“I am an optimist!” President Hinckley often declared. “My plea is that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.” His optimism went much deeper than having a positive outlook, although he cultivated that. The ultimate source of his optimism—the source that made it a power—was his faith in God and his testimony of God’s plan for the happiness and salvation of His children.
One manifestation of President Hinckley’s optimism was his firm belief that “things will work out.” That phrase, said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “may well be President Hinckley’s most repeated assurance to family, friends, and associates. ‘Keep trying,’ he will say. ‘Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.’”
This message wasn’t only for others, however. “I say that to myself every morning,” President Hinckley told a congregation. “If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us.”
I confess, I haven't always been an optimist. I've had times in my life where I felt that I was simply surviving, and that I couldn't spare any energy or heart on the cause of hope. But since then, I've learned just how powerful God truly is, and how real that assurance from President Hinckley is: Things will work out. They always do. His plan is always best, and it will all be okay in the end. And because of that, as President Hinckley also said, "We have every reason to be optimistic."
Why would you choose to be a pessimist when things will, indeed, work out? Why not choose to have hope and joy all along? Being a pessimist makes you suffer for no good reason at all. And there's always the fact that our thoughts have a lot more power than we realize - but that's a subject for another blog post. The point is, if we have faith in God and do our best, things will be okay - more than okay.
I've recently gained a great deal of hope for dreams that I thought were lost, and I can't believe I ever lived without them. I think we often make the mistake of settling when things are good enough. I've learned that I shouldn't do that when God has so many great things planned for me. He has great things planned for you, too. He didn't send us here so we could have lives that are good enough. It says in 2 Nephi that men are, that they might have joy. We are here to find joy.
Now, keep in mind, that doesn't mean that joy will simply be given to us without us making an effort. And that doesn't mean that we won't have trials. We will most definitely have trials, but we are capable of finding peace and joy during the greatest of trials. We will have to work to have a meaningful relationship with God and to receive His blessings, and that's how it should be. But that doesn't mean that our lives have to be anything less than extraordinary. Sometimes hard is extraordinary. And it doesn't mean that we have to give up on the things we want most if they are truly righteous and attainable. This world is full of so much more potential than we give it credit for.
I hope I've reminded you all of the undying love that Heavenly Father has for you, and of the perfect plan that He has for you. If you take nothing else into this new year, please take that knowledge. Please take that hope. No goal or resolution is more important than feeling His love and loving Him in return.
Happy New Year, dear friends.
Bonnie Gwyn
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