Last Lecture...

Here we are friends, at the end of this semester and the end of another great corse… It is bitter sweet. This not an ending but simply a beginning, there are no true endings in the grand scheme of eternity as long as we do our part. This semester has been quite a ride, I am quite excited to report I am still kicking. Life can offer some interesting obstacles but the Lord will always offer the tools to get through, if we chose to use them. This class has been a tool through these past few months. 

Don’t stop the documentation:

I now stand on the brink of a new adventure and a new set of obstacles. The question remains, will I take the tools of this class and apply them, or allow them to go to waste? As I share the lessons of this semester I feel I am making the first efforts of application. Journalling is key to application, not only does it help you remember but it also helps keep you accountable to the lessons and goals. So first bit of advice in the entrepreneur’s journey is to document every step. 

The Past is important: 

Experiences: 

Everything really does happen for a reason! Next nugget of learning comes from the past, take every experience as a chance to learn and grow and move forward into the future. For those seeking their mission (myself included) great power comes from self reflection and from looking those past experiences. Every experience has lesson that can build our future. Look at Nephi and the boat, do you think he used his building skills he acquired with the boat to later build a city?!?! You bet her did… Everything happens for a reason… 

Live your dream: 

Along with learning from the past is looking for your dreams and checking them off along the way. A few blogs ago I referred back to the “Last Lecture” and how the speaker felt he achieved so many of his dreams. In that blog I applied my own advise to self reflect I say many of my dreams and how they have fallen into place. I am living a dreamers life and I only hope to never stop! A dreamers life is a hard life, but it is a life without regrets. 

The Nitty Gritty Truth: 

Hard times will come: 

Sometimes it is going to just plain stink… Never ever think this journey is an easy one, those thoughts will lead to your demise. Everything that is of worth in this world comes with a price and with a little bit of elbow grease. In the book of Alma the Lord did not take away the burdens of the enslaved Nephites, but when they turned to him they did find their burdens to be lightened. Same applies to life and to business. There will be hard times and there will be struggles but with prayer and faith we will find ourselves yoked with the Lord and our burden made light. “Then if thought shalt endure it well, God shall exhaust thee on high.” Remember this “shall be but a small moment.” (D&C 121:7-9)

Be ready to work and sacrifice:  

In the movie Transformers there is the repeated family quote “No sacrifice, no victory.” Same applies here. Remember that the best things are the things we have worked hardest for. I will never forget the lessons of hard work I learned as my family built our barn. It took long time because we had to level the ground first. We spent hours everyday digging at the hard Colorado granite. Even once the area was flattered we still had to build the structure. The end result brought valuable lessons in hard work, shelter for our animals, building knowledge, and much blood, sweat, and tears. In your journey of entrepreneurship you will work hard and you will struggle. Sacrifice must be made but in the end it will be “for your good.” 

Take the Leap: 

Faith to move forward: 

Here is where I struggle… I fear moving forward… I know fear is not a good thing but it can be powerful. I fear many things in starting my own educational based business. I fear staring, I fear not being successful, I fear what others think. I fear many things but this course has reminded me that I must needs have faith in order to progress and move forward. I need to have faith and trust the Lord and ACT on the prompting he has given me. As the Brazilian people would say, Tudo via certo, everything will work out. I just need to get moving, we all do! We must have faith, though it be small, to move forward and ACT! 

Friends in high places: 

We cannot do it alone! That is hard for me too! However, this course reminded me the vital need to have mentors and others around to help in your vision. None of us is alone in this experience of life and there are many just waiting for us to up to them and allow them to join in the journey. That takes faith a little trust but there is value in bringing others in. Find friends among those you serve as well because in the famous words of high school musical, “we’re all in this together.”

Who comes first? 

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.” Ezra Taft Benson 

This quote is what I want to end with because it is the pinnacle of everything. When we put God first everything falls where it needs to. We are here to learn, grow, and become like him. When we put him first and his commandments we will reap the blessings as go along the journey! If there is anything I want everyone to always know it is that Heavenly Father loves us and when we give him our will and incorporate him in all we do, even business, everything will fall right where it needs to be. Never stop fighting and never stop moving forward, never stop becoming! 

Nearing the end...

I am sad to say that it is near the end of this course. I have loved the lessons along the way and I feel that I have become a better person along the way. Even though the course is coming to an end I hope that this blog will continue as continue on my own journey to fulfill the dreams I have for a better world. This week was another good week full of more interesting lessons.

Once again I find myself blown away by how the weeks learning partner with real life events. I loved that we pulled from the talk by President Thomas Monson about having a life full of gratitude. This week has been a great reminder of my need to be grateful for my experiences, the places I've been, and the people I have met along the way.

