This week I really enjoyed Guy Kawasaki's video about passion vs. money. I think he really hit the nail on the head. We need to be more concerned with changing the world than having a lot of money. I like how he explained that even though he has made a lot of money and owned a lot of really cool cars, that to him, he really wish that he had enjoyed his college education more and experienced more. I think that that is something important to realize. Money will never be a replacement for the things we experience in this life. As we think about that in the gospel terms, we know that this is true. We will not be taking money with us to heaven when we die. But, we will take the experiences that we have had.
I think that experiences are what make us a better person. We learn and grow from every single thing that we experience whether it be good or bad. I like how Kawasaki suggested studying abroad. I think that learning about other people and their culture is something that is important to do. It is sometimes easy to get "stuck" in our own little sphere, but the world is so much bigger around us and there is something good to be learned from people all around.
I also enjoyed learning about the 7 Habits. I had read the book years ago, but had forgotten much of it so it was good to have a refresher on it. I think that Covey really understands what it takes to be successful. I love what he says about being Proactive. I think that this is something so important to learn. It is difficult! It is so much easier to be reactive. But, Covey explains that by being proactive "we actively choose what our response will be in any situation rather than react blindly." As I sit here thinking about this, I think how this pertains to all areas of our life, not just in our job. I have thought how for me, it is most important to be proactive with my children instead of reactive. It is often way too easy to be reactive with them (especially as they are yelling at me because they don't want to pick up their rooms, which just happened). So, this is a skill that I would definitely like to keep working on. I see the importance of learning it and being better at it in so many different situations. I like how Covey says, "Or in other words, to affect positive change, stop focusing on the immediate circumstances and instead consider your response to the conditions that exist." I think that this is the key! As I think about the example with my children, instead of focusing on the bedroom being clean, how can I respond to them that will encourage and build them up in the long run? Too often with kids, it's easy to be viewing it as a "here and now" moment.
I also absolutely love the "First things first" habit. I think that this is an extremely important skill for people to learn. We will all have moments of procrastination, but we need to know how to delegate to important tasks. Often, as you put first things first, you will not have self-made chaos happen. One of my favorite quotes is, "You're lack of preparation does not negate an emergency on my part." If people learn to put first things first, they will not be trying to impose "emergencies" on others. This is another skill that I have been working with my children to learn. Right now it is usually with homework. They often roll their eyes when I remind them that homework is our first thing because then we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening. I hope they are realizing that as they get their homework done early it makes the rest of the day/week so much better.
I think there is a lot to learn from the 7 Habits. I can see that if you develop these skills, you really become a master over your own self. I feel like as I have gotten older, I understand better the scripture that talks about the natural man being an enemy to God. I feel like the 7 habits are things that help us overcome the natural man. Really, that is our goal in this life. As we overcome the natural man we are becoming more like God. I think these 7 habits are things that carry over in to all aspects of our life. I am putting them up in my closet to help me remember them (since I forgot them from the last time) and hopefully I will be better at implementing them into my life.
I think that experiences are what make us a better person. We learn and grow from every single thing that we experience whether it be good or bad. I like how Kawasaki suggested studying abroad. I think that learning about other people and their culture is something that is important to do. It is sometimes easy to get "stuck" in our own little sphere, but the world is so much bigger around us and there is something good to be learned from people all around.
I also enjoyed learning about the 7 Habits. I had read the book years ago, but had forgotten much of it so it was good to have a refresher on it. I think that Covey really understands what it takes to be successful. I love what he says about being Proactive. I think that this is something so important to learn. It is difficult! It is so much easier to be reactive. But, Covey explains that by being proactive "we actively choose what our response will be in any situation rather than react blindly." As I sit here thinking about this, I think how this pertains to all areas of our life, not just in our job. I have thought how for me, it is most important to be proactive with my children instead of reactive. It is often way too easy to be reactive with them (especially as they are yelling at me because they don't want to pick up their rooms, which just happened). So, this is a skill that I would definitely like to keep working on. I see the importance of learning it and being better at it in so many different situations. I like how Covey says, "Or in other words, to affect positive change, stop focusing on the immediate circumstances and instead consider your response to the conditions that exist." I think that this is the key! As I think about the example with my children, instead of focusing on the bedroom being clean, how can I respond to them that will encourage and build them up in the long run? Too often with kids, it's easy to be viewing it as a "here and now" moment.
I also absolutely love the "First things first" habit. I think that this is an extremely important skill for people to learn. We will all have moments of procrastination, but we need to know how to delegate to important tasks. Often, as you put first things first, you will not have self-made chaos happen. One of my favorite quotes is, "You're lack of preparation does not negate an emergency on my part." If people learn to put first things first, they will not be trying to impose "emergencies" on others. This is another skill that I have been working with my children to learn. Right now it is usually with homework. They often roll their eyes when I remind them that homework is our first thing because then we can enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening. I hope they are realizing that as they get their homework done early it makes the rest of the day/week so much better.
I think there is a lot to learn from the 7 Habits. I can see that if you develop these skills, you really become a master over your own self. I feel like as I have gotten older, I understand better the scripture that talks about the natural man being an enemy to God. I feel like the 7 habits are things that help us overcome the natural man. Really, that is our goal in this life. As we overcome the natural man we are becoming more like God. I think these 7 habits are things that carry over in to all aspects of our life. I am putting them up in my closet to help me remember them (since I forgot them from the last time) and hopefully I will be better at implementing them into my life.
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