Let me explain with an example. I love the thesaurus. That
statement may not surprise you, since it was made by the author of this article.
As a writer, I have come to love the thesaurus. Weird.
Well, maybe. A thesaurus is an essential tool for me at
least. I use it every time I write. For example, let’s say I want to discuss
the euphoria I feel when I begin composing prose. Euphoria? You ask how anyone can feel that kind of emotion
when writing is involved. I get it.
Your memory of composition may include the final history test in which you were
asked to draft a position on the significance of the year 1861 to the civil war
and clarify the multitude of idle rights then that nearly pulled this nation
apart. My point? I used the thesaurus at least a half-dozen times to compose
that last paragraph, and it made my task of writing easier, better, and more
delightful for both the writer (me) and the reader (you).
What does that have
to do with anything? You ask. I answer. Absolutely everything is influenced by
our attitude when it comes to effectively handling situations. But what makes
composition a life changing experience is what occurs outside of one’s control.
And this is not exclusive to the publication industry. It happens everywhere—all
the time, rhetorically speaking—and yet I don’t think it can be forced. Mathematicians
feverishly try to find the answer that is right at their fingertips, and the
brush of the artist flows like a hot knife through butter. Every touch, every
stroke improves the outcome and the completed painting is providential. The
batter that hits a home run with every swing may be another manifestation of
this sweet spot. Some call it tender
mercies, divine guidance, or pure knowledge. Others refer to it as in the mode or in the groove or perhaps luck…there
are many ways to refer to this unlikely situation when everything just clicks.
During that moment, you can’t
make a mistake. Every move is perfect. Every note is better than the last. You
never want it to end. You are at the top of your game…then suddenly, it’s over.
You try to get it back. You follow what you were doing all along, but despite
your desire, motivation, and intensity, you are on your own and the fleeting
ecstasy of that perfect harmony and rhythm is now gone.
I remember this happening once on
the golf course. Now I am an amateur golfer at best. My colleagues are all much
better than me, and I am ok with that. But there was a time my son invited me
to join him and his friends for a round of golf. My boy and I had never golfed
together up to this point. I approached the green and tried to look like I knew
exactly what I was doing. I didn’t. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass my
son in front of all his friends, and since we had never golfed together, he had
no idea what to expect. I put the ball on the tee and prepared by taking a
couple practice swings. OK. I am ready and stepped up to the tee to give it a
go. My first drive was 400 yards. Nobody was more surprised than me, but I
tried to look unimpressed.
“Dad! I had no idea you had that in you.” The euphoria
lasted for maybe the first nine holes, but I wasn’t as extraordinary on the
back nine. Still for a moment, I was riding high and on Cloud 9.
Does that sound familiar? When this kind of thing happens to
you, is it startling? As I said one cannot force this to occur, but for me it happens
regularly when I write. I first experienced this when I was in college. The instance
was after an all-nighter trying to get a paper done. It was an “all-nighter”
because the words were not coming together. I struggled to get my thoughts down
on paper. Honestly, I struggled to collect my thoughts at all, and then it
happened. I guess I had finally demonstrated enough effort because in the final
moments before I had to get my paper completed and turned in, the light broke
wide open and the paper came together seemingly on its own. To me it is pure
knowledge coming from above. Instead of composing verbiage by combining nouns,
verbs, adjectives and the like, complete sentences fill my mind in succession and
my task is to capture them as quickly as I can before they are gone. It may
last ten minutes or an hour, but it is typically fleeting and comes and goes on
its own terms. I don’t understand it completely yet, but my personal opinion is
that at times for reasons not entirely clear, we have heavenly help that
increases our ability and makes us better than we can be on our own.
I have seen this happen for my son, when he is composing
music. From somewhere he combines notes, tempo, and harmony in such a way that
it thrills the heart and mind. The task is therapeutic for him as well. But
when he performs in front of an audience, he is at his best. With a band and
vocals, he is in his element. I will always remember the times we went to the
Velour to watch him perform. I was probably the oldest person in the theater,
but that was OK because he wanted me there, and that is exactly where my wife
and I wanted to be. For a period of time, we had the privilege of supporting my
son on his music journey. And we still enjoy today the albums he produced at
the time. But the ride is not over. It continues even now and is still
happening in earnest. The stage and the music have changed, however. Now his
performance is in his home with a family. His band includes two incredible
little boys, a beautiful baby daughter, and loving wife. But the music they make together is
better than anything he has ever produced before, which is really saying
something. Even he doesn’t realize the
amazing feat he is accomplishing. Realization and appreciation take time,
perspective, and patience.
And those are
some things one has in abundance at my age. For me, it is easy to see the paybacks
of authenticity, esteem, discipline, and endurance. You see, I have the benefit
of hindsight and experience, something dearly acquired yet easily overlooked.
But you and I both will eventually have it in spades. We all will, because a
kind and loving Heavenly Father prepared a plan that ensures success for every
one of us that is willing to follow his lead and accept the reward he has
already won for us and all those that humble themselves and endure to the
end—all of us.
And like the rod of iron, our loved ones give us something
worthwhile to hold onto every time we consider the beautiful family we have now
and the importance of eternal families in the world to come. My grandchildren do
that for me every time I admire them.
And if your family
circumstances are not perfect and far beneath what you were hoping for now,
realize that too is temporary and sometimes fleeting in this life, but exhilarating,
comfortable, and familiar is what waits for you in the world to come. You are
already headed in the right direction. Hope, repentance, faith, and success all
start with desire. In this crazy world of ours, that is what we control.
Righteous desires put us on the path that leads to the
happiness we are all seeking. And meanwhile, we can work toward an eternally
happy family that seems to have it all together—and because of Jesus Christ—hope
for the day when there are no more troubles and everything just clicks.
“Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and
will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path
is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the
commandments of God.” – Joseph Smith
