Sick of being sad?

Tonight's FHE was a fireside-type thing. Our old high councilman's wife spoke a little about her conversion story, and a lot about her childhood. She lost her mother to an illness at the age of 11, and by the age of 12 her alcoholic father committed suicide. She grew then moved in with a family that introduced her to the church, but seemed to not provide any actual love for her or her sister.

Through all of this, she is one of the happiest people I've ever encountered, and she said that it was because she decided one day, "I'm sick of being sad."

And that was it.

After that, no matter what life has thrown her way, she has sought to be as happy as she can be. And it's an important lesson that I think we need to remember. We can't choose some of the garbage we have to put up with. If we hate our lives... If we are living on zero sleep because of work, school and family drama... Whatever life throws our way, we have to remember that it is part of life and we have to continue to work our ways through it.

But we do not have to be sad.

Being sad is a choice. Granted, there are bouts of sadness. You are entitled to grief and mourning and loss for whatever reason. But you do not have to go day to day being sad, depressed and unhappy.

So if you are living your life sad, depressed and unhappy -- CHEER UP! Count your blessings. Find something that you enjoy. And know, that life is life. And some of us aren't blessed with abounding love and full bank accounts. We have to make do with what we have, and we have to remember that the Savior is there and the Atonement is real and covers all of those feelings.