Last Lecture

Dear friends and future entrepreneurs,

As this semester comes to an end, I want to share with you some of the many meaningful things I have learned from this course. I hope that you will be able to apply these things to your lives because they have changed my life for the better.

To begin, I want you to know that I put God and my family first, above all else. This principle has been woven into this course and I am grateful for that. Balance is key in this life and if we can learn how to effectively balance our family with our work, we won’t regret it and we will be blessed. I would also like to add the importance of service. As we work hard to succeed ourselves, we also need to work hard to serve those around us.

Next, I challenge you to become a lifelong learner. I hadn’t thought of this concept until I came to school here. By building on our skills, learning from our mistakes, taking risks, and seeking help from others, we begin a pattern of lifelong learning. This will greatly improve our lives and our confidence as well as our knowledge. Knowledge is the one thing we are able to take with us from this earth, so it is important that we gain as much as we can.

With that, I want to share a quote from an article written by Elder Clayton M. Christensen:

“As I think about my former classmates who inadvertently invested for lives of hollow unhappiness, I can’t help believing that their troubles relate right back to a short-term perspective.”

Having an eternal perspective is something that I always strive for in my life. My daily life may be long and hard at times, but with an eternal perspective, I know that my Heavenly Father is with me always and that much can be learned through my trials. I hope that you too can have an eternal perspective.

So you want to be an entrepreneur?

Here’s some excellent advice I have noted throughout this term:

Advice from Stan Christensen-

•          “Don’t do things because it’s what you think other people want you to do”
•          “If you do things you feel passionately about, you will find similarly minded people or people who appreciate your experience and you will fit in somewhere”
•       “You get to tell your story!”
•         “Pick a career you think is fun, that you’re going to enjoy. You’re going to prosper, do well in things that you’re having fun with”
•         “Choosing a career or a job is not necessarily a long-term decision. There’s plenty of time to try lots of different things”
•        “People think that the first job out of school is such a huge decision and I don’t think it is”

Advice from Jim Richey on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” written by Stephen R. Covey-
(My notes in the parentheses)

1.       Be proactive (Act, don’t wait to be acted upon!)
2.       Begin with the end in mind (Eternal perspective)
3.       Put first things first (God and family obligations come first always)
4.       Think win/win (Serve others and you will be blessed and feel happy)
5.       Seek first to understand…then to be understood (Don’t be selfish, help others and everything will fall into place)
6.       Synergize- “synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, each of the parts combine to create new and exciting unexpected discoveries that were not possible before. It is a creative force of unparalleled power created in the principles of creative cooperation.”
7.       Sharpen the saw (Allow yourself time to rest, recuperate, and re-gather your thoughts. Don’t overwork yourself)

Last, but not least, this quote by Jeffrey R. Holland says it all:

“Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven, but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

The work of an entrepreneur is hard, but it can be so rewarding. Challenging yourself is good, just remember to prioritize, plan ahead, pick yourself back up and learn from past experiences. 

Avoid the Wrong Job

This week had some great videos and readings. One of the videos, titled “Avoid the Wrong Job”, really resonated with me. Being in college and dreaming about your future can be both joyous and daunting. Some days I’m excited about future careers and other days I’m stressed about it. This video was helpful in comforting my fears about finding “the perfect job”. The speaker, Stan Christensen, states many useful tips:

•          “Don’t do things because it’s what you think other people want you to do”
•          “If you do things you feel passionately about, you will find similarly minded people or people who appreciate your experience and you will fit in somewhere”
•       “You get to tell your story!”
•         “Pick a career you think is fun, that you’re going to enjoy. You’re going to prosper, do well in things that you’re having fun with”
•         “Choosing a career or a job is not necessarily a long-term decision. There’s plenty of time to try lots of different things”
•        “People think that the first job out of school is such a huge decision and I don’t think it is”

Each of these things helped remind me that I’m doing just what I’m supposed to be doing and that I need to keep on pushing through. We can figure it out as we go and it’s okay to make a change when we need to. I needed this this week and look forward to implementing them into my life. 

"To be prepared, to be productive, to be faithful, and to be fruitful as well."

This week’s topic was work-life balance. We read some “what would you” scenarios and we were asked to share the number one thing we took from them. The first thing that came to my mind after reading them was the importance of finding a balance between work and family. I firmly believe in putting your family and God first because they are the people we have for eternity. If we sever those ties, we won’t have lasting relationships with those we love and we may never be able to mend them. It is important that we make a living in order to support our family and it is equally as important to follow our dreams and passions, but at what cost? I know for me personally, I would do anything for my family. I strive to find a balance in taking care of myself and my needs and making sure they are all happy as well. Sometimes that means sacrificing something I want.

