As we are nearing the conclusion of the course this semester I will give thanks and praises to our Father in Heaven for guiding and protecting all of us and for taking us through this course. President Monson said “We can lift ourselves and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

We will continue to cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude to our Father in Heaven and all those who helped us go through this course without any hitches and to our instructors we say good job.

I also devote this song as President Benson quoted, to all BYUI students and all the Instructors who made this possible for us all to go through.

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings; name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. …

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged; God is over all.

Count your many blessings; angels will attend,

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

As we exploit the path to entrepreneurship we pursue with great passion, an idea which is sure will be a success. We should pursue realistic possibilities into ventures that will take us to places. We pursue opportunities as we embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. HOWARD H. STEVENSON

Virtue has been defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as morally good behavior or character and integrity the quality of being honest and fair. Many reference of virtue can be found in the scriptures, such as integrity and moral excellence, power and strength (Luke 6:46), or sexual purity (Moro 9:9).

In the rear economic terms it means we must pay our debts, we don’t cheat our neighbor, we don’t use false weights and measures and keep our financial commitments. “Not everyone is so complacent. Markets rely on rules and laws, but those rules and laws in turn depend on truth and trust. Conceal truth will erode trust, and the game becomes so unreliable that no one will want to play.” Which means that as there are rules and laws governing our markets in an economy we must be truthful in how we deal with our fellow man.

When there are widespread lack of personal integrity in our markets. Over time, people will stop trusting others. As market participants we must recognize the value of running our businesses ethically. Entrepreneurs and for that matter market participants must meet the growing demand for honesty in the market place. Honesty and integrity will persist if we invest in quality products,  and market the ethical aspects of our business.

According to Charles handy “The great virtue of capitalism – that it provides a way for the savings of society to be used for the creation of wealth.” If we fail to do this, then we will be left to rely on governments for the creation of our wealth, which governments  always have conspicuously bad at doing.

“If the contemporary business,with its foundation of human assets, is to survive, it will have to find better ways to protect people from the demands of the jobs it gives them”

Money in an economic term is known as a medium of exchange or economic medium of exchange. Money also affects our needs, our emotions, and our self-perception. Stephen W. Gibson said “Money has great power. It is the power to feed ourselves and our families, power to purchase or rent shelter and to buy transportation. It is the power to purchase medicine for our sick children and power to go on missions when we are young and power to go on missions when we are old. The power to purchase clothes to keep us warm when the Rexburg winds blow and chill you to the bone” I hold a variety of attitudes towards money as Brother Gibson has said I need money for my rent shelter and to help me trek to my work and back home and without money none of these will happen. My attitude towards money is not to enjoy it alone but also to feed the hungry and to cloth the naked. With the intent to do good.

Billy Graham once stated, “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”

Values are those things that make up our character. They represent what we think is important in life. They show up in your decisions, actions, and judgments. Money can be seen to affect the way we live “However, Money usually does not make bad men good and good men better. Money can make good men better, but on the other hand it usually makes bad men worse.” So if money is to affect our life’s it should affect our lives positively not negatively. Money doesn’t exactly shape our belief system, it does influence the way we think and act toward others. 

The Heart of Entrepreneurship

I had an interesting session with my mentor who is also an entrepreneur last week during my interview with him. And In fact after the interview we all including his family had lunch together, it was an interesting moment to me where he took me round his house and showed me the national award he won in 2006 and 2013 and his accomplishments. I have learnt a lot from him and this has completely shaped my life for the great work ahead.

In fact I have not regretted in any way taking up this course and am grateful to my Father in Heaven and my instructor for helping me go through this course. One interesting thing I came across when reading The Heart of Entrepreneurship by Howard H. Stevenson and David E. Gumpert is “If only our nation’s businesses—large and small— could become more entrepreneurial, the thinking goes, we would improve our productivity and compete more effectively in the world marketplace”

What does it mean? It means being innovative, flexible, dynamic, risk taking, creative, and growth oriented. It means we must constantly seize opportunities that come our way. That is what my mentor did, he seizes the opportunity that came his way and made sure the right things are put in place at the right way and time.

