Monday Magic | Value Your Dents

This week:
I had an amazing weekend at a conference that was focused on blogging, storytelling, and family history. Three things that interest me so much. I have so much information that I would like to share with you from this conference. I will be applying much of it to the way I blog, to the way I design, to the way I scrap, and share. It might take me a little while to get all my thoughts organized and the changes made, so bear with me. But I am going to be sharing things from the conference in several posts coming up.
I fully intended to share something from the conference today, but as I went through my notes, I actually came upon something that I really wanted to share today. The inspiration for this came to me at the conference (during a break), but it actually came from inside of me and not from something anyone said. And its interesting because as I researched this concept a little bit today, I realized that many bloggers have already come to this conclusion, but it hadn't occurred to me until now. Maybe it has already resonated with you, but I think its worth thinking about!

In the movie, Cars 2, Mater made a point of letting everyone know that his dents were some of his most prize possessions. Mater embraced those dents as part of his life and he didn't want to get rid of them.

We should be proud of our “dents” in life. We have trials and we don’t come out of them unscathed....but the dents show that we lived, that we made mistakes, that we tried, and in the process we learn, grow, change, endure, and become better people. We should value our dents and thank our Heavenly Father for them, because they are the spots where his blessings shine most brightly in our lives. Our dents are what makes us who we are.

There was a time in my life where I was definitely emotionally scarred. Teenage years can be rough, and mine was. I had to face ridicule, judgement, and teasing from my classmates every day. It took my self-esteem completely down to nothing. I even contemplated taking my own life. It got so bad that I couldn't even see past all of the sneering to see that I really did have true friends on my side. I felt very alone in the world. Eventually, I made it through and discovered amazing friends and realized that I, along with everyone else has a divine nature. We are children of a Heavenly Father and we are all important and special. I have since forgiven those who caused me such grief growing up. I have realized that much of it was my own fault for not rising above it and letting it happen to me. I didn't ask for help, thinking that I could do it on my own. I have learned so much since that time in my life, but I am still scarred. My self-esteem is kind of like a rollercoaster sometimes, but when I look back, I can see how far I have come. I can be happy that life is a learning process. This memory is just a little dent that I wouldn't trade, because the knowledge that I have gained has been worth it.


What are some of the dents you are proud of in your life?

Each Monday (that doesn't have a new release), I am going to be offering a little Magic to start your week. It might be a fun idea, some inspiration, a tutorial, or just sharing some thoughts - Whatever I feel like! So come back and share your thoughts too!