My business class assignments this week included one for figuring out not what we want to be but WHO we want to be at the end of the road. In the book, "The Ministry of Business," we learned about writing a personal constitution. We were to write it as if we were standing at the end of our life, having become the person we want to be. My first line is, "I see others as Christ sees them." It was a great process, thinking about the woman I want to be, looking back at my contributions and looking forward to living in eternity. It really did help me see what changes I need to make to get to that end. Eternal perspective is so important.
The other assignment which was quite meaningful was determining my fears. If one of my goals is to have a successful business, what is keeping me from doing it? Identifying my passion and my calling should help me feel that success is possible. But there are still fears. As I look at them, I see a lack of confidence as my greatest fear. I worry that I desire perfection way too much. What if? What if? Rather than focusing on what great things could happen, I focus on the worst case scenario. It feels like the answer for me is to get off the dime. I plan and plan, but forward movement is difficult. Because I am the main provider for my family, I fear that I won't be able to support myself, let alone my family.
From the time I was a child, I've had a deep yearning to own my own business and think I'll feel very disappointed in myself and my life if I reach the end and I've never really stepped out and done it!
I wish I had an answer... Perhaps by the time this course is over I'll have a clearer vision of my path.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
A Lesson in Grace
Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager. Nothing more to say--just read it.
http://time.com/4632036/bush-sisters-obama-sisters/
http://time.com/4632036/bush-sisters-obama-sisters/
The Formula and Happiness
Our lesson this week was how ethical behavior will serve us well in business. A video from the Launching Leaders series is what impacted me most this week. Jim Ritchie, the host of this series, shared information from two important people. J. Paul Getty, a renowned millionaire businessman, and Elder David B. Haight, a deceased apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ritchie put even more weight on his words because of his wisdom from an eternal perspective. J. Paul Getty's formula for success was:
Elder Haight's advice to Ritchie was:
While Ritchie found Getty's formula to be worthwhile for success, he chose to combine them into the perfect formula for not only success, but happiness as well:
Jim Ritchie then shared how this formula had enriched him life and the lives of his family. When speaking of his successful road, he consistently used the pronoun, "we." The "we" included his wife. The people I've admired in business have almost always been a team with their spouses. This impresses me.
As I begin this second chapter, I am looking at this formula for happiness and see that I've got a few parts of this down, but need to focus on others.
1. Get up early.
2. Work hard.
3. Find oil.
Elder Haight's advice to Ritchie was:
1. Get your education.
2. Make your mark.
3. Prepare to serve/Give back.
While Ritchie found Getty's formula to be worthwhile for success, he chose to combine them into the perfect formula for not only success, but happiness as well:
1. Get up early.
2. Work hard.
3. Get your education.
4. Find oil.
5. Make your mark.
6. Prepare to serve/Give back.
Jim Ritchie then shared how this formula had enriched him life and the lives of his family. When speaking of his successful road, he consistently used the pronoun, "we." The "we" included his wife. The people I've admired in business have almost always been a team with their spouses. This impresses me.
As I begin this second chapter, I am looking at this formula for happiness and see that I've got a few parts of this down, but need to focus on others.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Stars & Steppingstones
This week in my Business 183 class, the focus was on where we want to be at the end of the road--begin with the end in mind (Stephen Covey). We read some fantastic articles and talks about how we can find our passion and skills. A large part was reading the transcript of a speech given by Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon. He'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had, possibly, weeks to live. He shared his childhood dreams and how he'd achieved them. I loved it. I read it on Sunday after church and it was the highlight of my week. We only had to skim it, but I devoured the whole thing. I scribbled in the margins, cried, laughed and pondered. I thought about him and his message all week. There are way too many learned lessons to share, but one I really loved was about playing football. His dream was to play in the NFL. He never accomplished it, but football became a huge part of his life and helped him develop many other skills. And he taught me this:
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted....we send our kids out to play football or soccer or swimming or whatever it is, and it's the first example of what I'm going to call a head fake, or indirect learning. We actually don't want our kids to learn football. I mean, yeah, it's really nice that I have a wonderful three-point stance and that I know how to do a chop block and all this kind of stuff. But we send our kids out to learn much more important things. Teamwork, sportsmanship, perseverance, etcetera, etcetera. And these kinds of head fake learning are absolutely important. An you should keep your eye out for them because they're everywhere."
And throughout this speech, he introduces us to head fakes. While we thought he was trying to tell us about all the fantastic things he did in his life, how he achieved his dreams, in the end he said,
"So today's talk was about my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and some lessons learned. But did you figure out the head fake? It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you."
Watch this man. Watch it here. I'm putting it here so I can watch it anytime I want.
How was Randy Pausch able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams?
He loved life and other people and he was enthusiastic about everything he did. He believed in himself and his talents. And if he didn't have the skills he needed, he worked to get them. He was kind and he made sure he had good people around him. Great lesson there.
