Final Lecture

I have reached the end of my entrepreneurship course, and I want to begin by immediately saying how thankful I am for this wonderful course. It has taught me how to keep pushing forward when things get tough and to always remember my personal constitution as I try to fulfill my ultimate potential.

This is the last advice that I will give during this course, and I fell that it's only fair that I recap on some of the most important lessons that I have learned since the beginning of this course.

First, never lose track of your goals. Whether they be short-term or long-term, goals are there so that we can practice diligence and feel a sense of accomplishment once we fulfill them. They are not there to boss us around, but to help guide us to where we want to be. Always keep your goals in mind when observing your future, and make the best decisions based on those goals.

Second, stay diligent. It's easy to have peaks of progression then lose that sense of determination as time progresses. This is a path that may not be harmful, but it will lead to little progress. Even when your situation gets difficult don't forget to stop complaining and work harder. Nothing worth having comes easy, especially a fulfilling life. Work hard for what you deserve.

Third, success is not a solo project. I have always been an independent person, and I have had to go through many trials on my own without much support from friends. As I have been here at school I have learned to value the friendships and connections that I have made. There are going to be moments in your life where you will need the help/aid of others. When those moments come, don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't let your pride get in the way of you not progressing because you don't ask for the help of friends.

Fourth, remember your personal constitution. Read it often and keep the goals that you have set for yourself in your mind always. Change it as your situation changes, but always remember to set yourself at a high standard and don't regress. Always try to be better than you were the day before.

Fifth, you will most likely experience as many failures as you will successes. This doesn't mean you shouldn't try because there are many vital lessons to learn from both occurrences. Remember to embrace the lessons you learn from your failures and don't become prideful when you are successful. Be prepared for both.

Sixth, education is an ongoing experience and should be embraced even outside the classroom. This semester at school has taught me that knowledge is so powerful and you should never limit yourself to what you can learn. Learn all you can and become well-versed in what you desire to learn. Learning how to learn is a very important skill to have, and you should never take this skill for granted.

Seventh, always remember than you are more capable of overcoming difficult things that you realize. There will always be trials, but your attitude towards them will determine your happiness. Always keep a sense of optimism and overcome your trials with determination and strength. You can overcome anything if you put your mind to it. You've made it this far.

Not to self:
Remember these things, and also remember what you have been taught during this course. There will be times in your life where these words will have incredible value. Refer to them often and know that through God all things are possible.

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 11: "Mini Lessons II"

Just like my last Mini Lesson post, I have learned a few principles that made a definite impact on me while studying this week's material. This week has been very difficult, and the lessons I learned during this week had a particular impact on me because of the stress of school.

1) Maintaining an attitude of gratitude

A very difficult and tedious task to accomplish when there isn't much to be happy about, but those are the times when we need good attitudes the most. I always try to remember that the reason I'm so stressed is because I'm only perceiving it that way. If I try to find the optimism of a situation, then my whole outlook changes and the situation is less severe than anticipated. 

2) Don't be afraid to do what you love

I really liked what Stan Cristiensen had today about jobs. He said that you should pick a job that you enjoy doing; a job that you love. He talked about how there is plenty of time to change throughout your life, and you don't necessarily need to stick with one job for your entire life. 

3) Difficult things happen for a reason

Trials will always be there, so one of the only things we can do is try to keep our attitudes in an optimistic light. Entrepreneurial hero Larry North mentions that life will constantly put roadblocks and pitfalls in your way. Trials are there some can learn lessons from them. It's difficult to admit that while you are in that situation, but once it is over it is easy to see why it was given to you in the first place. Don't halt your progress and give up when things get difficult. Push through it and learn to overcome it, you'll thank yourself later for it. 

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 10: "Business or Family?"

This week we were given an assignment of two different scenarios where we had to chose which course of action we would take. The first scenario went like this:

"Your daughter is going to have her first dance recital in a few days and you have promised her for months that you wouldn't miss it for the world. An hour before the performance, you receive a phone call from your most valuable client saying that their plant has had a fire and that you were the only person the client was willing to talk to about a solution. Do you continue to attend the recital, or do you assist in the disaster?"

