What Matters Most

My missionary companion and I visited a friend the other day. She was busy putting up some decorations around her apartment. One of the phrases she put up on her wall has left an indelible impression on me:

The most important things in life aren't things.

I was reminded of what matters most—people. Our relationships with friends and family are the building blocks of happiness.

Smile! There are plenty of reasons to be happy.

Happiness cannot be bought with money. But how many times do we try to find joy in material things? Often, we think like this: "I'd be happy if I just had that new car. My home is so small. Why can't I afford a hot tub? I really want that new album. Nothing would make me happier than a new iPad. I wish I had the money to eat out tonight. If only I could afford to go on vacation. Then I'd be happy."

The problem with this kind of thinking is that material things cannot satisfy our search for happiness. We ought to think more about what really makes us happy—our relationships with others.

Felice Mancini expressed this idea in the beautiful poem, Sometimes, set to music by her father and sung by the incomparable Karen Carpenter.

Sometimes,

Not often enough,

We reflect upon the good things;

And those thoughts always center around those we love.

And I think about those people

Who mean so much to me,

And for so many years have made me

So very happy;

And I count the times I have forgotten to say,

"Thank you"

And just how much I love them.

Among the people that matter most in my life is my Savior, Jesus Christ. He suffered for my sins and provided for me a way to repent and be forgiven. He loves me unconditionally and is anxious for me to be happy. He wants those same things for you, too. 

As we think more about Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven, our family and our friends—the people who really matter—we will gain a fresh outlook on life. We won't be sorry for what we don't have and what we can't do. We will instead be grateful for what we do have and what we are capable of doing.