Maybe you’re a missionary who feels weary and needs to be lifted; maybe you’re the mom of a missionary and needs to be reassured; or maybe you’re an elementary school teacher who feels overwhelmed and needs to be encouraged. Whatever you do and whoever you are…there is a way back to the joy. 

Conquering our own inner critic is one of the most critical battles we face. The art of arguing our own internal dialogue for compassion over criticism, kindness over condemnation, and confidence over inadequacy will set your days, your months, and your years in a place where you can live in the uppermost reaches of the happy in your life, instead of dwelling in the down in the dump’s basement of your life.  

When the emphasis of your life is centered on a process of progress instead of a culture of performance, then the door is left wide open for lessons to be learned, challenges to be conquered, and growth and progress to be made.

Happy is something you build, think, create, and make. Happy is something you can shape into your life, formulate through the course of your life, and something you can foster for the rest of your life. It's up to you to let the happy shine through.

Have you ever had a problem that needed solving? Here’s the bottom line. When all the parts are added up, when all that is unimportant is subtracted out, when all is multiplied into one great whole, you don’t have to do this alone. When you walk with Christ, He will walk with you every step of the way.

President Nelson taught that one of the most important reasons for this earthly experience is to determine what you will do with life’s challenging opportunities.

When you live your life with trust in God and His divine plan for you, then through a lifetime of joys, challenges, tests, failures, tears, successes, and trials, you will be able to align all your days with God’s heavenly light as you follow His plan. 

The whole of life includes the physical world we see, as well as the unseen world we don’t see. Those who limit their vision of the world to what is within their sight right now will limit their experiences in the world and miss the maximum value of their life… all because of what they cannot see yet.

In this school we call life, there is a planned curriculum to help us learn, grow, and become more. There will be lessons of waiting, patience, and enduring. Learning how to wait well is a necessary feature of this life. President Oaks taught in last week’s BYU Devotional, “We are all a work in progress. ….Hold on to the first article of faith, even if something else is uncertain. And while you wait, wait upon the Lord, which includes trusting in His timing as well as in His promises.”

Today, as we begin another new year, I thought we would do a ‘encore’ episode called Looking Up  that anytime during this new year, if you ever feel burdened with a load of care, you can look up. If you ever get discouraged thinking all is lost, you’ll know how to look up. And if ever life’s billows have got you tempest tossed, you'll be able to look up. Learning to look up takes practice and perseverance and maybe a reminder from this ‘encore’ podcast. 

What can we do to create the sustainable change that transformed Ebenezer from a past that was feared, a present that was unwanted, and a future that looked bleak? Along with Ebenezer, we too can come to know the Spirit of living, loving, and giving by building greater satisfaction and gratitude for the past, holding onto more joy and peace in the present, and trusting with faith and hope for the blessings of the future. 

What the world needs now is a CREW of Heavenly Father’s children who are trained, ready, and willing to lift someone who needs a friend, raise up someone who is feeling down, and connect with someone who feels they have no one to connect with.  You will need to become a 'Watchkeeper of Seafarers.'

In this school called life, each of us will face obstacles, problems, complications, and be tested. How we see these obstacles-the very way we perceive these tests, either as barriers that will stop us or as challenging opportunities that will help us learn and grow-can make all the difference in our lives. Yes, in this life, there will be tests. 

The work of growth and change is an inherent and unavoidable part of this journey we are all on called life. Change is always happening. Change is all around us. Change is an integral part of each of our days. Since change is a necessary part of life, how we handle change will be the key to finding the happy in our lives. 

Elder Richard G. Scott said, “This life is an experience in profound trust—trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, trust in our capacity as led by the Holy Spirit to obey those teachings for happiness now and for a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence." Sometimes the best way to learn to trust God is simply to remember to trust Him. 

What do you do to keep going when life gets hard? What do you do to push yourself forward when forward seems far away? The path of the pioneer is seldom smooth. They learn through the twists, the turns, and the uneven ground how to bounce back from setbacks, how to turn failures into victories, and how to push adversity into privilege. A pioneer is someone who navigates the complexities and uncertainties of exploring new frontiers, new territories, and new opportunities. Are you 'pioneer' strong?

Brother Steven L. Lund once said, “Does earth life only get one Captain Moroni? That’s not what I hear…. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Our Heavenly Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps … His finest team —for this final phase.” You are on His team! 

Where does your source of courage come from? What can you do to bravely live your life being brave? Faith requires brave believing, and brave believing will give you the bravery you need to continue forward along this journey we call life. 