The second scenario (paraphrasing quite a bit) was like this:

"Your dream has always been to be the coach of a basketball team. You've been working really hard and have been spending a lot of time on business trips to try to make this dream a reality for yourself. Finally, you get the opportunity you have always dreamed of: Being the head coach of a college team.  At the same time you are given this opportunity, your spouse files for divorce and says that they are taking your child and leaving because you don't spend enough time with them. Which one would you chose?"

These situations are very difficult cases because they question the ethicality of both your family time and the time you put into your business. If I were to decide immediately, my first initial reaction to each scenario would be to focus on the emergency so you don't lose the client or your job and keep following what you've always wanted to do your entire life. But, after thinking about each decision's consequences and outcomes I realized that in the long run family is what matters most.

While businesses and dreams come and go, your family is irreplaceable. Family is eternal, so if we take it for granted we are bound to suffer severe consequences for not making family a priority in our lives. It's a difficult truth, but following your dreams is a very lonely path if you do not have someone you love to participate in that happiness along with you.

What would I have done in each scenario?
First, I would offer the client a chance to meet with someone who's either my right hand man or whom I have complete dependency in. I would send as many people as needed so that my daughter will always know that I made that sacrifice because I love her more than my client.

Second, I wouldn't let my dream get to the point where I would sacrifice my entire family over it. Dreams are wonderful goals to have, and you don't have to be the only one who participates in the happiness that they can bring. Just make sure to let your spouse participate as much as possible and don't neglect them. It is possible to fulfill your dreams when you have a family, just make sure that you don't disregard your family in the process.

All in all, in the long run, focusing on your family brings forth many blessings that we will not receive until we make difficult sacrifices such as these. It is easy to decide what you will do in these situations once your truly know where your focus lies: you business or your family. No man can serve to masters, so once we place our focus where it counts, we must be prepared to handle the sacrifices that will come from placing our focus on what matters most.

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 9: "Interview with Redge Allen"

This week I had the extraordinary opportunity to interview Redge Allen, a professor at BYU-Idaho University. He has owned and ran multiple businesses that have been successful, but he has also encountered a few failures in his career as well. The interview went amazing, and my perspective on 'what it takes to be a businessman/woman' was changed dramatically.

Despite the fact that Allen is a very smart and powerful man, as we were talking I could tell that he had a very humble spirit about him. As soon as I realized that I became curious as to how he was able to act so humbly in an environment where the egocentric always seem to get the best and quickest results.

One of the best moments of our interview was when I asked him the question, "What was one of your most significant gains and failures you experienced since you have been in the industry?"

He replied in a way that I was not expecting at all: "The greatest gain I ever had was losing every penny I had in a failed business. The greatest challenge of all was making too much money."

Wait a second... those seem backwards. My thinking was that making enough/too much money would be an advantage to you and your business, and that having a business fail would be a great challenge, not a blessing. I asked him if he could further explain this statement to me.

He simply said that when he had lost every penny he became very humbled and used that opportunity to learn from the mistakes he made with that business. It also helped him recognize those issues which he can stop from occurring during future businesses. He then explained that when he was receiving too much money he became too focused on the world, and ended up making decisions which could have had better outcomes if he had not been as haughty or proud as he was in the moments where he was most prosperous. Too much money only made him more proud, not successful.

After hearing this I was baffled that he, a successful businessman, could think that too much money was a bad thing. But, he ended up proving me wrong. I only hope as I walk with him more on the subject in the future that I will be bale to gain his mindset on business so that I can focus on more important aspects of business than the amount of profit I will earn or lose.

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 8: "Mini Lessons"

I learned many different things this week, so I figured that a list of them would be most appropriate. A few of these principles I learned this week are from the articles I was assigned to read, while others are from my daily experiences.