Is dreaming important?
Having dreams takes us out of the mundane of our lives and helps us see that something else is possible. We've all had dreams. If we really want something, we'll work hard to develop the tools to get it. My husband is a high school basketball coach. One of his jobs was working in a very low socio-economic area. Our family was the entire booster club. We kept score, ran the snack bar and drove the boys in vans to the games. Every year at Christmas time my husband made sure to take the team to a tournament in a different city, far away from the mundane of their hometown. It was incredible to see their world being opened, even just a little bit, to new dreams. College? A job outside the city limits? Not all of them had the strength or drive to pursue those dreams, but some did. I've always been grateful to have been a part of that awakening.
What about my childhood dream? Are they achievable?
I think back to my childhood dreams and I find myself at a loss. I think that I was the kind of kid who thought I could do anything and so I made my dreams come true as they came. I lived very much in the moment. I could be anything day-to-day...an inventor, an actress, a singer, a fashion designer. I lived in that golden age when your parents didn't worry about you being on the other block or walking a few miles to the store. My parents allowed me to use any materials I wanted to build a tree house or sew a Barbie dress. I read books like crazy and became the characters in those books--I fulfilled my dreams while lying on my bed, reading when I was supposed to be cleaning! I suppose that the one dream I had for a while was to become a nurse, after reading, "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse." I loved the idea of living in a dorm and working in a hospital ward. Of course, I was a little squeamish about blood at that time. I believe, however, that I absolutely could have become a nurse if I'd kept that dream. When Jackson was diagnosed with cancer, I nursed him for a long time, cleaning his wound, administering medication and helping him with his personal care. By the time of his death, I was as well-versed in his medical needs as any professional nurse. I have no doubt that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I have big dreams for the future, and I know I'll get there.
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted....we send our kids out to play football or soccer or swimming or whatever it is, and it's the first example of what I'm going to call a head fake, or indirect learning. We actually don't want our kids to learn football. I mean, yeah, it's really nice that I have a wonderful three-point stance and that I know how to do a chop block and all this kind of stuff. But we send our kids out to learn much more important things. Teamwork, sportsmanship, perseverance, etcetera, etcetera. And these kinds of head fake learning are absolutely important. An you should keep your eye out for them because they're everywhere."
And throughout this speech, he introduces us to head fakes. While we thought he was trying to tell us about all the fantastic things he did in his life, how he achieved his dreams, in the end he said,
"So today's talk was about my childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and some lessons learned. But did you figure out the head fake? It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you."
Watch this man. Watch it here. I'm putting it here so I can watch it anytime I want.
How was Randy Pausch able to achieve so many of his childhood dreams?
He loved life and other people and he was enthusiastic about everything he did. He believed in himself and his talents. And if he didn't have the skills he needed, he worked to get them. He was kind and he made sure he had good people around him. Great lesson there.
Is dreaming important?
Having dreams takes us out of the mundane of our lives and helps us see that something else is possible. We've all had dreams. If we really want something, we'll work hard to develop the tools to get it. My husband is a high school basketball coach. One of his jobs was working in a very low socio-economic area. Our family was the entire booster club. We kept score, ran the snack bar and drove the boys in vans to the games. Every year at Christmas time my husband made sure to take the team to a tournament in a different city, far away from the mundane of their hometown. It was incredible to see their world being opened, even just a little bit, to new dreams. College? A job outside the city limits? Not all of them had the strength or drive to pursue those dreams, but some did. I've always been grateful to have been a part of that awakening.
What about my childhood dream? Are they achievable?
I think back to my childhood dreams and I find myself at a loss. I think that I was the kind of kid who thought I could do anything and so I made my dreams come true as they came. I lived very much in the moment. I could be anything day-to-day...an inventor, an actress, a singer, a fashion designer. I lived in that golden age when your parents didn't worry about you being on the other block or walking a few miles to the store. My parents allowed me to use any materials I wanted to build a tree house or sew a Barbie dress. I read books like crazy and became the characters in those books--I fulfilled my dreams while lying on my bed, reading when I was supposed to be cleaning! I suppose that the one dream I had for a while was to become a nurse, after reading, "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse." I loved the idea of living in a dorm and working in a hospital ward. Of course, I was a little squeamish about blood at that time. I believe, however, that I absolutely could have become a nurse if I'd kept that dream. When Jackson was diagnosed with cancer, I nursed him for a long time, cleaning his wound, administering medication and helping him with his personal care. By the time of his death, I was as well-versed in his medical needs as any professional nurse. I have no doubt that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I have big dreams for the future, and I know I'll get there.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Act 2 Begins
It's not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.
