Buying Happiness

I agree with Stephen W. Gibson and his attitude towards money. Money isn’t inherently good or bad, it’s what we do with money that makes it so. I truly believe that we can do so much good with money. I don’t think that money can buy happiness, but we can. When my parents and I sacrificed money so that I could serve a mission in Peru, I have never felt so much joy. The money itself didn’t buy the happiness, but our sacrificing it for others did. When a member of the church in Peru sacrificed a huge chunk of their life savings to make it to the temple to be sealed as a family, the money didn’t buy happiness, but they did by sacrificing it. We can use money to buy happiness, we can use time to buy happiness, we can use talents to buy happiness. By definition the word buy means to obtain in exchange for payment. I think happiness is something we can only obtain by payment, whether that be money, talents, time, or personal comfort. I believe this because I believe that the only way we can truly be happy is through obedience and service, both of which will always require sacrifice. 

Give a little, get a lot.

This week I learned a lot about the importance of giving and trusting. When we trust others, they trust us. When we give to people, eventually that giving comes back to us. This is actually a principle I’ve been thinking a lot about lately so it was interesting that in our readings we learned more about that. I loved when he talked about how we are all either bakers or eaters and how the world needs more bakers. I’ve noticed, and I’m not perfect at it but I’m trying, that as I strive to be a baker, someone who looks at the world with the perspective of “what can I give?”, I’m happier. I am genuinely happy when I am trying to see how I can bless the lives of others. And what I’ve noticed as well, is that when I look at the world that way, suddenly everyone in my life in turn, becomes a blessing to me, becomes a gift. It’s an amazing thing to see the world as a place where we can give as much as we can, a place to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. As I have strived to serve others, I have never not had enough to eat or lacked clothes to wear. I’ve always had a rough over my head. But most of all, I’ve never lacked the love that I need to feel like life is meaningful and worthwhile. What goes around really does come around.

Choosing Companions

This week I learned a lot about how important it is to choose people to accompany you along life’s journey who are reliable, honest, full of integrity, kind, hard-working and positive. However, I also realized even more how important it is to be that person so that you can attract those kinds of people. Anything you wish to see in the people around you, you must first be willing to emulate and develop within yourself. The people you surround yourself with tend to become a part of who you are so it is important that you are influencing others for the best. We must first be willing to be the companion we need and then look for the companion we need.

That is one of the reasons it’s so important to stay close to the spirit because we need The Lord in our life and we need the spirit. We need them as our companions. They must guide us in every way and help us become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. When picking companions, the Lord should always be our first choice. And if anyone along the way, distances us from them, we should reevaluate who we are letting accompany us in life’s journey. 

Having Faith

What a week! This week I learned a lot about learning from past mistakes and using the past to propel you forward. I learned that we must be willing to accept and take responsibility for the road behind us and the road in front of us. All things in our life essentially come down to agency and we must use it properly because it is a powerful tool or weapon, depending on how we use it.

I learned about looking forward with an eye of hope, for good things to come. Even if the road ahead seems long and difficult there is absolutely nothing we can’t do with the help of our Father in Heaven. My trust in Him has grown this week as I have put not only my faith in Him but my hope as well. And as I focus on the good things to come and keep an eternal perspective, with my Savior at the center of all of that, I find myself happier and more successful. Life has more light when the source of that light is Christ. I find so much joy in Him and His gospel. It is amazing how even though the road seems uncertain I can still have peace knowing that it will all work out in the end.

Familiar as Strange

You sit down

Here you are once more

Wondering why in the world you’ve done this to yourself again

You know you really should’ve learned the first time

Your knuckles clench

You break out in a sweat

And that knot in your stomach gets a little bit tighter

All you want to do is leave

But unfortunately, you’re in too deep

There’s no going back now

Then, whatever you are sitting in slowly reclines

You look up but close your eyes

Because everyone you’ve ever known said not to go towards the light

Your mouth opens in fear but no sound comes out

Then it’s as if everything else just disappears

You’re left with 1 single noise

You hear the clinking of metal

It sounds as though it’s getting closer… and closer… and closer

It stops. You open your eyes wondering if the torture is done

But you quickly realize that it’s only just begun

You’re left with a decision

Keep your eyes open and know

Or keep your eyes closed and don’t

You decide on the second.

