Bloom Where You’re Planted

I have always been a huge advocate of this phrase. When I was fifteen years old and moved with my family to Australia, it just seemed like a fun vacation. But once reality set in, it was actually quite a challenge. We were in a new country, culture, school, and we were surrounded by strangers. I almost moved back home to Utah to live with my dad. But once I decided to put both feet where I was and enjoy the experience, I came to love Australia more than I ever imagined I could. I had the most amazing experiences there and my time there had a huge part in making me who I am today. I can’t imagine what life would be like and what I would be like if I had decided to give up that wonderful opportunity Heavenly Father offered to me!

That was not the only time I’ve had a chance to bloom where I was planted. I told myself years ago that once I was done with college, I would get the heck outta Provo. Well, I’ve been living here for six years and although it’s not what I expected or wanted, it has also offered me such wonderful experiences and friendships that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and now I can actually swallow my pride and say I love Provo!

I think we all have times in our lives where things aren’t going exactly how we planned or wanted, but I know that Heavenly Father is acutely aware of us and puts us in the places and circumstances that will be of the most benefit to us and our happiness. Amazing things can happen when we decide to embrace our circumstances and surroundings and make the most out of them!

I really like this quote from Elder Tom Perry's talk last conference: "One of the challenges of this mortal experience is to not allow the stresses and strains of life to get the better of us--to endure the varied seasons of life while remaining positive, even optimistic."