Last Lecture

One of the most important points I would share is to be patient on your journey. Their will be ups and downs in challenges of business. When things are not looking their best, have patience that a positive result will happen in the end. Take your chances and seize opportunities when they present themselves, and have belief in yourself that you can achieve what you have set out to do. By taking chances we can improve ourselves and reach new peaks we didn't think were possible.

Be a finisher. Don't let yourself be sidetracked by the unimportant things. Don't be discouraged by others difficulties, but keep your eye on the final goal. By having your final goal in mind, you will have the perspective that will help you make the best choices to reach your ultimate prize without a doubt. Find a direction and don't let yourself lose your way.

Look to others with experience for direction when you don't know the way to go or what choice to make. Others want to be of help and guide you on your journey. Allow others to give advice. Find someone who is successful and learn from their actions and choices. By being humble and learning from others you will gain more knowledge than you would on your own.

Seek a balance in your life as much as feasible. No business success can replace the memories and times that you spend with your family. Family is why we do business and so do not let business take more time than it is necessary. Sometimes you may need to be creative in spending time with family in order to meet all of your commitments. The Lord will bless those who put trust in Him and seek help to meet challenges we face. The greatest joys in life are not experienced in the work place, but in the family life.

Remember the end goal when you are having success and remember where that success has been provided. The real reward in life is to bless the lives of those around you from your success. Share the blessings of your success with those around you that you have the ability to and pass on your knowledge to those after you to allow them to experience a similar success.

Gratitude

One of the things I've reflected on this week is that everything in life is a process. You don't reach the summit of a mountain unless you've done the previous preparation to aid you in the journey. Though not every challenge should be viewed as an impossible task as well. Like the story of Mr Haykin, he looked at most things as learning opportunities and then used that learning over time to benefit himself for the future endeavors. Also, Pres Monson shared how we need to be grateful for the things we have been blessed with. If we see things as what we have instead of what we don't, then we will be better off. The attitude we exhibit will determine how we will perform. Nothing in life is given to us, and we must make the effort to reach the goals we desire.

I also liked the thought that was shared that when we reach the success we desire, one should make efforts to assist those who are in need. That would be a blessing, to be able to help those around yourself and maybe help others in whatever they need. It would be fulfilling to be able to do those things and know that you are simply a vessel to do good.

Helping Others

One of the messages that I enjoyed provided a better perspective of the blessings we receive in life. We should be grateful for the success we enjoy and always know that all that we have is so that we can help others. I enjoyed the message from Elder Holland and also the one regarding micro lending. It is amazing how one persons small idea and initiative could influence and affect so many peoples lives. It first took the notice of a need and then the effort to make changes. It's amazing the vast chasm of those with plenty and those without. Many successful people make philanthropic efforts and look for ways to help those in need which are wonderful.

Virtue and integrity is important to an economy because it is the vessel by which business people work and invest in other people. If people don't trust one another, then they will hold onto their funds and not pursue opportunities for the fear of being taken advantage of or betrayed. If someone does not trust a company or their purpose then they will not buy their product or service and put their interests in other things. 

The purpose of business is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. 

I agree with Handy's idea that we need to have a unifying purpose in our business and our lives. If we are just doing something to reach a profit, without an overarching idea, then our work will not be as fulfilling and rewarding. We should measure ourselves not just in our successes but in the lives that are affected. I also agree with his idea that companies should not do the minimum when it comes to the environment and social causes. If a company only keeps within the minimum for pollution then they aren't doing their whole effort. A company's trust is earned through conscious efforts to do good in the world. 

Money

This has been an interesting week of material to learn from. I think that most people are aware of the time constraints in life and how difficult it can be at times to put our time to different areas. I want to be a person who is devoted to family and manages my time well so that I can be there for everything.  I agree with the idea shared that talks about how we see things through our different filters and the experiences we have had ourselves. It's interesting to think about how we each adjust our filters as we get more experience in our lives and grow more and slightly adjust our thinking.

I think I see money as a necessity, but not the complete reason for what provides motivation. Money can be a reward for hard work though, and that is good. It is something, of course, that we need to sustain ourselves, but it cannot be the real reason we give time toward a cause. I probably could be better at managing money and saving for the future.

Ways that we can prosper are by following the laws. We need to learn the laws and then keep them. Rules to prosper -
1. Seek the Lord, and have hope in him
2. Keep the commandments
3. Think about money and how I can become self reliant.
4. Take advantage of chances for learning
5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are dependent
6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty, or the sick

I think these are good principles to follow and you can only be blessed by doing so.

Creativity

One of the things that has stayed with me from this weeks information has been the time that we should put towards creative pursuits. The idea that 50% of the products that Google has released have resulted from spending time creatively, seems to further impress that you can't spend all of your time on the numbers, goals, and mundane things in business to be successful. I think by allowing personal creativity Google has empowered their employees to think with an entrepreneurial mind and freedom that can only be positive.

Another thing that has stayed with me was the Native American analogy of the battle between the 2 wolves. Either of the wolves only succeeds if we allow them to. If we feed our greed with only thinking about money and the way to get it, then we are not living in a smart way. If we allow pride to dictate our choices then we will miss out on better choices and possible better end results. The Lord wants us to be successful and to enjoy life and prosper. We must look for ways to help others and to be a positive influence in the world to reap all the rewards available.

Week 9

I really enjoyed some of the points shared in the videos that we viewed this week. One of the points that I liked was that a true leader takes people to higher ground. And that a leader stands up for something of importance, if that is what they believe in. A leader needs to have a personal moral standard in order to be trusted by others. I also liked the point that a leader is someone who wants the good for other people and is not merely centered on their own self-interests and ambitions. A leader also is most effective when he has love for those he works with. A leader should lead by example and where necessary lend a listening ear when others have a message to share, and allow input to solutions.

I also liked the quote by Darwin that states, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, but those most adaptive to change." We only grow and learn as we adapt to the challenges and opportunities that we face. If we don't adapt to change, then we fall behind and may not see new opportunities for learning and improving.

 Regarding what makes a great company I agree that it must involve having passion for the work someone is doing and then doing what you can be the best at in the world. If you do what you love to do and you're good at it, then that is the most rewarding situation. In many cases, if you have the former 2 parts then the economic aspect will work out. I think their were a lot of compelling concepts shared during this week.

Week 8 Post

This week’s materials have been interesting and encouraging to absorb. The worthwhile endeavors we want to accomplish in life cannot be attained by shortcut. The account of how the saints, under the supervision of Brigham Young, were able to persevere to complete the temple is amazing to comprehend. Just to move one block of granite took such painstaking efforts. The progress they made was sometimes unnoticeable. But finally, they accomplished their final goal. 

The analogy that Elder Holland made in comparison to the dedication and painstaking time in the construction of the Salt Lake temple and how we need to lay a personal foundation to build our lives including through education, spiritual growth, and other experiences. It is amazing to consider the sacrifice and the hard work that the people made while constructing the temple. We must also make personal sacrifices, at times, to reach our ultimate goals in the end and see the fruits of dedication.

I also enjoyed the quotes, shared by Elder Holland, that were given by Winston Churchill during World War II, in relation to facing difficulties and an ominous outlook. At times we might feel beaten and the result we desire may seem unattainable at the moment and impossible even. But if we keep working and having belief, anyone can reach the final outcome we desire to achieve. Life is about working through difficulties and obstacles that get in the way. In doing that, we become stronger and better people.