Mosiah 5:1-5
Elder Hallstrom told a story from his days as a bishop. See What Manner of Men? By Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, April 2014
"During one intense discussion about the challenges in his life, he leaned toward me—as his conclusion to our numerous talks—and said, “Bishop, I have a bad temper, and that’s just the way I am!” That statement stunned me that night and has haunted me ever since. Once this man decided — once any of us conclude — “That’s just the way I am,” we give up our ability to change. We might as well raise the white flag, put down our weapons, concede the battle, and just surrender — any prospect of winning is lost. While some of us may think that does not describe us, perhaps every one of us demonstrates by at least one or two bad habits, “That’s just the way I am.”
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That story has stuck with me. Not long after this conference, a sister I on my visiting teaching list said almost exactly the same thing. "I'm a negative person. It's just the way I am." It shocked me as it did elder Hallstrom, especially since it was within a couple months after his talk. It made me aware of that thinking in my own life. It changed my thinking. It's an excuse I don’t allow myself anymore.
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