Celebrate Your Life (July 21, 2021)

 Just like every beginning, there is always an end. This week concludes the class on the course "Introduction to Entrepreneurship". I am several inches taller for participating in this course. So many principles and ideas related to being successful have been extensively dealt with in this course. Because of this course, I am ready to take the entrepreneurial journey again. I am better prepared to take that journey and I am ready to be successful at it. Because of the benefits of this course, I have started another business journey. So far, I have tried to apply every principle shared in this course in starting this new business. I have not just learned, I am practicing as well. It feels good that way. Below are some questions I intend to address:

1. If you had one final lecture to share with a group of students on what you have learned from this course, what would you share?

    If you are interested in knowing what your mission on this earth is, If you are interested in discovering what your true purpose is, if you want to know what your natural gifts are, If you want to live a life of true meaning, independence, abundance, and be a change agent for the world, taking the entrepreneurial journey is the likely best option to make all of these come true. This is what I will share.

2. What would be your last bit of advice to someone wanting to begin the entrepreneur journey?

One of the greatest secrets to your success in life is this: "Know thyself." The entrepreneurial journey will take you there. Begin that journey now!

3. What words of advice, direction, or caution would you give him or her if you had only one chance to give your own last lecture?

The entrepreneurial journey is not an easy journey. It is not a straight journey. There are lots of rough surfaces along this road. Not everyone can take it, because it is not meant for everyone. It is risky, meaning you will take a lot of risks. It is time-consuming. It is effort engaging. It is energy-sapping. It takes faith, a lot of guts, commitment, persistence, perseverance, longsuffering, endurance, to get through the journey. That being said, it is the most rewarding effort man has ever experienced. The blessings and rewards of this journey far out weight the challenge. The entrepreneurial journey is worth every step you take. Take it! Start that journey now!

A Journy Of Gratitude (July 17th 2021)

 Nobody is an island. No entrepreneur can make it alone without the help of others. The success of an entrepreneur will depend on working well with others. An entrepreneur will need to carry gratitude in his heart always for the help he gets from deity and fellow men. The lesson this week is titled "A Journey of Gratitide." Particularly I am impressed by so many truth explained by President Thomas S. Monson in his talk titled, "An Attitude of Gratitude." He took the context of his talk from the Bible, the book of Luke chapter 17. It reads:

In the book of Luke, chapter 17, we read:

“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

“And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

“And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

“And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

“And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

“And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

“There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:11–19.)

President Monson said we can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

President Monson mentioned 6 personalities we should show gratitude to.

1. Mother. Our mothers deserve our undying gratitude for bringing us into the world and teaching us our first lessons of lifel

2. Father. We should show gratitude to our father, ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family.

3. Teacher. Gratitude to our teacher. Our teacher not only shapes the expectations and ambitions of us; the teacher also influences our attitudes toward our future and ourselves.

4. Friends. . Our most cherished friend is our partner in marriage - our husbands and our wifes.  We should show gratitude to them for being there for us.

5. Country. We should acknowledge gratitude for our country - land of our birth.

6. Jesus Christ. even supremely—let us reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die?

Showing gratitude for all of these will bring us to the position where more can be given to us to continously bless ourselves and others.

What's A Business For? (July 10, 2021)

Why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy? 

Virtue and integrity are very vital to an economy because that is what capitalism thrives on. Capitalism is an economic system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. A capitalist market relies on rules and laws. Those rules and laws in turn depend on truth and trust. If truth is concealed or trust eroded, the market becomes unreliable. If the market is unreliable, ordinary people will find other places to put their money - into their houses, maybe under their bed. If this happens, the market will empty and share prices will collapse. That then means the economy has collapsed. The great virtue of capitalism – that it provides a way for the savings of society to be used for the creation of wealth–will have been eroded. 

According to Charles Handy, what is the "real justification" for the existence of businesses?

According to Charles Handy, the "real justification" for the existence of businesses is not just to make a profit. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. That “something" becomes the real justification for the business. To illustrate this further Handy gave an example using food. He said: "We need to eat to live; food is a necessary condition of life. But if we lived mainly to eat, making food a sufficient or sole purpose of life, we would become gross."

What are two solutions proposed by Handy that you agree with? Why?

One of the solutions Handy proposed that could help promote truth and trust in the economy is America’s new requirement that chief executives and chief financial officers attest to the truth of their company's financial statements. He suggested that if this new requirement pushes accountability for truth-telling down the line, some good may result. This will make the chief executives and chief financial officers not be encouraged to cook the books of their companies, making the company more attractive than it deserves. The public may start having confidence in the marketplace and leaving their money in shareholdings.

He also suggests that it seems only fair that dividends be paid to those who contribute their skills to the growth of a company as well as to those who have contributed their money. That way employees have a say in their company and will give their all to enhance its growth. The public will be willing to invest in such a company knowing that everyone, both employees and shareholders are stakeholders in the company. Truth is promoted.

Attitude On Money (July 3rd 2021)

The article titled "Attitude On Money" was an interesting one. I have always loved how money affects the lives of people. People responded differently to money, including myself. For example, I asked my dear wife what her attitude on money was. Part of what she told me is this: "I believe we should respect money in order for money to respect us. We should not ball it up in our pockets, making it all wrinkled up. I like my money to be straight and neat and well arranged in my wallet. If we physically wrinkle up money, money will stay away from us. I believe money should be spent and not just saved, since we would not be taking it with us when we die." Looking at her perspective, that made me smile. 

What is my attitude on money? As far as I am concerned, money is a means to an end. Money is a tool used to accomplish tasks that need to be accomplished. I believe money is essential and important but not part of my top priorities in life. I have goals of traveling around the world to learn about different cultures and how people live. I have goals of building businesses that would make human life more meaningful. Money will help me accomplish those things, but money is not the goal. I believe in saving money and using my savings for investment. I also believe in spending money. I don't believe in hoarding money.

How can my view about money affect the way I live? Because of my view about money mentioned above, I don't chase money. I attract money. To attract money, I set goals on what is important to me which has to do with making life easy for myself and others. My goals will tell me what money needs to do for me to accomplish my goals. Then I seek it out. So I don't go after money. Something I am interested in attracts it. Because of my belief about money, I most of the time spend my money on my needs. I don't change my luxuries or equipment except it becomes absolutely necessary. My wife and children know that.

Some of the rules recommended for prospering according to the article are as follows:

Rule 1. Seek the Lord and have hope in him.

Rule 2. Keep the commandments, that includes the temporal ones, tithing, and fast offerings. 

Rule 3. Think about money and plan how you can become self-reliant. 

Rule 4. Take advantage of chances for learning so you will not be ignorant of these matters. Education, as President Hinckley has taught us, is the Key to Opportunity. 

Rule 5. Learn the laws upon which the blessings of wealth are predicated. 

Rule 6. Do not send away the naked, the hungry, the thirsty or the sick or those who are held captive.