You know how when you think, you don't use words to describe it? And sometimes, it is extremely difficult to even put your thoughts to words? Well, that happened to me this morning. I had a dream last night, and I was trying to think of a way to put it into words, but I couldn't. The dream involved so much thinking that it was nearly impossible to find any words to describe it. What I thought was really interesting was that the dream was only about 1/2 a second long, but it would have taken at least ten minutes to describe everything in it. I find that very interesting because it shows how much better we are at thinking than at explaining. Which leads me to another point. The reason that we don't "do" a lot of the time is that we just don't have the physical capacity that matches our mental capacity. That means that we may dream and fantasize about something but never do it. It is so much easier to dream and dream and dream, than it is to actually do. Those people who actually do, are the ones that should be admired.
Since it is Christmas time right now, I will specifically talk about Jesus Christ. He was the one who really could do more than just think. I believe that it takes a few characteristics to be able to do.
- Recognition
- Foresight
- Determination
- Character
- The ability to control your thoughts
RecognitionFirst, you have to recognize what you want to happen, and whether or not it is possible. For me, dreaming and thinking about being a starting quarterback in this year's Super Bowl is way out of the ballpark. There is no way that could happen. However, thinking and dreaming that I will get a relatively good score on the GRE that I am taking tomorrow is much more plausible. That is a thought that I can continue. In Christ's life, He recognized early on that He was really the Son of God. When He disappeared on his parents and stayed at the temple in Jerusalem, He had to have some inkling of who He really was. (It is my belief that that experience was one of the early times when he was learning how to listen to the Holy Ghost. He had to literally ditch his parents, knowing that they would not be happy. I believe that He had some trepidation, and that He struggled with that just like we all struggle with our promptings. He had to learn sometime, and I believe this was one time that he did learn. I suppose I will just have to ask Him when I see Him.)
But I digress. He recognized that He was the Son of God, and therefore, He recognized that thinking about walking across the water and healing many great multitudes was something that was totally within His grasp and that He could really do it (not to mention the atonement.)
ForesightYou must have some idea of how you are going to accomplish these thoughts. For me to do well on the GRE tomorrow, I will study from my little book today and make sure that I get some good sleep tonight, eat a good breakfast, and get there with plenty of time to spare, so that I do not feel rushed or late.
(It is a little weird to talk about me and the GRE and then move right into Christ and the atonement.)
But, Christ had to have the foresight of what He was going to do to prepare for the events that took place in his life. He had to know how He was going to make things happen how they did.
DeterminationThis is a hard one sometimes. But, of course, Christ is the perfect example. He shows us how to be determined to fulfill our dreams. If we live how we know we need to to fulfill our dreams, then we will have a much greater chance of actually fulfilling them. In addition, if we really want our dreams to come true, we have to work towards them. They have to become goals that we are constantly looking towards.
CharacterI think of this as being honest with ourselves. Christ did not think that He could save every single person who has ever lived on the earth, but He did all that He needed to, just to make sure that if someone changed their mind at some point in this life, or the next, they would be able to have the atonement. That sure was nice of Him.
We also must be honest with ourselves. We cannot delude ourselves into thinking that we can become more than we have potential. This is tricky, because the Lord has blessed us with an almost limitless potential. But, some things are not my calling. (I am speaking for myself here, so as not to offend you, gentle reader.) I am sure for instance, that it was in the playbook that I finish college, and that I continue on with schooling. I have almost always thought that I would get at least a Master's. For me, it was not in the playbook that I finish high school, and stop my education there. On the other hand, I do not think that I will become a Rhodes Scholar. I realize what I am capable of and what my potential is. (Dad, I know that if I really wanted to, and sacrificed a lot of things, time and...other stuff, I could become a Rhodes Scholar. The problem is that I would have to sacrifice too much to make it worth it, which is why I say I don't see that in my future.)
The Ability to Control Your Own ThoughtsThis relates to the above statement about being able to know who you are and what you are capable of. I am not going to dream about being the quarterback at the Super Bowl, nor about being a Rhodes Scholar, but I will dream and plan for getting at least a Master's Degree. I know that I can and will accomplish that. In addition, it means keeping my thoughts focused on what I want. For Christ, this meant continually thinking about how He could help, grow, and become better and offer more to others to make Himself ready for the great and eternal sacrifice He did make. For us, it means being positive, not thinking about failure, and being able to focus on what we CAN do.
