Hello Everyone,

It's been 2 weeks since the last update, which, of course means this post will probably be another long one since I'll be telling you what I have learned in that time. In my Life Skills class, I learned about academic planning and career exploration, decision making and goal setting. In my Book of Mormon class, I studied 2 Nephi 1-16.

When I noticed that the lesson for my Life Skills class was about academic planning and career exploration, I was both nervous and excited. I was nervous because it was a lesson that was basically asking you "What do you want to be when you grow up"? I was nervous about that question because I had been asking myself the same question for years now, and had not come up with an answer. Well, not entirely true...I knew what I wanted to be, it's just that what I wanted, wasn't an option. So, I had to think of what else I wanted to do. Unfortunately, I had no answer. I would spend hours looking at various careers, but not really finding anything that interested me.

Although I was nervous, I was also excited. Maybe this lesson would help me find an answer. Maybe this lesson would give me ideas on what I might be good at. Maybe this lesson would give me direction and guidance. Maybe I would finally know what I wanted to be.

As I was skimming the lesson, I realized that it involved taking an interest profiler test. This made me nervous again. As I have been looking for careers that might interest me, I have taken many different types of these tests. All of them ended up telling me that I would make a great teacher or therapists/counselor. Although all the tests said that I would be great at those careers, I just wasn't interested in either of them. What if this test told me the same thing? What if, like all of the other tests I ever took, this test also said "teacher" and/or "therapist/counselor"? What would I do then? Would I just give up and go into one of those careers, a career that I was not interested in? But, maybe, just maybe, this test will be different? Maybe this test will give me more options then just the two that all the other tests gave me? Maybe this test will give me the direction I need? Maybe after this test, I will have the answer to a question I had been asking myself for years? Maybe?

The time came to take the O*Net Online Interest Profiler. The test listed 60 various activities and you had to say how interested in that activity you were. You had to answer the questions without thinking. After answering all the questions, you received scores in 6 categories based on your answers and personality. The categories are: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

Those with Realistic personalities are practical and like hands-on problems and answers. Investigative personalities like to investigate and they like working with ideas and thinking. Artistic personalities like being creative and being allowed to be "free". Social personalities like working with others. Enterprising personalities like working in business'. Conventional personalities like procedures and routines. The test said that my two biggest personality traits were Artistic and Social. This wasn't a surprise to me because I love being creative and being around others.

After receiving your scores in each of the personalities, it gave you "Job Zones". Job Zones let you know what level of education and prior experience you need in order to get a job in a field you were interested in. After Job Zones, the test gave you a long list of careers for each personality. Some of the possible careers for Artistic personalities include: dancers, photographer, self enrichment teacher, makeup artists, nanny, film and video editor, architect,  art director, multimedia artists, music director, reporter/correspondent, video game designer, anthropologist and   astronaut. Some of the careers it listed for Social personality include: concierge, fitness trainer, nanny, residential advisory, tutor, criminal justice, engineer, forest and conservation, librarian, and social worker.

After taking the test and reviewing the answers, I explored the careers from the list. After awhile, I decided that I wanted to study American Studies (US History) at BYU-Provo. I love studying US history and it was one of my favorite subjects in school. I still don't know what career to go into, but a History degree opens up many options for me. I am so excited that now I have a direction. Now, I just have to be accepted into BYU.

At Gathering that week, we talked about our character traits. One of the things that was said that really struck me was "Our traits and talents are the same traits and talents that our Heavenly Father has. Our talents and traits are pieces of Himself that He has given to us". I never thought about that. I knew that traits and talents are gifts from Heavenly Father, but I never thought about them being pieces of Himself.

This week in Life Skills we studied about Decision Making and Goal Setting. This was another lesson I really need too. I am horrible at making decisions and setting goals. This lesson talked about using our agency to make correct choices. In the April 2004 General Conference, President Faust said "Tomorrow's blessings and opportunities depend on the choices we make today". Many of the choices we make today, not only effect the "here and now", but they also have an effect on our future. And not just our future, but can effect the future of those around us.

In the Preach My Gospel manual, it states "Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish. Through goals and plans, our hopes are transformed into action. Goal setting and planning are acts of faith". Goals are the outward expression of what we want on the inside. The desires of our hearts are our destinations and goals are the pathway we take to get to the destination.

In "Leadership for Saints", Roger Dunkin and Ed Pinegar said, "The best goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. stands for the five characteristics of well-designed goals".
Specific-What will be the specific result of your goal? What are the specific steps needed to achieve it? Does it sound vague or too general in any way?
Measurable- Do you have a way to measure your progress? When will you review your progress?
Attainable- Will you be able to achieve this goal? What are the reasons you believe you can accomplish this goal? Have you talked with someone who has accomplished this goal or a similar goal?
Relevant- Does this goal fit in with your larger goals and your eternal purpose?
Time-Bound- Do you have a specific date this goal should be achieved? Is there a time frame that you will work in to accomplish this goal?

In my Book of Mormon class, the last two weeks we studied 2 Nephi 1-16. There are a lot of teachings and lessons in these chapters. Some of the lessons and teachings include: this is a choice and promised land, we are free to make our own choices, but there are consequences for every choice, and the Atonement.

As I have been studying the last few weeks, I have come across many scriptures that I like and have gained many insights. Here are a few of them:

-My new favorite scripture that I came across is Habakkuk 2:3-4- "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it: because it will surely come, it will not tarry...the just shall live by his faith".  This reminds me of Neil A. Maxwell's quote "Faith in God includes faith in His timing".  Sometimes we may think that the blessings we want most in the world, will never come. But if we remain faithful and continue to have faith in Him, then the blessings WILL come. They may or may not come in this lifetime, but they WILL come. It gives me hope that someday I will receive the desires of my heart. I just have to have faith in Him and His timing.

-2 Nephi 1:21,23- "...arise from the dust...and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things...awake...put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which you are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust". To me these verses sound like a battle cry. A cry to take a stand for righteousness. A cry to be steadfast and unmovable.

-2 Nephi 9: 20- "O how great the holiness of our God! For He knoweth all things and there is not anything save He knows it". It is so comforting to know that our Heavenly Father knows EVERYTHING. Because He knows everything, we can turn to Him for EVERYTHING. He will lead us and guide us to safety.

-2 Nephi 9:39- "...Spiritually Minded Is Life Eternal". The SMILE scripture. I was first introduced to the SMILE scripture by my trainer on my mission. I have loved it ever since. It is so true. When your mind is on the spiritual things of life, then you will really will SMILE because you will be focusing on the bigger picture and not just what is here and now.

  -2Nephi 9:21- "...He suffereth the pains...of every creature, both men women and children..." In order for Him to have had  to suffer the pains of everone, He needed to have KNOWN us...intimately.  He would have had to KNOW EVERYTHING about us. No one else on Earth KNOWS us better than He does. He knows us better than our own parents, siblings, best friends, and even better than we know ourselves.

In President Packer's talk "Do Not Fear", he talks about trials. One thing he said was "This testing (our trials) is the source of our strength". I never thought about that. I never thought that my strength is because of the trials I have overcome. It is true. We do not become strong when things are easy. We only become stronger, as we press forward in our adversities.

These are just a small number of things I have learned over the last few weeks. I hope you learned something too.