cheer you up or draw to distract you from your problems that can be fixed later. Being humble means to give with the intention of not getting something back like paying someone's gas or buying a kid a snack. Last but no least, be still...take a break from all the stress you have developed during the day or maybe do something that involves the things around you like nature. All these 9 ways are not going to be easy to achieve, but they can be done little by little even if you don't notice it. So do the 9 ways to be happy and make something of your life! 

The 9 Ways Concluding words by Gordon B. Hinckley

"There they are, ine Be's which, if observed, will bring handsome dividends to any young man or woman. They will add sparkle to your days and peace to your nights. They will save from headache and pain. They will bring purpose into your life and give direction to your energies.

    They will bring you friends of your own kind. They will protect you from associations that will pull you down and deflect you from your course.

    This is a time to be happy. This is a time to feel joy and make friends and enjoy the best this life has to offer. What I have tried to put forth....are simply few suggestions, gained from many years of living, to help you do just that. The world will tell that certain kinds of things will bring you happiness - things such as popularity and possessions and satisfying your baser desires.

     If today you find yourself only drifting as a lead in a stream, get hold of yourself and determine you will do better.

    At railroad grade crossings, signs of warning were once common. Two cross arms were emblazoned with the words." Stop, Look, Listen." They meant that a train could roaring down the tracks and you had better be alert.

I was riding a train in the Midwest years ago. I looked out the window to my left. A road ran parallel to the tracks. A car with a boy and a girl was spreeding down the road a little faster than the train. The car moved ahead intil I can no longer see it. Suddenly, the locomotive whistle sounded and the train creeched to a halt as the brakes gripped the wheels. We looked out the window on to the other side. There was a mangled car. Police cars soon converged, followed by the ambulance. The boy and girl were both dead. The road they were traveling crossed the tracks. They did not stop, look, or listne. It all happened in an instant. 

The better way ro Be is the way of these nine Be's

The years will inevitably pass, and pass quickly. Today is your day of resolution. Promise yourself to make something good of (your) precious life."