The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem is the preface to His story. His ministry is the prologue, His sacrifice and atonement are the substance of the story, and His resurrection is the epilogue. Elder Gary E. Stevenson taught, “Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms, you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity.” What about the rest of His story? 

You are not destined to fail. The plan is for you to ‘rise above’. Elder Kearen testified, “The intent of the Father’s great plan of happiness is your happiness, right here, right now, and in the eternities." In the middle of every battle…His greatest desire is to help you.  If only we would turn to Him. We can choose to bring the good He has in store for our lives into our lives. 

Have you ever felt cold?  Have you ever felt discouraged, sad, or without warmth? Piece by piece, thread by thread, we are creating a quilt of faith and hope through the atonement of Jesus Christ that will give us warmth and comfort when the cold days come, 'knowing all the while that we are encircled "in the arms of [His] love."  

What do you see when in this school we call life--predicaments, bumpy roads, and sharp turns in the form of calamity, mishap, and misfortune leave you at the bus stop with your suitcases packed full of insecurity, self-doubt, and uncertainty?  
Through a different lens of hope, faith, and purpose, we each have a choice of what we choose to see in our world. 

I've got good news for you—really, really good news—the kind of news that can change your life. This kind of news can save, strengthen, and rescue you. In fact, Christmas is the perfect time of year to talk about this good news because Christmas is when this good news was born. 

Elder Richard G. Scott taught that “this life is an experience in profound trust—trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, trust in our capacity as led by the Holy Spirit to obey those teachings for happiness now and for a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence." You have the capacity to see and create happiness and joy in your life now, just by believing and seeing the vision that you can. Happiness can be grown here. 

In every life, there will be detours and delays. The trick will be to decide to find joy in the ride, learn from the ride, and become more because of the ride--even in the middle of every journey.

Wherever you are in life, whatever 'mission' your life has sent you on, you're not alone. With the Lord's help, this is a mission possible. What do you really need to know for your life to be a mission full of possibilities? 

You are one of the 'Battalion Leaders'. In October 2013, President Russell M. Nelson, declared: “Your Heavenly Father has known you for a very long time. You, as His son or daughter, were chosen by Him to come to earth at this precise time, to be a leader in His great work on earth.” You were built for this!

Our Heavenly Father has an unlimited supply of power and love for you.  He is always there wanting to bless you. Jesus Christ is the mediator.  We pray to the Father through Jesus Christ.  When we obey and follow Christ’s example, that completes the circuit, and our lives are blessed as we walk in His light. 

Do you know…YOU were born to be a hero?  Do you know you have defeated Satan before you came to this world? In Romans 13:12 we read, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light.”  You are going to need the 'Armor of Light' to defeat him again. 

What can you do today, right now, that will help you hold onto your hopes and dreams, and see all the opportunities to find the happy all around you?  Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that "Hope has the power to fill our lives with happiness." 

In last October’s General Conference, Elder Carlos A. Goday told a story of a taxi driver he met and helped as this man who was a father, reshaped his life to return to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Elder Goday sked him…  “…why he decided to return, he said it was because he and his wife felt their children would be happier in life with the gospel of Jesus Christ. ”

Happiness is not determined by the circumstances of your life, happiness is dependent on the thoughts you have about the circumstances of your life. 
Elder Ulisses Soares taught, “Happiness is determined by habits, behaviors, and thought patterns that we can directly address with intentional action.”  Happiness is a choice that anyone can make. 

Our Heavenly Father’s plan is a plan for Happiness and the Spirit of the Holy Ghost is a way of maximizing that happiness. Learning the language of the Spirit will help you in every aspect of your life. 

Where do we find true and lasting happiness? In last October’s General Conference, Elder Gary B. Savin taught that in our world today “ …essential principles for true happiness seem to elude many in this confusing world, where many things are interesting but few are truly important.” Finding lasting happiness in a ‘fallen world’ is going to take some ascending, some climbing. Happiness is going to take some work.

Charlie Brown asked, "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"
In the middle of the hustle and the bustle, in the middle of the fresh tree or the artificial tree, in the middle of shopping, stressing, baking, and decorating--we do know what Christmas is all about. 

Consider all the stars in all the heavens in all the galaxies far and wide, do you know you are worth more than them all?  Paul taught, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God..." (Romans 8:16). 

Like a cross-country race, life can give us days when the path is smooth and the run is easy, but at other times, what seemed to be effortless before, can become a rough road of bumps, hills, and life challenges that may press us into giving up the race that is set before us, and instead of holding out for long run blessings, we may turn aside giving in to life’s short run substitutions.  Happiness is the very reason to stay the course. 

