Today I spoke to a large group of students at BYU.  I love speaking to the students.  They have so much energy and enthusiasm and joy for the future.  They are so young and full of promise for their life ahead.

In preparing to speak to them I really tried to consider the messages I hoped to have them take away. Given that they are the same age as my own son it was easy to ask myself what message I would want my own son to hear.  A few of the messages I hope they walked away with today were:

Life is about getting up and doing something, anything, just making a start…and as long as you are moving forward every day, whether it is one step ahead or ten steps ahead, just make sure that each day you take at least one step forward in life.

Don’t let fear get in your way – keep in mind that you are smarter and better than you realize, and what God intends for your future is far better than anything you can even begin to imagine.

Life will have ups and downs and failures and successes…it is full of uncertainty and unknowns, but that is okay because failures help you learn and facing uncertainty helps you grow.

Make a goal poster because they are magic!!!

In the Q&A Session afterward I shared that they should move toward their goals but not to lose track of the beauty of life along the track.  I shared that they should be careful not get so anxious that they wear themselves out, but to keep a steady forward moving pace, taking in every bit of scenery they can along the way, and appreciating every moment.

My hope for these kids is that they discover and appreciate the opportunities that each season of life brings them.  I hope they don’t rush through them. I hope they don’t wish any seasons away, even when they are difficult, because each stage of life is happening at a certain time for a certain reason, so I hope they have faith that each experience is leading them to where they need to be, so they should learn everything they possibly can from each and every day.  And most of all I hope they will love the people in their life with their whole heart…because relationships should always matter more than things.

I loved spending time with the students today.  Frankly, they inspired me far more than I inspired them.  I have been dealing with some difficult things the last few days and I was dealing with a heavy heart when I had to drive down to the college to speak.  But once I got there the students were all so sweet and kind and they made me feel really welcome and appreciated.  Their kindness today was especially meaningful to me so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for inspiring me and helping to remind me of just how wonderful life is!

~Amy