Wk 7: Moving Forward with a Driving Passion


I remember being in the session of Women's Conference listening to President Hinckley share this message. I was not a young woman of 12-18 years but a young mom of 2 littles serving in the Young Women's leadership. President Hinckley was always so warm and tender with his counsel and I knew that these are things I would want my daughters to know as they grew up. I wished I had known these principles as I was traversing the crazy world of teenagehood. Still to this day (and age) I know that these words are true and can have a powerful influence on the lives of those who follow them.

"Stand True and Faithful", April 1996.
When we are first true to ourselves we will be empowered to live a fuller life. We need to follow our conscience, live with integrity, honesty, personal virtue, dignity, and respect. Each of these qualities will help us be successful in our professional lives as well. We will earn the trust of others when we are dependable, looking for the good in others, and encouraging those around us.

"The Lord has said concerning us of this Church that He expects us to study and learn. I know of no other church that has scripture instructing its people to pursue secular knowledge as well as spiritual knowledge." 

Gaining all the knowledge we can will only enhance our ability to find success in the entrepreneurial world. The learning doesn't stop at graduation or certification. We continue to learn every day, every step of the way, as we move forward with faith.

"7 Habits Summary", Steven R. Covey
The habit that holds the most meaning for me today is #7. I find myself knee-deep in school, serving as Relief Society president, homeschooling my last child at home, supporting my husband as he searches for a new and better job, planning a wedding for my youngest daughter, continuing my work as a painter to pay for said-wedding, and trying to keep my head above water. This habit reminds me that I have to "sharpen the saw" if I can expect to be successful at the rest of my list. It is important to take care of myself physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially-emotionally. Each of these areas of my life requires balance with the others or else the whole self collapses. I have experienced times in my life where I gave too much here or demanded too much of myself there. I am learning the value of prioritizing, creating limits, and not being afraid of "no". 

As I seek both a private and public victory, habit #7 will help me fill my life with passion and purpose. When I am at my best, I can more easily be influenced by the Spirit of God. I depend on personal revelation to make the best decision for myself and my family. My private victories come when I am proactive, knowing my end goal, and putting first things first. My first things are my family, my self, my home, my faith. In order to achieve that public victory, I, first, have to have the first stuff in order. Only then can I look outward, serve those around me, create more and better goals to serve others. This is where I will be able to build my business, focus on my career. I also find that when my "saw is sharpened", I recognize what my passions are without the many distractions of an over-busy life. Glimpses of my passions help fuel my dreams when I become discouraged.
 
“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” — Goethe

I believe that Covey was in tune with the idea of our whole self. God created us in His image. He also gave us all we need to build His kingdom on the earth and to find joy. It is already in us to achieve greatness. If we can remember to lean on our Savior for guidance, He can lead us to our own personal greatness because He already knows what it should be. 


https://content.byui.edu/file/3dda7de4-cd79-4390-9bcf-3cb660c48dd1/1/The%207%20Habits%20of%20Highly%20Effective%20People.pdf

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