In a world of beauty and joy, we will also know sorrow and despair, but through an eternal perspective, we will be able to see from a new point of view. 

As we cast off the words of darkness, then we will be able to put on the armor of light. Darkness is vanquished when light is present. 

They weren't discouraged when things got harder, they didn't even think that they were failing, they thought they were learning.  They were willing to give willingness a try. 

Have you ever had a challenge in your life that left you with questions? Questions like: When will I?  How can I?  What should I do?  Which way should I go? or How can I find my way forward? No matter how difficult or confusing the challenges may be, you can always remember that the answer is simple: it is always Jesus.

Want to be happier? Help others. 
President David O. McKay said, “The noblest aim in life is to strive to live to make other lives better and happier!” In this podcast, we will be learning the four principles of the Healer's Art.

I think there will always be days when we may feel inadequate, maybe times when we feel deficient somehow, or possibly there may come moments when after all we can do, after all we have tried, our efforts seem to be in short supply. President Thomas S. Monson said, "Lest we at any time feel inadequate for the tasks ahead for us... may I share with you a statement made in 1979 by President Ezra Taft Benson, "God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest children who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly.”

What do you do to continue forward when hard days come? 
Elder W. Mark Bassett taught, “…as we move forward with faith in Jesus Christ, the fourth day will always come. He will always come to our aid or to raise our hopes back to life.”

We will all struggle at times, and with our ups and downs we will pray, we will wait, and we will learn to endure. All the while knowing that no one is less cherished. You are of great worth through it all. 

When your mortality gets hard, when happy seems to have been lost behind the couch for the day, or when storms blow in and you're left standing in the dark, there is a way to live and be happy.

In this life we can expect those moments when hardships sail in, troubles drop by, and ordeals are dealt into our day. The challenge is to not let the challenge become an additional ordeal.  

There is power in positive thought that allows us to see the sun shining on rain and rain falling on sunshine. In the children’s classic, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodges Burnette, healing and transformation come to pass by the power of positive thought.  She writes, “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” 

How do we build peace in every condition no matter how difficult the situation?  How do we follow the Savior's example and the prophet’s plea to be a peacemaker? It is possible to disagree without the spirit of contention by building a framework of peace into your life. 

What advice did your mom give you while growing up that she declared was good for you? After years of research, on many counts, your mom was right.  After all, she always did just want you to be happy. 

Outside of everyone else’s control is your own power to genuinely build your own happy as you cultivate the art of self-compassion. You already have everything you need to grow.

In Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s conference message last October, he said, “Happy and forever” are not the imaginary stuff of fairy tales.”  In this podcast  we are going to talk about your own personal ‘once upon a time’ journey toward  'Happy and Forever After'.

Have you ever had your plans change? We all make plans for our lives.  We set goals and prepare for the future as we should and sometimes in each of our lives…plans change. Sometimes what we had planned compared to the lesson plan our Heavenly Father has for our lives is not the same. In the middle of change, we can learn, grow and become more every time we pray.

When we understand whose child we really are,  then our prayers become a priceless gift from God opening direction and purpose in every step we take, giving our lives a continual curriculum of strength and peace. 

In your daily life have you ever felt mentally drained, gasping for breath and stumbling through thigh-deep snow just to put one foot in front of the other? Welcome to Survival 101.  Be ready to learn how you can be prepared, carry on, and find the happy in any climb. 

Whenever we look outside of ourselves, we tend to evaluate, compare, and judge. But it is possible to rise above judgment and rewire our brains toward more understanding and empathy for ourselves and those around us. 

What’s your story?  And do you really want to stick to it? Just because we think something, doesn’t mean it's true, but how we consistently think leads us to how we act.  We can think thoughts that will help us to act with compassion and hope, or we can choose thoughts that can leave us depressed and angry. You have a choice every day to choose what story you 'want to stick to.'

In all of our ‘Happy-ology’ learning, I wonder if there might be some ‘Happy-ology’ unlearning that needs to also take place. Maybe on your journey to learn how to find the happy, you’ve been practicing it over and over again, only to find out you had some unhappy habits that were ‘missing the mark'.  Today we are going to talk about, unhappiness and how to unlearn it. 

Can you clearly see through the circling seasons of your life? What is your visibility scale as you rise and look around at this journey we call life? In this podcast, we are going to talk about the Visibility Scale, and how seeing yourself more clearly will help you on your journey forward. 

In your journey to find the happy, building relationships with other people matter, and matter more than anything else in the world.  Making a connection with someone can jolt us with positivity in the moment and then that connection strengthens over time which raises our happiness baseline permanently. 

