Perspective

I've been thinking a lot about happiness lately.

What causes it? Is there a bona fide way to guarantee that one can always be happy? I know that the natural byproduct of obedience to

Heavenly Father is happiness (Mosiah 2: 41) But there have been times that I've felt like I've

been doing everything I could, and still fell short of what I was reaching for. I'm pretty good at finding the mundane things in life to be discontented with.

I love photography, and artists of really any nature. I was thinking about what makes a picture amazing. I'm guessing a lot of the time there are a ton of imperfections in a frame. I'd be willing to bet that there are so many things that could make a picture better. So what changes an unremarkable, everyday sight into a work of art? Perspective.

This is a common sight in the summer, a field of dandelions. Not that incredible. But what if someone moved closer, decided to edit out the imperfections and just notice the beauty of the gift? Then what would you have?

A miracle.

One of the greatest gifts in life is the ability we have to choose. I get to choose who I want to be, how I will respond to stimuli around me, and what I decide to dwell on in life. I am so grateful for the beauty that is all around me and for the miracles that I see daily. I am so grateful for the millions of tender mercies that have been sent my way, and I am so sorry for the ones I chose not to see.