Week 5: Why I want to be an entrepreneur

It is interesting that in “A Hero’s Journey” talk, he says that people over the age of 60 will only ask three questions: have I contributed something meaningful, am I a good person and who did I live and who loved me? If those are the most important questions, then why do I feel a drive to be an entrepreneur, make tons of money and build things for the benefits of others? As we continue to listen to “A Hero’s Journey” we find out that being an entrepreneur is not about us but about us, the entrepreneur paradox. Being an entrepreneur is the ability to give to others, give them the time and resources we have and have obtained to help them on their lives, while at the same time having to do our work, we are the ones that continue each day, step by step to accomplish our dreams.

            Another impactful statement was “a calling must serve others.” Yes I do want lots of money from my entrepreneurial accomplishments, but I want lots of money so I can serve others. I dream of one day where I can donate each year over $50,000 to families that are infertile and having infertile issues, because we are going through the same thing. I want more time and to get more time is to become an entrepreneur, more freedom equals more giving.

Week 4: My Fear

“Heav'n has no rage like love to hatred turn'd / Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd."

- The Mourning Bride by William Congreve.   

It is true that I am afraid of my wife scorn and this week I learned that it is because of the fear of that scorn that I am afraid to jump off the cliff and pursue my entrepreneurial dreams. I am afraid that by starting a business, selling our house for income, or anything that my wife doesn’t want, it will cause greater marriage difficulties. It funny that I literally don’t care about what anyone else thinks, my father, my mother, my brother, my friends, ect… but she, I do care and am afraid.        My current wife is amazing and I love her, so I wonder if this wrath that I portray upon her is from my first wife because in that relationship it was verbally and emotional abusive.

            Because of the exercise this week called “Deconstructing your fears” I have come to realize why I don’t move, why I don’t climb over the brick walls and why I haven’t succeeded sooner at my entrepreneurial dreams and why I keep making businesses that aren’t my life’s calling or life dream.

            It is time that I learn how to overcome this root fear and what my wife and I can do to come together and do both of our dreams together.

Week 3: the Ministry of Business

This week I started reading “The Ministry of Business” by Steven A. Hitz. It is a book about combing spirituality with business. It is a good book and helped realize that in my business pursuits that I have not talked to the Lord about my endeavors. Although I am only chapter 8, I have learned that once again trust is the biggest attribute that will help me in my business life.

Chapter 7 was also a really good chapter about defining who you are currently, who you want to become and then what steps you need to do to obtain who you want to be. Once you have these steps you will be able to meet the long term goals you have. I will be reviewing this chapter and doing it over again once I have finished the book.

Chapter 6 also had a good description on what we should do for our finances. I also like T Harv Eker’s financial plan. I will be comparing these against each other and find out which one works best for my life. I know that I want to become a better steward of my money and need to start working on that right away.

This week I also created my 2017 resolutions and have added James Ritchie’s The Formula of 1. Get Up Early 2. Work Hard 3. Get Your Education 4. Find Oil 5. Make Your Mark & 6. Prepare to Serve/Give Back. I am tired of working for someone else and not having my dreams fulfilled. This year will be different and I plan on making it different by implementing this formula into my life.

Week 2: What I have learned

It is amazing that this course is in my life right now. I know that every semester I ask why did I take this specific course but then by the end of the semester I know why the Lord guided me to take the course then. This course is no different now. Being fired last week from my job has left me with no income or insurance after this month and I feel like I am at a cross roads in my life. One I can find another job and do the same thing I have been doing the last 10 years of my life or I can pursue my dreams, become an entrepreneur that makes money, lives life and is happy. I have literally been unhappy the last three years of my life. This course each thing I read, watch and study pain my heart because I know this stuff, I have been reading entrepreneurial books since 2004 yet I still don’t do it. I keep coming to the “brick wall” as Randy Pausch says, I climb a little and then stop and eventually get back on the ground. Why?

I am looking forward from this course to help me achieve my dreams of being an entrepreneur and making money that will allow me to live and be happy. I am looking forward to gaining just a little more knowledge that will help my scale the “brick wall.”

I believe Randy Pausch was able to achieve his childhood dreams because he didn’t have to learn how to be creative because it was fostered in his home (spent less time of adulthood figuring that part of success out.) I also believe that he is a man that tenacity of not letting go, keep pushing and never stop. He saw that “brick wall” and probably thought it was fun to climb.

I do feel that dreams are important. My wife has no dreams, and she doesn’t feel like she knows how she is or where she is going in life. Dreams allow us to become free from the mundane and monotonous life. Dreams allow us to want to become better and allow us to become more in tuned with Heavenly Father. I believe that Heavenly Father has given each person a dream, whether or not we remember that dream and pursue it is another story.

One of my childhood dreams is to fly. This dream has slowly incorporated another aspect of my life I didn’t realize until I took a BYUI class, and that is that I like to build; building things are part of my life. Now my childhood dream is to build ultralight aircraft airplanes and sell them on the internet. I believe I can accomplish this dream, I just need to realize that there will be a lot of “brick walls” and I need to have an amazing support group to help me accomplish this dream.

Week 1: Looking forward

     I feel that coming to the course of Introduction into Entrepreneuring as a junior, almost senior, in College is like being the old person in a freshman course.  The amazing part about it is that this year I will be buying into a local small business that is dying in the Treasure Valley of Idaho and I feel that Heavenly Father has put this course into my life at this time because it is the best time to take it. Although I feel that I know a lot about businesses, processes, systems, philosophies and more, entrepreneuring is always about going back to the basics of what you love and doing what you love.  I am looking forward to taking this course because it will bring me back to my roots of being an entrepreneur and help me to take the small business that I am buying into off the ground and help it become successful.

     I like all the videos and reading that my class requires me to participate in because it shows that Heavenly Father is there and willing to help everyone in both spiritual and worldly matters, such as owning a business or operating in a business. I look forward to adding more talks and lesson to my vault of knowledge of how to become the best son of God and business owner.