--Marcus Aurelius
Today I begin a journey toward what my future holds. The next part of my future. I am taking a class at BYU-I on Entrepreneurship. Not how to write a business plan or how to raise capital. If I believe the introduction from the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (AFEE), I will learn to: discover an entrepreneurial "calling;" choose constructive habits and deeply etch them onto my character; select my next "steppingstone job" or begin my entrepreneur career; and, embrace Disciple Leadership by examining "The Ministry of Business."
Who wouldn't want to learn these things? As a 56-year-old grandmother, I have learned a lot of things. I may have learned some of THESE things. But, I think the world can always have a little more good in it and more people who care more. What IS my calling in life? This question, as asked by most of the young people in this class, will hold many thoughts of the future. As I ask it, I know there will be a lot of looking back down the road I've already traveled. But there are still many roads ahead of me and I am excited to begin this journey.
I have worked in a job to sustain my family for over 25 years. Many economic ups and downs have kept me in that job, seeking financial security. I am great at what I do and people recognize my skills. I know I have made a difference by lightening others loads. But at the end of the day, it is just a job. If I leave tomorrow, someone will come into my office one day and say, "hey, what was that name of that woman who used to work here?" All my life I have been looking for something different but have been afraid of stepping away from security.
Doing something new will require more of me than a secular education. Building and developing all parts of me will be critical. The moments of triumph in my life have taught me. The tragedies have taught me more and allowed the unimportant has dropped away, more and more. Assessing and refining, no matter how difficult the task, all go into the process of becoming someone who, at the very end of my life, can look back with joy on the great and with wisdom on the difficult.
In the book Good to Great, one of my favorite business writers, Jim Collins, opened my eyes to a huge element of success with his "Hedgehog Concept." As I did some self-reflection, I was amazed that the entrepreneurial path I am interested in taking fits into this three-part concept--the intersection of passion, economics and skill. The AFEE course introduction modifies this into the intersection of Gifts/Strengths, Joy/Passions, and the World's Deep Burning Needs.
In the next few years I will move out of the world of the day-to-day, task oriented job and into retirement. As I do, I want to have skills in place to help me live my life as I determine the following: Who do I want to serve? How can I best serve them? How can I increase my joy? How can I help my family live a better life? There are a million questions that I need to answer and I hope to build those answers here.
When...people can acquire the skills, the techniques, and the knowledge of these times, and along with it have a spiritual commitment and a solid faith and cleanliness of life, there is nothing that you can't achieve; nothing in righteousness or in reason.
--Elder Richard L. Evans
--Marcus Aurelius
Today I begin a journey toward what my future holds. The next part of my future. I am taking a class at BYU-I on Entrepreneurship. Not how to write a business plan or how to raise capital. If I believe the introduction from the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (AFEE), I will learn to: discover an entrepreneurial "calling;" choose constructive habits and deeply etch them onto my character; select my next "steppingstone job" or begin my entrepreneur career; and, embrace Disciple Leadership by examining "The Ministry of Business."
Who wouldn't want to learn these things? As a 56-year-old grandmother, I have learned a lot of things. I may have learned some of THESE things. But, I think the world can always have a little more good in it and more people who care more. What IS my calling in life? This question, as asked by most of the young people in this class, will hold many thoughts of the future. As I ask it, I know there will be a lot of looking back down the road I've already traveled. But there are still many roads ahead of me and I am excited to begin this journey.
I have worked in a job to sustain my family for over 25 years. Many economic ups and downs have kept me in that job, seeking financial security. I am great at what I do and people recognize my skills. I know I have made a difference by lightening others loads. But at the end of the day, it is just a job. If I leave tomorrow, someone will come into my office one day and say, "hey, what was that name of that woman who used to work here?" All my life I have been looking for something different but have been afraid of stepping away from security.
Doing something new will require more of me than a secular education. Building and developing all parts of me will be critical. The moments of triumph in my life have taught me. The tragedies have taught me more and allowed the unimportant has dropped away, more and more. Assessing and refining, no matter how difficult the task, all go into the process of becoming someone who, at the very end of my life, can look back with joy on the great and with wisdom on the difficult.
In the book Good to Great, one of my favorite business writers, Jim Collins, opened my eyes to a huge element of success with his "Hedgehog Concept." As I did some self-reflection, I was amazed that the entrepreneurial path I am interested in taking fits into this three-part concept--the intersection of passion, economics and skill. The AFEE course introduction modifies this into the intersection of Gifts/Strengths, Joy/Passions, and the World's Deep Burning Needs.
In the next few years I will move out of the world of the day-to-day, task oriented job and into retirement. As I do, I want to have skills in place to help me live my life as I determine the following: Who do I want to serve? How can I best serve them? How can I increase my joy? How can I help my family live a better life? There are a million questions that I need to answer and I hope to build those answers here.
When...people can acquire the skills, the techniques, and the knowledge of these times, and along with it have a spiritual commitment and a solid faith and cleanliness of life, there is nothing that you can't achieve; nothing in righteousness or in reason.
--Elder Richard L. Evans
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