Never Give Up on Your Dreams

I started having kids at the time when the majority of the people my age were pursuing their dreams and working to graduate from college. I’ve been working on graduating from college since I graduated High School, but since I had a child two years after graduating High School, the amount of time it will take to get my degree has increased. When my daughter turned 2, I saw a lot of people my age posting on social media about graduating with their Bachelor’s degrees. It was really difficult for me to view that knowing that I still have a long road ahead of me before I will have my Bachelor’s degree. Because I have kids, I have to complete school at a slower pace, which will result in me not receiving my Bachelor’s degree until my daughter is 8 years of age. It is almost demotivating to think about the amount of time that I will be going to school – especially being somebody who has never enjoyed school that much in the first place. However, I will not quit.  I love to refer to a quote by Earl Nightingale when the road ahead seems long and hard: “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” I have dreamed of receiving my Bachelor’s degree and I feel that it is important to do so. However, there are days where I feel like it’s not worth it and I may as well not worry about ever getting a degree because it’s going to take too long, but that time will pass anyway. The road may be long, but I’ll be traveling down a road either way with time passing by. One road may be easier, but will it be more worthwhile?

            It has been said that, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers”. Mothers are one of our greatest teachers and examples. I am a Mother now and I have come to realize the importance of that sacred responsibility that I have been blessed with. Mothers truly do take on a special role from God and that role should be appreciated. And the same goes for Fathers. We have been given this sacred responsibility and gift to love and care for God’s precious children. As a parent on an entrepreneurial journey, I must never forget my duty as a Mother first. No matter where my life takes me or how successful I become, I am a Mother first. That is the same for all parents out there. We must remember the importance of our family and make sure that they are placed high on our priority list. Sometimes the work we do as parents doesn’t feel as rewarding and fulfilling as professional work might, but as parents, we are accomplishing some of the most sacred work there is. We must never forget that.

            Our relationships with our family our crucial, but our relationship with our Father in Heaven is one of the most important relationships that we need to maintain. We can establish and enhance this relationship by praying to our Father each and everyday and then be inspired by Him by reading the scriptures. We need His guidance in our lives, in both our personal and professional lives. Managing our time in this crazy world can be very difficult. I know that as long as we keep our priorities in line, everything will fall into place. If we always put God first then God will help us to accomplish every needful thing. He loves us and we need to love Him more than anything else. We need to make Him our highest priority and by so doing, we can align the rest of our priorities as needed, and be capable of more than we ever thought possible.

            As we journey through this life we will face many challenges and difficulties. As entrepreneurs we seek to be the best, we yearn for success in our endeavors. Jeffrey R. Holland gave a talk at a BYU Devotional in 1983 titled, “However Long and Hard the Road”. In it he examines how “we speak about excellence a great deal…by definition, excellence does not come easily of quickly…It is simply a truism that nothing very valuable can come without significant sacrifice and effort and patience on our part…You will face some delays and disappointments at this formative time in your life and feel that no one else in the history of mankind has ever had your problems or faced those difficulties. And when some of those challenges come, you will have the temptation common to us all to say, “This task is too hard. The burden is too heavy. The path is too long.” And so you decide to quit, simply to give up. Now to terminate certain kinds of tasks is not only acceptable but often very wise. If you are, for example, a flagpole sitter then I say, “Come on down.” But in life’s most crucial and telling tasks, my plea is to stick with it, to persevere, to hang in and hang on, and to reap your reward.” Don’t quit when the going gets tough. You are capable of great things and most importantly: you have God on your side. With the Lord, you can do remarkable things.

Being Grateful in All Things

I read Thomas S. Monson's talk from April 1992, "An Attitude of Gratitude", and these are some points that really touched me:

"This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.

We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."

"First, there is gratitude for our mothers.

Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to take us by the hand and introduce us to birth—even to mortal life—deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.”

Second, let us reflect gratitude for our fathers.

Father, like Mother, is ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family. This love for children, this desire to see them well and happy, is a constant in a time of change...

Let us have gratitude for our friends. Our most cherished friend is our partner in marriage. This old world would be so much better off today if kindness and deference were daily a reflection of our gratitude for wife, for husband."

I am so grateful to be living on this Earth today. It really touched me how Thomas S. Monson emphasized that, "While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help." It can be hard at times to see the good in the world amongst all the evil, but it is there, and we should be grateful for it. And by so doing, we help to cultivate more good in the world. "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude." I love what was said about mothers. We need to be grateful for our Mothers as they are one of our greatest teachers and examples. They love us and care for us. I especially love the inspiration shared from an unknown writer who said, "God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers." Mothers truly do take on a special role from God and that role should be appreciated, especially since mothers can tend to be some of the most under-appreciated people on this planet. As a Mother myself, and as I continue on my Entrepreneurial Journey, I need not forget my duty as a Mother first. My children are my first and most important responsibility and I will never allow anything to get in the way of that. I am so grateful for my opportunity to be a Mother, and although it can be difficult at times, and although I feel like I am accomplishing nothing a lot of the time - that's not true. I am accomplishing some of the most sacred work there is. If a career, a business venture, or idea has to wait, so be it. I am a Mother first.

