Reality Check

Through gratitude, we receive the best blessings.

Gratitude is the reason we are happy with what we have. I also believe that it’s being honest with ourselves in what we need and what we really have.  If not for gratitude, we see pressure to have more, and temptation to get it without working to get it.  The lack of gratitude, and the attitude of wanting more violates the tenth commandment, advising that we should not covet.

For a long time, I wondered what the difference between having vision and wanting more and coveting was, I think that the answer is gratitude. Those that are grateful for where they are now, how the achieved their place, and who got them there, but want to continue. This is what Heavenly Father wants us to do.

On the other side, when we grow unsatisfied with our lives, and then decide that only more this or more that without the desire to work for it is coveting that way of life. I believe that this is Satan’s cheap imitation of vision and desire to progress because when we covet, we might, if we are smart climb the latter, make more money; but I’m only progressing financially, but spiritually, their growth has been stunted, and this creates even more dissatisfaction in life.

This week I read an article about a woman who, even though she loved her job, and she loved her boss; she was happy in her marriage, and was overall satisfied with life; however, she siphoned half of a million dollars from the company she worked for because it was easy for her to justitfy her actions, and for the most part, she was grateful, but she still wanted more. I think that more importantly than being grateful, we must be continually grateful for what we have been given. 

It's the Little Things in Life

I've been thinking, giving back without a purpose isn’t really giving back. Part of giving back isn’t just the good things that it brings to those receiving (though, that is an important part of it), but it’s also the growth that happens within.

This is the growth that enables you to give more, and to inspire others to give. It’s not just entertaining the mind and tickling humanitarian phases every now and again; it’s learning how to live with charity in your heart, and in your actions.

Charity is Christ. We receive His praise when we keep the commandments and live life according to the doctrines and principles that this world was created with. Charity (giving back) is one of those. I believe that this is where passion comes from is from.

Passion is when you are willing to earn something, no matter the cost, whether it be pain, patience, perseverance, or enduring all three together and more. I believe that once we gain Charity, we gain passion. As we gain more passion, the more we are able to have the qualities that Og Mandino writes in his scrolls. Willingness to accept yourself, to keep going no matter what, to seek guidance from other sources (hopefully the ultimate source), to live things in their season.

We can give back in countless ways, but with that, we can tear down and take away in just as many ways. With every actions there is another one just as powerful and just as opposite as the other. We are all compelled to go both ways, and there are many voices which one to choose, but there is only one voice that matters to the final decision.

I will make sure to listen to my mind and to my heart, and then pray; especially if the two disagree. 

Ahead of time

So I read scroll ten a week ahead of schedule, and I think that this one has influenced me the most of all the scrolls. I constantly think about praying to be guided instead of praying to receive. I also have started to do the same for my loved ones who struggle with certain things.

We are not here just to play. Heavenly Father wants us to learn, and to learn, we must struggle. I recently watched an LDS produced short thought where kids have two options. They can eat a chocolate chip, or they wait to receive something that has been beautifully wrapped in a box. Some of the children make ways of distracting themselves, but you know that always on their minds is what’s in the box.

After a while, they open the box to see a giant cupcake! Oh, the joy and happiness that has been well earned. I think that is the secret to real happiness; work, patience, suffering and hope. Without those things, we would not grow, or appreciate the things, skills and experiences that we have been given.

Hope and with the Lord will help me to accomplish any righteous aspiration in my heart. I just have to have the vision of happiness. 

Work, Work, Work

Words of wisdom often stay with those who listen for a very long time. I remember sometime around the beginnings of my mission; there was a talk given that changed my prayers, but most importantly; it changed my actions. 

The conference address topic was on prayer, and a key subtopic was to pray and then live your prayers. I believe that a dream is a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to guide that individual to the potential they see in themselves. Just as Og Mandino states in his ninth scroll, these goals and dreams are worthless unless you do something about them. you cannot have success if you do not pay the price for it. Any other good fortune that you stumble across is merely a happy accident.

