Week 12

What is The Hero's Journey?

This question was asked in class on Tuesday. As I thought about how I could answer it I realized that everyone’s answer would be different. Even though the teacher and book may have defined it, the hero’s journey is something that is personal and unique to each individual. I wrote that the hero’s journey is a lifestyle of entrepreneurship, taking risks to find meaning and bring meaning to your life and the life of others. Every hero is different, every journey filled with different choices and trials. How can you define a hero’s journey when each one for each person is different?

The article we read defined the hero’s journey as something to this effect, a hero’s journey requires you to find your most precious gifts and find a way to use them for something greater then self. I like that way of putting it because that is a unique journey. Every gift it different every need a new one. The hero’s journey is not selfish it is about other people.

This week we talked about Social Conscious Entrepreneurs. People who see a need in the world and fill, these are entrepreneurs but people who see a need that helps people, these are social entrepreneurs. Do you want to solve world hunger? Or change education in America? Do you want to bring fresh water to Africa? These are all social needs that an entrepreneur can address. Where most people get caught up on is the thought of solving a problem, we all want to solve world hunger but that sounds impossible. As an entrepreneur you must replace the word “solve” with “engage” because to engage in world hunger is just to get the ball rolling. It is amazing what people can do when given the chance. Engage, is a here and now action something that we can all do today. Solve, is an impossibly hard and long road. All that must be done is the first step taken, from there we take the next step.

Just Start! For goodness sakes, what is waiting going to solve? Most often waiting makes a problem worse. Do not wait for the rain to clear and the skies to be clear because they rarely are and by the time they do clear the opportunity may have passed you by. I have one more class in my Entrepreneur class and I feel as if I have only brushed the surface of what can be learned about following your dreams and passions. Because that is what it is all about. It’s not about the money, its about finding meaning in life and then turning and giving back when we have the chance. Every person has great potential, they are filled with creativity, they just have to find it and work for it. This class has almost come to a close, but I think what I have learned most is to never give up no matter what, but remember that sometimes it is time to pivot and find a new path to follow. The Hero’s Journey is fraught with dangers and trials but something we all learn from watching the movies is that it isn’t about what is at the end of the journey, its about who is helped along the way. 

Week 11

Thanksgiving is here! 

            What do we get to learn about on this week of thanksgiving? Learning to have a balanced life. IN the readings and videos I watched family was often brought into the picture, it is hard on a family to have a parent that works so hard all the time. Entrepreneurship is not a job that you come home from in the evenings it comes with you, it is a part of who you are and everything you do. This is why it can be hard on a family. Balancing between work and relationships is a daily decision and a constant journey or as one of the article states; “it is a constant state of being.”

            Another article talks about how life is about finding happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. The most important of the three is fulfillment, because the other two will simply fall into place after that. I think that is a beautiful way to look at life not that your trying to find happiness but that you are already happy, not that your trying to find satisfaction but that you have the choice to be satisfied, instead you are only seeking to be fulfilled and the way to become fulfilled is to serve other people. Being an entrepreneur is about finding a need in the world and filling it, it is about making the lives of others better, the very lifestyle of an entrepreneur begs to be about fulfillments.

            Remember to be have gratitude in all things for that is “one of the most powerful steps in finding fulfillment.” That is why we celebrate thanksgiving. 

Week 10

This week was focused more toward buying your way into a business instead of doing a Start Up. But the things that struck me and where not about the legalistic of buying into a business but more the attitude that entrepreneurs have. In the talk by Dallin H. Oaks he talks about how being a part of the gospel is not just about living just becoming. Becoming what you love and believe in. As an entrepreneur we do not just live and go through the motions of an entrepreneur we must live and breath entrepreneurship.

Another part of the talk covered who we should strive to become, putting first things first and never allowing other things of lesser importance get in the way. Family must come first and there has to be an order of importance, everyone personally must find what they need to come first in their lives and that will determine who they may become. If you want to be an entrepreneur be sure you love it so that you may come to live and breath being that person. Decide what kind of person you want to be and what you want to do with your life then strive with every fiber of your being to become that person.

