My Last Lecture

Many of us are privilege in life.  We are given talents to help us to become better and help us to better humanity.  How do we use these talents?  Over the course of this semester I have read and listened to many entrepreneur's journey.  The talent I believe they gave the world is jobs, security, ideas, and products that people wanted.  These men and women were fearless and never let the naysayers win.  They fought the fight so they may leave a legacy.

  

My greatest hero in the world of business is Walt and Roy Disney.  Everyone knows about Walt Disney because of his charisma and passion.  Not many men or women then or since could match his drive.  But he could not have been successful without his older brother Roy.  The two were a combination that could not be reckoned by.  Roy was there to make sure the business was sound and to protect his younger brother and Walt was there to keep Roy alive.  What I mean by that is Walt was always keeping Roy on his toes never allowing him to rest.  Roy did outlive Walt long enough to help see his brother's dream of Walt Disney World come to life, then he died two months later.  These two made a company that would stand the test of times.  Every company needs a Walt to come up with the ideas, the entrepreneur, and every company needs a Roy the person behind the curtains helping to keep the show going without one you are not able to perform the greatest business.  

I am fortunate I have a brother like Roy who keeps our business together.  I am like Walt I am the entrepreneur, I see things that he cannot see.  He trust me to not go too crazy on business ideas.  It is funny even that the age difference between Roy and Walt is the same as my brother and mine age.  I am not saying I am anything like Walt, but he is a good man to exemplify in the business world.  We need more people like him to create and imagine things the world has not yet seen.

I believe in the next steps in our lives we need to always learn and be courageous. We can't always live behind the books we have to go and seek some adventures, if not those opportunities will be seized by someone else and that is when regrets comes in.  

We must pursue and when the world says, "that is the end of the line", you get out and start forging a new path and let others follow.  We will get cuts and bruises but the pioneers of old did not just sit home and wait for the railroad, they went on foot and cart.  They knew there was a promise land for them and adventure was waiting for them.  Don't let people say "stop" unless you want to!  

Gratitude

It is crazy to think that I have been writing in this journal for the last 13 weeks.  It has been a great experience to do this.  I have discovered a lot of who I am on this journey to be a true entrepreneur.  It has been fun to learn what I have learned and how to apply what I have learned. 

This week I was doing some reading on being grateful and how it does open doors for people.  I was taught by my parents to always be polite and courteous to people, even when the other person is not nice to you.  I have been in sales for my adult life and I have used this principle on a regular basis.  I have seen people open up when I said “thank you” for taking the time to talk with me.  Also being grateful is not limited to customers, it goes to employees, family, and even to God.  When you have a grateful  heart the doors of heaven open to you and blessing are bestowed upon you.  I know when I have demonstrated my gratitude my heart is full and my mind is clear to help me to do better in business.  

Charity never faileth...

On the road to greatness we sometimes forget where we came from and who helped us get there.  I learned this week to be truly successful we need to remember all those that have come before us and to look at how we can help those are coming behind us.

If we only search for profit and forget to give back we are taking away what was not really to be taken.  The Lord gives us blessings, they are given to us for a time, but we should pay it forward. We need to show charity.  In the scriptures charity is the pure love of Christ.  I think that charity is a means to find true happiness.  I am not speaking that money or profit is bad, but if we have to sacrifice ourselves to the dollar then we have become the slave to it.  If we cannot find happiness in the service to man then we have truly lost ourselves.  I have witnessed in my life as I have strive to increase sales and profitability of our company and show kindness to my employees and give personally, the Lord increases my capacity for more wealth.  Money is good when you use it for good.

I listen to an Elder in my church named Elder Gay.  He has lived a successful life, but his early life with his wife was meager.  He learned how to make money by starting a business while going to school.  What made me surprise was that he was grateful that the business was successful enough to hire people.  He wanted to give people a job so they can have money.  I feel when we have a life of looking to improve peoples lives the Lord does open the windows of Heaven to bless us monetarily and wisdom.