Habits of Mastery

I learned that the process of mastery is a long one, one that requires patience and perseverance. I think that was really good for me to remember.  One of the most impactful principles that I learned about was the principle of homeostasis which is kind of like our body’s temperature control. It is that thing in each of us that alerts our body whenever there is change, good or bad. It’s what makes you want to stop exercising when you start or get up late like usual rather than early. But it’s necessary, because it’s also the thing that alerts you when your body is too cold or overheating. It is a useful tool, when we know how to control it. We can use it to keep us from getting in danger. However, we must know how to hack the system, get around it. The way to do that is to negotiate with yourself. Talk that homeostasis right through those subtle or big changes your body isn’t always ready to make. This helped me realize that resistance to change, to hard work is a natural process but one that can be overcome. This has helped me this week to do hard things and to accomplish more. I think once we can identity the problem, it is much easier to overcome. I really want to develop the habit of synergy as well so that I can work better as a team.

The Art of Practice

I have learned a lot this week about mastery and what it takes. It is interesting to realize that I have been living my life completely wrong for years. I have been constantly focused on what comes next. On becoming the best, or becoming successful but it turns out that it’s really not about any of that. It’s about the art of practice. About doing something, practicing it, working at it because you love it. Practicing for the sake of practice itself. Not because you want to be the best, not because of a goal you’ve set but because you love what you do. It is something so simple and yet so profound! It made me look at life completely differently. As I’ve worked on some of my hobbies like playing volleyball and guitar, I’ve found more joy in it because I am not doing it to amount to something, I am doing it because I love doing it and that has actually made me better this week!

Another insight that I thought was powerful from the reading this week was the quote “the essence of boredom is to be found in the obsessive search for novelty.” That impacted me greatly when I read it because I realized that sometimes we create our own problems by wanting more than we have or saying “I’ll be happy when…” The key is to live in the now and simply enjoy every moment.

Personal Revelation

I am so grateful for the things I am learning in this class. It is amazing what we can learn when our studying is done by the Holy Ghost. I received many answers to prayers this week about what I should do with my career and what path I should pursue. I am grateful to BYU Idaho for allowing me the privilege of learning with the Spirit and learning so many truths that will help make a better person. The things I learned this week were very personal to me but I can say that my testimony of personal revelation and prayer has grown and from a business standpoint, that is at the forefront of my personal constitution. To implement personal revelation and prayer in all things. I loved in the Hero’s journey how it talked about the opportunity we have to make a difference in the world, to change people’s lives. I know that the only way we can do that is by becoming an instrument in the hands of the Lord by following His spirit and doing what He has asks us to do. It means being willing to do hard things, following spiritual prompting and becoming more selfless.

Facing Fears

All of us face fears in our own way shape or form. From the dark to facing failure, whether big or small, significant or not, we all have fears. That’s part of life but part of life is also being able to face and overcome those fears. In order to do so, we must first know what those fears are. We must take a flashlight to them, explore them and look for ways to overcome them. That’s what I tried to do this week. I explored several different fears and learned that the source of most of my fears comes from a need to please others. I decided that that isn’t a bad thing, wanting to please others but the key in losing my fears is to change the way I focus on that. Instead I can focus on bringing happiness to people. Finding small ways to change people’s lives, serve them and bless them. But I can’t base my fears around disappointing them because it will be impossible to make everyone happy or change the entire world. However I can change someone’s world and I plan on doing that in as many ways possible and that for me is enough. 

Experience Speech

Experience Speech

Beginning:

I had been living in Paradise for 7 months, in this little town called Urubamba in the Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains at the foothills of Machu Picchu and I had officially decide that Peru is the most beautiful place on the planet.

And then one day I got that letter that every missionary either really dreads or really looks forward to saying I had been transferred. And I had been transferred to a place called Juliaca. Now I’d heard of Juliaca before and what I’d heard is that it is the complete opposite of Urubamba in every single way. And what I learned about Juliaca is that that is 100% true.

(show pictures of Juliaca and talk about dirt, dogs and garbage. Then awesome people)

Introduce Benavente family

Talk about P-day

Then they took us to lunch

Feelings and experience eating chicken with them

The happiness they had

Read scripture

Blessings the family received

Life is still hard

But the Benaventy family taught me something important that day, that blessings come to those who serve and to those who obey.