Create A Life of Meaning

Quote of the week
"A goal without a plan is just a wish"

I'm so glad we had the assignments we did this week and I took the time to write down many of my goals.  I've never really written down my bucket list and to have to think through 50 meaningful goals to put on my list was such a great exercise for me.  It also gave me a chance to look at some of the things I have already accomplished and feel good about a few things I have already done.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

I had the chance to read the book, The Last Lecture, several years ago so this was a good review.  I love the idea that our lives have purpose and meaning.  I love the idea that we are here to create with talents and strengths that are inherently ours.  One thing that hit me both the first time I read the book and this week is that Randy Pausch's never once mentions God or the help we receive or dependence we have on God.  The thought came to me that without that knowledge we are just left to our own strength.  How much better we can be and how much more we can accomplish when we have the knowledge of the gospel and the understanding that our relationship with God is who created our Spirits which gives us our personalities, our strengths, our weaknesses and our ability to create.  All though his message has inspired millions of people to live life to it's fullest, in my opinion, he misses the why.

Stars and Stepping Stones

Stars = Long term goals
Steppingstones = Short term goals

Short term goals help us develop patterns that point us in the direction of our long-term goals.  They may seem a little tedious, but they help etch habits and values that keep us heading on the right path and eventually we arrive at the place we have been hoping for.

Entrepreneurs

One common theme I can't ignore this week is that entrepreneurs never stop.  They have a work ethic unlike other people.  They work and work and work until they accomplish what they have set their sights on but then when they reach that goal they set more.  They never stop working.

Sean Connery, Genuine Customer Service and Marinade

Sept 18, 2015

Favorite Quote

“My first big break came when I was five years old.  It has taken me more than seventy years to realize that.  You see, at five I first learned to read.  It’s that simple and it’s that profound.”

Sean Connery

I’m so glad I learned how to read when I was young, I feel the same way Sean Connery feels, it has made all the difference in my life.

Customer Service Experience of the week

I made an appointment with an academic adviser on Sept 7^th for Sept 18^th at 10am.  I had a few questions about credits that transferred from another school and how they affected my overall grad plan.  I was excited and planed my day around my appointment.  I waited until thirteen minutes after my appointment time before I called the school to see why the adviser hadn’t called me back.  The young man who answered my call informed me that the young women with whom I had the appointment didn’t come in that day due to personal reasons. He could sense my disappointment and asked if I could give him five minutes and he would call me back and assist me with my questions.  He called within four minutes and spent the next 30 minutes waling me through my next four years answering every question I had.  He was enthusiastic and thorough and genuinely interested in my satisfaction.  He could have just said, she is not in today and you’ll have to make another appointment, but he took ownership in my dilemma and with a willingness to solve my problem made me very happy. 

I love people who are authentic and genuinely want to help their customers.

The Start-up of me

Who you know is what you know

I recently heard an analogy about marinade.  We marinade meat so it will soak up the intense flavors and become more flavorful.  We are like that meat, we will inevitably become exactly what we surround ourselves with.  We can choose to surround ourselves with greatness or failure.  It's in the company we keep.  

• You get the intelligence you need to make good career decisions by talking to people in your network.  
• It's people who help you understand your assets, aspirations, and the market realities.  It's people who help introduce you to possible allies and trust connections.