Real Life Application

I look forward to every week when the new assignments for upcoming weeks open up.  I've been so inspired by all the readings and videos.  I had an opportunity this week to apply some of the things I've learned in this class when a job opportunity came up.  A former student had posted a job opening on a Facebook group for a developer, which I knew I wasn't qualified for.  But I felt prompted to click on it anyway, and I followed through on that prompting.  When I got to the company's website, I saw that they also have an opening for a designer, which I'm still not quite qualified for but I come really close.  I contacted the person who first posted the opening to find out more details, and then I spent a day working on my LinkedIn profile and my Behance portfolio, both of which were required to apply for the job.  I also followed through on a prompting to post about what I was doing to a group of friends on Facebook who are fellow homeschool moms.  Several of them are ten years or more older than me and I've watched them start to go through this process of moving into the world of paid work, and framing their decades of full time mothering as an asset to potential employers.  Several of them offered good advice, and one in particular was very helpful with my resume.  Before taking this class, I would have never followed that first prompting to click on a job opening I wasn't qualified for, would never have been brave enough to share what I was doing and ask for help, and would never have dared to apply for a job that is a bit of a stretch.  Whether I'm hired or not, I'm so glad that I applied and went through the process of starting to work on how to present myself to potential employers.  That is also something I've learned from this class, just because an experience doesn't have the outcome you thought you wanted, doesn't mean it was a waste.  It can be just another steppingstone on the path you were meant to follow.

Sharpening the Saw

I really enjoyed reading and learning about the 7 habits this week.  The habit that is most meaningful for me right now is sharpening the saw.  I like how he divides it into four areas: physical, spiritual, mental, social.  Physically, I've been working on getting more regular exercise, and I can see that it makes an important difference in my energy levels.  Spiritually, I know that reading my scriptures, writing in my journal, and taking time for service are things that help me "keep the saw sharp."  Mentally, going to school right now is helping me grow.  I feel confident that even when I'm done with school that will continue, because I was always learning things before I started school.  In homeschooling my children, learning has just become part of our family culture, our lifestyle and an ingrained habit.  The last area, social, is probably the one I need the most work on.  I'm an introvert, and I'm really happy spending lots of time alone.  I do have times when I want to be with other people, though, and when those times come I usually find that people aren't around because I haven't taken the time to cultivate relationships outside of my husband and children.  I will spend some time praying and journaling about how I can strengthen this area.

Balancing Work and Family

The things that stood out to me most from the videos and readings this week was Steve Blank answering the question about how to balance work or family life.  I found it amusing that someone asked him, "From your perspective as a woman..."  He's not a woman, so he can't speak from that perspective.  I think it shows how male-centric that whole world is.  But he had a good answer, and in giving his answer he tacitly reminded them that women are not the only ones who have to balance family and career, fathers have a responsibility to be present in their children's lives, too.  He said that he made it a rule that he would always have dinner with his kids, and put them to bed.  Afterwards he would work from home several more hours, but he was there during those key times, sacrificing his sleep instead of their childhoods.  He also spent Saturday with them, taking them to work half a day, and then spending the rest of the day away from work with them.  It made me realize that I need to set some of those absolutes, too.  My children are older, and I'm still a student, not an entrepreneur, but I find that keeping up with homework and doing my volunteer work for LDSHE can lead me to be tempted to ignore my family all evening.  After listening to this talk, I've decided that I need to commit to spending the time between dinner and bedtime with my family, and to not letting homework overtake my Saturdays.

Showing Gratitude by Living up to Our Privileges

This week was again an amazing journey, all of the readings were inspiring and thought provoking.  My key takeaway from the video "A Hero's Journey" was when he explained why he expects BYU Idaho students to change the world.  I think of myself as a pretty ordinary person, not someone destined to do great things.  But he pointed out that we have the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the privilege of living in the freest country in the world.  We're obtaining and education that melds those advantages together well.  It completely changed the way I view myself, and my children.  We may seem ordinary, but compared to people around the world and throughout history we have enormous advantages.  If we don't use those advantages to make the world a better place, who else can do it?  This really inspired me.  It reminded me of that ubiquitous but still inspiring Marianne Williamson quote:

          “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I tend to be shy about thinking of myself as anything special.  I love that reminder that my "playing small does not serve the world."  I appreciate Jeff Sandefer's reminder that I have been given enormous advantages.  "Where much is given much is required."  I hope I can live up to my privileges.

Personal Constitutions

Wow, this week was filled with some amazing principles.  I really loved the personal constitution exercise.    It was broken down into steps that made the task of writing a personal constitution less daunting, but following those simple steps yielded great insights.  I appreciated the opportunity to think deeply about what is important to me, and what my most important long term goals are.  I looked over my bucket list from a previous assignment, and realized that my list of fifty things all fell into just a few categories:  a deeper relationship with God, deeper and more unselfish relationships with those around me, developing my talents, taking care of my physical body, and learning to run my finances instead of being run by them.  It was wonderful to be able to take these areas that I feel like such a failure in, set some clear goals, and then break it down to concrete actions I can take every day that will lead to achieving those lofty goals.  It was also interesting to note that when I brought those goals down to a daily level, I realized that a key step for every single one of them is to pray to the Lord for help.  I recognize that I can't achieve these things on my own strength, I need the power of the Atonement to help me be better and stronger than I am on my own.

The Formula

The videos and writings this week were again very inspiring.  I especially enjoyed reading in "The Ministry of Business" and watching the video with Brother Ritchie, whose story was told in that book.  I want to remember his formula:

1.  Get up early

2.  Work hard

3.  Get your education

4.  Find oil

5.  Make your mark

6.  Prepare to serve/ give back

Previous to returning to school, I rarely got up early.  I'm a night owl, and I would often come home from picking my daughter up from seminary and go back to bed.  Meanwhile, my husband, who stayed up just as late as I did, had taken my daughter to seminary and gone straight to work.  About halfway through my Pathway year, I decided that if he could get up and work that early, so could I.  Now, more mornings than not, I get up early, and I'm amazed at what I can accomplish.  Working hard is also something I've often tried to avoid.  My dad made us work hard in the yard and garden, and while my later employers appreciated my work ethic, my dad always felt like he could never get us to work as hard as he wanted us to.  I was always sneaking off to read a book- that's my bliss, is to hide out and curl up somewhere with a good book.  This summer I had the opportunity to go to Girls' Camp as a cook.  It was hard work, all day long.  Since I've been home, I find myself thinking, "If I could work that hard for other people at camp, I can work hard to take care of my family here at home."  So I've been working harder.  Number three, get your education, is obviously something I'm doing, and I'm so grateful to BYUI for the opportunity to do it.  I'm already applying the new things I've learned, serving others.  I know by the time I graduate, if I stay humble and prayerful, I will find my oil and be on my way to making my mark.