20 November 2021

I have enjoyed thinking and learning about the companions I need on my journey.  I have had some work experiences where great people have surrounded me, and as a consequence, work was a happy, fulfilling place to be.  I have also had a few occasions where my work environment was very stressful and full of drama. However, I always found a way out of those stressful jobs.  Surrounding myself with good, optimistic people makes a difference in my performance, attitude, and happiness.

 I shouldn’t forget that I not only need to surround myself with good people, but I need to spend time strengthening my relationships with those people, especially my family.  Chapter 4 of "A Field Guide for the Hero's Journey" says, "Much of our long-term happiness comes from strong, relationships, but such relationships require a deliberate investment of time and thought. As you sow, so shall you reap" (pg. 54). So I need to spend deliberate time strengthening my relationships.

I was also intrigued with the concept that Google employees use "20 percent" time.  I am always busy with what I need to do, and I don't set aside time to do what I want to do to make my dreams come true. Instead, I will commit time one day a week doing something I love or something new I’ve always wanted to learn and master.  Taking time to do the things I love will help me improve and grow.

Surrounding myself with good people and spending time doing something I love will hopefully help me become the person God wants me to be.  I want to be someone who contributes to others' well-being, even if it is only lifting someone’s spirits and helping them see their divine potential.  Dallin H. Oaks tells us, “The gospel challenges us to be “converted,” which requires us to do and to become.”  As I take this journey, I hope I can make a difference and experience true conversion.  “What is important in the end is what we have become by our labors.” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Challenge to Become,” General Conference, October 2000)