The Happiness Project: My Best Possible Self

When I envision my best possible self, I see myself raising a family unto the Lord, serving a mission with my husband, continuing to learn new skills, being a good neighbor and citizen, publishing more family history books, and traveling or living in many locations.

Raising a family unto the Lord is a tricky goal of mine since getting married, I’ve decided, is pretty much a miracle that only the Lord can produce. But there are a few things I can do to help the Lord out – like going to social events to meet new people, living my life in such a way to have the Holy Ghost guide me, not freaking out when the opportunity arises, and realizing that everyone is human and no one is going to meet the full ideal mate checklist. As for raising a family, I am just going to follow the prophets’ counsels for Family Home Evening, family scripture study, family prayer, setting an example for my kids by being the best disciple of Christ that I can be, and praying … a lot. But I need to get married first, so I need to be wise in my selection because whom I marry will determine how much help I get in raising our family.

I didn’t serve a mission when I was younger, so I really hope to serve at least one mission with my husband when we retire. I imagine we’ll need to be wise with our financial resources so that we can pick up and go as soon as the kids are out of the house. (I’m not a spring chicken anymore – I’ll be old when my kids are out of the house so we’ll have to go right away.) I’ll also have to keep my testimony strong and growing so I can feel spiritually ready to go. I’m sure that entails the primary answers of going to church, reading my scriptures, praying, serving in my callings, etc. I imagine I’ll also need to keep my health in as top shape as possible so I’ll continue to exercise and eat healthy throughout my life.

I hope I will have continued to learn new things throughout my life. It has served me well up to this point. I hope to someday learn to garden and can/preserve what I grow in my garden. I also want to learn how to take care of a yard and do some landscaping. I’ve heard that Utah State’s Extension classes on gardening and yard care are phenomenal for learning skills. Having a family and the need to cook many meals a week, will surely force me to learn how to plan meals and how to coupon – both skills that I’d love to learn. Right now I only plan to cook one or two meals per week and that usually feeds me all week, so cooking for the masses and trying to coupon is not necessary. I’d also love to learn how to identify wild edible plants, berries, and mushrooms. Pursing these opportunities for learning, and others, will help prevent me from becoming stale.

Being a good neighbor and citizen might include participating more in community events, volunteering for community groups, getting to know my neighbors and developing a friendship with them. I do a little of this now, but I think I could do more throughout my life. When I graduate from the EMPA program, I’d love to find a community group to volunteer for so I could feel like I’m contributing and making a difference.

When I’m at the end of my life, I hope that I will have researched as much about my family history as I possibly could. I’m working on that now by interviewing my mom and dad and researching my ancestors’ lives. I’ve published a family photo album, but I hope to put together a family history book about my parents and a couple generations beyond them. I came along so late in my family that I’m afraid they may pass away before my kids really grow to know them and love them. So I think publishing a family history book about them will help my kids and other progenitors to come to know them.

Lastly, I would love to either travel or live in several locations – internationally or domestically. I have done some traveling to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe and I really feel like it has opened my eyes and understanding (at least to a certain extent) to have a respect for people and appreciate my good life in the United States. If I could, I would hope to live in many places because living somewhere deepens that respect and appreciation so much more than just being a tourist there.

In the end, I think doing each of these things will help me to become the best possible self I envision for myself. However, I imagine the Lord may have a different vision of my best possible self, so I plan to live near to the Spirit so I may be led to do the things He would have me do and become.