Not All Who Wonder...

There is a phrase in Portuguese that I love.  Seguir na frente.  Literally, it means to “follow in the front.” But to Brazilians, the actual meaning is to move on, keep going, or push ahead in spite of difficulty. I’ve always thought that was a fascinating way to explain endurance - following in the front. It's sort of like acknowledging that while circumstances are not always in our control, this doesn’t limit our ability to be leaders of our own lives. In our quest for growth, we might feel like we are always following or chasing after something in the future - whether a different circumstance or a better version of ourselves. For me, that can be deeply discouraging. I felt like that a lot on my mission. I just wanted to quit the chase. My companions would often hear me vocalize a half-joking desire to “run away.” What I meant, of course, was that I wanted to quit serving a mission. If not that, I wanted to stop facing trials in the process.  My mission...