Avoid Complacency

A talk was given by Thomas S. Monson in April 2005, titled "Constant Truths for Changing Times". It is a talk that everyone should read. I loved many moments and truths spoken of in the talk, however I will only touch on a few parts. I encourage all to go and read the talk in its entirety.
Our world is an ever increasingly evil place, and Thomas S. Monson gives us the crucial advice that:

"We cannot afford to be complacent. We live in perilous times; the signs are all around us. We are acutely aware of the negative influences in our society that stalk traditional families. We, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must stand up to the dangers which surround us and our families."

He addresses multiple areas in our life that if we stay faithful to the truths we have been taught, we can withstand the evil that is around us. One area he addresses is debt:

"This is a day of borrowing, a day when multiple credit card offers arrive in our mailboxes each week. Avoid the philosophy and excuse that yesterday’s luxuries have become today’s necessities. They aren’t necessities unless we ourselves make them such. It is essential for us to live within our means."

Being in debt is truly a form of bondage, you are not free until you are free from your debts. My husband and I have only ever had credit card debt once, and it may have only lasted for a couple of months, but I remember feeling like I was in bondage. I even struggled with feelings of inadequacy because of it. I know that it is important and crucial for us to stay out of debt and not become complacent in our financial endeavors either.

"Next, I have felt impressed to speak to mothers, to fathers, to sons, and to daughters.

I would say to each mother, each father—be a good listener. Communication is so vital today in our fast-paced world. Take time to listen. I would encourage you to be available to your children. My brothers and sisters, time with your children is fleeting. Do not put off being with them now."

It has been such a struggle for me as I have been going to school because it has taken time away from my family. I was pushing it so hard for awhile and taking more credits than I could manage because I wanted to get through school quicker, but it was only creating family strife as I was not getting the time needed with my husband and children. I ended up dropping a course and am now taking lighter loads so that I can spend more time with my children as they are in their more receptive years and they need me there to teach them and to guide them. It is so important that we are there for our children.

Said President Hinckley: “As we train a new generation, so will the world be in a few years. If you are worried about the future, then look to the upbringing of your children.”

We cannot afford to be complacent. We must stand up for what is right and the good in this world. "Remember that ofttimes the wisdom of God appears as foolishness to men." We need to withstand the negative influences all around us and become a positive influence in our society. This talk only assured me further that I want to do something to better the world, something to fight against the evil that is out there, and show that there are still people fighting for what is right whether society agrees or not. I always want to follow the advice that Thomas S. Monson gives in this talk when he says, "Parents, live your lives in such a way that your children will find you an example worthy of emulation." I want to be that worthy example, in everything that I do. I want to be seen as nonjudgemental and kind just as Sis. Monson was in the story about the paperboy from the talk. And in order to do so, we must "ever follow the Prince of Peace, who literally showed the way for us to follow, for by doing so, we will survive these turbulent times. His divine plan can save us from the dangers which surround us on every side. His example points the way. When faced with temptation, He shunned it. When offered the world, He declined it. When asked for His life, He gave it. Now is the time. This is the place. May we follow Him."

Finding Balance in Your Life

Balancing a growing venture and family life is difficult. It can be a constant struggle, the important thing is that you are passionate about what you are doing and know that you are doing will be worth it. 
Pay attention to what's important to you so that you can be careful about your priorities.

Have any of you found your passion in life? Have you figured out your calling and are you in the process of pursuing it? These words from the Action Guide, "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" definitely struck an emotional chord with me because I still haven't found that "mission" I am searching for:

"Why does such a calling elude you? Why does winning the “rat race” seem so alluring? What is it that makes happiness always seem to be just beyond your grasp? Welcome to the human race."

The tasks that the article sets before us, in order to solve this befuddling paradox, are quite inspiring. What do you feel is the definition of happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment? I feel that happiness is a choice. A choice that we make everyday despite our circumstances. Our circumstances can never define our happiness, because our happiness is what we make it. I feel that fulfillment is the thing that most people are striving after, not happiness. I feel that fulfillment can bring us satisfaction, and both of those things feel good, but they probably won't affect our happiness, but be a plus  on top of it. Another thing about the search for fulfillment in life, is I think once we reach an old age, we will look back and see that we were searching for something we already had as we see how well we have done with the opportunities we have been given in life. As we lose ourselves in good endeavors and relationships we can start on our journey and create for ourselves a life of meaning. 

