Introspection

I have a lot of reading material on how to parent and I've been spending a lot of time recently reading and studying and feeling more and more like a failure. It seems the more I learn about what I should be doing the worse my kids get and the more I yell. I'm thinking although it's good to research how to parent and learn skills sometimes I just have to wing it and find my own way. It's not good for me to spend so much time thinking about myself and what I am or am not doing and what the long range effects will be for my kids. I'm putting down all the manuals for a while and I'm going to spend more time laughing.

I really love this quote from Sister Beck's talk:

Good women always have a desire to know if they are succeeding. In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly.