Self-Reliance

I constantly tell my children to trust their instincts, form their own opinions, then make good choices. It's so easy to follow the crowd and let the opinions of others influence our choices. But, the consequences can be severe: we don't learn to trust ourselves and our self-esteem suffers.

Trusting and believing in yourself takes practice, but, so does everything that's worth doing. Be the individual that you are. Dare to stand alone in the moments when your standards, beliefs, or opinions are challenged. Know who you are. Be happy with who you are. Believe that you can do great things because you are you.

The world is so mixed up on what's right and what's wrong, why would you want to rely solely on outside criticism or media influences? Doing this will only lead you to more confusion about who you are because fads are constantly changing. This is true whether you're talking about diet methods, exercise techniques, clothing, or standards.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said, "What we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are and who we will become."

You are of great worth. Love yourself enough to seek for those things that will make you a better you. Your choices are the ones that will affect your life. Trust your instincts, form your own opinions, then make good choices.

Self-Reliance