This is it. This is the end.

They have full control now.

They decide where you go. They decide how you move.

You’re in their hands

All you want to do is get up. You’re tempted to.

You wish to signal your hands in distress but they already told you, if you did… bad things would happen

So you just hope you’re one of the lucky ones

All of a sudden that knot in your stomach drops to the tip of your toes.

Time slows. Then it stops. 30 seconds, just turned into eternity.

You realize you’re not alone. You hear the cries of the others

The sickening feeling in your stomach worsens

You try to block them out.

You focus instead on the brave men and women who came before you

You try to take courage in them

And then it all ends. It’s all over it’s done.

As you whisper, “why did I believe them when they said it’d be fun?”

Your head is throbbing and your stomach hurts but way deep down you know it could’ve been worse.

You stand once more trying to steady your feet

As finally you escape that old black seat

Then at last you hear that familiar voice say

Thank you for riding, have a nice day.

Life isn’t easy but it’s so worth it.

In all of living have much joy and laughter life is to be enjoyed, not just endured. 

Debate outline

Introduction:

We do not intend to persuade or state that LDS women should not or cannot go to college but rather to explore and express the benefits of finding alternative ways of receiving an education. We will be focusing mainly on LDS women but the information we will provide is beneficial to all people regardless of gender or religion. We will be talking about how there are successful people who never got a college degree, or dropped out of college. We will also be covering the Church's emphasis on how we are encouraged to gain an education, but that not necessarily meaning we need a college degree. The last thing that we will be talking about is the role of mothers and motherhood in the family and in the world. We invite you to apply the information that we will share to your own life and ask yourself critical questions as we discuss statistics, real stories, and rising problems to the dear sisters of this church and society.

#1 Successful People/how to be successful without college.

Lest you think our argument is based on a belief that women are incapable of being successful in the workforce or have no place in the professional world, we would like to dispel the common myth that the only way to find a successful career is through a college education.

The following list of people who never received a college degree may be of significance to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249683

People who never went to college:

Steve Jobs: Co founder of Apple - Net worth: $11 billion

Richard Branson: Founder of Virgin Atlantic Airway and Virgin Studios - Net worth $ 4.9 billion

Dave Thomas: (founder and CEO of Wendy’s) Net worth $99 million

David Green: Founder of Hobby Lobby- net worth $6 billion

Larry Ellison: Founder of Oracle - net worth $54 billion

Michael Dell- founder of dell comupters - net worth $20 billion

(Who’s to say a woman couldn’t be just as successful)

Rachael Ray- Cooking TV show star - Net worth $60 million

Anna Wintour- didn’t even graduate high school (editor and chief of vogue)

Jessica Alba

Oprah Winfrey

Ellen Degeneres

Coco Chanel

Walt Disney

What did all of these people have in common? They are all extremely creative and innovative and they weren’t afraid to fail.

Sir Ken Robinson said in a recent Ted talk that instead of growing into creativity in school, we grow out of it. Students all over the world have had more years of schooling than they care to count. During this process, students are taught that making a mistake is a sin. We have planted in our students’ minds a picture of a perfectly, carefully drawn life.

The research on the matter is endless and we invite you to investigate more but we’d like each of you to reflect and ask yourselves, does school really cultivate creativity or does it kill it?

