Fear of Failure

“A person with a growth mindset isn't afraid to look like an idiot. They accept not knowing something as the first step to learning…..As children we could care less about falling flat on our faces in front of others.”
I have often wondered when is that moment in life we learn to be afraid of failing and learning. I imagine it is different for everyone from embarrassing moments that haunt our childhood, or adults telling us to stop trying something for our safety or safety from public humiliation. Failure can be a very powerful tool used in life to bring success to our lives. Fear of failure is a lesson taught that can harm us more than help us no matter how well our intentions may be. The most successful people in life are not afraid to take risks and learn from the risks that are taken. Success and failure are a great relationship for every human to learn from because you can not have success without failure and you can not be successful without learning from failure.

Time is our most valuable commodity

I currently work as a independent contractor where I set my own hours and I determine how much of an income I bring into to feed my family. A ward member asked me if this was something I truly loved and if I had plans for retirement and other necessities after I retire. I explained I do love the challenge of sales and the freedom of choosing my own schedule but if I was to be honest with myself I would rather work for a great company with great benefits or start my own company that had a more stable future. As I watched a few videos this week and read the material I realized how important it is that no matter the path I choose I need to stay dedicated to my family and my faith. Time is the most valuable asset we own in life because we can never get it back. I was looking at getting a different job that was more secure after talking with that ward member. I have been praying and pondering and had a few job interviews. I just wanted what was best for my family. All of the jobs asked if I was ok with working on Sundays and everyone one of them I explained I cannot work Sundays because of my religion and time I place into helping my church. The more I pondered and prayed the more I realized that I am where I am suppose to be, I am fulfilling my callings, finishing school and spending valuable time with my family. I do not know what the future holds for me but I am sure as of right now that I am making the best investment of my time with the ones I hold important to me.

Personal Board of Directors

"Being your own boss is great, you get to choose which 18 hours a day you work" - Unknown
Whenever I have talked to business owners they are quick to share their success and ideas and what they would do different. No one ever talks about how much time is put into each and everyday to become the boss. We had a great assignment called our Personal Board of Director's. If you could choose 8-10 people living or deceased to be your personal board of directors who would you choose. At first this started out easy because I love to read and watch biographies and I look up to a lot of people. Then the more I thought about it the more I started crossing out different names and pondering more who I would choose. I wanted a very diverse group and I wanted people that I knew were successful and that I feel I could trust. I started looking at their character and then comparing their success in the fields of expertise. I was very pleased with who I chose and will place the list at the bottom of this post. When you are thinking of personal board of directors of course you want successful business people? but I started looking at how faithful were they? what integrity did they hold? and how did they face difficulties? I chose a lot of people names John but I also chose people that had great life experiences not only in business but in life. I chose people from different areas that could help me through almost anything.

Who would you choose?

My Personal Board of Advisors

Chairman: Ezra Taft Benson: I admire and respect President Bensons he was a very successful businessman and public servant who had a passion for farming and never forgot where he came from. He was a man of great faith of course but also a incredible missionary, he started all of his meetings including those on Capital Hill with a prayer and was never afraid to share the gospel. I would need a man of great personal faith and integrity as well as a man with such strong patriotism advising me.

John Wooden: "The Wizard of Westwood" came from a small farming town in Indiana and became the greatest basketball coach that ever lived. He created the Pyramid of Success and was able to win 10 National Championships in 12 years with many different players, as well as 7 straight championships. He believed you do not change your game plan to adapt to your opponents strengths and weaknesses. You coach your players to play perfect and make others change their game plan for you. I want a winner and a forward thinker, as well as someone who can help bring my board together so everyone gets along and help understand those I may not understand or agree with.

John M. Huntsman: He is more known for his philanthropic work than as a business man but has succeed in both. He has been known to give away up to $1.2 Billion to charities and Church. I need a man that cares more about what he can do for others with success and wealth than he can do for himself. I need a man that could advise me on ways I could give back meaningfully without any recognition in return.

Dave Ramsey: An American financial author has a radio show, t.v. show, and has written numerous books as well as 5 New York Times best sellers. He continues to preach about not getting into debt and living within your means. He talks about the dangers of credit and how to dig yourself out of debt and stay out. I need a honest man that knows an honest way to spend money and take care of money.

Larry Page: Co-Founder of Google, he created the best known search-ranking algorithm. He is a computer genius who has changed the way we use computers and the internet. I need a man that understands technology and is always looking for ways to use new technology or create new technology.

John F. Kennedy: "Jack" I feel no greater president we have ever had in the United States than John F. Kennedy. He was calm and collected during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was not afraid to tackle subjects others wanted to turn their heads from. He began the discussion on civil rights and was a great politician that would listen to others around him and make the best choice possible. I need someone that will tell me the truth even if I may not agree with it. I need someone who will not shy away from the hard questions and tough decisions. 

Zig Ziglar: One of the greatest salesman and motivational speakers I have ever read or listen to. He preaches honesty and integrity and making sure you take care of the customer. If you take care of them they will take care of you. He talks about being a optimist and always working hard. I need man that can teach me about success and always looking at things from a positive view. I need a good sales rep to make sure I am always pushing myself and my goals. 

 “I knew a man, they thought him mad, the more he gave, the more he had.”
   ANONYMOUS

One of the reasons I have wanted to open ,y own business is because I have wanted to give back to those who have sacrificed so much for me. I want to give a steady job to my struggling sister as well as my Son and nieces and nephews. I also want to give back to the High School community because it was high school that I learned about school pride and the effect it has on uniting people who have so many differences.
In my learning this week I never thought about the effects of giving back for a company and that money is not the only way to give back. I learned that your personal life and your business life will always weave together with one another, so if you do not give back on your personal life you will not be motivated to give back for your company. I have a strong desire to open a retail store that sells high school fan gear, and now that I have pondered it more I do not have to give back money to schools. I would like to create a way for art students at different high schools that I would sell gear for be designed by students themselves and give them a chance to pitch the ideas like you would as a artist to companies. I want to get the community more involved in ways that I can give back after I have achieved my dream and I am grateful for that lesson learned this week.

Faith, Testimony, and our Ethics

We had a very interesting assignment for class this week, we were asked to make a list of three I WILL NEVER…… and I WILL ALWAYS….. a question of what are our standards and what are our ethics. This lesson had a profound effect on me as I was contemplating this list what would I never do? and what would I always do? As I thought more and more about this list I realized this could be a list for both business and life itself.
Elder Lynn G. Robbins said “The acquiring of wealth and material possessions would become Satan’s most fertile ground, tempting mankind with the cunning strategy that this world is our destiny and that anything and everything in this world is available for money. “ It is because of this I believe that our standards and ethics should be seen everyday as a reminder that what we have in our families and faith are more important than anything on this earth.
Your personal faith and testimony as well as your business ethics hold more value than anything on this earth and should never be compromised or sold for any reason. They make up who you are and what you are about as soon as you compromise your faith and ethics there is no going back. It leaves a lasting effect such as a ripple in a calm pond of water once started it will not stop until its path is complete. I will keep this list I have created close by me it will be on my dresser so I can see it in the morning and at night. This list will be at my desk at work so that who I talk with and what a prepare for will never compromise my faith or my ethics.