Entrepreneurial Journal Entry - Week 8

This week has had some great articles and videos. I especially liked the article by President Hinckley on “Loyalty” from the priesthood session, April 2003. He emphasized the importance of loyalty to God, to the church, to ourselves, and especially to our marriage. This stood out to me a lot since it seems like the topic of marriage difficulties comes up so often lately. Sometimes I wonder if there is any one that is actually happy in their marriage. Of course I’m sure there are many happy marriages, but it’s very evident that marriage is not always the easiest thing to be involved in. I look at marriage as being more like a roller coaster. We have our ups and our downs. Sometimes when stress is high our “downs” seem to drag on for very long stretches of time. I was actually thinking about my marriage today as a friend was venting to me the concerns she was experiencing with hers. She loves her husband, but was just experiencing a moment of frustration as all of us do. I thought about some of the various down times my husband and I have experienced and wondered if they could’ve been less “down” if I had handled them differently. It was a really good moment of reflection for me. Am I loyal to my husband? I’ve never cheated on him, been dishonest with him, hurt him, or any other negative thing I can think of. But have I always been supportive of him? Have I always given him the benefit of the doubt? Have I always put him before myself? These were tough questions to honestly answer, but good questions I think we should all take time to contemplate occasionally to make sure we are doing our part in making our marriage an enjoyable one that will be strong enough for the eternities.  

Entrepreneurial Journal Entry - Week 7

The reading this week that had the greatest impact on me was an article by Elder and Sister Holland at a BYU devotional in 1986 – “However Long and Hard the Road” The article is definitely worth reading if anyone cares to take the time to look it up. He covers many areas such as: Hang In and Hang On, Victory – Victory at all Costs, Dreams and Visions, Joseph Smith’s Perseverance, The Early Saints – Fulfillment Ahead, Determination, Symbolic Problem in Our World – Divorce, and Lessons on Perseverance. The following paragraph is copied right from this last section on perseverance. It struck me so strongly, I’d like to share it with you unaltered. To give a little background on this paragraph, Elder Holland is relaying the story of how the Salt Lake Temple was built. It’s an amazing story that’s hard to imagine. So much information was given in this article, but it’s obvious there is so much more Elder Holland wasn't able to include due to time constraints. I would love to learn more about the entire history of this event. It’s definitely one of perseverance. Here’s the paragraph:

·         “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Most assuredly you are. As long and laborious as the effort may seem, please keep shaping and setting the stones that will make your accomplishment “a grand and imposing spectacle.” Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow. Dream dreams and see visions. Work toward their realization. Wait patiently when you have no other choice. Lean on your sword and rest a while, but get up and fight again. Perhaps you will not see the full meaning of your effort in your own lifetime. But your children will, or your children’s children will, until finally you, with all of them, can give the Hosanna shout.

If you get a chance, please read this article. It is amazing. I think this is the correct address to it: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=873.

Entrepreneurial Journal Entry - Week 6

I like the emphasis this week’s studies had on ethics, both in the work place and in our personal lives.

There was a great article included this week written by Charles Handy, “What’s a Business For?” He starts out by showing how a lack of ethics and virtue can destroy the economy by destroying trust. Not that this sounds like anything new, but the way he teaches the details of it makes it very clear how vital ethics is for the success of not only our personal lives, but of the world as a whole.

He also goes into detail about how companies need to change their mentality of who owns the business. Right now, the stockholders seem to be viewed as the owner of not only the business by the employees as well. Handy realizes the need for the employees to be viewed as individuals with individual talents, skills and needs. They should also be given a portion of ownership in the company and allow them to have a say in how the business is run. This gives them a feeling of ownership and commitment to the company which will create a greater desire in them to work for the benefit of the company and not just themselves.

Entrepreneurial Journal Entry Week 5

This week has been packed with great information. I really liked the article by Elder Tanner, “Success is Gauged by Self Mastery”. He talks about the importance of self-discipline, self-control, and self-mastery. I love the quotes that he included in his talk:

Plato: “The first and best victory is to conquer self; to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile.”

da Vinci: “You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself.” …“the height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. … And this law is the expression of eternal justice. He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others.”

Solomon: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” (Prov. 16:32.)

As we learn about business and entrepreneurship we are also learning about what’s actually most important. In the world, especially the world of business, money is what comes first. In many entrepreneurial ventures, time is consumed with getting the business off the ground. As we learn and become more capable with the knowledge and abilities we gain, we may have the tendency to put ourselves above others. None of this is true. Money is not the most important thing. If that is your focus in starting your business, you won’t succeed. As you start a business a great deal of time is required. However, if you plan from the beginning that your family comes first, you will succeed at finding enough time for both. As we learn and excel in our education it is important to keep a correct perspective. All that we have comes from our Heavenly Father. We are responsible for what we have been given. The time will come when we will have to account for what we’ve done with what God’s given us. Keeping in mind that all we have isn’t really ours helps us to be more generous with what we have. There’s so much we can do to bless the lives of those around us.  

Entrepreneurial Journal Entry - Week 4

This week has been packed with great information. The part that I was most inspired by was the talk given by Jeff Sandefer, “A Hero’s Journey”. It was a talk given at a devotional at BYU-I. I wish it was a written talk so I could have read and re-read it. I did the best I could with taking notes while I watched it though. I’d like to share in today’s post what I learned.

