Jesus is the ultimate example of love. He has taught me so much about what it means to have the courage to leave my comfort zone by focusing on other people’s needs. Elder David A. Bednar explained that the manner in which we can follow the Savior’s example is “in the power to discern the suffering of other people when we ourselves are suffering; in the ability to detect the hunger of others when we are hungry; and in the power to reach out and extend compassion for the spiritual agony of others when we are in the midst of our own spiritual distress” (“A Christlike Character,” New Era, October 2017).
By using coping strategies and focusing on love for the people I was with, I learned to push aside my fears and be free from the anxiety I typically felt in social situations.
After talking about it with my therapist, I realized what had happened. In therapy, I was taught skills to learn how to love myself. Instead of focusing on my shortcomings, I learned to give myself credit for the things I was doing well. Also, I did not need to compare myself to others, since I have been given unique gifts and I do not have to act the same way others do, nor do I need to progress at the same rate that others do. Sometimes progress from one day to the next means feeling happy for just one minute longer than I did the previous day. With skills like these under my belt, I have been able to manage my anxiety much better than before. Instead of feeling like a constant failure, I have learned to love myself more often.
I still have anxiety, but it does not interfere with my life as much as before. Serving others has given me a greater sense of belonging than anything else in my life.
The most profound way that I have felt the Savior’s love for me is through other people, and I have made it my personal mission to consistently seek who I can serve so that someone may feel the Lord’s love through me.