These are my thoughts on Morals

So I spent today at a conference for educators. It's been amazing and it helped me remember how much I absolutely love teaching! There were a lot of great presenters and at the end of the day I went to a lecture on putting morals and values back into the classroom. The presenter was amazing and she said something that really struck me, not just as a teacher, but as a person in general. She said:

"If I walked into your room, how long would it take me to figure out what you stand for?"

I started thinking about my classroom at first and I thought, "Yeah, she would see student work on the walls and notes from my students taped to my filing cabinets. She would see pillows in the corner and hopefully see that Love and Security are what I stand for in the classroom." 

I was feeling pretty good about myself, and then I started thinking about it in a broader perspective. If someone walked in my home, how long would it take them to figure out what I stood for? 

Suddenly I wished I had fewer movies and more classic literature laying around. Less pairs of shoes and more pictures of my family. Perhaps a smaller TV and a bigger portrait of my Savior. 

As I took a mental walk through my house I realized there are things that tell what I believe loud and clear: my scriptures on the nightstand, Grandma's quilt spread on my (unmade) bed, a closet full of modest clothes. But how much more clear could I make it? How amazing would it be if someone could see things like commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, focus on family, and service to others within seconds of entering my home? 

Then I took the idea even further. When I meet someone new, how long does it take them to figure out what I stand for? Are the values and morals I so firmly believe in evident in my everyday interactions? As I talk to others, can they tell that the Savior and His Gospel are the center of my life? Or do I keep that back in social situations so I don't "offend" anyone? Could I be more obvious in my words and actions so that everyone I come in contact with knows immediately what my beliefs are? The answer is yes, of course I can. And I should. If these things are really the most important aspects of my life, shouldn't they be constantly displayed in my interactions with others? If I am going to claim that these things are the center of my life, it should radiate from my personality in painfully obvious ways! And if they aren't the first things a person notices about me, that tells me that maybe they aren't really what I stand for and I've got some changes to make. 

How long would it take you to figure out what I stand for? Hopefully not long.