A Wonderful Reminder as We Make and Keep Goals This Year!
While reflecting upon Sister Eliza Blank's messages about goal keeping last week, I kept thinking back to Pres. Uchtdorf's first presidency message in June titled "Walking in Circles." He begins with a story showing the importance of having clear landmarks along our journey (whatever that journey or goal may be). He begins the story by asking the question- "Have you ever heard the old saying that people who get lost tend to walk in circles?" He continues:
Jan L. Souman, a German psychologist, wanted to determine scientifically if this was true. He took participants of an experiment to a large forest area and to the Sahara desert and used a global positioning system to track where they went. They had no compass or any other device. Instructions to them were simple: walk in a straight line in the direction indicated.
Dr. Souman later described what happened. “[Some] of them walked on acloudy day, with the sun hidden behind the clouds [and with no reference points in view]. … [They] all walked in circles, with [several] of them repeatedly crossing their own path without noticing it.” Other participants walked while the sun was shining, with faraway reference points in view. “These … followed an almost perfectly straight course.”
This study has been repeated by others with different methodologies. All returned similar results.
Without visible landmarks, human beings tend to walk in circles.
In Relief Society, we discussed the importance of having a plan when making goals. Without a clear plan in mind, or visible landmarks, we will only wander mindlessly towards our goals. Although Pres. Uchtdorf focuses on the goal of eternal life, this life principle can be applied to any goal we are trying to achieve. A couple landmarks he mentions, and could be helpful to you in your goal-keeping, are the scriptures and General Conference.
Scriptures: The scriptures are the word of God. They are God’s landmarks that show the way we should travel in order to draw closer to our Savior and reach worthy goals.
General Conference: The instructions given at general conference are another landmark that can help us know if we are on course.Are we noting and applying this worthwhile counsel? Are we recognizing and walking toward these real and valuable landmarks?
True landmarks, like the scriptures and general conference, can give us clear direction along our path through the voice of the Holy Ghost. They give purpose and meaning to our lives.
"It’s not enough to go solely by our instincts.
It’s not enough to have the best of intentions.
It won’t do to rely only on our natural senses."
I pray that we may all walk in certainty toward our goals this year as we set our course by landmarks, spiritual landmarks, that have been given to us by a loving Heavenly Father and that we may make necessary "course corrections" as we "orient ourselves" towards them. I love this gospel and am so grateful for the knowledge we have of the Plan of Salvation! I'm so glad we have Jesus Christ to heal us and make us better when we need help. I pray we may always remember what matters most! LOVE YOU ALL!
-Elli Jensen