In a manger meeting recently, we talked about why managers are offered bonuses, and why they get paid better than the average crew. It’s because more is expected of us. This is a good principle of life, if you want more, you have to give more. Teachers give A’s to the students who have put in the time to understand the concepts being taught. For some students, this will come naturally, for others, they will have to spend a painstakingly long time grinding the principles and facts into their mind.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the necessity of working hard and working smart. Both are critically important. I naturally know how to work hard, but have to learn how to work smart, and there are a lot of people who naturally know how to work smart, but lack the zeal to work hard. Both by themselves will be able to accomplish many things, but if you put the two together, you can achieve anything.

In addition to working, I think that you have to know when to stand back, for whatever reason. There are times to pray like God’s listening and work like He isn’t and other times to “be still and know that [he is] God.”

Worth Their Weight in Gold

In class we talked about multiplying our worth. This brought a lot of questions, worth to who, how does one measure worth? Does the worth remain, or have to be replenished constantly; and lastly, what do I value that I would want to multiply.

I think that one of the things that I value the most is communication and initiative. I value communication in any relationship. In a personal relationship, communication can be used to give and to receive in emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs. In a professional aspect, communication is important because it communicates goals and important information (like operating hours, and tasks that need completing).

I also think that initiative is important because with people that only follow, I think in a previous class we called these people “yes men”, they never grow, they are trained to do their job, much like a parrot is trained to speak. The people that I hire must be people who have a culture of learning and doing. If they do not have this culture, training will be exponentially greater to train them.

I once read a quote by the CEO of Cinnabon that skill can always be trained, but attitudes can’t. I see this evident in two employees that I work with. One has been employed at our company for less than two months. I have come to rely, trust and value this co-worker’s opinion, and actions. She has become a key team member both in skill and in culture. The other has been employed at different locations for three years, however, this employee needs constant management and guidance in many small and self-implied tasks. I dread having this person on my team because I know that I must use my skill and attention  focusing on him and not on the team.

With these two skills, the other skills will come, and the worth of a person can truly be multiplied. 

Early, Often and Bold

"Oh no! here comes another mission story..." . This is what I thought of as soon as I started thinking about what to write this week, the thought came to me because of this reflection on my mission; It was a hot day in Gilbert, South Carolina, and I had only held the calling as trainer for about five weeks. My trainee had already started with another missionary, but had strong negative feelings toward her. That's where I came in.

I remember looking my self-entitled "broken missionary" in the eye, urging her to role-play some part of a lesson we were going to teach later that day, but nothing could come out of her. She sat there, and looked at me, then sat there and looked some more. Finally after even the clock seemed impatient, she exhaled, "I just can't do it! I couldn't in the MTC, I can't now! I am a broken missionary!" 

I stared back and asked; "how much did you role-play before your mission?"

"never"

"so, you've never had practice?"

"no."

"I told you last week that I can't make cookies like you can, what did you tell me?"

"That you just need to practice."

"but, every time I make cookies, they turn out terrible!"

"you just need to do it more"

"so what did you just teach me about role-playing?"

At this point she and I both learned an important lesson. There are going to be things in life that are just not your beginning forte, Moroni said that God gave us weakness, so we can develop strength; however, that strength can't be developed without struggle and without the pain of failure. The more times we do it wrong before we do it right, the more we will know in the future not to do it.

Follow Your Heart

This week, I've thought about many of the people that have influenced me in my professional mindset. Often, when we would be brimming with business, I would have a manager who would be the only one enjoying themselves in the sea of customers. Their reasoning would be a reminder that it is the customers that we all have employment. My grandfather was also a cattle rancher and I grew up in a place with dairy farms. The response that I always hear from them when someone comments on the smell of cow manure would be a big inhale, and "it smells like money to me!". Truth is perspctive in many things, and if we can keep perspective with people, circumstances and emotions, then we can learn to be successful.  