- Success is not a solo venture
You need people in your life who can support you and offer assistance when you need it. It's easy to think that you are capable of so many great things, but in the big picture so many of your successes will be edified by the people who are willing to be there for you.

- It's possible to be both humble and a leader simultaneously
My first thought of a leader is someone who can take charge and guide a group with an iron fist. After reading the assigned articles for this week I was reminded that leaders correct errors when needed, but treat the other members of the team with respect and humility. That's the kind of leader I would like to be, so I was happy to read that the most effective leaders are those that give credit to their teammates or luck instead of themselves.

- See mistakes as learning opportunities, not roadblocks
Mistakes will always be made. Whether the fault is yours or your coworker's, the most important thing you can do is see these mistakes as opportunities to learn and to try to be better so that the mistakes won't be repeated. Don't let a mishap (or a culmination thereof) keep you from making progress. See these challenges as learning opportunities and take advantage of them.

- Don't let your past get in the way of what you can become
Everyone has a low point in their lives where they have made mistakes. When we reach these low points it is difficult to see the light ahead. I have been in this situation before, and I can say with assuredly that taking each day one step at a time will eventually bring you closer and closer to that person you wish to become. The process of trying to become the person we want to be is a difficult one, but it is so worth the effort the day you realize that you have changed for the better. This is a very important principle to realize, but indeed it is the action we take to change that will truly dictate just how capable we are of becoming our best.

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 7 "Brick by Brick"

The miraculous story of the Salt Lake City temple being built is truly humbling. The entire process required so many hours, so much labor so many resources that were miles and miles away. How could they ever start such an ambitious project with the end goal so out of reach it seemed impossible? Because they knew it was their duty.

Too often have I given up in my life. I was in public school and suffered for years before quitting so I could be homeschooled at home and learn at my own pace. While I was at BYU-Idaho my second semester, I got into enough of a dilemma with my schoolwork that I could either stay, endure, and get very poor grades, or I could go home and recuperate. I went home, recovered for a few months, worked three part-time jobs before coming back to BYU-Idaho, and now I'm back to prove that I can do difficult things.

It is always tempting to think that quitting is the easier option. The sad truth is that quitting is always easier than plowing your way through challenges. But if we don't put effort into overcoming our adversities then we will not progress or be blessed from being able to not only endure our challenges, but conquer them.

I am slowly, but surely, learning how to conquer my challenges instead of evading them. After reading this story of all the sacrifice that went into building this house of the Lord I know that I can overcome any trial. I also know that when I overcome I am building the foundation for my life brick by brick. How? When you learn how to conquer challenges you are improving yourself and becoming a stronger person than you were before the trial was given. As more and more of these figurative bricks of victory are laid, your foundation as a strong and able person will only increase more and more until you have a solid structure of integrity and accomplishment.

As my favorite quite goes, "Nothing worth having comes easy." In this particular case, the trials we are given will only demonstrate to us that we are capable of so much, as long as we stick to our goals and keep our destinations in sight.

Here is the wonderful I am referring to, it is an excellent read:

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/holland-jeffrey-r_however-long-hard-road/

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 6 "Becoming a Master"

This week I read a book called 'Mastery', written by George Leonard. In a sentence, the book explains how we can fulfill our full potentials by not only mastering our skills, but becoming masters of ourselves as well.

One of the passages that stood out to me the most was how we tend to want the immediate result, but this mindset is dangerous to true mastery because it takes away our patience and defeats us when we're not gratified immediately by our work. This sentence from the book explains it very well: 

"The modern world, in fact, can be viewed as a prodigious conspiracy against mastery. We're continually bombarded with promises of immediate gratification, instant success, the fast, temporary relief, all which lead in exactly the wrong direction.... it not only prevents us from developing our potential skills but threatens our health, education, career, relationships, and perhaps even our national economic viability."

Goodness, all this can happen from simply wanting the now? But I've been guilty of that so many times and I am still fighting battles between patience and intolerance almost every day. 