This week I went back for a visit to Orlando, Florida. It was a bitter sweet return and I hate to admit but there were some tears. I love that place and the people there. I felt such heart break having to leave once again. I went to the temple while I was there and sat outside for a time and counseled with my Heavenly Father. I had some grumpy un-grateful thoughts of wondering if life would be easier if we didn't have so many experiences and so many wonderful people. Maybe then our hearts wouldn't feel so torn apart. I then quickly received the words from my Heavenly Father that I needed. Some included the need to be grateful for every experience and person I have had the privilege to meet. Then I felt further thoughts of how we need these experiences to grow and understand how to return home to our Heavenly Father. We also need to have a broken heart and contrite spirit as part of our conversion. These feelings of being torn in so many places by some many wonderful people is a sign that we are allowing our heart to be broken. When we decide to take the Lord with us on our journeys and give him those broken hearts. He promises to make them whole and use them to further his great kingdom.

Those were some thoughts I had as I thought about this course and the need to have people and reason for business. These feelings will probably continue but when we involve the Lord we are made great tools.

I also found great meaning in the video about avoiding the wrong carrier. I really loved his questions for those he interviews about what their life story is. I also found great comfort in his advise to not do things for others and to build your resume. Instead do things that you love and that build you!

Some great stuff!

Olhos Fitos na Gloria de Deus.

“Olhos fitos na gloria de Deus…” Quickly became a main theme in my life while I was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. It means; “…eye single to the Glory of God.” I feel like this was the main message for me this week. I was especially excited for the things I received this week because I love the topic of service and of charity. I feel very strongly that the only way to truly succeed in business is with the help of the Lord, the best way to find that help is by turning outward. I especially loved the talk by Elder Gay about consecration and entrepreneurship. I want so very badly to have my life and business ideas in accordance with the mission my Heavenly Father has for me. I have seen the impact that turning outward can leave you with and it is nothing short of addictive. I can honesty say I am happiest when I am serving others around me. The quote from his father’s wall also struck a cord within; "In the days of service,all things are founded, in the days of privilege, they deteriorate, and in the days of vanity they are destroyed.” Service and charity are key to all success in this life and in eternal life. I hope that I can put myself in a position to always have a charity reflex in all my dealings. As I look to my further dreaming and action for Joy2theJourney I hope to always have a mission and a goal of charity through education. 

I also really liked what he had to say about not seeking after riches. When we seek money and riches, we will fail. We must “seek first the kingdom of God.” If we look we will find constant reminders that life is far more valuable than any riches. This past Sunday I had that reminder in a huge way. Often my roommates and I have the YSAs from our branch over for Sunday dinner. After dinner this past Sunday everyone went home and I sat down getting ready to unwind and prepare for a new week. Minutes after they all left I got a call from one of the girls that one of our guys friends had flipped his truck on our dirt road. I grabbed my brother and we rushed over… I wasn’t sure what we were going to find. As we drove up the dust was still settling and there my friend was walking around with minor cuts and bruises. I have never been so happy to see someone as in that moment. He just moved in our branch and I don’t even know him as well as some of the other folks that hang around, but I wanted to just hug him because of the joy I felt seeing he was okay. While I was cleaning the blood from his arms he was expressing his frustration at ruining his mom’s beautiful truck. Granted, that was not a good thing, but all I could think of was the gratitude that he was okay. Bad things are going to happen and we will go through trials where we lose much. In the end we have to work to find the lessons and the blessings of what is truly important. I want that to always be in my vision as I look forward to the future in business, education, and family. 

There really were so many powerful things from this week that really penetrated. There were many interesting moments this week and the lessons from this week brought sweet reminders of great strength. Another such lesson was when Elder Gay expressed to the audience of how they are special and that their covenants give them the power of God. I felt that on my temple shift this week. When we obey those covenants and do our part the Lord will pull us through, he will not take the burdens and hard things will happen but we will make them light. Sometimes I let myself become overcome with fear of the dreams I have, when in reality I need to trust and move into the storm. I have decided after listening to Elder Gay that Joy2theJourney is not for me, it is focused on rescuing and lifting others. 

Life of Balance...

I continue to be blown away about how the every week matches with real life events. I hit a wall this week of exhaustion, with everything going on in life I just felt a little done. That is never a great place to be in. However, the Lord will never leave you alone. On Wednesday nights I work in the temple as an ordinance worker and I was thinking about life and some of the recent struggles in life. I also thought about class and had the overwhelming feeling that I needed to find balance in my life.

I have a hard time with balance because I feel like there is always too much to do and I have a really really hard time saying no to things. I loved the quote about saying no in the video with Randy Komisar; "Never put yourself in a situation where you can't say no." I have always struggled with this principle and it is starting to take its toll. I am coming to a realization that it is vital to prioritize life and recognize our true stewardships. We also have to have a focus on service but also take the moment to take care of ourselves. I am learning that when we don't take care of ourselves we cannot truly help take care of others around us. It is a hard lesson to learn but it is vital to progression.

I really loved the lessons of this week and hope to work hard to apply them in my life. I want to follow the council of President Monson with his formula for success. These are the things I want to aim for with my business ideas. I know that the application in these things will help me find help with life and balance. It will also help me as I work for my dreams!

