Week 8

Last night I had the opportunity to visit with my husband about entrepreneurship and what it means for us as a family.  As I have already described growing up with self-employed parents and his parents worked for a college educated position, we discussed why we have the lives we have and why others are owners of their own businesses.  My mom never liked the ups and downs or feast or famine state of being self-employed and she spoke to her children a lot about the importance of education and its "benefits."  My husband was asking do we have the "benefits" or do our friends who are entrepreneurs have the "benefits?"  I said, "it all depends on what you feel are the "benefits."  Although it is hard to give a detailed description of the feelings we are experiencing anyone who has thought about leaving one life to begin another knows what I am describing.  We have a family in our ward who own their own business and through my friendship with the wife, my husband and I, were able to discuss a lot of the aspects of their life compared to ours.  And I posed the question, "would you want to deal with his bag or your bag?"  As we ask ourselves these questions it helps us see a clearer picture of what it is we want and it also allows the spirit to teach and guide us in the correct path for us.  Each path has different challenges and different blessings…which path do we want?  These are the questions that help determine which path we will take and to what degree we will develop our business.



Loyalty

Pres. Hinckley

When we look for the worst in anyone, we will find it. But if we will concentrate on the best, that element will grow until it sparkles.

Brethren, be loyal to your companion. May your marriage be blessed with an uncompromising loyalty one to another. Find your happiness with one another. Give your companion the opportunity to grow in her own interests, to develop her own talents, to fly in her own way, and to experience her own sense of accomplishment.

President Heber J. Grant, then President of this Church, had pleaded with our people against voting to nullify Prohibition. It broke his heart when so many members of the Church in this state disregarded his counsel.

Leadership with a small L

Pres. Clark

It is leadership with a small “L”—the kind of leadership that builds and lifts and inspires through kindness and love and unselfish devotion to the Lord and His work.  It is the kind of leadership that we need at every level of every kind of organization in the world and in every ward and stake in the Church.  It is the kind of leadership you will need to build an eternal family.

Principle 1 Lead by Example (In your family, your most powerful influence on your children will be the example of your life.  That example includes the actions that you take and the principles and values that guide you.  Your children will watch you very, very closely.  They will learn from you and follow your example—(eventually!).

Principle 2 Lead with Vision  (He gives us the vision of what we should do in our daily lives and what we might accomplish eternally if we will follow Him.  One of the most important things that leaders do is to help the people they lead understand the larger meaning and purpose of their daily work.

In your family this means teaching your children how cleaning their rooms, doing their homework, keeping the commandments, and learning to love each other is connected to exaltation in the celestial kingdom as an eternal family…But it may also mean leading your family through times of grief and pain caused by death or illness.  It may mean teaching them and showing them that staying the course, moving forward despite the pain, is deeply connected to your family’s eternal destiny.

Principle 3 Lead with Love  To you mothers and fathers and prospective mothers and fathers, the very most important thing you can do for your children is to love each other and support each other and help each other become everything Heavenly Father wants you to be.  You stand before God and your children as husband and wife, father and mother, equal partners in the sacred responsibility of creating an eternal family…You will support them and encourage them and love them enough to put structure and discipline in their lives.

Trust(I must be able to trust FIRST) Bakers are trusting of people Eaters want it all for themselves.

A Message to Garcia (Acton Foundation)

Make no mistake about it. You have a choice. You can blame your parents, teachers, coaches or bosses. Or you can choose to start developing the attitudes, habits and instincts so your name will be called when success hangs in the balance.