Finding Balance

So You Want to be an Entrepreneur?

Out of the readings and videos, I really enjoyed the video “Loyalty to God and Family” because of the advice given. In this video the speaker goes over the importance in balancing your time between work, God, and your family. He reminds us that in the beginning stages of building your business, we will have more time to enjoy hobbies and things of interest. However, he states that as the business grows, your available time will decrease causing you to choose where to allocate it. The following are great pieces of advice he recommends to follow:

·      Never compromise your loyalty to the Lord or your family.

·      Give focus time to God, family, job/work

·      Never be too busy to take a church calling

·      Setting working as a priority shows the Lord where your priorities are

·      Your greatest legacy will be your family and service you give

“Never being too busy to accept a church calling” was probably the biggest one that stood out to me. I was in a ward once where the Young Women’s president was a full-time teacher, mother to 4, and working on her Master’s Degree. She had such little time for anything outside of those responsibilities that I suggested she asked to be released from her calling. I’m glad she didn’t take my advice but instead worked by faith, knowing that the Lord would help her meet her goals.

Another video that echoed the same advice was “The Entrepreneur and the Family”. Valuable take-aways discussed:

·      If you’re single and beginning a Startup, STAY SINGLE!

o   This phase of building your business will require all of your available time.

·      If you have family, set rules and stick to them!

o   Have dinner together

o   Plan weekends with family

Both of these videos resonated how important balance is to maintain. Investing just as much time and effort into your family is just as important if not more because families are eternal.

A HERO'S JOURNEY

A HERO’S JOURNEY

            The part of the video that impressed me the most was the statement he made, “What matters most isn’t the prize at the end but how the hero is changed in the process.” When I heard this, I immediately thought about my marriage and my singleness. I converted to the Church when I was 30 and I was single at the time. I never felt more aware of my singleness until I became a member of the Church. It seemed like that was the “prize” that most, if not all, women and men were striving for. Here I was, 30 and single and faced with the fact that attending a family ward was my only choice living in Texas at the time. However, once I made the move to Utah a year later, I attended the Mid-singles ward. The best way I could explain this ward was that it was for those who never graduated from a YSA and had to go to “summer school” at the Mid-singles ward. Or those who DID graduate but had to repeat the grade due to divorce.

            As I attended this ward, I found that many members, men, and women were focused on the wrong thing, marriage. I was guilty of this, too! Walking into this ward for the first time was like a meat market. I was the “new meat” and acquired quite a few dates because of this! After many failed relationships with members and non-members, I realized I was the common denominator. After acknowledging this, I sought out counseling, put into practice healthier habits that focused on me rather than a potential mate. A few months later, I met my now-husband. Taking the focus away from the end goal, marriage, and redirecting it to me made all the difference.

            From this experience I learned that it wasn’t about the “prize” of being married, but instead the process that led to it. I learned how to be happy being single, to avoid “fixer-uppers”, and to enjoy the journey, no matter how long it may have taken. Now that I’m married, I know that it is still a journey but a journey that I’m not alone on.

I learned how going from being single to being married changed me. I learned how important self-care is, how serving someone else can bless you in the process, how focusing on not being married yet in my 30’s was wrong. This journey of marriage is allowing me to grow, serve, and love more than I had anticipated. I’m so grateful for this journey!

Honesty & Business Ethics

Out of all the materials we covered this week, Elder Lynn G. Robbin's talk, "Making a Living and a Life" really resonated with me.

"Working in this world to make a living was part of the Lord’s plan for His children, not just to survive, but to see how we would get along with others in making that living – to see if we would be honest in our dealings with our fellowmen.   Satan quickly recognized the work environment as a strategic setting to stir up all manner of sin, including covetousness, jealousies, self-indulgence, living beyond one’s means, anger, contention in marriages, infidelity, greed and envy, selfishness, even theft and murder."

Things I pondered after reading this:

• Was I honest in my dealings with my team at work?
• Did I allow the adversary to tempt me with office gossip?
• How many times did I allow myself to become angry at a staff member?

I felt a bit of conviction as read this passage because I was definitely guilty of these things.  When I did work, there were days I resented having to do so, but we are commanded to work. And when I was at work, I tried to treat others how I would want to be treated. There were often mornings where I would pray at my desk before anyone else came in and asked Heavenly Father to help me be more Christlike in my dealing with my team and many evenings where I had to repent for my sins. Some days I failed and others where I succeeded. In an office where being a member of the Church was a minority, it was important to me that I try my best to be a good example.  I'm so glad that we have grace and mercy to help us through this mortal life!