Perhaps the road will be a difficult one, but the path to mastery is one that should be taken slowly but surely in order to experience the satisfaction that can only come from a lifetime of study and discipline. If I can practice effective goal setting, try to practice good character attributes and practice my skills often, maybe one day I will be a master of both my passion and myself. 

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 5 "To Be A Hero"

A hero's journey is not as easy one, and we should never expect it to be. Nothing worth having comes easy, especially success. But in order for that journey to begin we must take that first step, that first risk, that first plunge into our full potential. But this first step is what keeps so many from life-changing success. Why? Because that step will determine the rest of your career, and your life.

Where will you be in five years? Ten years? Twenty? Here's the harsh truth of it all: you don't know. Sure, you might have the same house or the same job, but all in all you will be a different person during each stage of your life. There are so many things that you will learn throughout your life that will hopefully change you for the better. It's inevitable that as we progress in life we will slowly become better, more hard working, more wise.

Knowing that we have the potential to change the world scares us. By instinct, humans do not like change. We prefer the path of least resistance. Change is difficult and uncomfortable, so it's very understandable how the fear of personal change will keep us from taking that first step and fulfilling our destiny. That comfort zone that you have set for yourself only extends so far as you let it. Bursting through that barrier is possibly one of the most challenging feats we have to face, but the rewards are so great that we can't even imagine them.

With that being said, breaking that comfort zone is much easier said than done. It's one thing to think it; it's another to actually do it. Taking those first few steps will lead us to a world filled with possibilities that we would never have experienced without expanding our horizons and breaking the prison we have instinctually built around ourselves. This is a skill that takes years and years to practice and that very few master. Little be little we become bolder and bolder, and the world around us keeps expanding with every attempt against our prison. The key to breaking your captivity is persistence to try things that will help you progress towards a better you.

Only after hundreds of challenges and disappointments was Hercules finally awarded the title of hero.  Every hero has a journey, and if you start your journey or persistent progress today, you too can become a hero.

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 4 "My Personal Constitution"

I had a lot of fun with the assignments this week! I feel that the one assignment I had this week that brought the most impact was writing out my own Personal Constitution. To put simply, a Personal Constitution is a declaration of how you will become the person you want to be. It demonstrates different levels of goals, and how I can day by day become a better person. I figured I might as well copy what I typed since I will be referring to this document for a very long time.

Also, I finished the book "the Ministry of Business" this week, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to read it! It was so motivating and really helped me understand that it is very important to keep God in mind during all your decision making. By using correct principles I can ensure that not only will my business grow, but that my potential and faith will grow as well. What a promise!

My Personal Constitution

I Want to Become:

1.     A trustworthy individual                                                                                                                         In order to gain assets and built a good reputation for myself I must first be able to prove that I am able to keep the promises I make with others. Whether those be business deals, asking for a loan, paying my employees fully and respecting them as team members (not just someone I work with), I must stay true to my promises whether they e great or small. I can be trustworthy to others, as well as myself.

2.     A supporting friend                                                                                                                                 As humans we naturally need fulfilling relationships in our lives. We need people who we can rely on and who can encourage us to keep moving forward even when we feel like quitting. If you want friends like these, you need to be one of these friends yourself. Be the kind of person you would want to put your trust in. Be the kind of person you would trust a business with. Be all of these things and soon you will find others who can aid you through your life so you can accomplish your dreams. I can be the friend people need me to be.

3.     A great team member                                                                                                                                   I’ve always been an independent person who has learned to handle things on her own. Working in a team environment has always been a source of anxiety for me. But in order to start and run a business successfully I need friends, assets, a mentor, and a brigade of those I can trust. It’s easy to assume that as a business owner you need to oversee or complete most of the daily responsibilities of a business and to dedicate every hour to it. This has partial truth in it. While I will be accountable for everything that happens in my business that does not mean that every single task is on my shoulders. There are lots of people who can help you. Don’t run a business solely on your own. You will soon lose the passion and will exhaust yourself very early into your business’s life. I can only survive through the help of others.

