Life gets more stressful year to year. But President Gordon B. Hinckley describes a simple way we can overcome that stress.
Photo by Josh Appel
Sometimes day-to-day life gets really overwhelming. I, for one, seem to have problems left and right: the 8:00 a.m. bus is hot and crowded, the elevator quits working when I’m already late to a meeting, and there’s no time to prepare for that quiz I’m taking tomorrow. In his devotional “Forget Yourself,” President Gordon B. Hinckley explains one of the reasons why many of us feel so glum: like most melancholy people, we spend most of our brainpower thinking about ourselves.
There are opportunities all around us to turn our attention outward. Try checking out resources like the Church’s justserve.org, getting involved with a community service organization, or participating in ward service projects—with a smile.
President Hinckley shares several stories of people doing great service in their communities and throughout the world, but he tells us to first look to our neighbors. He reminds us that we are surrounded by brothers and sisters in all walks of life who could use a friend, a nice visit, or a kind word.
President Hinckley seems especially interested in the service we provide by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The stories he shares emphasize just how small and simple missionary service can be.
So if you want to get out of a funk, looking outside yourself is a great first step. Read and watch President Gordon B. Hinkley’s devotional “Forget Yourself.”
Source: BYU Speeches
—Madeline Jones, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY REMI WALLE
Find more insights
Discover more about service in President M. Russell Ballard’s talk “Finding Joy through Loving Service.”
Find more service motivation by listening to Elder Alexander B Morison’s devotional “Service: The Essence of True Religion.”