REMEMBER.WHO.YOU.ARE

WRITER: SARAH

NEW MEXICO

Growing up my dad would often tell us, usually before he walked out the door to work and we got on the school bus, “kids, remember who you are.” This means many things. It means: remember you are a child of God, remember your last name and the family you come from, remember the church we belong to; it means to remember these things and represent them well.

I’ve since pondered it to mean a few more things. Remember the talents that I was born with, and the talents that I’ve developed over my life. Remember my unique characteristics that make me, me. Remember that I have potential, that I have the control to be happy, healthy, fit, honest, nice and successful and the list goes on and on.

I have wrestled with all the [what I’d call] normal struggles of a girl/woman. I wanted clearer skin as a teenager; still do today. I was a little thicker after HS volleyball and before starting to run and bike more in my 20’s. While I work full-time now, I find myself wanting to buy more clothes and travel more, because I have a stable income. I want to blog and Instagram because it’s popular and fun.

But my realization is…

It’s OK to eat treats and sweets, as long as I work to stay healthy and exercise. It’s OK to shop, just as long as I’m building up a savings account, and not over-indulge. It’s OK to blog and Instagram, if I am also reading scriptures and good books, keeping my home clean and serving in my community.

Remember who you are. Remember what’s most important. Prioritize. Everything in moderation. It’s hard and sometimes we are better at these than at other times. Life is meant to be a rollercoaster, so that we learn and grow and change and become better.