Entrepreneurial Journal Week 2

 Randy Pausch achieved so many of his childhood dreams. It makes a person wonder why and how. Thinking about his last lecture I’ve pulled some thoughts about his personality and want to make note of some attributes that he suggests make achieving goals a reality. 

Randy was tenacious. He believed a person should never give up. He lived a full life of fun and happiness, no matter the circumstance. He believed in the analogy you can’t choose the cards you’re dealt but how you play your hand matters. He believed in hard work, I mean to say dreams are more than just thoughts, dreams are achieved by luck but luck takes work. He said of luck it’s the place where preparation meets opportunity. 

Randy also mentions several times this analogy of a brick wall. He said we run into a brick wall on our way to fulfilling dreams. That brick wall is meant to keep others out and for us to show how badly we want to achieve our dreams. 

I also found his thoughts about not fulfilling a dream inspiring. He said he learned more from not achieving the national football league dream. He also shared “at some point you just realize there are some things you are not going to do, so maybe you just want to stand close to the people.” I find this a marvelous quote as it relates to my own failed or lost dreams. 

I think dreaming is hope in its’ infancy and I believe it is crucial to mortality. Hope and goals (or dreams) is what makes getting out of bed worth doing. It provides purpose and drive and motivation to be happy. Randy thought that dreaming bridges cultures and makes the world a better place. I agree with him. Being hopeful and working hard towards good things really does make the world a better place. The key is to help and support others along the way. 

In my younger years I used to dream of being a professional ballroom dancer. I have no natural athletic ability, I never stuck with any dancing lessons, I simply wanted the talent and ability to naturally and magically come to me. So I don’t think this dream will ever come to fruition. However, I know that this desire grew when I was a senior in college; grew to the point I actually acted on it. I signed up for a basic ballroom dance class, loved everything I learned and later signed up for a fun-natured, one-day competition for novice dancers. It was thrilling! It was the closest I’ll ever be to that dream being fulfilled, and it was enough to make me happy. 

Entrepreneur's Journal Week 1

So much reading. Winter 2025 semester has started at BYU-I and I'm in Business 110 (Introduction to Entrepreneurship) my first business class. I can hardly spell Entrepreneurship how do I expect to understand anything from this class. I feel very outdated, underprepared, and a bit overwhelmed. So we start a journal to show growth. I purposefully chose to post here, on my blog, because I'll actually look back at this journal and consider the changes and growth that are promised from investing in learning and writing about it. 

 We have three books assigned to us this semester for this one class alone. One assignment from today had 4 articles and 4+ videos to study with a quiz. I find [specifically] for 100 level classes, the first day of class having assignments due on that same day to be objectionable. Where’s the processing time? Yet here we are, stretching and growing. Reading and comprehension has never been a strong suit of mine. I still recall my mother reading high school text book homework to me out loud…that was over 20 years ago now. How grateful I am for my mother. Hey! There's growth showing right there: I don't ask my mother to read me my homework.

 One of the videos featuring Guy Kawasaki, was relatable and understandable. He said: Do what you love (a cliche for sure). But the example he used about himself and his Asian culture career expectations made his point beautifully. In a nutshell: if you love your work, the enjoyment of that work is the reward wether you get paid a lot or not. This resonates with me personally! I'm 40 years old now. I have no career, I have no real plan (as of right now), but I do know a lot about myself; I like to set my own work schedule and dabble in multiple different interests as an example. 

 One more thought, Reid Hoffman said something about ‘YOU’ as a brand. You as a brand represent substance, meaning your capabilities, talents, success stories, relationships etc. I really liked this concept. It reminds me of the studies I did earlier at BYU-I about marketing and branding (what vibe do you want your brand to represent). I think we as people are our own brand. Begs the question: What does my brand say about me…

As a little Child...

 

Ellie (currently 3.5 years old)

"Mom, when is it my burphday?"

M: "In the Summer"

E: "Oh! When Jesus comes?"

M: "Well, I'm not sure if Jesus will come this Summer, but I know He'll come someday."

