I can hardly believe it is already April 1^st!   All I know is that I am super excited for Spring to finally bring some warm weather to Utah.  It has been a crazy cold winter and I, for one, am not a big fan of the cold.  It makes me so incredibly happy to walk outside and feel the sunshine again.    I also love Spring because it brings an energy that motivates us to clean out the old and bring in the new.  Last week I did Spring cleaning of my bedroom, which feels fabulous now that it’s done, so this week I think I will do a little Spring cleaning of the soul. Just like the Spring cleaning of my bedroom where I had to go through my closet and decide which things I need and which I don’t, Spring cleaning of the soul is about going through our habits to decide which we should keep and which we should get rid of.  It’s also about finding new habits we should start creating if we want to become the best we can be.  Spring is the perfect time to really focus on our personal development.

Coming out of Easter weekend reminds us of how much we should appreciate all that God has done for us. When we consider the question of what we can do to repay Him, I think this quote from Jim Rohn sums it up nicely:

“The Greatest Gift You Can Give Somebody Is Your Own Personal Development.”

The best thing we can do to repay God is to develop ourselves into the very best person we can be – using all of our gifts, developing all of our talents, and doing all we can to achieve everything we are capable of.  Improving ourselves is an everyday effort, with some days harder than others.  Some days it can feel like we aren’t progressing at all.  Other days it can feel as if we are taking steps backwards.  The key is to just keep moving forward, one step at a time, never giving up.  When we make a mistake, or stumble and fall, (which all of us do), we just need to pick ourselves back up, setting aside any embarrassment we may feel, brush ourselves off, and just keep moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other.  With each step forward we further develop ourselves.

Some great ways we can develop ourselves daily:

• Act with integrity at all times of the day
• Build a network around you – value everyone who comes into your life
• Be willing to laugh at yourself and at life
• Do a physical activity each day to develop your health and strength
• Learn about something new every day
• Let go of past hurts, or angry feelings, truly forgive and let go
• Accomplish as much as possible every day – don’t waste the valuable time you have been blessed with – look at each day as a new adventure and a new opportunity to grow
• Spend time each day developing your faith (through religion, meditation, study, prayer, etc.)
• Do a random act of service for someone else every day
• End each day by writing down what you learned or the knowledge you gained and how you can apply that to your future

Just like the sunshine of Spring makes us happy, the more we develop ourselves the happier we feel, the more capable we become, and the more others are drawn to us.  So get that Spring cleaning of the soul going, then step outside in the sunshine and smile and yell “HELLO APRIL!”

~Amy