In order to see things as they could be, you have to begin by first seeing things as they really are. All too often, we are sadly mistaken in our perception of ourselves, others, and the world around us. We think that we are better than we are in some ways, we think we are worse than we are in others.
The starting point of all things desired is wherever you are right now. You will never find the right path to what you desire without first ensuring you really are where you think you are. Anyone with experience using a map and compass will attest to this fact.
The thoughts of the faithful always begin with the current state of things—not to limit themselves to the present situation, but in order to devise an accurate starting point for their journey of faith. They are concerned with the chain of actions between how things are and how things could be.
The faithless will keep their dreams well separated from their daily actions. They would rather hold onto hope in what they have no reason to believe is possible than risk failure in attempts to obtain it. The faithful, in contrast, dare to stare at what needs to be done to accomplish what they set out to do. They don’t shy away from discovering the path, no matter how horrible it might be. If their hope is misplaced, they want to know so that they can improve by choosing a better thing to hope for. If their current actions are insufficient to obtain what they seek, they want to know so that they can do what is necessary to obtain what they seek. They actually seek what they say they seek, not just the vapor of false hope that comes from intentionally vacuous dreams.
When his fancy bow broke, Nephi was left without the means of obtaining food (see 1 Nephi 16). His brothers complained. Nephi turned to God in faith. It didn’t matter that he was as hungry as everyone else, or that he had to bear the extra burden of their complaints. He courageously faced reality—he would have to find a way to hunt. He made a bow and arrows, which is not an easy feat, even when you have a full belly and plenty of time. He sought God with a willingness to do what was necessary, and he responded to the instructions he received to climb a mountain to find animals to shoot. It didn’t matter that he was quite hungry at that point, having gone days without food. He simply did what needed to be done. Nephi could have done what normal people would do by complaining instead of doing anything about it. Instead, he realized that the choice was either doing the difficult or dying of starvation. He opted to do what was reasonable, in spite of it also being difficult.
People with faith will do hard things, because they decide what to do not based on whether or not it is difficult, or how long it will take, but based on whether it is worth it . Because they do things based on whether they are worth it, they do things that no one else will do.