I have enjoyed an eye opening semester

The Lord has blessed me with renewed focus and drive to continue my education and take on responsibilities well over my comfort zone.

Thank you, Brother Marler.

When I started this blog, I said to myself:

You have understood the need to take the learning you have acquired over the years and apply it to your life. It is obvious you struggle with ADD and the need to make lists and prioritize first things first, as Steven Covey has pointed out to you. You also know you need to embrace being transparent and curious with yourself, as outlined by Roger M. Schwarz, and choose some stepping stones to begin your journey.

You are not ready to work out a star and work backward even though you are getting on in age. But, there are some stable character traits you could embrace as masteries that would be well within your ethical bonders and pointed in the right direction.

Brainstorming some character traits to master:

The law of abundance.
First things first.
Transparency.
Curiosity.
Be proactive.
Hungry, Humble, and Smart. (Patrick Lencioni)

Your greatest weakness is procrastination. Once you get started and are in a hyperfocus mindset, you can get things done. But, getting started is the problem.

I have established proactive priority-based habits to help myself to help others. I suppose the Lord took notice and called me as the bishop.

If I had one final lecture to share with a group of students on what I have learned from this course, what would I share?

   I have given this lecture in the last few years as my kids have left home. It starts exhorting them to seek after and develop the spiritual gift of discernment. Followed by a talk about strengths and weaknesses. Concluding with loving encouragement to follow their dreams by serving others.













What would be my last bit of advice to someone wanting to begin the entrepreneur journey?

  The last bit of advice I would give would be to expect to fail with a journal and camera in hand you learn the most from experience.





What words of advice, direction, or caution would I give him or her if I had only one chance to give my own last lecture?
   My last words of advice, direction, and caution would be to love what you do, who you are with, and your surrounds or change things so you can.
  

Back th the Basics...

It is the simple things in life that bring us the greatest joy and the most significant stumbling blocks.

To keep pace with the world today, it is vital to be able to gather our thoughts and impressions in a location that is searchable, transmittable, and easily accessed. I have worked with a Franklin Covey planner for years, and I have come to the conclusion that writing all my essential thoughts, ideas, conversations, insights, and decisions into a book condemns them to archive prison.

I have a co-work, a millennial, that can type, cut, paste, search, switch windows, post, and IM with ease. The key I am finding out is the ability to touch type and to know the keystrokes to move around a computer desktop.

https://www.typing.com/student/lesson/361/d-e-and-i-keys

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12445/windows-keyboard-shortcuts

I will use the holiday break to learn how to touch type and use the keystrokes needed.

Virtue and Integrity is Vital to Any Economy

Based on what you read in the "What's a Business For?" article on the first two pages (pages 3 and 4), why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy?

 The Pratt family is big on board games. The main reason we find so much enjoyment through competition, cooperation, skill, and luck is because of set boundaries and rules. Very often, the rule book or directions and sought to clarify and rectify debates. We always play by the rules, except when there is a unanimous agreement on a house rule. The understanding is that no one cheats, and everyone plays by the rules.

Economics is no different; if someone cheats, we all tend not to want to play.









According to Charles Handy, what is the “real justification” for the existence of businesses?

Handy's understanding is the same as my entrepreneurial friend Brendan, he runs the Crossroad Games store. He lives to provide a service or place for people, friends, and competitors to come and enjoy time together. As he does, they purchase games to take home to have fun there. Brendan is not in it for the money, although he does very well for himself and his family.

What are the two solutions proposed by Handy that you agree with? Why?

 Again, I will echo Brendan's and Handy's thoughts of business being measured and accountable to the health of the community it serves and not the bottom line. The non-revenue earning government office I work in has prioritized everyone's efforts in this way.

1. "Shelter, Water, and food" Make sure everyone (management and employees) is paid, reimbursed, take advantage of work-life balance opportunities and the like.
2. Training, everyone is trained and qualified.
3. Continual improvement, fix everything when it is found broken, facilities, processes...
4. The work.