Mindful Latter-day Saint Apologetics
Providing thoughtful and faithful responses to criticisms and questions of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ
One of the key observations that link mindfulness, meditation, and happiness is this: The ability to regulate and manage our emotions. It is one of the mainstay recommendations and truths I share with my patients when sitting in counsel with them. We either are learning how our emotions work so that we are adequate in managing them. Or, we are giving ourselves permissibly over to our emotions so that they manage us and our lives.
When we are sick, unhealthy, and feeling less than adequate - we suffer depression, anxiety, and even spiritual deprivation (meaning, lack of meaning and purpose - feeling unfulfilled). Any casual research will show that there is a definitive link between unhealthy eating habits, sleep, and depression and anxiety.
Time management is fluid and flexible and is not a cookie-cutter strategy. The challenge is to find the one system that is going to work for you in the long run.
For me, I had to learn to be patient toward myself because I realized there was much healing needed to take place. Healing because I had not realized that much of the reason for being impulsive, compulsive, seeking approval of others was due to my self-invisibility and survival mode that had brought much dissatisfaction within my own life. My self-esteem was quite low.
We are our own self-critic and judge. Therefore, this week's writing challenge is to focus on delving into ways an individual may begin to exercise a daily discipline of self care where they show kindness and compassion. Break free from the inner critic that plagues our thoughts and creates barriers to personal and spiritual growth. By focusing on how one is able to show kindness toward self is key to how we operate out of a sense of worth and power.
Taking pride in who we are, our meaning and purpose, and how we reach out and serve others is healthy and contributes to our overall happiness. It also keeps us focused on what matters to us - what we value as most significant and important - while learning from our failings. Without appreciation for our accomplishments, we may find ourselves wallowing in self-pity, remorse, and struggling to overcome the shame and guilt of our failures.
Focusing on the person that matters the most - ourselves - we free ourselves from the fears and doubts that inhibit our creativity.
Photo by Mateusz Sau0142aciak on Pexels.com Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. ~Lamentations 3:40, KJV ~ Both busyness and mind-numbing activities are ways to avoid self-reflection. Self-reflection runs against the grain of a busy culture. It requires us to set specific time aside to be quiet, still, and… Continue reading Self-Examination is a Courageous and Faithful Spiritual Discipline
Mindful Latter-day Saint Apologetics 
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