It’s not always easy. Sometimes, especially as a leader; you’re tired, you want a break, but you have to keep going. There is so much demanded of leaders, and they need to remember to stay strong in keeping their standards, especially when the going gets tough, and there is no apparent accountability. I believe that as leaders do this, they will spread that attitude to the people that a leader wants to stick around. In order to be a great leader, you must first learn to be a great follower..

Og mentioned being a master of his emotions. I really found it influential that he accepts that he is part of nature and that he is not perfect. There will be bad days. Those bad days can vary in intensity based on your mood. I know that there are sometimes that I have gone through a day that would have eaten me up and spit me back out, but I was in a good mood, so the day was remarkably good. Our mood can change a lot.

Taming the Lion

My fiance Erik and I were reading in the marriage prep, and it came just in line with class this week. Often the text would point out that anger was a choice, and the class talks about using our choices with a full awareness of our agency, or self mastery as some would call it.

A lot of the time we try to shirk our responsibility of our agency; "they made me angry", "I couldn't help it" A talk that we read together mentioned a story where the speaker made the basketball team and lost control of of his temper while playing. The coach then stated that if the speaker wanted to continue playing on the team, tempers would do best to be checked.

As managers and entrepreneurs, self- control is an essential and critical personal asset. Without control of our agency, everything that we have learned is in vain. Og would have no power with the wisdom in his scrolls, and most importantly, Christ would have wasted the pain, effort and bravery that He so exemplified for us.

No matter the field, or the profession, I think the thing that I need to remember the most is that I need to walk with Christ and kneel with Him as I find that I lack the strength to choose.

Slipping Sand

I've been thinking a lot about time and about giving one's best. I read a quote a couple of days ago that said that being a good manager means giving 100% a hundred percent of the time. Although I agree with it in theory, it's really hard to apply in practice. We all have limited time; it's slipping away from us, the time to effect someone's life, the time to do a good job on one project or another, there is less time now than before to be a good sister, wife, person. 

Persistence to me is more than just trying again and again; it's giving 100% over and over and over. The question of life is often how to prioritize the limitless things that we could be doing. The problem is that we have so many good things to do, that we are afraid of not choosing "the best" thing. Society is so focused on "what is the best" that we paralyze ourselves in making decisions.

My general manager always says “if nothing changes, nothing changes” If we are not living the way we will look back in the spirit world with satisfaction, then something needs to change. Living life one day at a time, and living it to the fullest.

Og Mandino talked about living this day as if it were his last, but I struggle to blend this principle with "you reap what you sow" If I am to live today in preparation for tomorrow, then I will often forsake pleasures that I would normally allow myself, especially if I knew my days were shortly limited.

I spend less time with Erik because I have to do homework, but I do homework because it will make my life more beneficial to everyone within my influence, including myself. 

I guiltily spend my time studying instead of sleeping, even though I have been told very plainly from Heavenly Father multiple times to take care of my body.

Where is the line between living each day to your last, wasting and wearing out our lives in the service of God, and wasting and wearing out our lives in service to ourselves?

I believe that If I strive consciously to do His will, I will do what He needs me to do.  

Be who you are

I think that sometimes we try too hard to be the people that we wish we were and not hard enough to be the people that we are. I don't want to be misunderstood; I think that everyone should picture an "ideal you", that's how we grow, that's how we better ourselves, and sometimes better others.

Sometimes though, we fail to see and cultivate personal attributes and skills that we posses, but aren't as widely displayed and admired as others that we see others have. Things such as attention to detail, loyalty and honesty are traded for other things. We are who we are for a reason.

I've also been thinking about some attributes that we can have but not know, like for example, there is a time in my life that kept coming to my mind this week. I was young womens age, and my bishop at the time came and visited us. Later I was told by him that I ws a natural born leader, which at the time is a skill that I would have profusly denied that I had, but now I see that it is an important part of my personality and preformance.