4.     A smart, strategic business woman

Not until recently have I understood the true value of knowledge. Of course I knew that being smart was a good thing, but I grew up thinking that school was merely a prison where they forced me to learn. After coming to college and learning that I can study anything I wanted to pursue in life, I soon learned that knowledge is a very valuable tool which will aid me through not just my career, but my entire life. Just recently have I started reading books from the library so I can better prepare myself to   handle the fast-paced world of business. With the knowledge I gain through my classes I will be more logical and more prepared to start my business. I can solve problems and generate wise solutions. 

Daily Goals:

1.     Recognize all of the blessings and tender mercies God has so graciously given me

2.     Try to complete homework in the morning as well as the evening

3.     Study all my courses with diligence and don’t procrastinate

4.     Remember that I am here at this college at this time for a reason

5.     Keep learning daily and don’t be afraid of progression

6.     Read at least one book every week

Short-Term Goals:

1.     Learn more about designing dresses

2.     Progress in my ability budget and stick to it.

3.     Find a job that can pay for my housing

4.     Become more trustworthy as an individual

5.     Don’t complain. Just work harder!

Long-Term Goals:

1.     Owning and operating a Customizable Dress Boutique

2.     Graduate from college/Learn all I can to succeed

3.     Pay off all my debts

4.     Find a companion who will accompany me through all my goals and trials

5.     Become a mentor to an Entrepreneur-in-training when I’m considering retirement

6.     Live a life of integrity and continuous workmanship

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 3 "The Book Theory"

This week I had an awakening. Well, it technically began last week when I was assigned to create a list of my top three jobs and an entrepreneurial career list for myself.

When I was thinking of the three jobs, I didn't necessarily think of which three jobs I would want the most. Instead I chose three jobs that would be helpful to me the most as I prepare to become a future business owner. Once I thought for a few minutes I realized that I was comfortable with each and every option except for one:

Manager.

Really? Of all things why do I have anxiety of managing?? I deduced that I was not going to be successful in my business unless I got used to the idea of being manager, and got used to it fast.

Next, I remembered that there seems to be a correlation between those who are smart/successful and those who read books. Lots of books. Tai Lopez constantly emphasizes how his success is partially attributed to the fact that he reads a book every day. Wha...? A book a day?! Well, it's true. Many great minds have either read plenty of books or have written a book or two of their own, so there must be a reason as to why books are always associated with the successful.

I should tell you straight away that I am one of those people that all throughout my schooling career (K-12) I never tried to learn outside of my classes because I thought that eight hours of subjects I was being forced to learn was more than enough. Of course I spend hundreds of hours practicing my sewing skill and making floor plans for my businesses, but knowledge like math or reading never seemed to bring me satisfaction because I always got lower grades than my classmates. As the years and schooling passed by I lost my yearn to learn (sounds mighty catchy now that I type it down). 

Back to my point, I did't have a desire to learn topics beyond my classes while in school. As soon as I started college this year I knew that I was going to take classes that were going to be worth my while, and not settle for anything less. After completing three weeks of reading and contemplating the topics offered by my Intro to Entrepreneurship class, I realized that in order to be successful I needed to become familiar with the qualities that make one successful. Some of these include efficiency, collaborating with coworkers/teammates, knowledge of finances, and leadership. I need to learn all of these qualities if I have any hope of succeeding. And what's one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with a topic outside of the classroom? Why, to a read a book about it, I guess. 

To test the theory that knowledge and extensive reading regularly correlate, I went to the library this week and found a perfect beginners book on how to approach productive leadership called "Leaders Open Doors" by Bill Treasurer. I began reading this book instantly after I checked it out! As I started to read it I became very thrilled at the fact that something amazing had occurred: not only was I reading books (I have never been a reader), but I was reading helpful books that have hundreds of teachings hidden in their contexts. In simpler words, I was reading to learn a topic outside the classroom. 