E: "I want Jesus to come for my burphday"

Halloween 2020 style

 World history will undoubtedly show that the coronavirus of 2020 changed the lives of everyone. It will shape the future in ways that are unknown to us at this time. However, one thing is constant, showing love, and being creative is universal and eternal. 

Some family friends from our ward congregation decided to host a pandemic-friendly Trick-or-treat. They have a large house and a cabin in the woods. They boasted 8 doors for trick-or-treating! We signed up in pairs (two families every 20 minutes) in time slots to knock at each threshold to candy and then be on our way. The decorations were fantastic! The costumes and details were on point. Each participant for the haunted house party was wearing disposable gloves and masks. 

My family didn’t feel like they missed out on what is respectably known as a children’s holiday and rite of passage. We have candy coming out of our ears! We used whatever costumes we had here at home to keep it more simple.

Corona Virus pt 1

It's been 8 weeks now. My children left school for spring break on March 13, 2020. The news was full of loud, fast paced reporters talking about Covid-19 and being quarantined. I went to Costco that same Friday, like I always do did. I saw countless people rushing through the isles with water, soap, Clorox disinfectant, and toilet paper! Lots of toilet paper. I was there to shop for Easter. I figured if California or maybe the USA was going to lock down and I was stuck at home, the Easter bunny would still arrive at my house. I had more than half a Costco size pack of toilet paper at home and all this crazy should blow over before that ran out-boy was I wrong. Anyway, back to Costco, I was shopping for flip flops and Easter candy and picked up a couple different sized shade tents. I thought, well I'll take the kids to the beach! That should be a good use of time. And I'll get hiking backpacks so the kids can carry their own water. We will use some Spring Break and lockdown time to go hiking. I always buy SoftSoap brand refill jugs from Costco when they go on sale. They were on sale that week. But were sold out. They were SO sold out that I was laughed at for asking about it. I thought, okay, it's fine. Costco keeps their coupons running for about 3 weeks. I'll come back next week and get some.

I'm embarrassed to say now how wrong I was, but in all fairness, hindsight is 20/20. There's so much more to say about the past 8 weeks. But I want to start with these photos so I don't forget it and my last trip to Costco when I thought it was as crazy as it was going to get.

 Walmart 'cleaning solutions' section. Soaps and disinfectants are gone. Everything is rationed.

 This is the fresh, bagged salad section at Safeway here in Jackson, CA. There was nothing in the produce isle. Well, there was arugula, but I remember that even my goats in Ohio wouldn't touch that nasty lettuce.

Not my best shot. Looks like I'm aiming for the floor, but I was distracted at Safeway because there was meat! Shelves of meat! but I wanted to get a picture of the produce stands one more time. No onions, no tomatoes, avocados, bananas, grapes, berries, lettuce, potatoes, carrots, oranges...the list goes on. There was nothing fresh there to eat! I happen to find one party platter of precut veggies. I snagged that veggie tray like my life depended on it and took it home thinking it was going to be the last time I tasted fresh produce. It wasn't the last time. But the anxious feeling and lack of predicability  was and still is very real. 

It's time...to blog again

Here I am, 4 years or so from my last post. SO MUCH LIFE HAS HAPPENED.

I don't know where to begin. So I'll start with this:

I was in a pickle, feeling like a terrible person and a worse mother because I couldn't locate all the pictures of my children's "first day of school". That escalated to "where are all the birthday pictures I've taken over the years" Which leads me to this post.

I'm hunting down my past. I'm finding lost treasures! I'm going to get as many of the long lost birthday and backpack photos I can find and possibly start journaling my life again. The good, the bad, and the ugly truth. 

Playing in the jungle

So the backyard used to be nothing but dead tumbleweeds and dirt. Now days it's covered in rogue grass. If I had photos readily accessible I'd show a before and after.
We collected grass clippings through a friend and threw them down to cover the dirt that turned mud-pit during the spring and fall. Apparently that's a cheap way of planting seed because it took root and is growing with a vengeance!

Anyway, the kids have been enjoying the backyard jungle this spring, making up games, using the grass to make-believe fishing poles etc. It's been a joy to watch them play and get dirty!

Can you find Emma and Parker in this photo below?!

Making wishes with rocks and grass and throwing it in the bucket.