Being an entrepreneur is more then just buying into a business are coming up with an idea and executing it, it is about thinking out of the box in everything you do, always striving for better, looking for needs in the world that you can improve upon being an entrepreneur is not just a job it’s a lifestyle. 

Week 9...

Being a Small L Leader

Week 9 was all about leadership. Specifically, leadership with a small L. Meaning that we can be leaders in everything we do. Who needs a title? or Position to back them up? Leadership is about more than just being an authority over something or someone, it’s about taking responsibility when it is not yours to take, about stepping up to the table when nobody else will.

We watched a video in class about a crowed street that was blocked by a fallen tree. In the video the people were becoming frustrated and started to yell and honk at one another. Then from among the crowed a young boy runs up to the tree and starts to push with all his might. It is not long till the people in the cars and along the street join him and together they are able to move the tree, all because of a young boy. We related that to being an everyday leader. Moving that tree would have been impossible for such a little boy on his own. But because of his vision and action the tree was moved. Now the question is, if we will step forward to the impossible tasks and simply take action, believing that a way will provide itself.

A few take aways from the readings and class;

·         Just get the job done. Be the leader and execute the plan. People can plan all day and that is good but don’t get stuck making plans and coming up with ideas. Just get the job done, act.

·         Begin to see your life as a calling. Even if you don’t know what your calling may be, see your life a s a mission you must fulfill.

·         Develop your gifts and talents to a discipline. Become an expert in something, anything, just become skilled in an area.

·         Find opportunities that you care about, are passionate about and where a need can be met.

·         Find mentors. Ask for advice.

·         Have unreasonable high standards. Don’t worry about what others may say, this is your life, your time, reach for the freaking stars!

One last thing to remember, managing gives a connotation that you are controlling and those under you cannot move forward or become better but must be dictated by your command. Leadership gives the idea that you are free to grow. You can become who you want.

“You cannot manage people, you can only lead them.”

WORD COUNT: 408

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Week 8

Failing Fast, Often, Cheap

Week 8! Can you believe it? This week we learned about failing fast, failing often and cheaply. This was sales week! And we kinda blew it. We ordered stickers to sell, and they never came. (Way to put failure in action). So, the leader of our team stepped up to the plate and offered his services as a professional photographer to those who would give a mere $10 donation to the cause of helping entrepreneurs in third world countries get their ideas started.

The first thing I learned about this experience is always have a backup plan. Second is, if you don’t have one make sure you have an inventive team. Third, have a good team there is nothing that can substitute for a team that works well together and is willing to work hard getting their hands dirty. I’ll be honest there are some people on our team who don’t quite pull the weight that they could. If you’re going to be working with these people on a daily basis be sure you like them. Our team leader is a very personable person, who is always excited about life. He gets us pumped up to go get the job done and is always happy to see you. He is good at making us feel like we are a valued part of the team. This is so important when it comes to having a good team, there are to many annoying, prideful, arrogant people out there already, don’t get them on your team and be sure as heck not to be one.

Going back to failure, we talked in class about what gets people excited, passionate and lights them up. Most of those things lead back to adversity and hardship. When people talk about the best times in their life, their favorite things they did as kids, they normally have to do with that hard professor they could never please, or the mountain they had to climb. Opposition pushes us to new levels we never thought we would be able to climb to. I had a thought during class, that when we are going through those hard times, we never say I love this. Those times we are hiking the mountains in the snow and rain, and we are hecka cold, tired and hungry, we never say, “this is the best! I’m gonna do this again.” No, we say, “we are never doing this again.” But what I’ve found is that at the end of the trip, a few days later I always find myself saying that I wish I was back on that trail, that I want to do it again next year, or simply just remembering the trip and the good times.

I think that is kind of how life is, it is hard, and we fail, but after the failure we realize that it has lifted us to new heights, and that it wasn’t quite as bad as we had thought it was in the moment. I took a lot of notes this week in class. But I won’t bore you any longer and will simply say, remember that sometimes you can be wrong. Remember to quit the right stuff, and stick to the right stuff. Never allow the negatives of the world, mistakes, critics, disasters or anything else get you down. Your better than that, just stick to what you know is the best way for you to live your life.

A question to think on;

Know your limits, if worst comes to worse can you survive?