This has never happened to me before! After so many years of grueling schoolwork and endless uphill battles of trying to improve myself, I have finally acquired the desire to learn. This truly is a miracle at work! After waiting this long for a desire to learn I am going to make the most of this desire as I an and not let the opportunity pass me. 

This brings me to new goal I have set for myself: To read one book a week. Not quite the same caliber as Tai Lopez's goal, but certainly a challenge for me nonetheless. I will start with leadership books, then after I become more acquainted with the aspect of leadership, I will begin to read books on management, and so on and so forth until I am familiar with most of the characteristics I will need in order to be successful.

The crazy part is that this sudden desire for knowledge is occurring because my Intro to Entrepreneurship class is motivating me! What a blessing this class has been if my life, and It's only week three!! At the pace I'm progressing, I can't even begin to fathom how much this class is going to chance my perspective and make me a better person than I was yesterday. I can't wait! 

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 2 "Dreams Do Matter"

This week we were assigned to read an article titled "Transcript of Randy Pausch's Last Lecture". Even though I have never heard of him or his accomplishments before I read the article, it was a neat experience to read his last lecture and learn about not only his successes, but of his failures as well. Throughout the entire lecture he would talk about how he always tried to follow his passions to accomplish his life dreams and goals. 

As a child he visited Disneyland and he knew that he not only wanted to experience what he experienced at Disneyworld, but he wanted to make things like that as well. So he soon got a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon and sent letters of application to Disneyworld thinking that he had everything he needed to be accepted there. Even with his dream, his passion, and his qualifications, we wasn't. 

This in one of the many life examples he gives during his lecture, but this experience stood out to me in a profound way. When I first read this I thought, "Even the Ph.D. didn't work? How did he not just quit?" You would think that if you worked most of your life towards something and suddenly it means nothing, then you would seriously start to doubt whether you took the right course in life or not. But instead of thinking this Randy Pausch moves on and refers to this little occurrence a 'brick wall'. I quote him directly:

"But remember, brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls art there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough." (Randy Pausch, Randy Pausch's Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams pg. 8)

Randy never stopped trying to achieve his childhood dreams no matter how many brick walls laid in his path. So inspirational. 

My mother has always referred to me as 'the dreamer' out of all her children. This is because I have always had a vivid imagination and many dreams since I was little. One of the first goals I can remember having was that of owning a horse when I had enough money. After my horse back riding instructor jokingly said one day when I was seven, "If you want to spend a million dollars, own a horse!", reality made me realize that I would have to accomplish something like winning the lottery before I could ever own a horse. My fragile little dream was crushed. 

Despite the sudden realization of this and the inevitable emotional devastation that followed, I soon realized that even though owning a horse would be very expensive that didn't mean that I couldn't one one if I ever had the means to do so. To this day I still remain hopeful of owning a horse one day, although it probably won't happen until retirement. As long as it happens some time before the end of my life then I'm content. 

A few years later I had a dream of opening a cafe with my mother where I would sell baked goods and she would sell loaves of her homemade bread. I would draw floor plans, research the prices of all the industrial equipment I would need, and come up with menus for my little cafe that would open on my neighborhood block once the shop on the corner went out of business. This plan seemed like an ideal one for a long time until my mother taught me how to sew when I was thirteen years old. Since I learned how to sew dresses from patterns I switched my dream from owning a cafe to owning a dress boutique. 

What I'm trying to say is that my life has been very enriched from having a dream of opening up my own shop. I feel that most people I talk to see my dreams as fantasies to give me hope for something better. But I see my dreams as my ultimate life goals that bring me feelings of hope and happiness. To me having dreams gives me a positive outlook on my life. It keeps me going through both the good times and a bad. I am willing to do whatever it takes to make my dreams become reality, no matter how many brick walls try to prevent me from doing so. I don't know the specifics, but I know there are going to be many good things that happen on my journey, but I will also have many trials as well because, heaven forbid, there must be opposition in all things. Even with this I welcome both my blessings and my trials. I intend to treat life as an experiment. An experiment wouldn't be called an experiment if there was so trial and error, and out lives work the very same way. 