Kindness really is contagious and is known to actually have lasting effects not only on the receiver but the giver as well.  A simple act of kindness, holding the door open, a smile, or giving a compliment can bring a smile to your face and lift your mood. 

Do you have an emergency 'fiery trial' preparedness plan for your life?  When life gives you billows and days that are tempest-tossed, grab hold of your ‘emergency trial preparedness’ plan and instead of stop, drop and roll, you will be able to start, lift, and grow.

If you are to choose the happy in your life with all the possibilities that can come when you step forward out of the mundane of your life, then you will need to learn how to keep fear in check. Fear is a call for courage.  

 Curiosity is the ‘sauce’ that takes a normal life and enhances a curious mind to look beneath the surface and discover new possibilities. How is your curiosity and how can you cultivate more of it in your search to find the happy? 

You have the superpower to shape any external event in your life into the story you want it to tell.  The story you choose to tell about your own life story is inexplicably linked to your finding the happy in it.

Having patience will give you the ability to keep moving forward in your life as you blend together hope and acceptance which is the recipe for more patience. In a nutshell, it’s easier to be happy if you are patient.

We all make mistakes, some big and some small.  By scanning what’s up ahead of you, looking for positive opportunities to learn and grow, and by rejecting the belief that every down in life leads you only further down, you will give yourself the greatest power possible; the ability to ‘fall up’.  "We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents." 

Once we truly ‘get the picture’ that we are all unique and different, and once we really understand the reason why we are all unique and different, then we will be able to stop comparing and start admiring the many unique and different strengths and powers we all have been given…that all the world may be profited thereby.

What do you think of when you hear the word 'success'?  In this podcast, we are going to talk about orienting ourselves, our kids, and our families toward success...especially since it is time, once again, for Back to School.

Comparisons can nibble away at our happiness and chew away at our self-worth. You don’t need to compare yourself to others to find your own worth, your own value, your own strengths. You really are enough, You are worthy of happiness.  You are exactly where you need to be.  You can find the happy in your life right where you are. 

Is it possible to build well-being, and can we create the kind of happiness that will last? 
Just as an artist paints a masterpiece through years of experience and learning, you are also building a masterpiece for your life as you search for the happy in it.

What do you do to keep moving forward when hard things come into your life?  No matter where your life has taken you, .no matter how far you have traveled, there is always a road leading to higher ground.  See the good, find the happy, and watch for blessings in disguise.

You see, happy really is just on the other side of choice. It takes work and ownership to choose the happy, but you can choose it. You are worthy to receive it, you are qualified to accomplish it, and you have the magic inside of you to keep it in your life.  

As you try each day to be more grateful in your life, holding on to more positives and hope in each new day, there is an upward spiral of the happy that will not only lift you but will also have a positive outward effect increasing the happy of everyone around you. Being happy is literally contagious.

Each night after the day is done, ask yourself “What has God blessed me with today?”  Then share your light, proclaim in words on the tops of mountains after a steep hike.  Say what your Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ have done for you that day, around the kitchen table. Explain to your children how grateful you are for them……and you will fortify a family of faith, and generate a lifetime of light that will give them direction to go the distance throughout their lives.

How would you define a hero?  Who are the superheroes in your life who have lifted you, helped you, and saved you?  Add to your gratitude list, the many people all around you who bless your life.

There is always hope. A tool for finding the happy in life is not only being grateful for the blessings of the past but also looking frontward into possibilities and prospects of blessings up ahead. A pathway of hope for the future, in disheartening times, can light the way forward with hope.

There is power in prayer.   Our Father in Heaven has promised that we can have peace in times of trial and has given us a way to come to him in our need.  Because of his perfect love, we are given the priceless privilege and power of prayer.

What if journaling was ‘good for you? 

What if you added journaling to your daily intake of eating your vegetables?  What if adding journaling to your life helped you find more of the happy in it?  What if adding journaling to your life, turned over a ‘happy’ return on your investment?  What if it worked?

The reality is that real life isn’t perfect for anyone.  What if In the middle of your not-so-perfect life, you find that perseverance, bravery, and courage were the order of the day? Courage of the spirit is a Growth Mindset.  Courage is a decision you make.

Do you know who you really are? You are a child of God.  There is a lift that comes into your life when you really know who you are.  There is peace and an assurance that will elevate your days and add purpose to your life. 

Whether you are running a race, on your way to work for the day, or on a journey to find the happy, your mindset about your own ability to succeed will and does affect how you will perform. The more you believe in your own ability to succeed, the more likely you will be successful. On this journey to find the happy, you will discover that adding positives and more encouragement to your life, will help you find more of the happy in it.