"Ultimate meaning may be beyond us, but we can make our lives more meaningful, and it is meaning, not money or power, that illuminates our lives." 

Thomas S. Monson helps to provide us with a formula for success in his First Presidency Message from March 1996:

"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. What we need, as we journey along through this period known as mortality, is a compass to chart our course, a map to guide our footsteps, and a pattern whereby we might mold and shape our very lives. May I share with you a formula that in my judgement 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 you life with service; and third, fill your heart with love."

-Thomas S. Monson, March 1996 First Presidency Message, "Formula for Success" 

Money is another factor we need to think of and be aware of on our journey.

I understand the importance of money and the amount of good or evil it can do depending on how it is used. I feel that money should be used carefully. I do my best to be frugal, but even then I feel I am lacking at times and spending my money a little too frivolously.  I also feel that we should treat other people’s money as we would treat our own. Whether it is someone willing to buy you dinner or invest thousands into your company, you should treat their money as the sacred entity that it is and not spend it more lightheartedly than you would your own.

Our view of money will affect how we use it and how we use money will affect the way we live. We can choose to spend money we don’t have and go into debt, putting ourselves into a life of bondage. Or we can be wise, and save our money, so that we can continuously live a good life, even into our old age.

Some rules recommended for prospering:

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.

What Will You Become?

"Do not underestimate yourself. You can do the impossible. It's a whole lot more fun to do great things than to just be good..and it's no harder to be great than to be good. Pursue your goals and dreams. Don't allow anyone to tell you you can't do it." -Taylor Richards of Taylor Boats

In can be difficult to not get dismayed thinking your dreams are to far away, but don't give up. Don't allow someone to tell you it can't be. You can do whatever you put your mind to, especially if you enlist the Lord's help. 

"In contrast to the institutions of the of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something." -Dallin H. Oaks, "The Challenge to Become"

We will be judged in the last days by what we have become.

I read an article this week from the Harvard Business Review called "The Heart of Entrepreneurship" by Howard H. Stevenson and David E. Gumpert. 
Even though this article is from 1985, it is still relevant to today. If a company wants to continue growing, they need to continue innovating. Companies that get stagnant or satisfied with where they are at are the ones that start to fail. A lot of companies aren't prepared for environmental changes, and many get dormant in staying up to date with the latest technologies. Can you think of examples of some companies like that? 

I also liked what was said about entrepreneurs and how, "The entrepreneur does not necessarily want to break new ground but perhaps just to remix old ideas to make a seemingly new application. Many of today’s fledgling microcomputer and software companies, for example, are merely altering existing technology slightly or repackaging it to accommodate newly perceived market segments." If you look at most big companies, they don't usually create something completely brand new but instead reinvent the way we do something in order to make it better.  What are some of your favorite "re-inventions"?

I think one of mine was the iPod, it totally recreated the way we listen to music. And more re-inventions continue to come from it! I also love seeing the way laptops are reinvented like Apple's new fanless macbook. 

Be True to Yourself and Your Resources

As an entrepreneur, you tend to feel like you need to create your opportunities, you need to come up with something no one has thought of, and that you need to construct your ideas and businesses completely from scratch. However, we don’t need to create all of our own resources, instead, we need to take advantage of the resources already at our disposal. We all want to recreate Silicon Valley, but using them as the perfect guide for an entrepreneurial ecosystem isn’t going to work. Which is what leads to prescription number two: shape the ecosystem around local conditions. Every country and every culture has their niche. They all specialize in their own specific industries. In order to create a healthy, entrepreneurial ecosystem, you need to invest in and take advantage of those specialty industries and natural resources that are already readily available in your geographic location or culture. We don’t need to think of something nobody has done before, but instead, use what we have and know, to create a better way of doing something that relates to the resources available to us. We have so many opportunities already waiting in front of us. Instead of feeling like we have to go out and find our path, we should look in front of us and see what is already available and waiting. There’s plenty of opportunities and resources conveniently before you, use that position of power and influence to create your ideas and businesses. And we can't be afraid of hard work. One cannot be self-reliant if you are being given everything you need in order to succeed. Each of us needs to learn to work for what we want. We will never be able to sustain success if we never have to work for it. In the words of Fred Gosman, “Children who always get what they want will want as long as they live.”  And somewhere along the line it is important for the character development of our children, and every individual, to learn that “the earth still revolves around the sun” and not around them. There have been many times in my life where the lesson of hard work has been reiterated, teaching me that I have to work for what I want. The road may be hard, but it will always be worth it if we persevere and put forth our best effort and work and don’t shirk in our responsibilities.