Dreams are important. Don't let anyone tell you that your dreams are foolish or unrealistic. With God's help, you can do anything, as long as you set your mind to it and work hard for it. 

Entrepreneurship Journal - Week 1 "I Still Have a lot to Learn"

After reading the articles and watching the videos provided for this week of the course the reading that had the most impact on me was "Living Life as an Entrepreneurial Hero". It was during this reading that I had one of my most prominent epiphanies of the week. This is the thought that I wrote down in my notebook while I was reading the article:

"I feel fortunate because I believe I can be categorized into that group of a select few that have a dream or goal in mind from an early age. I've always wanted to open up a shop. I have been blesses to have this dream from such a young age. Don't waste that dream's potential by standing still and not risking failure or disappointment. Act on your dream now, while it's fresh."

Watching the videos and reading the articles had reinvigorated my want to succeed. There have been times in my life where I feel that I am stuck and can't progress unless and change my situation, outlook or attitude. After I made those few changes necessary I realized that I was often uncomfortable or unfamiliar with my new situation and the future that would follow it. I also realized that when I had adapted to those changes I was challenging myself to learn something new; to reach past my personal boundaries; to progress. 

It wasn't until a few months ago that I realized the importance of adapting to a new situation in order to progress. I worked part-time at a fast food restaurant before I started this year of college, and I disliked nearly every moment of it. It wasn't the fact that it was a minimum-wage job, but the fact that I worked at a place I disliked very much because of the taxing work that offered little in reward other than a paycheck. That gave me anxiety to such lengths that I had never experienced before. After careful reevaluation of my situation, I realized that my attitude was getting in the way of my progression. My goal at the time was to earn enough money for school. Working part-time and moping about it was definitely not an option I wanted to endure.

I then decided to ask my manager for full-time work once I had realized that I would not earn enough money for school at my current pace. However, as the weeks went on I was getting less and less hours every week, and eventually after waiting patiently for a full time week I got a week with only one shift of only five hours.

I was frustrated and humiliated. I had changed my attitude and owned up to working for what I deserved, yet ironically it was that same job that started holding me back. I realized right away that if there was any chance of me progressing further it was to seek elsewhere for employment. I quit that five hour week and didn't think twice about it. 

I did so with such haste because I realized that my goal of college needed to be overlooked temporarily so that I could focus on finding new employment that will benefit not only my college fund but my well-being as well. My first goal: College was set aside to fulfill a more immediate goal: find a job with the hours you need. 

Despite this entire situation and the misfortune of it all, I consider myself to be very fortunate. Why? Because in the next week I found three separate part-time jobs that would help me get all of the hours I needed, and the best part of it all was that I enjoyed each job. Every new job I acquired provided me with a benefit other than money, whether that be personal wellness, friendships, or a feeling of accomplishment. After arranging my jobs without overlaps I wan making 45-50 hours a week and did't miss a single shift. 

A major awakening of determination was occurring inside me. I never though that I was capable of such a difficult feat as three part-time jobs. Yes, many have to deal with many more hours than I had, but the fact that I was willing to work harder than I ever had before gave me hope for my future. Life will always throw curveballs relentlessly at you. Learning how to adapt and change your situation for something better is a large step towards success, and that is what this week's readings made me realize. 

Being an entrepreneur means taking risks and adapting to a world that is changing ever so quickly. As an optimistic future Entrepreneur I hope that the determination I received a few months ago will stick with me as I complete the remainder of this course, as well as the rest of my continuing education. This week's material has motivated me to want to try to reach beyond myself to accomplish something I never thought I was capable of accomplishing: becoming an entrepreneur and following my dreams in the process. I see a bright hope in my future, but there are still many lessons a young adult like me needs to learn in order to be successful and, with luck, keep progressing.