W03 Reflection

 

“A Hero’s Journey” talked about a few principals that were key takeaways. First, I have a very special mission as plan of God’s eternal plan. My mission on earth will be successful if I have enough faith and courage to endure the trials I face. Even in my imperfections I can be profitable spiritually and physically in any career. The key is to find my passion and strengths then work toward admirable goals. Second, we need to learn how to learn, by listening. Thinking back on people I most admire; people would learn to understand tend to be better teachers. The act of listening sounds pretty simple but it's been hard for me in my life to connect with people who just listen. When someone actively engages in listening, they ask questions that help me to be introspective. These deep conversations lead to me gaining more knowledge. I've also found that people who truly listen are more able to show empathy and bring me closer to Christ. Finally, “A Hero’s Journey” stresses the importance of learning how to live a life of meaning. At first it may film hard to learn the importance of a meaningful life, but Heavenly Father rarely leaves his children to fend for themselves. Not only do we have prayer and scriptures to help us, but we also have other people who can act as mentors and help us be directed in the way that we need to go. As people age money matters less then relationship and meaningful living.

After this week's reading I decided I need to find out what other people thought my best qualities were. I asked 3 people who I have frequent interactions with what I do well so I have a better understanding what skills I should work on perfecting. My husband pointed out that I'm good at making people laugh and feel important. I don't think I've always been this way but over the years I've just discovered that life is too short to take it seriously. Little things that would cause me anxiety in my younger years, like being late, I don’t worry about as much these days. This doesn't mean I allow myself to be late all the time, but if I get held up at work because someone needs me, I try to give them the time they deserve. Part of this behavior has changed with my knowledge that Heavenly Father loves all his children and I need to be respectful of everyone.

When I asked my best friend what I am particularly good at her reply was that I have the ability to talk through problems rationally. This response was interesting to me because I haven’t really realized this was an asset. When someone comes to me with a problem I try to listen first and ponder before I start talking. When I'm at work this tool is especially useful because in meetings typically have more time to think about my response. Lastly, I asked an employee what he thought my best quality was. He replied that I lead by example and am patient. I try really hard to lead by example so I'm glad I'm doing that well enough for people to notice. What surprised me was the quality of patients as I don’t see myself as a patient person.

Reading and pondering about perseverance was another highlight of this week's studies. Persistence is the single most important factor with being successful. Most historical leaders are known for this quality. Thomas Edison tried countless times before he came up with a design for a working light bulb. The founding fathers pressed forward through the Revolutionary War to gain their freedom from England. This made me realize that I need to persevere and not give up when things in life get hard.