1st Entry

I am writing this blog for a business class I am taking through BYU-I. I must, say after the first week's worth of materials, I can tell this will be remarkably beneficial for my education, as well as my personal life. Before I started studying the material, I logged in to my iLearn and felt a wash of overwhelming information and work. I was scared and intrigued, but definitely nervous. I started to feel as though perhaps I had bit off more than I could chew. I then started working with the material. 

As I read the inspirational excerpt of "Living Life as an Entrepreneurial Hero" by Jeff Sandefer, I felt a sense of strength. I instantly felt as though I could handle the work that was in front of me. The eight page essay Jeff wrote, is essentially an introduction for the class, as well as an introduction for incoming entrepreneurs. He stated the reality of what it takes to be an entrepreneur with great hope and realism. One of the most vital lessons I learned from his writing is expressed here:

"Life is difficult. It is also mysterious, rich, and beautiful. But you are likely to overlook the beauty and grow resentful if you cling to the fantasy that life should be safe and easy. It’s not—it just doesn’t work that way.

 When I was young, my mother left and my father often traveled on business. I practically raised myself. It hurt, and for a time I dwelled on the pain and unfairness. But then a trusted elder told me, “Life’s not fair. That’s just the way it is.” That felt like the truth. 

Those same early struggles made me self-reliant. And that prepared me for building a successful company, which itself was often lonely and frustrating, too. And the struggles of life kept coming. Later a trusted employee turned out to be an embezzler. My first marriage ended in failure.

 These wounds hurt, but wounds like these often provide fuel for entrepreneurial heroes. Properly harnessed, they give you something to fight against and the emotional energy to keep moving forward. Scenes of formative struggles help explain why Sir Lancelot searches for the Grail or why Harry Potter must defeat Voldemort. Because, for one, good must triumph over evil, even when part of that evil is inside of you."

This filled me with a great sense of empowerment. The key phrase that sticks out to me is "for one, good must triumph over evil, even when part of that evil is inside of you." This had me thinking for some time. It made me realize that we are all human, and just because we have ambitious dreams of doing good and conquering evil, it doesn't mean we don't have some evil in us. It taught me we just need to look past that evil within, and become greater to achieve what we desire. 

There are many things I learned and found helpful while studying the material. There were a myriad of good essays stating how the course will work, and how important it is to learn from those around us. The videos I watched were also a nice intro for what is to come, and the proper attitude to approach the class with. I feel it is a great first step into a field I am very excited to explore. I have high hopes, and faith in what I am learning.