(to download a PDF of my handout in the image above click this link: Unselfish Self-Care)

Today I had the opportunity to speak at the Woodbridge Stake Women’s Conference.  I titled my talk “Unselfish Self-care”  and only had 20 minutes for my presentation.  With such little time I need to keep it simple and focused.  I felt impressed that the Lord really needed my sisters to hear 2 things:

You are not defined by your thoughts.  Not every voice you hear in your head is a trusted voice.

Your inner Critic, Judge, Victim, and Rebel are constantly clamoring for attention and have really bad manners.  They come uninvited, don’t raise a hand and asked to be called on before they speak, and do all they can to take up permanent residence in our minds and convince us that they are telling the truth.  The voices of truth have good manners and respect our agency.  It takes an act of will to listen to the still small voice of the Holy Ghost and the deep yearnings of our own eternal spirits.  It takes practice to dismiss the negative voices and listen to the truth.  The practice is meditation.  We need to do it daily.  Psalms 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” It teaches that the prerequisite for the knowledge of our connection to God is stillness.  Stillness in mind and body take practice.

The female body– YOUR BODY– is the crowning jewel of God’s creation on this earth.

The world was created under the direction of God.  Stars and planets and oceans and mountains were made with awe inspiring majesty.  He covered the earth with the most intricately and miraculously designed flowers and trees and plants of all kinds, and with amazing animals that live in beautifully balanced ecosystems.  From the dust of the earth he created Adam.  With every addition to the creation he saw that it was good, but it was not complete until he took some of the most refined material he had to make his crowning jewel.  To complete his work he could not use dust or anything less organized, only the best could be used.  So, he took from Adam a rib and created the female body, put into it a spirit, and there was Eve.  The most beautiful and creatively powerful of all the things he had made.

That’s you.  You are God’s crowning achievement with all your capacities and beauty.  Your body is the most beautiful and complete of all his creations.  Believe it.  Don’t let anyone or anything convince you otherwise.

It was such a privilege to speak to a group of such strong, courageous, humble, covenant keeping women.  I hope we all stay connected and I get the chance to continue our discussion about meditating and moving in beautiful, meaningful ways.

Here is a link to my presentation slides:  Woodbridge Stake Women’s Conference Unselfish Self-care presentation