Parting thoughts...

Something that has stuck with me since I graduated high school, 14 years ago, was the speech my favorite teacher, Dr. Neralich gave at graduation. He described the school as an inn and he was the inn keeper. Each of his students had come to stay but a brief time at his inn. We each learned a little bit from each other and took that with us as we went on our ways. What we took with us was up to us, but we were all better because of our time together. He had a profound impact on my life, and I am very fortunate to have had him as a teacher. I didn’t go into a similar field of study as he, but I truly feel like he has been a mentor for me, even if he doesn’t always realize it.

I feel like the business world, especially for a person that wants to keep moving up is similar. There are multiple inns along the way that we can stop at, learn, rest, and then head out again on our journey. It is important that we always learn from those times, whether they be good or bad, there is always a lesson to be learned that can and will help you along the path.

If I were to be so lucky as to be considered a mentor by another, I think I would push them to always remember why you are doing what you are doing, who you are doing it for, and remember what it is that you are looking to achieve. The first, remembering why you are doing what you are doing, help you keep focused. Find something you are passionate about, and that you won’t lose that passion for when you are forced to do it day in and day out. If the pressure will make you lose the passion, don’t do it.

Who are you doing it for? If the answer is your family, make time for them. Yes, business might be hurt sometimes when family comes first, but if you don’t take care of the personal side, and rewards you might get will be in vain. The destination isn’t so grand if you look around and suddenly you realize you are there all by yourself.

Always keep your end goal in mind, but don’t be afraid to move around on the path a little bit. If you have your vision so narrowed, you might miss out on some really great opportunities that come along. It’s like a game of chutes and ladders, you might miss the ladder that will move you ahead quickly and instead slip and fall backwards down the slide.

Finally, the most important thing is have fun and remember who you are.

Gratitude

I loved this reminder during what can turn into a very selfish time of year. I have always loved the lyric “because I have been given much I too must give.” It is something I try to live by and it is what drives me. Temporally I have been given much along my life’s path and I feel like everything I do now is my way of thanking all those that helped me along the way. I don’t mean that I had a very charmed life growing up, just the opposite. I was actually days away from being homeless multiple times growing up, and yet someone was always there to help out. I know it was Heavenly Father always looking out for us. Now, I am in a much better situation and I can be the person to help out others. I hope that I can use my degree in business to continue to help improve the community around me, and hopefully lift others so they don’t have to go through the things I did.

I could be bitter and complain about the challenges I had growing up, but it’s the opposite. I am very thankful for the trials I had, they have made me the person I am and have given me a drive to always pay it forward.

Always leave something better than how you found it…

One this I have always been taught is that you should always leave things better than how you found them. Whether it is your campground, a business venture, or society, your goal should always be to make it better. For me this is pretty personal and something I have really tried to do. For instance, my oldest daughter has been in school for 8 years now, and of those 8 years I have been an active member in her school community. I have volunteered for random activities here or there, gone on countless field trips, but the most important and meaningful to me has been my work on the Local School Council. Chicago is unlike any other school district in that each school is given a budget and a few guidelines and then their LSC is given control of their school. I have been the chairman of that board for the last 7 years. Through my work with that group we have been able to purchase new curriculum, update our 1920’s auditorium, and most importantly improve the school and make it a place where people are on waitlists to get into it. (10 years ago it was almost shut down because only 13% of student were meeting state standards, now it is one of the top schools in the city). I have found my passion in doing this. I’m not paid for any of my time spent towards this, it is all truly intrinsic value I am getting out of it, and I love it.

• Based on what you read in the first two pages (pages 3 and 4), why are virtue and integrity so vital to an economy?

Virtue and integrity are vital to an economy because if there is a lack of trust of those in the driver’s seat no one will want to get involve.

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

The real justification for a business is to make a profit so it can make or do something better.