In conclusion, what is important in the end is what we have become by our labors. Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Disciple Leadership

This week has been an exciting week with readings from our great leaders such as Elder David A. Bednar, President Kim B. Clark of our great Church. With which Elder David A. Bednar spoke about all missionary training centers having a common characteristics as well as Brigham Young University–Idaho in Rexburg possesses these same characteristics.

If I am to concentrate on BYU–Idaho it is located in a rather isolated geographic area.

            • By and large, students are enrolled at BYU–Idaho for a relatively short period of time.

            • The learning and teaching processes at BYU–Idaho are focused and intense.

            • There is at BYU–Idaho a distinguishing standard of deportment and dress.

            • And as was announced by the First Presidency last December, BYU–Idaho will soon be adjacent to a temple.

Infact Elder David A. Bednar spoke about Disciple Preparation Center—a DPC. As we attend this institution he said, we will experience unparalleled spiritual resources that can assist us in developing and deepening our devotion as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the primary and most important reason for the existence of Brigham Young University-Idaho and for its sponsorship by and affiliation with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

President Kim B. Clark also spoke about the call to be a disciple-leader as a call to minister and to serve.  It is a call to lead as Christ leads.  It is leadership with a small “L”—the kind of leadership that builds and lifts and inspires through kindness and love and unselfish devotion to the Lord and His work.  It is the kind of leadership that we need at every level of every kind of organization in the world and in every ward and stake in the Church.  It is the kind of leadership you will need to build an eternal family.

That is what we are being trained for and I am grateful to the for being in this institution.

Entrepreneurial journey is often very challenging and it takes a lot of patience, persistence and perseverance to succeed. There are ups and downs in the journey. Every entrepreneurial journey will have its ups and downs.

This is what Elder Holland Said “we speak about excellence a great deal at BYU these days, and, by definition, excellence does not come easily or quickly—an excellent education does not, a successful mission does not, a strong, loving marriage does not, rewarding personal relationships do not” which means nothing good come so easily, we must surfer to gain.

It takes time. There will be occasions when there will be a lot of self-doubt. But we must assess if the long-term direction is right, even if it is taking longer than earlier assumed. “Some will come soon, some will come latter and some will not come till heaven”

This gives me an encouragement that I should not relent in my effort to do more, but to push forward. Things are really not good these days, my business has gone down, but I have not relented putting my trust in God that things will come up again.

The history of entrepreneurship has been full of success stories of those who stayed long enough and threaded along patiently. Irrespective of all the obstacles and setbacks that came in their way, it’s important that we don’t take our eyes off our goal.

This week of my journal entry will be centered on the talk of President Gordon B. Hinckley which is

“Stand True and Faithful” and “The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People” An Approach To Solving Personal and Professional Problems by Stephen R. Covey. On President Hinckley he admonished us to be true to ourselves he said “Each of us has a thing we call conscience. We know the difference between right and wrong. We do not have to be instructed concerning what is good and what is evil. I think we know that. We know when we have done the wrong thing, and we suffer pangs of conscience. We know when we have done the right thing, and we experience a sense of happiness. To be true to ourselves means being an example of righteous living in all situations and circumstances” This is a powerful massage to all of us as Gods children. We are to constantly differentiate the right from the wrong.

He went on to say “I urge each of you young women to get all of the schooling you can get. You will need it for the world into which you will move. Life is becoming so exceedingly competitive” That is exactly to me what I am doing. I will try all my possible be to seek all the education I needed so long as my humanly power can take me. I encourage each and everyone who reads my journal to consider this statement if he or she is not doing it.

On stephen, he said “on the other hand, success literature for the previous 150 years focused on the character ethic as the foundation of success - things like integrity, humility, fidelity, justice, patience and the Golden Rule” let us inculcate in our lives these ethics listed above, and as we do that success which is the inner success will help us not only to progress but to have a successful life.