We also read the "Attitude of Money." I learned a lot from that as well. I have always been intrigued by money and very cautious with money. I used to never ever spend money but over time I have become a little more lax. Honestly, I feared money for a long time but now I see it as a tool that can be used for good. In the "Attitude of Money"  I especially enjoyed the rules behind wise use of money. I love the concept of including the Lord and commandments in money dealings. That way it helps keep things under better control. I also love the planning part. I think money planning and budgeting is so key to success. Money is something that also has to looked at with balance and caution but it is also important.

To Become...

I was especially excited for this week because of my insight from the interview and because of the reading of the talk "The Challenge to Become." That was the main theme of my mission president when I was serving in Washington DC. When we left he gave us all a special copy in a booklet of our president letters. He often used that talk to teach us as missionaries and encouraged us to continue after the mission to apply these incredible teaching. I love the thoughts of becoming being an ongoing process of conversion. It is a sweet reminder that we are here to become perfect like our Savior but that it doesn't happen all at once. It happens over time as we become truly converted. 

This made me think back to my mission and the connection I made to this talk and my work with cattle. Cattle are one of my greatest passions! One day while reading this talk on my mission and as I was going through a personal study on conversion. I thought of how being converted is having Christ branded on our hearts. I thought of cattle and how they are branded with an element of love by the rancher, to ensure that they will not be lost. When a calf is branded with the brand of it's owner, they, in a way, represent that rancher and send a sign to others of who they belong to. It is the same thing with conversion. When we choose to become converted we choose represent that we belong to our Savior. Of course conversion branding must be continued in order to ensure that it sticks, but the object of the lesson is quite powerful. 

This week I also mentioned my excitement over the interview. I chose my own own mother for my entrepreneur interview. She and my father are the perfect example of powerful entrepreneurs. Their story is one that inspires me to want to create a similar lifestyle for my own future family. This activity helped me connect on a newer level with my mother and the sacrifices made for my siblings and myself. Honestly, this really hit me because until now I never truly realized the impact this lifestyle has made in myself and so many others. As I talked with my mom and wrote my reflection paper, I wept with an incredible amount of gratitude. I know this journey is not easy, but I know that it is worth it! 

Leadership and discipleship

First off I feel like the quote from Woody Allen: "Eighty percent of life is showing up." That summed up some of my greatest learning this week. I have been really struggling with my schedule and all the things I have to do. In almost every aspect of my life right now I feel like I am somehow falling behind or just not doing good enough. This quote helped with the reminder that showing up a lot of the success. I know that we are our own worst critics and that we are often times doing better than we think we are, but it is still difficult to see at times. Especially when it comes to my dreams of Joy2theJourney. I don't feel that I put the time I need and want into this grand dream, but right now I need to just show up for a little while.

Another thing I really loved from this week was the Small "L" leadership. I have always loved that example of leadership with its greatest example, Jesus Christ. I think leadership and discipleship are some of my favorite things to learn about and most important to apply correctly. Recently we have add some issues at work with people I do not feel are using the small "L" leadership. There are too many people trying to control the situation and we are not doing what is needed for the students. There is tension and the students are starting to act out because of it. The example being set is not a good one, the vision is being lost, and the love that is so vital is not being demonstrated a Christ like way.

I hope to take the lessons from these situations and apply them in my own leadership. Right now I am a Para-educator, so my job is to assist the teacher and to follow their council on what is best for the students.  In many ways learning to be humble and learning to follow has made me a better leader and better at handling rough situations. I hope that I can work to be a light to there people and work to keep the example pure, vision clear, and Christ like love in the situation!

You Can Do It...

I think what stood out to me most this week was the reminder that you can do it and to never give up. I especially liked the comparison of Nephi and building the boat. It is an excellent reminder that when we dream and go for big things there will always be those who doubt. Often times we are our own worst enemy and we doubt ourselves more than anyone. I loved the reminders through this week to not give up, not doubt, and not worry about what the world thinks.

This week I went to an amazing play called "The Book of Will." It was an amazing play about the last of the King's Men who were Shakespeare's actors and dear friends. After Shakespeare's death there were issues in the acting community with other company's stealing his work and the plays written by Shakespeare slowly disappearing as his men died off. So his dear friends worked to put together his works in a Folio of what we have today. Through the play they portrayed the difficulty of putting together such a program. It was incredible to see the events that fell into place for the great works of Shakespeare to come together.

I have to say that it really hit me as I thought of my own efforts to fulfill my dreams. Sometimes things seem impossible but they are doable with the right people and the right determination. Not to mention the incredible miracles that come with a strong relationship and devotion to our Heavenly Father. We can do incredible things when we rely on a higher power. In the play they had some powerful moments as they felt the impossible of their task but in a powerful moment in the theatre they found a divine connection that gave them the spirit to complete their task.

I hope to apply these lessons and find the re-boot I need to not be dragged down by the doubt and to rely on the Lord to help me through my journey.