You can decide to surrender a grudge.  You can set yourself free by giving up being mad.  You can choose less anger, less stress and then you can choose more optimism, more hopefulness, and more brightness for tomorrow.  Learning how to forgive past wrongs will neutralize bitterness and help you find more happy in your life. 

How do you learn something new?  How did you first learn to ride a bike? Play the piano? Ride a horse?  Ice skate? Add more happy to your life?  We are all learners.  In this life, we have already learned many things and are on a path where we will continue to learn more each day.  In this episode, you will learn more about what it takes to learn something new and set your sites to a happier view.

What if there really was something you could do today, to add the ‘happy’ to your new year…this year.  As you prepare for the new year ahead, you can decide now to commit to choosing the happy, to living a life where your footsteps of light will have joy, meaning, and purpose.  
Happiness is a choice and a journey.  Get ready to find the happy in this new year.

Hope requires strength, but having hope gives strength. Hope requires courage, but hoping can make you brave. Hope requires endurance, but hope helps you endure. Hope is the gift of Christmas...your own 'Silent Night of the Heart.'

What if Christmas really was the recipe to bring about joy, a formula for peace, a technique to find the happy.  What if cheering up someone who is sad, or helping someone feel glad…really was the way to discover your own happy at Christmas and all the days until the next Christmas? In this podcast we are going to talk about Christmas and the recipe that will help you follow the star and share your light.

Are you ready to build into your daily routine a Grateful Heart? When your brain is reframed to see the positive things in your life, then you will be able to be more grateful for your life. When you are able to be more grateful in your life, that’s where you will find the ‘happy’.

Sometimes we might get stuck in patterns of only seeing the negative around us. We might have trained our brain to notice only problems that need solving instead of opportunities that need following. Today we are going to talk about how looking up can set your sights on the horizon and give you a viewpoint position of positive possibility. 

Sometimes, life may feel like a hike through an unknown wilderness. When those days come, you will need to be prepared for the unexpected route and what to do in case your life’s journey takes you there.  In this episode, you will learn of the power you have to retrain your brain to spot patterns of possibility, to see and seize opportunity everywhere and anywhere you look. 

What do you do with sadness in the middle of a plan for happiness?  In this episode, we will discuss how you can ‘reframe your brain’ to become more skilled at noticing the good things in your life and push back the frustrations and defeats that can pull you down.  You have the power within you to prime your brain to focus on the happy today and walk the pathway up.

Last time we talked about the Joy Builders, those things you can do right now that can enrich your daily life… and help you create and have more joy. Today we are going to be talking about the power of “You Are Enough.”

Last time we talked about the joy blockers that can block out joy from our lives. Today we are going to talk about the Joy Builders, those things you can do right now that can enrich your daily life… and help you create and have more joy. Like anything else, it takes practice to cultivate ongoing joy. 

Last time we talked about the power of adding joy to your life by looking for and savoring the joyful moments all around you. Today we are going to talk about those things in every life that can sometimes block out ‘joy. Today we are going to talk about the 'Joy Blockers.'

Today we are going to talk about something bigger than happy, something that outlasts happy, something that can push past happy, and lift you up regardless of your life’s current ‘state of affairs. Today we are going to talk about the power of adding joy to your life.

Last time we talked about the times in your life when you have felt the most blessed. Today we’re going to talk about the weather. Whatever the weather may be around you, your own personal weather forecast will always give you the chance to shine. Are you ready? In this episode, we are out to find the happy.

Last time we played the ‘What If Game’ and learned that it is a conscious choice to focus on being grateful for the abundance that is present in our lives and not on what is missing from our lives. When you do that, the wasteland of illusion falls away and you can begin to experience the happy. Today, we are going to talk about ‘Today.' Are you ready? In this episode, we are out to find the happy.

Have you ever had a day when your life seemed a little far from perfect?  Today we will learn how to find the happiest moments in any of life's circumstances as we play the 'What If Game'.  So, are you ready?  In this episode, we are out to find the happy. 

Last time we talked about the many life lessons that can be learned from trying to fly a kite. Today, we are going to talk about the law of lift. How does a kite fly anyway, and how can we apply lift in our own lives as we strive to keep our spirits aloft?  Are you ready?  In this episode, we are out to find the happy.

I thought it would be easy to take all 28 of my third-grade students outside to fly kites.  However, many tangled strings later, I had learned new lessons in flying kites, and several life lessons that I will never forget. So, are you ready?  In this episode, we are out to find the happy.