I've thought about the third scroll, especially the parts that emphisize how many times he will keep going. That is honestly the only thought that keeps me awake right now. I need to keep going. Right now, I think I am busy, I barely have time to cook for myself or do my laundry, but I know that the end of the rope is success, but I have faith that the 3-4 hour sleep days, and the 2-3:00 AM nights followed by 8:00-7:45 classes will all be work, but one day; it will be worth it!

Life's Blueprint.

1.I will remember to keep my priorities in order

This is my first priority because this one has an effect on all of the other priorities. Sometimes life gets busy and there are many loud and quiet voices demanding the time and attention that has been allotted to me. If I keep this priority in mind I will be able to step back and look at the big picture.

2. I will think kindly of myself.

There will be times that I am unsure about what is happening in my life, there will be significant events that change and uproot many of my habits. I will fail at least at first to accomplish many of the goals that I set for myself as I am either adjusting to new things or battling the drudgery of living what could be seemingly the same day from week to week. As I fail, or achieve at a lower standard that I would have liked or expected, I will only look forward and move toward my next hill with confidence and love in and for myself.

3.I believe that there is more than one side to a story and one's opinion about one thing or another. I will listen with an open mind, but with realism and justice in thought process
If everyone had true omniscient perspectives, there would be no reason for us to be going through this life together. “There are many ways to skin a cat”, and the way I do things might be better or worse than that of my neighbor. I need to remember though that there are bad ideas, and recognition of bad ideas bring about the process to good ideas. Everyone has bad ideas, and everyone can have good ideas, the difference is made when we decide which ones to learn from and which ones to keep around.

4. I make goals with the intent of keeping them. I will work harder each day to achieve a small aspect of my daily, weekly and long-term goals.

Sometimes I will fail at achieving my goals, that is a reality in life. As long as I am actively doing whatever I can to make those goals happen instead of aimlessly wandering around my day hoping that I can achieve my goals, I will be satisfied that I made an effort, but I will celebrate when I have achieved that goal. Life is an archery course, not a game of pin the tail on the donkey.

5.Discipline is the backbone of success. I will develop my level of discipline.

The more ambitious the goal, the more discipline that needs to be applied in life. I often think of discipline as the currency of life, some are raised with habits of discipline ingrained in their habits and thought process, and others have to work hard later in life to gain it. One does not usually develop high levels of discipline over night, but saves it.

6.I believe that every person deserves to live their lives with at least one person standing up behind their back. I will only have nice and constructive things to say in social conversations.
I believe that every person deserves respect and kindness, and as you treat even the lowliest of people with kindness, they often become better, and others view you differently as well. Christ followed and obeyed this idea, and He helped many people to change their lives to become better. Those that receive no kindness or respect often no longer believe that they are worthy of it.

7.I will have a growing knowledge

Life is about learning. As I continue to learn even as I’m out of school, I will increase my capacity to understand life and help others in their path to their star.

8.I will have a healthy body

I am expected to take care of this body in this life. It is the vehicle that I experience this life in, and I will be able to experience more the full nature of this life if I eat right, rest sufficiently and take the stewardship over it that I have been given. This life is a calling.

Systems and Love

At work, we've been talking about systems. It's kind of funny because entrepreneurial people typically don't like structure, but it's a very important part of any business. Structure is the coordination of a team, and a team can play well if all the players are good, know the game, and if they are lucky. Success is intentional every step of the way. A good plan doesn't always mean a good outcome, but it sure helps.

Systems also only work when everyone, uses the system the same way. For example, if my boss trains me a certain way to do things, and I deviate from that, I teach someone else to do it another way. Eventually over time, there will be a procedural game of "telephone" circulating around the whole company until one person barely knows what the original procedure is

In the Og scrolls this week it focuses on love. There were a lot of things that I really liked, such as that we must love ourselves, make more time for love, less time for hate, and that love is both a key and a shield. I do disagree however. that love for clients and people can not make a business successful. There needs to be some love for the trade and love for discipline. As long as we keep love in our lives, we can succeed at anything we put our minds to. Love truely is the most valuable asset one can posses.