It is inevitable that we will run into situations where the decision isn’t clear cut—work obligation or family obligation? Our duty is to set boundaries and know what is truly most important to us in order to make a decision when the time comes. If we make a plan ahead of time, and never stray, our decision should be an easy one. Put your family first if at all possible and let them know how important they are with both your actions and your words.

I really liked how the videos we were assigned to watch tied into the topic this week. One entrepreneur (Corey Bell) talked a lot about how important his family is to him and how they motivated him in his business. He was so humble. Another man (Randy Komisar) spoke about needing to give up some things, such as money or power, in order to achieve and benefit from others, such as time. Obviously, if your goal is to be in a high-power position, you ought to know and plan for having little time at home. If you’re okay with that, or if you are amazing at balancing and using your time wisely, that may work for you. Last, but certainly not least, a few quotes from Thomas S. Monson:

“I would like to suggest that if we are really to be a chosen generation, we have the responsibility to be prepared, to be productive, to be faithful, and to be fruitful as well.”

“May I share with you a formula that in my judgment will help you and help me to journey well through mortality and to that great reward of exaltation in the celestial kingdom of our Heavenly Father…First, fill your mind with truth; second, fill your life with service; and third, fill your heart with love.”

I love learning from our latter day prophets. They speak from the spirit, from experience, from sincere heart and it often feels like they’re speaking directly to me. We should prepare in all areas of our life, be faithful to ourselves, our families, and our Heavenly Father, and “be fruitful as well”.

What is your attitude toward money?

I see money as a necessary tool in life that we need to learn to manage and use wisely. I like learning about money, budgeting, saving, etc. because I have many goals in life. Most of my goals are modest and don’t include excessive monetary items. I want to live comfortably without much worry about paying our bills, I want to have a home filled with the spirit and I want my children to be able to serve missions, be involved in activities that strengthen their talents, and I want to be able to afford things that provide opportunities for family time and service to others.

How can your view of money affect the way you live?

The way we view money can definitely affect the way we live. If we see it as a tool that aids us in our fundamental needs and some modest wants in life, then we will likely be grateful for what we have. If we are obsessive and worldly, money may just be a way to show that we hold power and are above others. Hopefully we can all find a middle ground or err on the side of modesty.

What rules are recommended for prospering?

The article we read, Attitude on Money by Stephen W. Gibson, lists many “rules” for prospering. I will list them and then note my thoughts:

“Rule 1. Seek the Lord and have hope in him
Rule 2. Keep the commandments, that includes the temporal ones, tithing and fast offerings.
 Rule 3. Think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant.
Rule 4. Take advantage of chances for learning so you will not be ignorant of these matters. Education, as President Hinckley has taught us, is the Key to Opportunity.
Rule 5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are predicated.
Rule 6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty or the sick or those who are held captive.”

The one thing in common with all of these is that they focus on our faith. If we trust in the Lord and keep our eyes, minds, and hearts set on Him, we will prosper in more ways than one. Money is important, yes, and with the help of our Heavenly Father we can use it wisely to help our families and serve many others. 

Pursue your dreams!

This week we watched a video titled “License to Pursue Dreams”. It talked about how Google allows their employees to devote 20% of their time at work to personal projects. I had never heard of that before, but while talking to my husband about it, he said he knew they did that and thought it was a neat idea. I was really impressed by the statistics that followed later in the video. The speaker mentions that a lot of people assume that Google is just giving away 20% of that time and it doesn’t seem worth it. The actuality of it is that they are gaining creative ideas and products because the employees are passionate and motivated when choosing what they work on in that time. Amazing!

I also really enjoyed the video on Kathy Huber because her determination is very motivating to me. She was one of only a few women in the engineering program and stuck it out despite all of the interesting comments she got. I would even say she enjoyed being the odd man (woman) out! The business world is changing and it is not nearly as uncommon for women to be working these days, but I am glad that there were women out there to pave the way for women in the future. I am a wife and a mother and don’t plan to work full-time anytime soon, but I will always have my passions and interests and will pursue them in my own time.

