I once believed that to be in a bad mood was a social transgression, no less offensive than halitosis or body odor, and certainly just as avoidable. I believed that a man was to endeavor to always be a beacon of light, hope, and happiness, and that anything less than this was a crude abasement and dereliction of his duty.
Somewhere along the way, I lost touch with that principle. I allowed depression to creep in. I began to walk with a humdrum meloncholy. I believed that it was my friends’ responsibility to uphold me in times of internal dejection. When I found myself alone, spiritually weakened, and reduced to tears, I realized that I needed to change. If I were to keep real friends, I needed to be happy and true to myself.
I believe that men are to act and not be acted upon. I again believe that real men, American men, are to be a light, a hope, and a source of happiness to those that matter most. We cannot function as black holes, sucking everything, even light, from those that choose to get close to us.
We must be robust in our own brilliance. This week I have been working on the second virtue: High-Spirited. It is not easy to maintain an exact focus on this principle. In fact, it is impossible without importuning help from Heaven. Only Christ’s light can impart the hope that we need to fortify our attitudes. Only His grace, the power that enables us to be great, can give us the consistant strength we must posses to be men of high spirits.
As I reflect on this week, I see where I have fallen short in this goal. It is toughest to stay lofty when we allow weakness and sin to weigh down our spirits. We must fight sin and transgression, no matter how small it may seem, with a fervent zeal. We must root out the sources of darkness that have choked the light within us.
Just remember, if we are to be examples to those that we love we must radiate the Savior’s love. Remember the Savior’s words: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”
