Why do we label?

Here we are. It's February 4, and it's my first post of the new year. I have started writing a couple of posts, but clearly nothing has made it onto my blog so far. I will do a more general life update soon, but since it's Sunday and I've had some thoughts floating around in my head today, I thought I'd share.

With the new Relief Society/Priesthood meeting curriculum starting this year, today was our second council meeting. My ward Relief Society decided to discuss the role of women. We based our discussion off of an amazing talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley in the 1991 October General Conference, called Daughters of God. You can read it here. We had some great discussion during Relief Society, and my roommate and I continued to discuss some things when we got home. The thing that has stuck with me most as I've thought about both discussions today is labels.

Why do we label ourselves?

It's become pretty common, I feel, to label ourselves based on something we've experienced or something that we do. I'm a teacher, I'm a dancer, I can't meet expectations, I'm clumsy, I have depression, I'm a cancer survivor, I have anxiety. The list goes on and on and on. Why do we label ourselves based on things that happen to us or things that we experience or things that we do? Why do we let those things define who we are?

Now, I'm not saying that none of those things are important, because they most definitely are. What we do is a huge part of our lives. Our experiences are a huge part of our lives. The things we struggle with are a huge part of our lives. They very much shape who we are and how we act and feel and think and communicate. Everything we have ever done/will do and everything we have ever experienced makes up a large part of who we are, and that's beautiful and necessary.

But what about our divine identity?

A couple of sisters in Relief Society talked about seeing ourselves the way God sees us. To Him, we are His beloved sons and daughters. The way I see it, everything we have the potential to become all hinges on that divine truth. The young women of the church say it every Sunday: We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love Him. I wish the young men repeatedly told themselves that they are sons of our Heavenly Father who loves them. I wish we all could see more clearly that our most defining factor is our divine heritage. 

So, my challenge to you all this week is to see yourself as a beloved, treasured child of God, and let that fact define you. Allow yourself to see yourself as God sees you and to take on an eternal perspective. Let His light and His love flood your life. Value yourself the way He values you. Step outside the walls you've built for yourself and let Him build you up and define you.

Happy Sunday.

These are a few pictures I took a few weeks ago, for your viewing enjoyment.