Carrie Roberts encourages finding joy through purpose

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BYU women’s golf coach Carrie Roberts discusses finding purpose and meaning to find joy during a Feb. 12 devotional in the Marriott Center. (Arianna Davidson)

BYU head women’s golf coach Carrie Roberts discussed her experiences with finding identity and purpose at a Feb. 12 devotional address.

Roberts first shared two pieces of advice she received from her parents. The first occurred when Roberts came home from school in a terrible mood. She came home and complained to her mother.

“Carrie, if you don’t like something, then change it,” her mother told her. “If you think you can or you can’t, you are right.”

Roberts said this advice particularly stuck with her and helped form her beliefs on agency.

“Through your agency, and by learning to think and act for yourself, you can create the life that you want,” she said.

The second memorable lesson Roberts learned in her youth came from her father. Roberts was having a hard time deciding which university to attend and play golf for. Roberts said her father was a successful golfer on the Senior PGA tour, but didn’t try to influence her decision.

After approaching her father with her dilemma, Roberts said he asked her what she wanted out of life. When she answered, her father replied, “then choose the school that will give you that.”

Roberts said the most important element in making decisions is understanding your “why,” or individual purpose, explaining that it brings motivation, passion and desire and can also give meaning to life.

She said she found happiness and fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, she said she began to feel like she wasn’t enough — not smart enough, good enough or pretty enough.

“A psychologist here at BYU taught me that the happiness I sought wouldn’t just come, I needed to create it. He also taught me that controlling my thoughts would enable me to take the actions necessary to create the happiness I wanted,” Roberts said.

One’s purpose is to learn to be like Heavenly Father, Roberts explained, and this will bring true happiness. Part of that process is deciding what’s important and acting on those things to ultimately fulfill your dreams.

“What are your passions and talents? What is it that each of you wants to achieve in your life? With that personal understanding and desire, along with the help of a God who is there to guide and aid you, what you can achieve is without limits and has no boundaries,” Roberts said.

Roberts also encouraged the audience to begin thinking and acting for themselves. She implored them to find their passions and figure out what they want in life, and then accomplish it.

“Remember, if there is something in your life you don’t like, you have the power to change it. I pray that we will have the strength to be who we were meant to be,” Roberts said.

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