It's a Miracle!

Before I came out to BYU, I downloaded the BYU Devotionals podcast, and enjoyed listening to them on Sunday morning or anytime I needed a spiritual boost, and I've come back to one, entitled "Live Right Now," multiple times in the last year for strength and direction. The devotional itself talks about agency and the different types of choices we make and how we make them. The speaker is Gerrit Gong, and he delivered the talk on 3/20/07, and I highly recommend looking it up. The best guidance I've received from this address, however, is a quick quote from President Hinckley that Brother Gong mentions. To BYU students, our beloved former prophet advises that "if you get to bed by 10:00 and get up 6:00, things will work out for you." I was pretty impressed by this, because it is so rare that General Authorities give such specific instructions, and it has stayed with me ever since.

Facing this new semester, I was feeling overwhelmed by the task of figuring out how to do everything this semester, and I realized that "things working out" is exactly what I need to happen, and if President Hinckley says that that will happen, then I'll do whatever he says. Thus began the 10-6 experiment.

I have yet to be asleep by 10:00 p.m. on the dot, but I'm coming close, and I officially LOVE waking up early. Those of you who know me are probably thinking, "This surely can't be Emily, the girl who barely had 80% attendance for seminary, which started at 6:00, five days a week for 4 years? She's chosing now, when she doesn't have classes until 9:00 every morning, to become a morning person?" Well, it's time to re-think how you see my early-rising potential, for I am officially a morning person. I've discovered that my key to 6 a.m. success is not letting myself hit snooze or fall back on my pillow, because then I fall into a vicious cycle of alarms and funny dreams, last minute getting up, hurried getting ready, stressful trekking to campus, and tardy entering of class or work. Ironically, sleeping to the last minute and rushing to get ready results in my being way more tired during the day than when I get up at 6:00, get ready, and spend time studying scriptures and starting my homework for the day.

These instructions from President Hinckley have blessed me so much in these last two weeks. My experiences have testified to me that Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need not only spiritually but physically. He created us to thrive under certain circumstances, and the 10-6 lifestyle is one that works beautifully for me.