A Journey of Gratitude

During this week, I had the opportunity to learn, think and ponder about gratitude and the blessings in my life. I always enjoy learning from what the brethren teach me as President Thomas S. Monson relate in his talk titled “An Attitude of Gratitude”. It touched my heart and soul when I read the words of a familiar hymn: “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…”. Pres. Monson recalled the welcoming “breath of fresh air” attitude of his marketing professor as he instilled a spirit of “You can do it …. By teaching truth, inspiring effort, and prompting love”. Pres. Monson accounts for his gratitude to our mothers, fathers, teachers, friends, our country, and most importantly to our Savior, His example, and His love for all of us. As we “Follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.”

Another great learning was through a Harvard Business School case written by Howard H. Stevenson and Shirley M. Spence titled “Identifying and Exploiting the Right Entrepreneurial Opportunity … for You”. The analysis discussed the determining factors whether the entrepreneurial idea is the right opportunity for me given where I am and where I want to go in my life. The author explains the process starts by identifying and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities beginning with an idea that addresses some societal need. The framework is analyzed as “realness”, durability, marshaling the resources, managing and harvesting the venture. The “idea” is then contrasted with the personal analysis: my goals, capabilities, lifestyle, and relationships. The analysis goes in detail to point out that at any given point in time, we have a range of possibilities before us with some uncertainty. Many factors influence these choices such as: education, health, family, work experience, networks, technology, competition. The authors make a point that none of these factors are entirely within our controls and will change. In summary, the authors learn from the wise words of Henry Thoreau are outlined: “…if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams … to live a life which he has imagined, he will meet a success unexpected in the common hours … if you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them.”

In addition, I would like to highlight the learning from an article written by Stan Christensen titled “Avoid the Wrong Job”. Stan suggests not taking a job simply to build your resume; rather follow your passions. “The fun should outweigh the drudgery”, Stan suggests. He recommends “to remain a generalist, rather than specializing in a single pursuit, as this will retain your flexibility and keep your skills from becoming irrelevant”.

The last learning video that I would like to highlight in my journey is through “Paths to an Entrepreneurial Career” video by Ted Zoller. Zoller describes his findings on the pathway people take that lead to them becoming deal makers in an economic system. Zoller suggests that instead of starting a company out of school or working in venture capital, Zoller says the most likely path is gaining a C-suite position (i.e.: CEO, COO, CFO) in a larger enterprise and then stepping into entrepreneurial ventures later in a career.