Attitudes About Money

    This week, the lessons that stood out to me are how important it is to maintain a balance between family and work, as well as the need for quality rest. I think I do a decent job of maintaining a good balance between family and work, especially since I can just put my business on hold for however long is necessary. I have a rule that I never work on Sundays. At times, it is definitely tempting to answer a customer's question, or do a quick check, but it's more important to keep that day sacred and set apart from the rest of the week. I want my Sabbath day observance to send a clear message that I love the Lord, that I honor His day, and that there are more important things in my life than making money. 
    I've also tried to do a better job of balancing my daily tasks around my home with creative endeavors (work). I have a daily checklist of chores that need to be done, which motivates me to actually accomplish those tasks first in my day, and then, when I'm finished, the rest of the time can be spent doing things that I want to do. When my life is less chaotic and more organized, I find that I am more creative, and that I am able to focus on one task at a time much better.
   Quality rest is something that has become a bit of an endangered species. In today's technology-filled world, moments of quiet contemplation have been replaced with the latest game app or Facebook post, or constant texts being flung back and forth. Bedtime is forgotten and pushed back several hours as we get distracted by a trending story, the latest pin, or an inflammatory tweet. Contemplation, pondering, and true rest is essential to our spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being, and without it, we can become overwhelmed by work and daily to-dos.
  Finally, I was asked to contemplate the following questions:

• What is your attitude toward money?
• How can your view of money affect the way you live?
• What rules are recommended for prospering?

    I feel like money is definitely a necessary part of life, and something which we should be learning how to acquire and manage wisely. I recognize that money is necessary to live in the world today, especially if I want to serve others in any capacity. It's hard to focus on giving back if I'm constantly worrying about how I'm going to provide food, clothing, and shelter for my family. Recognizing that all blessings come from Heavenly Father helps me to not focus so much on acquiring as much money as I can, but to be able to earn enough to live comfortably, and then look for ways that I can use that money to bless the lives of others.
  Some of the rules that are recommended for prospering include planning how to become self-reliant, gaining education, keep the commandments, and serve those in need. If I learn how to use the money with which I'm blessed to become self-reliant, making wise and righteous decisions with that money, I will be able to live a fulfilling life, and help those who may not be so richly blessed.

Doing and Becoming

In recent months, as I've gained more experience managing my own business, I've come to understand something that I think is significant. It's not exactly profound, but I think it can be overlooked because it is so simple. Here is what I've learned: not everyone can do what you do, or even wants to do what you do, discovering something that you love to do and figuring out how to make money doing it will bring success and happiness. This light-bulb moment came for me as I interacted with a customer who wanted a custom designed birthday invitation. Creating the card took a minimal amount of time, and made me think about the fact that we may not see business opportunities because we don't realize that people are willing to pay for skills that we may find extremely easy. Not everyone can do what you do! I need to remember that as I expand my own business.
One of my favorite articles from my study this week is called The Challenge to Become by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He says this, "The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts--what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts--what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
I read this quote during one of my institute classes last year, and it has been on my mind a lot recently. Ultimately, I want to be found worthy of eternal life, because I have become like the Savior. I want His image to be reflected in my countenance. I want people to recognize Him when they interact with me. I hope to be a true Christian, not just at church or when I go to the temple, but during my business dealings, while I'm driving on the freeway, when I encounter someone with whom I disagree, and when I experience difficulties. This road requires dedication and humility in order to learn how to be like the Savior, and ultimately to become like Him.

How to Lead

One of my favorite articles from my study material this week was an article by Kim B. Clark, former president of BYU-Idaho, called Leadership with a Small "L." The points that stood out to me were the three principles of leadership that we should apply in our lives. The first is Lead by Example. I feel like this principle is one that I learned quite suddenly, when I heard my small children first start saying something that I didn't realize I said often. My husband and I learned very quickly that we needed to be more mindful of what kind of example we were setting for our children (not that we were doing anything horrible, we just could have been doing better). They learn so much more quickly by observing what we do and say, rather than just listening to what we tell them they should be doing and saying.
The second principle is Lead with Vision. I feel like this principle encompasses the "why" of what I'm teaching my family. If my children don't understand the underlying reason behind what I'm asking them to do, they are much less likely to do it. For example, my younger daughter went through a phase of getting out of her carseat belt while I was driving. It wasn't until I explained the safety reasons, and the laws of the road, that she finally understood that she should stay in her carseat. It wasn't just that I wanted her to do it, she needed to know why it was important.
The final principle is Lead with Love. This is probably the most important. Ultimately, I want my children to feel loved, and to want to share that love with others. I want them to love going to church, to love the gospel, and to love the Savior. I know that I can teach them the right things to do as I minister to them in love.
I'm looking forward to learning more about leadership, and how to apply it not only in business, but in my home, as well.

Learning by the spirit

I have to say that taking classes through a church college is a vastly different experience than the one I had when I went to college after high school, over ten years ago. My study is filled with articles by church leaders, scriptures, and other inspirational literature. The entire experience has been quite uplifting, and I'm looking forward to this style of learning in future classes. Since we are encouraged to invite the spirit to be with us while we study and learn, I find that many of the things I learn while studying have absolutely nothing to do with the course material, and much more to do with my own personal struggles and my daily circumstances. I will have an idea pop into my head for how I can be a better mother, or something I can do to better serve in my church calling. I feel that these insights are just as important as whatever material I am studying for the class.

I feel like these thoughts struck me as I studied this week from conference talks, especially one by President Monson when he was first called to be the prophet after President Hinckley passed away called "Looking Back and Moving Forward." I felt, as I read, that he was teaching me that it is important to learn from, though not to obsess over, past experiences and struggles. I should use those as a springboard for jumping into a future that is hopeful and bright. Yes, more struggles are certain to come, but planning and preparation can help me to be ready, and to have a positive attitude when those trials come. I am looking forward to also implementing these ideas into my business life, as well. Not every product that I've designed has been a huge success. In fact, some have been complete failures. But I've probably learned more from the failures than from all the successes. I know that I can do better, and that drives me to be more creative, try new techniques, and branch out into new avenues. I am excited for the future of my business, especially once I learn all the tools that the business management program has to teach me!