New Day

In Og Mandino's scrolls, he mentioned reading each scroll three times everyday. This reminded me a lot of something that my mission president had us do during the mission, and has done for his entire business profession. He would read his goals that were written on a card along with affirmations. He paces the floor, while reading them aloud morning and night, and then looks at the card throughout the day.

I've heard that every successful person has been called crazy at least once in their lifetime. It's because success has a price that has to be paid before the reward. One can not receive an advance of success ; it just doesn't work that way. I believe that success is gained by way of pain, struggle and a goal that was intended to be reached. Anything else is merely a pleasant happenstance.

Goals are meant to be made, discipline to be developed, and willpower to increase. Life is an obstacle course, a school, a playground that we may learn to create, to govern and to love. It's not easy, and it will make the soul groan with strain and weariness at times; however, as Alma states of repentance in The Book of Mormon, the pain is as sweet as the joy.

Three Pronged Fork

There are three things that I potentially plan to do someday. Perhaps I will only choose one, or perhaps I will not choose any.

My first plan was to go into Human Resources in talent acquisition because I really enjoy working with people and helping people to live and discover their potential. As I have worked as a manager in my current workplace, I feel not only the satisfaction of helping others to grow professionally by developing good habits, I also see myself growing by building leadership skills, habits and discipline to maintain those habits.

My second choice would be my own start up, though the idea came from my brothers, who enthusiastically entertained the idea of opening a restaurant. Though one wants more to manage a personal business, the other would like to operate a chain business. As I have talked to owners of both divisions, I have come to more of an understanding of the demands and stress that both choices could include.

Lastly, I have entertained the thought of selling massage services in the home. I enjoy massage and it could bring added income to the family, while bringing more flexibility to customize my time to the needs of my family.

50 Strange things

1. Finish my book
2. Find a fossil
3. Go parasailing
4. Run a marathon
5. Write a bucket list
6. Grow everything to make a meal
7. Go to a Broadway play
8. Learn a different language
9. Open the Granola Bar
10. Change a tire
11. Meet the 3 Nephites
12. Learn to dance
13. Watch the sun rise on a mountain
14. Train a seeing eye dog
15. Become a foster parent
16. Design a dress
17. Play in a softball game
18. Design a set in a play
19. Learn a skill to help someone
20. Learn to drive stick shift
25. Go on a kayaking trip
26. Learn how to swim
27. Overcome a fear
28. Visit 50 temples
29. Bring someone to a temple open house
30. Write a biography
31. Read entire standard works in 1 year
32. Build a tree house
33. Eat a banana straight from a tree
34. Eat squirrel meat
35. Go fishing in the ocean
36. Decorate my own house
37. Go on a trek
38. Serve a mission with my husband
39. volunteer at a Special Olympics
40. Hold a blood drive
41. Organize a charity drive
42. Find a gem in a mine
43. Go to lego land
44. Go hang gliding
45. Witness someones last breath
46. Take my mom bird watching
47. Let a butterfly land on my hand
48. Go see my dad
49. Play a major role in a play
50. Refurnish a desk
51. grow a plant from seed
52. Drive through the redwood tree.

Week 1- Ponderance

Training as a manager at wendy's makes me think a lot. There are actually a lot of parallels already in what I've learned in the past about managing a business, what I'm learning now as a manager, and what I learn in my business classes.

One thing that really stood out to me this week is "plan B" because of a recent lunch rush where Brittany went into labor, and I had to shift my crew around to the best I could maintaining a high level of quality in speed, service and product. Sometimes things happen, and they aren't really good things and they might not be bad things, they are just things that derail the plan, and you have to make a new plan.

So, let the planning begin!