A successful life

I have been using the "Preach My Gospel" manual for scripture study and I really like it. Today I read the part entitled "A successful Missionary"(pg 10). I loved this section because if you just switch out the word "missionary" for "member" it is a great guide for how to live the gospel and find success in your spiritual life. here are some of my favorite parts.

" Your success ...is measured primarily by your commitment to... help [people] become faithful members.
"Avoid comparing your self with other[s] ... and measuring outward results... . Remember people have their agency... your responsibility is to teach clearly and powerfully so they can make the correct choice." ( great parenting advice, no?)

It continues, "Some may not accept even when they receive a spiritual witness that it is true. You will be saddened because you love them and desire their salvation (reminds me of Alma 8:14).

"You should not, however, become discouraged. Discouragement will weaken your faith. If you lower your expectations, our effectiveness will decrease, your desire will weaken, and you will have greater difficulty following the spirit. " I love how this can apply to teaching and sharing the gospel or life in genera, l going back to comparing ourselves with others.

You can know you have been ... successful ..., when you:

feel the spirit ( testify to people through you)
-Love people and desire their salvation
-Obey with exactness
-Live so that you can receive and know how to follow the spirit
-Develop Christlike attributes
-Work effectively everyday, do your very best, seek earnestly to learn and improve
-Help build up the church
-Teach and serve others
-Go about doing good and serving people at every opportunity

Then it says, " when you have done your very best you will still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself. You can feel certain the lord is pleased when you feel the spirit working through you."

I guess i just really like the way this applies to life in general and its a good check up when we are feeling discouraged and need to get back on track spiritually.

I have been thinking alot about this comparing yourself to others because it is so easy to do. In some ways I see it as coveting. We can covet things or we can covet talents or gifts. I often think about how the commandment's are God's greatest gift to us. They protect us from harm and are set up to make our lives better. Every commandments is a reminder that if we do these things we will hurt ourselves or others (thus hurting ourselves as well). I can just picture a loving Father saying, "If you do that it will make you unhappy." Some are not so obvious such as honoring our parents, keeping the sabbath day, not coveting.
The other day it occurred to me how hurtful covetousness is to us. Wanting what others have or comparing our acehivements or worth withothers leaves us with a dissatisfaction, an uneasiness, and ingratitude for what we have. It can also lead to debt and overall unhappiness (and maybe even cheating and stealing). And what is it that He wants for us? Happiness.