Journal Entry ~ Week 7

This week I read a lot about perseverance.  Elder Holland's talk called, " However Long and Hard the Road" was insightful and hit close to home for me.  I was very impatient in love early on.  I met and got engaged at age 17, while I was a senior in high school.  That marriage ended in a divorce after 3 years.  That early decision has impacted many innocent people.  My oldest son, is the one mostly impacted by this.  He now has two sets of parents, and although we did our best to raise him, I know the pull between two sets of parents has not been easy.  I really loved how Elder Holland used Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida to emphasise this point.  In quoting Holland he says,
"Love at first sight—if there is such a thing—is nothing like love after 19 years, 7 months, and 11 days, if my marriage to Sister Holland is any indication. Indeed “the best is [always] yet to be” (Robert Browning, “Rabi Ben Ezra,” line 2).

In that sense Troilus, whose impatient love for Cressida makes him something of a basket case, teaches us a valuable lesson. “He that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding,” Pandarus says to Troilus. “Have I not tarried?” Troilus pouts.

Pandarus: “Aye, the grinding. But you must tarry the bolting.”

Troilus: “Have I not tarried?”

Pandarus: “Aye, the bolting. But you must tarry the leavening.”

Troilus: “Still have I tarried?”

Pandarus: “Aye, to the leavening. But here’s yet … the kneading, the making of the cake, the heating of the oven, and the baking. Nay, you must stay the cooling too, or you may chance to burn your lips” (William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, act 1, sc. 1, lines 14–26).

The baking of life’s best cakes takes time. Don’t despair of tarrying and trying. And don’t “burn your lips” with impatience. Let me say just one bit more about the modern tragedy of sweethearts who will not tarry. It is of increasing alarm to me."

Early in my life I did burn my lips with impatience, I am so grateful that we are hear to progress, and that we can learn from our shortcomings and mistakes.  

The second aspect of this weeks learning I enjoyed was a video by Heath Bradley.  In it he talks about how he was thrown into entrepreneurship early in life, learning the value of being resourceful while repairing his family's broken roof. He has since built a successful restoration business that helps families recover after natural disasters.  Like Heath, I too do some of my most innovative and best work while under pressure.  Sometime we just need to dive in feet first, and figure our business out.  Understanding this, will help me move forward without having to plan everything out to the last detail.  I know I can trust my intuition because of my past experiences. 

 

Some quotes I want to remember from this week are:

"No one wants to buy a service they want to support a cause."

"Life is about how much knowledge you can gain, not about how much you can give."

"Seek out mentors"

"Involve the lord, you can do great things, he will open doors."

Journal Entry Week 6~

This week what really stood out to me from our reading was a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley.  It says,” No one has a greater interest in your welfare, in your happiness, in your future than do your mothers and fathers. They are of a prior generation. That is true. But they were once the age that you are now. Your problems are not substantially different from what theirs were. If they occasionally place restrictions on you, it is because they see danger down the road. Listen to them. What they ask you to do may not be to your liking. But you will be much happier if you do it. Your mother is your best friend. Never forget that. She gave you life. She cared for you, nurtured you, nursed you when you were sick, and looked after your every need. Listen to her now. Talk with her candidly and confidentially. You will find that she will keep your confidence and that her wisdom will prove to be wonderful.” 

As I read this quote, my first thought was that it is directed to traditional students, not older students.  As a mother of 5 I would like my children to read and understand this concept.  However, having been a young adult I realize that until they are parents they really don’t comprehend how invested we are in them.  I think the bigger picture here is that our Father in Heaven loves us this deeply, and even more.  Being able to go to him with all our concerns and be able to be candid is what he desires.  This was a great reminder to me of the relationship I want to build with my Father in Heaven. 

Then second lesson that really stuck with me is the concept Kawasaki lectured about when he said entrepreneurs want to change the world, the don’t really seek after the money.  I agree with this philosophy, and think that truly passionate people build on that passion and end up making money.  In America the point of earning money has been so emphasized that we have forgot the purpose of hard work.   This is evident in the report where CEO’s in America make sometimes 400 times the wages of their lowest paid workers.  This speaks to the greed of America, and is really something our country should be ashamed of.