We are blessed to be BYU-I students

https://www2.byui.edu/Presentations/transcripts/devotionals/2004_08_31_bednardavid.htm

This devotional message about Rexburg and BYU-Idaho truly wraps up all of the feelings I’ve had about the past year. My husband, three children and I have been living in Rexburg for a little over a year now. I often think about the path that led us to move here. It took me many years to convince my husband to go back to school, but what a blessing it has been. We talk a lot about the challenges that come from attending school while being married and taking care of a family, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We know that we were meant to come here when we did. This amazing community and campus has drawn us closer and taught us so much. Rexburg is such a unique place to be and we’re trying to treasure our time here. Having a temple so close, literally right up the hill, is the biggest blessing of all. I love that you can see the temple from just about anywhere you are. We can see the temple from our living room window! My faith in Jesus Christ has grown substantially since living here and I know that is not a coincidence. Seeing the temple daily, feeling the spirit in and out of the classroom, and meeting many other spiritual Disciples of Christ is building my testimony and preparing me for the day we move away from Rexburg. I feel I will be able to share the gospel with others and be a disciple myself which is what we should all be learning while here on this campus.

Jim Ritchie spoke about some amazing leaders in Lesson 10 of Launching Leaders. I believe that if we have that kind of ambition, we too can be amazing leaders and “achieve higher ground”. Whether we are strong Disciples of Christ or leaders of a large corporation, we can make a difference. BYU-I is a great place to be to learn these skills and we are blessed to be students here. 

Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nczw6xHJ0I

“Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven, but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

This heartfelt quote said by Jeffrey R. Holland gets me every time. I’m a blubbering mess by the end of it and I want to always remember his story about his young family traveling across the United States. I’m sure we can all relate to his story in some way or another and his advice is so simple and so real. This video came at just the right time. We are officially halfway through the term and I needed this reminder to help me through to the end and finish strong.

I look forward to learning more from the Launching Leaders videos because they are simple lessons that can be applied to many situations in life, big or small. I’ve shared each of the lessons with my husband and I know by using the principles, we will have a strong and bright future together. I also really enjoy learning about life, and especially life as a professional in the business world, from the leaders of our church. I know they have our best interest at heart. 

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE

This week we read about and watched a video on “THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE”

(https://content.byui.edu/file/3dda7de4-cd79-4390-9bcf-3cb660c48dd1/1/The%207%20Habits%20of%20Highly%20Effective%20People.pdf)

These habits can truly apply to anyone, not just those working in business. My life is particularly busy right now and structure and habits are extremely important to my day to day success. Here are the 7 habits that we learned about:

1.       Be proactive

2.       Begin with the end in mind

3.       Put first things first

4.       Think win/win

5.       Seek first to understand…then to be understood

6.       Synergize

7.       Sharpen the saw

I’m going to explain how each of these fit into my current situation as a wife, mother, and student.

1.       Be proactive: Elder Bednar teaches us that we must “act and not be acted upon”. As an example to those around me and especially my children, it is important that I serve and act first rather to wait on other’s decisions.

2.       Begin with the end in mind: Having an eternal perspective is something that gets me through my toughest days. It is easy to dwell on temporary trials, but so much more beneficial to remember that we have a loving Heavenly Father waiting for us to return someday.

3.       Put first things first: We need to put habits such as prayer, scripture study, and temple attendance first. If we don’t fit the most important things into our lives, they will never get done. These habits are important to our spirit and carries us through the good times and the bad times.

4.       Think win/win: I studied this a lot in my FAML 300 Marriage course. It is an important habit to learn to serve our spouse and have the perspective that if they “win” and are happy that they will strive to make you happy as well. When you are both “winning”, everyone is happier.

5.       Seek first to understand… then to be understood: This can also be applied to marriage. If we put effort into understanding our spouse’s needs, it is likely that they will open their hearts and ears to listen to you as well. It is at that point that you understand each other. Another “win-win”!

6.       Synergize: The reading says that “synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In other words, each of the parts combine to create new and exciting unexpected discoveries that were not possible before. It is a creative force of unparalleled power created in the principles of creative cooperation.” This to me is parallel to the meaning of a family. The family as a whole is much greater than the sum of each individual family member. As a family, we create new and exciting things every day and a family is so powerful, especially when working together.

7.       Sharpen the saw: In the video, we are taught that this means that it is important to “pause, regroup, rejuvenate, eat, sleep.” This is a habit that is especially important in my life. I have to remind myself that it is okay to take a break sometimes and that taking care of myself is important too. My family is happier and healthier when I am rejuvenated and healthy myself.

All of these things combined aid in my success as a wife, mother, and disciple of Christ. I know as a work towards perfecting myself in each of the areas, that my life will be blessed and that I will succeed in my career and family.