What do a monkey, a fly, and a panic-stricken elder have in common?

Take a moment and see if you can figure out what a monkey, a fly, and a panic-stricken elder have in common by looking at these pictures.

In a meeting we had recently, a fellow missionary was leading a discussion about the desires of our hearts and how they drive us.  He mentioned our families and the desire to share the things that have blessed our lives.  I reflected on what drove me to come on a mission and the things that matter most to me.  And then the missionary said something that really stood out to me.  He said...

Distractions

Destroy

Desires

He then went on to explain that we have to continually be focused on what we want.  If we allow ourselves to be pulled this way and that, we will come to the end and realize we missed out on the joy and peace that could have been ours.

There are so many things that are clamoring for our attention.  School, career, family, friends, religion, hobbies, and events of life each call for a bit of us.  This life for each of us should be to focus on what truly matters, for we cannot call back the sands of time once they have passed on.  If we give into the numerous distractions that are all along our way, we will fall short of what has been promised us and what we truly desire. Thus, we become the monkey stuck in the trap due to food, the fly tricked by the sweet scents,or the accident caused by losing calm.  On the other hand, if we stay true to the course, we will be welcomed into the heavens with the knowledge that we have obtained our up-most desires.

My plan is to take some time and focus on what I really want and desire, to see what distractions there are that will keep me from those goals, and then do everything I can to overcome those distractions.  I want to say at the end, that I lived my life with no regrets.

Images taken from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/, youthinmind.sg, and the office of Elder Ives (no I was not the one driving the car)