In case you assume that the list read previously is a list of outliers that does not apply to you in anyway, we have put together another list of a few jobs out of the hundreds that exist, that do not require a college education, including:

Jobs that do not require a college degree

Commercial Pilot

Real Estate Agent

Locomotive engineers

Stationary engineers

Creative writers

Data entry

Web developer

Social media manager

Digital content specialist

Motivational speaker

Graphic Artist

Instrument technicians

Aircraft mechanics

Business operations specialists

Detectives and criminal investigators

Substitute teacher

Veternarian assistant

Plumbers

Electrician

Receptionist

Ranch hand

Tour guide

Entrepreneur

Photographer

Helicopter pilot

And the list goes on

College may not only be unnecessary for many, it may be dangerous: Maybe, just like a bottle of pain killers or medication, college should include it’s own warnings:

Side effects may include:

Extreme stress

Sleep deprivation

Peer pressure and social challenges

Depression

Anxiety

Extreme debt

And no guarantee of a job after graduating

How many times have you heard, but it’ll be worth it. The sacrifice will pay off.

Well when it comes to college, does it really?

https://college-education.procon.org/

According to the Department of Labor, as of 2008, 17 million college graduates were in positions that did not require a college education. [6] 1 in 3 college graduates had a job that required a high school diploma or less in 2012. [5] More than 16,000 parking lot attendants, 83,000 bartenders, 115,000 janitors and 15% of taxi drivers have bachelor's degrees.

In 2011 50% of college graduates under 25 years old had no job or a part-time job.

according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 30 projected fastest growing jobs between 2010 and 2020, five do not even require a high school diploma, nine require nothing more than a high school diploma or equivalent

Trade professions are necessary for society to function, require less than four years of training, and often pay above average wages. The high number of young adults choosing college over learning a trade has created a 'skills gap' in the US and there is now a shortage of 'middle-skill" trade workers One 2011 survey of US manufacturers found that 67% reported a "moderate to severe shortage of talent," [53] "Middle-skill" jobs represent half of all jobs in the US that pay middle-class wages. [54] According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "middle-skill" jobs will make up 45% of projected job openings through 2014, but as of 2012 only 25% of the workforce had the skills to fill those jobs.

As of 2012 student loan debt was over $1 trillion dollars, and more than 850,000 student loans were in default. [61] According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, student loans are "beginning to have the same effect" on the economy that the housing bubble and crash created.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/31/5-high-paying-jobs-that-dont-require-a-college-degree.html

https://www.thebalance.com/media-industry-jobs-you-can-get-without-a-degree-4023960

https://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/bestpaying-jobs-that-dont-require-a-college-degree

http://clark.com/employment-military/highest-paying-jobs-no-bachelors-degree/

https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/3893-7-successful-women-without-college-degrees

Because this information is applicable to all people, male and female, we would like you to take a minute and ask yourself, is college really worth it?

#2 Education is more than school:

Definitions of education: information about or training in a particular field or subject.

Education is more than school: I have never let my schooling interfere with my education -mark twain

Many students graduate from college with little understanding of math, reading, civics, or economics. [56] In 2011, 35% of students enrolled in college reported they studied 5 hours or less per week and there was a 50% decline in the number of hours a student studied and prepared for classes compared to a few decades ago. [57] 36% of students demonstrated no significant improvement on Collegiate Learning Assessments after 4 years of college. [58] In 2013 56% of employers thought half or fewer of college graduates had the skills and knowledge to advance within their companies. [59]30% of college graduates felt college did not prepare them well for employment, specifically in terms of technical and quantitative reasoning skills. [60] A 2011 Pew Research survey found that 57% of Americans felt higher education did not provide students with good value compared to the money spent. [25]

https://college-education.procon.org/

“Schools were built upon a fundamental premise that teachers and knowledge and information were scarce, that is no longer the reality”

When was the last time that you were looking for information on how to do something or be something that you couldn’t find online?

Personal experience. I have been able to teach myself all about music through the internet. I did not need to go to school to be able to play the guitar. I have also never taken a photography class, but I have been able to become a decent photographer without any proper training. Those are my passions, that is what I care about. I have educated myself a lot in the subject, but I never got a degree with it. Just like the prophets and apostles council us to get an education, a lot of people are able to do that without getting a formal college degree. I live for the things that I do creatively, and I do not really see school helping with my passion. Another thing that helps you get real life experience and education is working an actual job. I have worked jobs that have given me an extreme amount of life experience that I NEVER would have learned in college.

