Becoming

This last semester of school has been incredibly eye opening for me. I learned many academic lessons as well as life lessons. Surprisingly enough, I believe I had more life lessons learned in my business class than I did academic ones. Reason probably being because a business is mostly created from something you are passionate about in your life. Some of the most influential entrepreneurs of our time do not have a college degree and that's because a business can thrive if you are passionate about what you are trying to accomplish. This is called finding your calling. However, just because you're passionate, doesn't mean you are smart. An education is also imperative and should not be discredited.There is a reason why people make more money when they have a college degree, and it is because their education helped put them on the right path by creating their network of people, warning them of potential risks, and by giving them the knowledge that can ultimately help save them...

The two readings I most enjoyed from this week are the Formula For Success by Thomas S. Monson and Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. As a guy that makes mistakes often, when President Monson stated that "This is a time when we cannot afford not to be engaged in an earnest search for truth." I wholeheartedly agreed. A mistake that I would never want to occur is having my family think that I have any priorities before them. They are my number one support and motivation. In the Life and Liberty reading, it shows that statistics prove that our average amount of happiness is inherited, and as a father, it is my sole duty to my family and to God to make sure that my wife and children have that joy. Going throughout my life, I've encountered some parents and spouses that think that they can simply buy the affection of their children and or spouse. Another statistic proves that you cannot buy happiness. When we are in the act of service, we are able to find the most fu...

Ironically enough, "Becoming" is the actual name of my blog! On another note, last week I talked about acting on decisions that have been made. This week, I am to talk about how it's not merely enough to only go through the actions. As talked about by Dallin H. Oaks, it's not just what you've done, it's about what we have become. In addition, Jim Ritchie shared an old parable about the two wolves. One being evil and one being good; whichever one you feed is the one that wins. That being said, this week is all about becoming who we can be. All of us are constantly struggling to be a better person, to perfect something, or to overall change something in our lives. Every day it is something that we are trying to accomplish and I think a lot of the times, we are not aware of this. The reason I say this is because I even catch myself doing this, which is judging others. On occasion, I will catch myself being impatient with someone as they are trying to learn a new ...

Act, the verb, means to take action and do something. This week I have had some struggles following through with things that I have told myself that I would do and that is not only humbling, but selfish. When you act and it is not in the way that the Savior would have you do, then not only is it selfish, but it also not what is best for you. What is best for you is to follow the commandments that we have been given and to follow through with the covenants that we have made with the Lord. You can be good in the gospel, a good friend, or good at what you do, but why not be great at all of these things? We undoubtedly have the potential to be. When we are not striving to fully utilizing what God has given us, we are basically mocking our gifts and when we make mistakes and don't utilize the atonement, we too are mocking that. There is an abundance of people, places, and things that God has put in our lives and it's up to us to find these and make the best out of it. God has put Hi...

This past week, I was given a task in my religion class: to ask myself, "What lack I yet?" This was a hard question, but the answer I received was a bit more rough: "Learn to recognize and trust the Lord." I realized that I have been bitter with God lately and if I had more trust in His plan for me, then I would have absolutely no reason to be sour with Him because He only wants the best for us. As I have been working on this, I have also been reading the assignments for my entrepreneurship class and I came across some great advice. The first is a quote from Elder Holland: "Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind..." In other words, put your trust in Him. The second was something I learned from the talk You Can Do Anything : "Don't underestimate yourself and don't underestimate the Lord." As I strive to be as I once was, I'm learning that it's going to take a lot of sacrifice and with sacrifice comes a little despa...

     I am so grateful for the things that I have been learning in this class and how related it is to the gospel. Too many people forget to involve the essential things that the gospel enriches our lives with: Honesty, integrity, diligence, humbleness, etc. When we create room for these important things and fill our lives with nothing else, there can be no room for any deceit of the Devil. It's as simple and true as this and too many forget.      On another note, I am also grateful for who Gordon B. Hinckley brought up in his talk: Mothers and friends that will stand by you through the thick and thin. In my hardest of times, these are the two that I turn to for solace and advice. To remember them is also an important part of growth, for you can try to emulate what they have done for you.      This week's reading involved us reading about the "7 Habits." I read the book by Stephen Covey back in high school and I did not truly appreciate it t...

     Well it is the fourth week of school and I'm starting to realize some very important things about myself, especially thanks to my entrepreneurship class. Some things that I truly desire and prioritize are affecting what I had originally planned for my business. Before, I desired to open up my own bakery, but the more I go through my studies and am contemplating the future of my life and of others, I don't think that the food business is what I am meant to do. Each day I have a longing to help those around me, not just mentally/spiritually, but also physically. While creating my bucket list, one of the things that surprised me that came to mind was that I wanted to go to a developing country and give medical attention to those in need of it. It would be hard to do that when my knowledge is limited to making the perfect cinnamon rolls.      This may go along with my personal constitution assignment that I will be focusing on next, but one thing that Jim...