My Spiritual Game-Changer

Hey friends, this is Ashley. I felt impressed this morning to take a few minutes and tell you a part of my story. A few years ago, I was going through the motions. I didn’t realize it but I was complacent with my life in a lot of ways. I was running at a pace that wasn’t manageable and my priorities were mixed up. Church was something I did on Sunday and didn’t think much of throughout the week, other than obligations or commitments. I wouldn’t say I was making any time for improving my spirituality or being proactive with my health at all, really.

One day I was in the car and a song came on the radio that I liked. It had an acoustic guitar and I was humming along. It suddenly hit me what the lyrics were and I was so annoyed, thinking ‘why would they ruin which great music with those awful lyrics!’ They were offensive and degrading. Much to my disappointment, I turned the radio off and started to think. I reflected on how much music really impacted my life. I listened to it all the time, any chance I could get. Then I noticed how I used it to reflect my moods - harsher music and lyrics when I was upset, upbeat when I was feeling energetic, etc. It reminded me of something I’d seen on social media from a friend about using music to change or uplift your mood rather than reflect it.

I decided then and there to change the input to my brain. I wanted to consciously choose music that would lift me up and give me things to ponder. I soon discovered the radio station #KLOVE and listened to a few Christian songs. It was weird at first. As most of you probably know, for Latter-Day Saints, our gospel music is very reverent and rarely carries a heavy beat. It really brings the spirit but I wanted something to challenge me. KLOVE extends a 30-day listening challenge, so I thought I’d see if I could make it that long... I was in. 

You guys - this has seriously been a game-changer for me. Not only does it regularly improved my attitude, I feel like I have the spirit with me all the time while I’m listening to this amazing music. It’s inspiring to listen to other believers express their faith and devotion in their own words and it’s challenged me to think about my own beliefs. It’s allowed me to see the many similarities between my beliefs and others. I’m blessed to see and feel the power of an even larger community that I once had. It keeps me pondering the goodness of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and his atonement more than I ever have. I could go on and on.

I understand that this won’t have the same impact for everyone but for me - it rescued me from myself. It has lifted me to a better place where I can be a better wife, daughter, sister, friend, and disciple. It gives me a space to learn about and respect the beliefs of others. It’s reminded me that the more friends I have with different beliefs than me, makes me a better person. I’ve learned to celebrate differences rather than just similarities. 

I’m so grateful for this experience in my life. Being more selective of my inputs has made more of a difference in my life than I could have ever imagined. 

So - does any of this sound familiar? Are there places in your life that could benefit by changing your input (what info/messages you’re taking in)? If you stop, take a look around, and allow the spirit to speak to you - what would the Lord have you change in your life? What are you waiting for?