A Journey Begins!

Sometime ago my son commented on the fact that I often wear my Young Women's medallion, earned while my elder daughter was a YW, when I went through the Personal Progress Program for the first time.

"Aren't you a little old for that?" he asked. I giggled and shrugged, "No, never."

Let me tell you about my Young Women's medallion. It's a long process to earn the YW recognition award. It takes real work and perseverance, and mostly, it takes determined desire. It is equal in effort to the Boy Scout Eagle award the Young Men work for. And for my girls, we treated it like nothing less, holding YW recognitions similar to Eagle Court of Honors, as girls earned their award.

I was really surprised when my bishop knowing I quietly completed the program (as he signed my book) presented me with my own medallion. I'll never forget that special moment, or Bishop Garner's grin calling me back up to the podium where I had been conducting. And you'll see me frequently wearing it simply because my medallion tells me, "I can." It tells me I can be brave, I can be strong, I can step out of myself to try the new. It reminds me I've done it before. In the process of completing the program, you change. You can't help but change because you grow into a stronger person, and a more aware being. And it tells me the only thing to stop me from trying anything is my own messages in self doubt. Someone once said, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." I wear it because it's a message to other YW that they can, too.

I can. That message became clear when my first Personal Progress journey pushed me to have the courage to go to NY alone with Highlight's Chautauqua. To try for the scholarship, I was given. My first ever writing workshop, weeklong, knowledge filled, and HUGE! Chris Clark said in the opening banquet prayer, "Lord, help us to realize it is not who we are that hold us back, but who we think we are not." That opened my eyes that day. We are all sons and daughters of God with great ability and purpose. The personal progress expands our world and opportunities as we work to improve in body, mind, and spirit, at home, in church, and in our communities. In Truth, this program, is a gift.

So, here we go. Round two of personal Progress. I'm starting all over joining girls everywhere. And especially my girls, can come here to know they are not alone in the up downs/ because no doubt, it's real work.

Today I completed Individual Worth #1.

I chose to start with individual worth because it's the core of knowing who we are, and "feeling" that truth. For me, knowing who I am, is the super power food-- for personal progress that feeds me into everything else. I really liked the scripture Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee." That just little bit reminds me that we are true spirit sons and daughters of God, He knows us, and we were sent here with a plan to become our best and return.

We shall not cease from exploration, and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, And know the place for the first time. ~TS Elliot

I'm excited to explore!