My Entrepreneurial Journey

  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 stren...

  13 November 2021 I enjoy revisiting stories I have heard in the past and learning new ones.   Reading stories and poems with a purpose and moral is uplifting.   “The Golden Touch” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “How Much Land Does a Man Need” by Leo Tolstoy are touching reminders of what is most important in life.   Our families and this beautiful world God has given us are far more valuable than material wealth and things.   When Midas changes the roses into gold, it made me sad that he thinks they are more beautiful as a piece of gold than as a living, vibrant creation of God.   I've heard the story before, and I knew what was coming.   He finally realized how foolish he was when he turned his sweet daughter into gold.   I've never read the ending of the story as told in our study this week.   I was pleased to read that his daughter was restored to life, and King Midas became a wiser man. Leo Tolstoy's story reminds me that I can't take...

  4 November 2021 I have loved all the stories in our “Study: Overcoming Challenges” this week!   I am a reader, and I connect well with stories. However, what stood out were some of the classic poems and the stories of personal sacrifice to do what is right under challenging circumstances.   A few that have touched my heart and inspired me are the life experiences of Archbishop Van Thuan, Diet Eman, and Nelson Mandela.   Each person faced significant opposition and evil, yet they all held to their principles and did what was right.   The Archbishop’s story reminded me of Joseph of Egypt. Both men came to trust the Lord and had hope instead of despair even though they were imprisoned unjustly for many years. Diet Eman worked so hard to save as many Jews as she could during World War II.   When asked why she did it, she said, "…if you love God and love Jesus, you would have done the same…."   "She didn't have to think twice about doing what was ne...

30 October 2021 I studied a summary of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey in class this week.  A few of those habits stood out to me. “Put first things first.”  I should focus on important but non-urgent tasks. For example, family and faith are the two most important aspects of life.  If I keep my focus on essential things that last forever, I will find my purpose and spend my time working on my goals.  I learned some time management goals that go with this habit.  1. Identify the key roles in my life.  2. Select goals in each of my roles.  3. Scheduling.  Set aside time to achieve my goals each week.  4. Adapt daily.  If I implement these goals, I believe I will see progress in every aspect of my life. "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." I need to work on this with my family and with my seminary class.  I always think about how I will answer or help someone instead of focusing on what...

23 October 2021 I enjoy learning all the different aspects of becoming an entrepreneur this semester.  I especially like the emphasis so many entrepreneurs have to focus on what matters most in life – our families and serving God.  Jan Newman's video, "Loyalty to God and Family," was a good reminder for me to do my ministering and to be loyal to the Lord and my family.  Jan always accepted callings to serve in the church, and it blessed him. So likewise, I have seen blessings in my own life.  Each calling has given me strength, new abilities, insights, compassion, and a stronger testimony of the Savior and His gospel.  Accepting callings, no matter how busy we are, provides us far more than we give. Steve Blank talked about making time for our family.  He suggested setting rules in our families to preserve the most critical relationships in our lives.  I visited his website to read "Epitaph for an Entrepreneur," and I enjoyed all his advice to pr...

  16 October 2021 This week, my key takeaways from "A Hero's Journey" are the three promises Acton makes to its students. First, they will learn how to learn, next, make money, and finally live a life of meaning.   Yes, I want to contribute to my family's financial security, but I love the promises of learning how to learn and live a life of meaning more than making money.   Learning how to learn is vital to me.   Learning can be a struggle, but I liked what the speaker emphasized in the talk about learning.   It mainly focused on listening, asking questions, and seeing what I could learn from everyone.   I have a grandmother who taught herself how to wire a house, then wired her home as well as her neighbors when electricity came to their tiny rural Colorado town.   I hope I follow her example and learn new things that will benefit my family and everyone around me.   The emphasis to always be learning was something that spoke to me this week....

  9 October 2021 This has been a crazy week!   Finishing "Launching Leaders" and writing a book report has taken most of my time. However, I have had other assignments, seminary, appointments, a minor remodeling project and have been preparing to pick up my son at the airport this coming Monday as he finishes his mission. I can't believe I am finally completing my last assignment for the week!   I have been recommending “Launching Leaders” to my family and friends.   I love the book and will be revisiting the concepts I learned many times in the future.   It is going to be an invaluable resource for me moving forward in my life. I have talked to my husband about having three savings accounts, as Steven Hitz suggests in Chapter 8: Financial Fitness.   I'm hoping to implement that financial practice in our lives.   We already practice some concepts: paying a tithe, saving for a rainy day, and having a   savings account for unexpected expenses....