Where's My Sword?

I’m tired. Maybe I’ve got spring fever, even though winter just showed up last week. Maybe I’m tired because it’s half-way through the semester and I’ve got a Sophomore form of Senioritis.  Maybe it’s because it’s almost March; I have personal experiences that make me agree with Shakespeare about March. Maybe it’s because I stayed up too late last night watching the Olympics, got up early this morning, went to the gym, did a half hour on the treadmill, completed 3 sets of 9 different weight-lifting exercises, and came home to 27 minutes of yoga. Maybe it’s because I’m “getting up there,” and I’m frustrated because I don’t learn as quickly as I once did.

Regardless, I need to do something. A nap sounds good. But, that is only a temporary fix. Maybe I need a new attitude. Anyone know where I can get one?

Elder Holland (I L.O.V.E. him!) knows how we feel; he’s been there before, too. He gave some great counsel to BYU students clear back in 1983 that still applies to us today. He says, “If your eyes are always on your shoelaces, if all you can see is this class or that test, …this disappointment or that dilemma, then it really is quite easy to throw in the towel and stop the fight. But what if it is the fight … for your eternal life? What if beyond … this disappointment or that dilemma, you really can see and can hope for all …that God has to offer? Oh, it may be blurred a bit…faintly, dimly, and ever so far away you can see the object of it all. And you say it is worth it, you do want it, you will fight on. Like Coriantumr, you will lean upon your sword to rest a while, then rise to fight again (see Ether 15:24–30) …As long and laborious as the effort may seem, please … take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow… work, [and]… wait patiently when you have no other choice. Lean on your sword and rest a while, but get up and fight again…however long and hard the road.” 

Elder Holland also reminded us during Conference recently that we get credit for trying. Thank heavens.

Okay. I can do this, just let me take a little break, rejuvenate, and get an outlook makeover. Now… who moved my sword?

Just Breathe

A few years ago, a counselor recommended a book for me to read. It was on the practice of mindfulness. In a nutshell, it involves a little bit of meditation to focus on what’s going on in the present moment. Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, author of “The Mindfulness Solution” says that it is an “awareness of personal experience with acceptance.” Ultimately, it’s all about the attitude of one’s experiences, regardless of whether they are considered good or bad.

Using deep breathing techniques, a mindfulness practitioner tries to clear her mind and just focus on being, right now. If negative thoughts intrude, she is encouraged to acknowledge them and let them pass. This kind of “therapy” has been practiced by many different cultures and peoples throughout centuries. And, the practice of deep, mindful breathing has powerful effects on the brain, the body, and the psyche.

George Leonard, author of “Mastery,” shares his own ideas of this concept. He encourages us to “acknowledge the negative and accentuate the positive.” When we couple this with regular physical exercise, we direct our energies into positive channels. Regular exercise and meditation coincides with Habit #1 in Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” be proactive.

By taking action in this one area, we can effect change within ourselves that can be a first step to a successful journey.

The Cure

I totally found myself while reading “Mastery” by George Leonard, and not in a good way.

Leonard describes three paths that most people attempt to avoid the only true path to mastery. This only true path is lengthy, arduous, and has no instant gratification, which is probably why many of us try to circumvent it. Leonard has even named these paths, and you can guess the traits of each one from the titles alone: The Dabbler, The Obsessive, and The Hacker.

I am a Dabbler. If you’d read my very first blog post, you might have already deduced this fact based on the impressively long (insert sarcasm here) list of job titles I’ve held over the last 30 years. The Dabbler fits me to a T.

While studying our material this week, I do believe that I came across the remedy for my disorder! Wences Cesares eluded to it in his video (from a cruise ship, no less!) about entrepreneurship. I'm calling it serial entrepreneurial monogamy. I need to be continuously engaged in one, and only one, business venture, and I need to do it long enough to do it well.

Not to brag or anything, but I did come to that on my own about the same time that I returned to school. I have finally nailed myself down to something, and my partner is awesome. I know that the rewards will come, eventually. No more dabbling for me. I am ALL IN!

The Dreaded Four-Letter Word

I would venture to say that most people that I know have never heard me utter a curse word (that is not an admission, nor a denial, of guilt). I do, however, use four-letter words ALL THE TIME. I used seven four-letter words in the first sentence of today’s post alone. Okay, maybe that wasn’t very funny.

But, there are lots of four-letter words in the English language, and we cannot get along without them: time, rest, food, pray, sing, walk, talk. Talk is big for me. I once had someone ask me if I’d die if I wasn’t talking. But, “talk” is not the four-letter word that was impressed upon me as I went through this week’s study materials. The four-letter word of the hour is W-O-R-K.

Work, also defined as perseverance, stamina, faith, courage, trial, error, struggle, “staying the course,” and whatever other words or phrases I choose, for the purposes of this blog, is the number one key to success in entrepreneurship.

In his essay “Are Successful Entrepreneurs Born or Made?”, Jeff Sandefer quotes a self-made businessman who said, “Perseverance is far more important than skill or talent. You have to have a mindset that never gives up, no matter how tough it gets. A little talent and a lot of hard work are the foundation for learning any skill, and are far more important in the long run.”

So, we know that work is important, but this week’s video, "A Hero's Journey," reminds us that it isn’t the only thing that we should focus on. We need balance. When we reach the end of our mortal existence, we won’t be asking ourselves, “Was I a big enough workaholic?” People matter, and so do the four-letter words love, kind, and good.

For the most part, the world could use a little more work. So, go ahead and use this particular four-letter word. I won’t tell anyone.