There was so much valuable information in his message. Here’s a small portion of it:

He mentions we need to live every moment like it matters - we need to live every moment like we have a mission. He teaches it’s important to live a life of meaning. When you are older you will want to be able to answer the following questions positively:

1.      Have I contributed something meaningful?

2.      Was I a good person?

3.      Who did I love and who loved me?

He says that using our God-given gifts will bring us great joy. We can use these gifts to find our calling in life. What need in the world is there that we can fill? What problems do we feel we were put here on earth to solve?

As with friends, we need to choose our co-workers wisely. We become like those we surround ourselves with. Here at BYU-I it’s much easier to find incredible people that share our same values and goals. In the working world, however, we need to be careful to surround ourselves with people who share common goals and integrity.

As we go about our lives, working hard to achieve our goals, we need to anticipate moments of great temptation. He suggest we write a note to ourselves and place it in a time-capsule of sorts. When the times of temptations come we can get this note out and remind ourselves what our values are and need to always be. I really liked his note to himself. It is a joke told by his father-in-law who is a minister: “Do you know the difference between you and God? God never thinks he’s you.” It’s a great reminder of how we need to watch out for pride. Especially as we experience success.

Entrepreneurial Journal Entry - Week 3

I really enjoyed the study material from this week. There was an article we were required to read that I had read in a previous semester. I’m so thankful that I was required to read it again. I remember really enjoying it the first time, but after reading it again I realized there was quite a bit of incredible information that I had forgotten the specifics of. That’s what I’d like to share in this week’s post.

The article is “How Will You Measure Your Life?” by Clayton M. Christensen. In this article Christensen asks three different questions: First, how can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career? Second, how can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and family become an enduring source of happiness? And third, how can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail.

The first question is given a quote by Frederick Herzberg. He says “the powerful motivator in our lives isn't money; it’s the opportunity to learn, grow in responsibilities, contribute to others, and be recognized for achievements. Christensen concludes that management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team. It’s a priceless opportunity to build people up.

The second question is answered by teaching about the importance of creating a strategy for your life. For Christensen, having a clear purpose in life has been essential. It was something he had to think long and hard about before understanding. He decided to commit one hour every night to reading, thinking, and praying about why God put him on this earth. It was time well spent. He applies that knowledge of the purpose of his life every day. Clarity about our purpose in life will trump academic knowledge every time.

And the final question is answered by having us avoid the “marginal costs” mistake. When Christensen was sixteen he decided that he would not participate in sports on Sunday. This was a huge upset for his basketball team and coach. They pressured him to make an exception just this once. He chose not to break his commitment – so didn't play in the championship game. He says that resisting the temptation whose logic was “In this extenuating circumstance, just this once, it’s OK” has proven to be one of the most important decisions of his life. Why? Because his life has been one unending stream of extenuating circumstances. Had he crossed the line just that one time, he would have done it over and over in the years that followed. This is how we stay out of jail. Never assume that crossing the line is OK “just this once.” He also teaches that it’s crucial to take a sense of humility into the world. You can be humble only if you feel really good about yourself – and you want to help those around you feel really good about themselves too.

I love how he ends his article: “I've concluded that the metric by which God will assess my life isn't dollars but the individual people whose lives I've touched. Don’t worry about the prominence you have achieved; worry about the individuals you have helped become better people. Think about the metric by which your life will be judged, and make a resolution to live every day so that in the end, your life will be judged a success.” 

Entrepreneurial Journal Entry – Week 2

This week was full of great readings! I feel the common thread throughout all the videos and articles was that of ethics, honesty and integrity.

I’d like to focus my entry this week on the article “True Blue, Through and Through” by Sheri Dew. She gives great steps to take to evaluate oneself to make sure we are living our life with integrity.

1.      Decide today, once and for all, that you will be worthy of trust. The Holy Ghost is not able to inspire or endorse the words or actions of someone who is not true and who can’t be trusted.

2.      Have faith that the Lord can and will help you, and then diligently seek His help. Faith is the first principle of the gospel because it is our faith that activates the power of the Atonement in our lives.

3.      Make covenants and keep them. Now is the time to learn to be precisely honest. Now is the time to commit yourself to a life of integrity.

4.      Stand up for what you believe. It is not possible to denounce who you are, or to live beneath who you are, and be happy.

5.      Expect your integrity to be challenged. Metaphorically speaking, be on the lookout for Potiphar’s wife. She will show up again and again. Count on test of your integrity. But also know that every time we choose to be obedient, every time we make a tough but righteous choice, our integrity will be fortified.

6.      Don’t give up.  “I know of no easy formula for success. Persist, persist, PERSIST; work, work, WORK – is what counts in the battle of life.” Heber J. Grant.

7.      Covenant (or renew your covenant) with our Heavenly Father and His Son to do what you came here to do. For doing what we came here to do is the ultimate expression of our integrity.

May we be like the Sons of Heleman – who were strict to remember God day in and day out, and who were true at all times to whatsoever thing with which they had been entrusted.