Truth + Service +Love

I had the wonderful opportunity to read a message from President Thomas S. Monson called, “Formula for Success.” In it he discusses three parts of a formula that will bring you success and happiness. The first part is “fill your mind with truth.” Truth does not come from the philosophies of men. Rather the source of truth comes from God. Therefore we must look to the scriptures, listen to the holy prophets, and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. President Monson’s second part to his formula is “fill your life with service.” He gives missionaries as one of the greatest examples of service to the Lord. Currently I have two brothers on missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One is in frozen Wisconsin, and the other is in balmy Bolivia. They are both incredible examples of service to me. For two years they dedicate all of their time to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to God’s children and helping them to receive saving ordinances that will help them return home to their Father in Heaven. Each day I strive to serve like they do.  Part three of the formula is, “fill your heart with love.” My mother is a wonderful example of filling one’s whole heart with love. Everything my mother does is for someone else she loves or is growing to love through her service. Through her love and example I learned about the Savior’s, Jesus Christ, love for me. I am grateful for the Savior’s infinite love.

As I pursue my career goals and start my own family, I never want to forget President Monson’s formula: fill your mind with truth + fill your life with service + fill your heart with love = “That great reward of exaltation in the celestial kingdom of our Heavenly Father.” I know this to be true.

Becoming

One of the assignments this week in Intro to Entrepreneurship, was to read the talk, “The Challenge to Become,” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. It is a beautiful talk that explains the importance of becoming. One of the lessons Elder Oaks teaches in his talk is the difference between having a testimony and becoming converted. He says, “To testify is to know and to declare. The gospel challenges us to be “converted,” which requires us to do and to become.” Having a testimony of the Savior and His Church is important, as is declaring the truths of the gospel, to His word. But even more important to our eternal life is becoming truly converted to the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to just believe; we have to internalize the teachings and act on what we believe. As I move forward in pursuit of my entrepreneurial and life goals, I want to focus less on what I am learning and more on what I am becoming. Often I will reflect and ask myself: “Am I using what I learn from study or experience to make better choices?” It is important to learn, but even more important to become. My hope is that I will never forget this and that I will be able to teach it to my children.

My Entrepreneur Goal

 

Throughout this class I have gone back and forth on whether or not I want to be an entrepreneur, in the sense of starting my own business. I kept asking myself, “How can I start a business when I want to be a stay-at-home mother?” My answer finally came this week while I was completing Mentor Session #5 from the book “So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur?” I realized that my passion of teaching and taking care of young children would be perfect for starting my own in-home preschool! Now my entrepreneur goal is to start my own in-home preschool business for children in my neighborhood, when my youngest child is 4 years old (preschool age). This would allow me the flexibility to still be a great stay-at-home mom and still follow my dream of starting my own business and teaching. It is very exciting for me!

This week in my entrepreneur class I also really enjoyed reading and reflecting on the talk “Loyalty,” by President Gordon B. Hinckley. President Hinckley teaches, “be loyal to your best self.” Often I have heard before the phrase: be true to yourself. I love how President Hinckley so wisely adds, to your best self.  Each of us has great potential and we must be true to that, always improving and trying to be more like that self and leave behind the filth of the world. We should strive to be our best selves rather than settling for what we are now.  It was a wonderful talk and I encourage all to read it and reflect.

Don't Quit, It Will Be Worth It

Jeffery R. Holland has always been one of my favorite speakers and I absolutely love listening to his talks. This week in Intro to Entrepreneurship class, I got to listen to Elder Jeffery R. Holland and Sister Patricia Holland speak in a BYU Devotional Address, “However Long and Hard the Road.” Their words were uplifting and comforting; I felt the Holy Spirit witness to me that the things they were saying are true. Sister Holland teaches that each of us has a great potential and we should take every opportunity we can to learn in our hearts and minds and grow. Elder Holland declares, “it is simply a truism that nothing very valuable can come without significant sacrifice, effort, and patience on our part.” Any worthwhile endeavor, such as school, careers, entrepreneurial ventures, marriage, or family, is often accompanied by trial and struggle. When I feel discouraged our want to quit, I hope I will remember the words of Elder Holland, “Hang in and hang on…don’t quit!” It will be worth it if I persevere with my whole heart and a willing mind.  This talk is filled with so many wonderful examples of people who endured so much so that something wonderful and great could be brought to pass; examples such as the Prophet Joseph Smith, Winston Churchill, and the Mormon pioneers. I am so grateful for this lesson I have been taught this week, of the importance of bearing well our trials and struggles so we may build our lives into a great work.

Also, this week in class I was able to watch the LDS video “Good Things To Come,” again the words of Jeffery R. Holland. That video gave me great hope. I am so blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gives me the promise of good things to come. Hard times are most assuredly ahead, but so are great blessings, and I hope to never lose sight of that. I close with this beautiful promise from the video, “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come ‘til Heaven. But, for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.” I know this to be true.