“You have the potential to become anything to which you set your mind. You have a mind and a body and a spirit. With these three working together, you can walk the high road that leads to achievement and happiness. But this will require effort and sacrifice and faith. You must get all of the education that you possibly can. Life has become so complex and competitive. You cannot assume that you have entitlements due you. You will be expected to put forth great effort and to use your best talents to make your way to the most wonderful future of which you are capable. 2Sacrifice a car; sacrifice anything that is needed to be sacrificed to qualify yourselves to do the work of the world. That world will in large measure pay you what it thinks you are worth, and your worth will increase as you gain education and proficiency in your chosen field. 3” - Gordon B. Hinckley

I want you all to think about what drives you when you are learning something new. Every person on this earth has passions, things that they are excited about, things that they want to learn more about constantly. Now there are things in college that most students are not passionate about, busy work, that one science class, or any other subject that just does not interest you. Passion is the key to success in truly gaining an education. When you have passion, the desire to learn is extremely increased so much so that you will be using your free time to learn more about those things that you have a passion for.

https://www.lds.org/new-era/2007/09/words-of-the-prophet-seek-learning?lang=eng
your education must never stop. If it ends at the door of the classroom on graduation day, we will fail. And we will need the help of heaven to know which of the myriad things we could study we would most wisely learn. . . .“The real life we’re preparing for is eternal life,” President Eyring said. “Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does.”

“True learning – learning that is permanent and useful, that leads to intelligent action and further learning — can arise only out of the experience, interest, and concerns of the learner” - John Holt

#3 Women and Motherhood

JA When I explained our debate topic and that we were going to talk about whether or not it was worth it for LDS women to go to college, when I told people we would talk about the importance of motherhood, the first thing I heard from most people was, good luck not sounding sexist.

When my roommate told a friend that she wants to be a wife and mother more than anything, her friend asked, yeah but don’t you have any dreams or goals in life?

My response is what greater goal is there than the desire to achieve and reach the highest potential God has given his daughters here on earth.

Is it really sexist or discriminatory to say that women have the privilege and blessing and sacred trust of caring for God’s most precious possession, his children? Or is it actually sexist and discriminatory to say that being a mother and a wife isn’t good enough. Isn’t a lofty enough goal?

PH For many LDS women, the stresses of raising a family and fulfilling the social or other pressures of completing college are overwhelming and impractical. Many desire to go into fields of work that do not even require a college degree. Depression rates among college students, especially those with greater responsibility is on the rise and is causing serious mental and emotional health issues. Sometimes, the cost of raising a family and going to school is impractical and often takes mothers from their homes in the early, critical years of childhood.

I want you to take a minute to think about what your mother has done for you in your life. I also want you to think about what your life would be like without the love of a mother growing up. Mothers have created our generation, and will continue to build the generations to come.

"One cannot remember mother and forget God." -Thomas S. monson

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? -Neal A. Maxwell

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/a-plea-to-my-sisters?lang=eng

JA The children these mothers raise are the future of our nation and church.

The truth is that college isn’t always worth it. Especially not for all LDS women. We argue that the decision to go to college is individual and personal. We commend and thank the dear women of this church who understand the value and divinity of motherhood and who make sacrifices to put their families first and we wish to end the social stigmas and stereotypes that have anxiously coerced many women to start or finish college degrees even when it wasn’t necessary or they didn’t feel it best for them and their families.

Main Points

1. Many Successful people have not gone to college- how to be successful
2. The Church talks about getting an education but not necessarily getting a college degree
3. Women and motherhood (Take a moment to think about what your life would be without your mother) https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1981/10/the-honored-place-of-woman?lang=eng

Closing Statement:

For years you have heard it said that hard work pays off but what is hard work without effective work or intelligent work. Will working hard at the wrong thing really pay off? Is college really where you should be spending, your time, energy and money? And more specifically, is college the most effective way for all LDS women to receive an education? The answer to this question may be deeply personal and individual but we would invite each of you, to expand your horizons and open your mind. To be more supportive of the young mothers in the church and understand that there are many ways to be successful in life and that doesn’t always include a 4 year degree.