Have you ever allowed the little voice inside your head to tell you, "You aren't good enough"?

Those little voices inside our head can be some of the most difficult obstacles that we face in our life. We know just what to say and what buttons to push that will bring us down. Don't allow yourself to get in the way of your dreams. You can do it. Develop the attitude needed to keep going and  persevere through the difficult times. "Perseverance is demonstrated by those who keep going when the going gets tough, who don’t give up even when others say, “It can’t be done.”" -James E. Faust

I love what Gordon B. Hinckley said about being true to ourselves,
"I think of loyalty in terms of being true to ourselves. I think of it in terms of being absolutely faithful to our chosen companions. I think of it in terms of being absolutely loyal to the Church and its many facets of activity. I think of it in terms of being unequivocally true to the God of heaven, our Eternal Father, and His Beloved Son, our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must be true to the very best that is in us.

Run from the tide of sleaze that would overcome you. Flee the evils of the world. Be loyal to your better self. Be loyal to the best that is in you. Be faithful and true to the covenants that are associated with God. You cannot wallow about in lasciviousness, you cannot lie, you cannot cheat, you cannot take advantage of others in unrighteousness without denying that touch of divinity with which each of us came into this life. I would pray with all of my strength that we would rise above it and be loyal to our best selves."

-Gordon B. Hinckley, "Loyalty", April 2003

Hang In and Hang On

My favorite quotes from my readings and videos watched this week. There is great focus on hanging in there and hanging on to hope and relying on God. If we keep God by our side, anything is possible. 

"Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea “Is there no balm in Gilead?” ⁶ We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face."
-Pres. Thomas S. Monson, "Looking Back and Moving Forward", April 2008

"It’s interesting to me that the rest of the world does eventually discover what was given long ago in the scriptures. I recently read this: “Only a small portion of what we are [is developed] and there is enormous potential in the human being” (Leo Buscaglia, Love[New York: Fawcett, 1982], p. 19).

In his book, The Politics of Experience, R. D. Laing said, “What we think is less than what we know: What we know is less than what we love: What we love is so much less than what there is, and to this . . . extent, we are much less than what we are” (R.D. Laing inLove, p. 19). Without being smug, we’ve known that since the dawn of the Restoration. Surely that ought to be our own exciting challenge toward becoming—of growing, seeing, feeling, touching, smelling, hearing, believing."

"A common man or woman will hear only the commonplace, but a man or a women connected to the powers of heaven will learn to be an inheritor of those powers."

-Patricia T. Holland, "However Long and Hard the Road", BYU Devotional January 18, 1983

Hang In and Hang On

"We speak about excellence a great deal..these days, and, by definition, excellence does not come easily or quickly—an excellent education does not, a successful mission does not, a strong, loving marriage does not, rewarding personal relationships do not. It is simply a truism that nothing very valuable can come without significant sacrifice and effort and patience on our part. Perhaps you discovered that when you got your grades last month. Maybe in other ways you are finding that many of the most hoped-for rewards in life can seem an awfully long time coming.

My concern this morning is that you will face some delays and disappointments at this formative time in your life and feel that no one else in the history of mankind has ever had your problems or faced those difficulties. And when some of those challenges come, you will have the temptation common to us all to say, “This task is too hard. The burden is too heavy. The path is too long.” And so you decide to quit, simply to give up. Now to terminate certain kinds of tasks is not only acceptable but often very wise. If you are, for example, a flagpole sitter then I say, “Come on down.” But in life’s most crucial and telling tasks, my plea is to stick with it, to persevere, to hang in and hang on, and to reap your reward. Or to be slightly more scriptural:

Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days. [D&C 64:33–34]

I am asking you this morning not to give up “for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.” That “great work” is you—your life, your future, the very fulfillment of your dreams. That “great work” is what, with effort and patience and God’s help, you can become. When days are difficult or problems seem unending, I plead with you to stay in the harness and keep pulling. You are entitled to “eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days,” but it will require your heart and a willing mind. It will require that you stay at your post and keep trying."

"Though nothing in our lives seems to require the courage and patient long-suffering of those early Latter-day Saints, still almost every worthwhile endeavor I can imagine takes something of that same determination."

-Jeffrey R. Holland, "However Long and Hard the Road", BYU Devotional January 18, 1983

"I want to help you understand the importance of not underestimating yourself, and the Lord, and what great things you can do. Don't doubt yourself and what you can do. As an entrepreneur, as you start a venture, you are going to have all kinds of people laugh and say, "You can't do this!", just like Nephi's brothers, "You can't build a ship!". Nephi knew he could, and I know you can do whatever it is you set your mind to. With the Lord, you can do amazing things."

-Taylor Richards, "You Can Do Anything", March 21, 2011