Conquering the Dragons In Life

What would you do if you came face to face with a dragon in your real life?

They are often large, incredibly difficult to defeat, breathe fire, and cause all kinds of chaos.

Have you seen one?  Are you currently facing one at this very moment?

Well the truth of the matter is, you probably have already faced at least one dragon in your life.  And the best part?  You have defeated it.

Now I'm talking about the fluffy pink dragons from Dragon Tales or even the big ugly ones in Harry Potter.

No, I am talking about those all-too difficult challenges we face in this mortal existence.

Lately I have been awoken to the many changes that have taken place in my life over the last year.  Combined with new stress, these changes have felt overwhelming.  In general, we as human beings do not like change, especially a lot of change all at once.  For me, this last year has been a tremendous stage of growth in my own life, and an awful lot of change.  However, at the end of the year, the change didn't stop.  If anything, it became worse.  Compounded with getting back to school (with all the homework that it brings), with drastic changes to my work environment and home life, I started to panic last night.

And then I realized something.

For me, the personal "dragon" I am facing right now is learning to deal with the changes that are coming.  This Dragon of Change was pressing down hard last night, and I felt like a trapped knight trying to desperately fight for freedom, but with little success at piercing this dragon's tough scales.

There were two choices that I could make:

One: Run away and hide from this dragon, praying it never finds me again.

or

Two: Stand and fight with all my might, mind, and strength.

Sure, running away and never having to face the problem would be easy, but would it be the right thing to do?  I certainly wouldn't be counted among the "heroes" of my story if I ran away like a coward.  It was a wise old wizard that once said,

"Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."  

[Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie, 2005]

And so, running away would not be the best option.

As I finally stood my ground, facing the dragon, I quickly became overwhelmed with its size and power over my life.

It was then that I realized one thing...

I am a knight, preparing to face this incredible dragon.  And I am scared.  Scared at what this dragon may do to me and my life now that I have decided to fight.

But unlike so many other fairytales, I do not fight alone.

I have at least three other knights on my side, helping me to conquer this dragon.  Sometimes I forget they are even there, though they are always present.

Those three amazing knights in shining armor are my Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.  They will always be by my side, helping me fight every evil, nasty dragon that comes my way.  They will travel with me along these many journeys, and will aid me whenever I become downhearted, sick, or simply need company.  For sometimes, these journeys seem incredibly lonely.

Together, we can conquer any dragon that comes my way.  I can face any opposition because of the strength and power of my fellow comrades.

Dragons can take on many different forms in this life.  They can be big or small, completely engulfing or simply taunting.  They can leave a trail of destruction, with many signs of defeat and hopelessness posted along the way.  But when you see a dragon, realize that it can be taken down.  First aim for perhaps a claw (just one claw) and then attack another claw once the first has been overcome.  Slowly you can conquer your dragon by taking him down a piece at a time.  It reminds me of the old addage:

"How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time."

This is the exact same concept.  You can defeat any dragon in your life.  And you have already done this in your own life, I am sure of it!  Even if it was just a small dragon, you have overcome the opposition in one form or another, and you can do it again by destroying it a piece at a time; whether it's addiction, the loss of a loved one, change, stress, choice, anxiety, depression, anything... you can defeat it!

And with the help of your fellow knights, you will not be alone in your conquest.