Introspection and the personal

So I spent a few quiet moments in introspection today, always good, usually involving some guilt, a little pain, but then the exciting anticipation of change. I always think I should be doing much more of that.
Anyway, I read a bit in this book, written by and for The Relief Society, an organization for women in my Church. I haven't read very much and I already feel so inspired to be better. This particular quote started the self-evaluating.

Belle S. Spafford, the 9th Relief Society general president, said: "The average woman today, I believe, would do well to appraise her interests, evaluate the activities in which she is engaged, and then take steps to simplify her life, putting things of first importance first, placing emphasis where the rewards will be the greatest and most enduring, ridding herself of the less rewarding activities."
Good stuff eh? Nothing really new and earth shattering. In fact I've heard it worded different ways at least a hundred times. Prioritize and simplify. But it was very well put and I needed to hear it again. It got me thinking.

Its not like I go around doing terrible harmful things. In fact I might characterize my activities as mostly all good, but I often wonder if the good pushes out the best or most important.
I already know I won't be cutting many of those non-essential things completely out. They make me happy. I don't think its all bad to leisurely flip through a magazine, spend a few hours creating things just because they're pretty and not necessarily useful, or sometimes just veg and watch an exciting episode of Leverage.

But at this point in my life I spend all day with our girlies, and I really should take more advantage of that, to teach them openly and maybe a little more discreetly. Everyone can work on being a better example.

I am, always have been, a bit of a procrastinator. And I don't want to pass that on to my kids. So yes, I could plan ahead. I can go to bed earlier and be a little more effective and charming in the early morning hours ;). I can dedicate 20 or 30 minutes a day for some personal scripture study and personal prayer. That has just not been happening for me. Its hit and miss, and I know its important.

These are things I want to instill in my children. I want them to see what is so important to me that they wouldn't doubt where my priorities lie. To create a happy home. That I love and respect their Daddy. That I truly believe what I preach, that Heavenly Father has a plan, that prayer works, repentance is utilized, and we all have potential to do and to be great.

I hope to raise some happy, well-adjusted optimists. And I never want them to doubt in any given moment, just how loved and important each of them is in our family.
So sometimes its a little disheartening to realize how much i have to work on, but its always exciting to implement plans for improvement. After all, I'm not striving for the impossible.