The antidote for a passive existence is living with purpose and real intent, said Randall L. Ridd, second counselor in the Young Men general presidency for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, during the first Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults on Sunday night.
“The best way to avoid distractions is to have our focus firmly set on our purpose and be anxiously engaged in a good cause,” he said. “Be careful of your focus … don’t spent time focused on climbing a mountain, only to discover you have climbed the wrong one.”
The devotional, formerly known as a Church Educational System devotional, originated from the BYU-Idaho Center in Rexburg, Idaho, and was translated into 40 languages and broadcast throughout the world.
Living with purpose and real intent can mean the difference between struggling through an ordinary life or being immensely successful, he said.
“You have more choices and more opportunities than ever before,” Brother Ridd said. “Like so many things in life, this is both a blessing and a curse. Too many choices, and the fear of making bad decisions, often lead to ‘decision paralysis,’ which is one of the challenges of your generation. It is more difficult to focus than ever!”
Using the ever-changing technology as an example, Brother Ridd spoke of how quickly the newest version of something becomes obsolete.
“Too many people are afraid to commit to anything because they question whether a better option is right around the corner,” he said. “So they wait — and end up choosing nothing. In this passive state, they are easy targets for distraction.”
Brother Ridd asked listeners to imagine they are in a lifeboat on the ocean, with nothing but rolling waves in every direction, as far as the eye can see.
“The boat is equipped with oars, but which direction would you row?” he asked. He then asked listeners to imagine they caught a glimpse of land, giving them a direction they must go.
“Does seeing land give you both motivation and purpose?” he asked. “People who don’t maintain a clear sense of purpose are drifters. Drifters allow the tides of the world to decide where they are going.”
That is why having a purpose and doing things with real intent are so important, he taught.
“Living with ‘real intent’ means understanding the ‘why’ and being aware of the motives behind your actions,” he said. “Socrates said, ‘An unexamined life is not worth living.’ Ponder how you spend your time and ask yourself regularly, ‘why?’ This will help you develop the ability to see beyond the moment. It’s far better to look ahead and ask yourself, ‘why would I do that?’ than to look back and say, ‘why, oh, why did I do that?’ If the only reason why, is that God wants you to, that’s reason enough.”
Avoiding distractions
“Distractions rob you of time that could have been invested in doing good," he said. "The ability to focus helps us avoid distractions.”
Sharing a video of a basketball being tossed, Brother Ridd asked viewers to count the number of passes one of the teams makes. By focusing on one thing, viewers were able to miss many of the distractions placed in the video.
“Our focus in life is so important,” he said. “As the test demonstrates, we typically find what we are looking for. Or, as the scriptures put it, ‘seek and ye shall find’ (Luke 11:9).”
Power of small things
There is great power in the compounding effect of little things done each day, he taught. Small, simple, purposeful acts can have dramatic consequences.
“Small and simple things that are at work in your life right now — working either for you or against you,” he said. Brother Ridd shared three small and simple ways to “look to God” that help individuals maintain their focus on their eternal focus.
If an individual understands the why behind simple disciplines they would make all three of the suggestions — taking the sacrament, praying and studying the scriptures — a top priority in their life, he said.
He invited listeners to participate in a worldwide conversation via social media through responding to questions, "Can you do it?" "Will it work?" and "Is it worth it?" and encouraged them to use #ldsdevo in their response.
“Start now. Live a purposeful life. Put the power of the compounding of daily disciplines in place in the important areas of your life. I promise that in a year from now, you will either be glad you started today, or you will wish you had.”
mholman@desnews.com @marianne_holman