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CHANGING OUR MINDSET

ABOUT PURPOSE, WORTH, AND BUSYNESS

Simplify:

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MY PURPOSE:

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Share some ideas that might help you start thinking differently about . . .

  • What it means to “simplify” our lives
  • Why it’s important
  • What keeps us from simplifying
  • What purpose and worth really mean
  • The connections we make between purpose, worth, and busyness

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What does it mean to “simplify”?

Why is it important?

Why might keep us from being able to do it?

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I USED TO HATE THE WORD “SIMPLIFY”

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  • I can’t send any kids back.
  • I have to work or we won’t be able to pay rent.
  • I’m married to the Energizer bunny who loves change and starting new projects and adventure.
  • I’m the only one who can take care of my parents.
  • I can’t remove myself from my dysfunctional family.
  • I have to go back to school so I can get a better position so we can have insurance.

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To “simplify” does not necessarily mean to get rid of completely.

When you simplify a fraction, you still have a number on top and a number on the bottom.

It’s just represented in a simpler, clearer, more easily understood form.

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SIMPLIFY:

  • To make less complicated, clearer, or easier to do, understand, or solve by removing duplication, redundancies
  • To exchange, replace, substitute
  • Synonyms: refine, purify, untangle

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I FOUND SOME HOPE IN MATH:

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Simplify:

to make a problem as simple as possible

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EVEN SOME OF THE MOST COMPLICATED PROBLEMS CAN BE SIMPLIFIED

119

323

7

19

=

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WE CAN ALSO “SIMPLIFY” BY REFINING THE PROCESS, AND MAKING MORE SENSE OF THE MESS

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Notice all the string is still there.

Sometimes we can’t eliminate anything

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“I didn’t realize the amount

of mental processing my life required on a daily basis.”

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It not only hurt my head to be running kids around,

going to the grocery store,

staying up late waiting for teenagers,

or sitting through a basketball game

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  • it hurt to THINK
  • it hurt to ANSWER QUESTIONS
  • it hurt to WORRY

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I got to the point where most days, I would have to sit in my room in the dark . . .

I had to stop doing everything.

And I really struggled with that.

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Some things I realized . . .

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  • I was struggling because I had connected my WORTH to being BUSY, to accomplishing things, checking boxes, being able to do “all the things”
  • I was struggling finding and feeling PURPOSE in my life because I had I connected having a PURPOSE to doing.

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Some questions we can ask ourselves . . .

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What is PURPOSE?

How do I define it?

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What is WORTH?

How do I determine it?

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What connection do I make between PURPOSE, WORTH, and BUSYNESS?

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Some other principles that have helped:

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  • CAPABLE VS ABLE
  • INSPIRED BUSYNESS
  • LETTING GO AND LETTING GOD

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CAPABLE VS ABLE

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ABILITY

How much capability

is available

at any given moment

CAPABILITY

The skills developed

from an investment

of time, energy and work

There’s a difference between . . .

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When we don’t understand or acknowledge the difference . . .

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  • We will expect ourselves to be “able” to do things we know we are “capable” of . . . and then feel guilty when we can’t.

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  • We will expect ourselves to be “able” to do things we know we are “capable” of . . . and then feel worthless when we can’t.

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  • We will push ourselves to be “able” to do things we know we are “capable” of . . . and then commit to things we really aren’t “able” to do.

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  • We will push ourselves to be “able” to do things we know we are “capable” of . . . and then be committed to too many things we really aren’t “able” to do.

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What do I believe about capability?

What do I believe about ability?

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Have I connected my worth, value, purpose, or happiness to either of them?

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INSPIRED BUSYNESS

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  1. HOW DO WE SIMPLIFY OUR BUSYNESS?
  2. ONE PERSONS “SHOULD” MAY NOT SOMEONE ELSE’S
  3. WHAT ARE “THE BASICS” FOR YOU?
  4. ASSESS NEEDS –
    • PHYSICAL
    • SPIRITUAL
    • EMOTIONAL/MENTAL

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We often can’t change the fact that we will be BUSY.

But we can be more DELIBERATE and INSPIRED

in what we do and how we do it.

INSPIRED BUSYNESS

    • INTELLECTUAL
    • SOCIAL
    • FAMILIAL (IMMEDIATE AND EXTENDED)

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“Keep them busy and keep them out of trouble.”

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IF WE’RE TOO BUSY TO ________

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  • GET HOMEWORK DONE
  • SPEND TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
  • READ THE SCRIPTURES
  • HAVE KIDS DO CHORES
  • TAKE CARE OF OUR HEALTH
  • HAVE FAMILY DINNER
  • WHATEVER IT IS WE FEEL IS ESSENTIAL OR IMPORTANT . . .

THEN MAYBE WE ARE TOO BUSY.

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LETTING GO

AND LETTING GOD

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“The Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.” 

Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life . . . My dear brothers and sisters, as you choose to let God prevail in your lives, you will experience for yourselves

that our God is “a God of miracles.” 

President Nelson

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WE CAN’T AND DON’T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING

SOME THINGS WE SIMPLY CAN’T DO – ONLY GOD CAN

A MIRACLE – SOMETHING ONLY GOD CAN DO

Prevail – prove more powerful

Letting God be the one in charge, letting God show his power, relying on God’s power

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OUR MINDS

OUR HEARTS

OUR EXPECTATIONS

OUR HOMES

OUR SCHEDULES

OUR HABITS

OUR “HAVE-TOS”

OUR TRADITIONS

Simplify: