Celebrate Your Life

Week 14:

Shaping Opportunities

• The three components of a business model --> strategy, capabilities, and value
• growth options: enhance- make incremental improvements to an existing product or channel to market, expand- launch new products OR enter new markets, explore- launch new products AND enter new markets (e.g. launch a new business)
• ...successful entrepreneurial teams possess a combination of:

heart= passion and motivation

smarts= analytical and creative thinking skills

guts= intuition based on education and experience, as well as the courage to take action

luck= being in the right place at the right time

• Greater awareness of what you're best at, and how and when to turn up or down the volume of the other traits, is what separates the best business builders from those who are very good.

FINISHERS WANTED

• As we read, (the Bible) we sympathize with those who falter. We honor those who finish.
• eternal life= keep the commandments
• If you keep the commandments, ask "what lack I yet?" Ans: "go and sell that thou hast and give it to the poor, ... and come and follow me."
• REMEMBER "Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high." (Job 16:19)
• My Personal Constitution: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7)
• the true marks of finishers: The mark of vision, the mark of effort, the mark of faith, the mark of virtue, the mark of courage, the mark of prayer
• vision without effort is daydreaming; effort without vision is drudgery; but vision, coupled with effort, will obtain the prize.

Stick to your task 'til it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders are few.

Honor, power, place and praise

Will always come to the one who stays. Stick

to your task 'til it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the 

smile

Will come life's victories after a while.
-- Author Unknown

Tom Monaghan

*READ C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity:  "...and he basically was telling me that the reason you work so hard and try to accomplish all you had was to have more. Not just more but more than other people..."

*...most people if they have a lot of money and they grew up poor they're afraid of that experience again...

*It's not because he doesn't like money, or doesn't like the things that money can buy, or he's trying to give his way into heaven, Tom wants to go to heaven and bring as many people with him by using his money to build the kingdom. 

Peak Performance

* Most people fail in life because they do not understand how to balance their roles and responsibilities.

*The life plan and constitution of your writing will make a huge difference in how you attack your future and how others will respond to your attack. 

Personal Constitution EX:

"I am financially self-reliant."

"I am physically fit."

"I am identifying my skills and talents."

"I am a product of what I eat."

"I understand the value of humor."

"I am a leader."

"I am creative."

"I am a communicator."

"I am mentally tough; I don't complain."

"I can motivate without depreciating others."

*Prepare for your peak performance opportunity, it will come, and if you are not striving to be in an ideal performance state, the opportunity will pass to another.

SUMMARY

The fundamental question for those that run the race of life is "Shall I falter or shall I finish?" A service added to an existing business can develop an entire industry. Finding your passion, analytical skills, intuition, or luck helps you to hire or partner with the right people. The outcome of people's lives turn on small hinges. 

In Conclusion, if someone were to ask me about the Entrepreneur's path I would have a hard time describing the pros and cons. I do not know why but I had a good conversation with my cousin's husband who is striving to build his own business and I had a hard time explaining what an entrepreneur is and does and what to expect. I suppose you don't really know what to expect until you actually try something out first hand but I was surprised I couldn't express myself more clearly. I've learned a lot this trimester and in my own defense, I was attempting to explain what I had learned when we were only half-way through the curriculum. I am very grateful I took a lot of notes because I know I will need them. If anyone else asks me about the entrepreneurial path I think I will lead them to the Hero's path and from there they can choose a path that best suits them individually. I would caution them against being stuck in or choosing the wrong job. I think a lot of us accept what is most convenient and never strive for what we dream of. I would also caution any would-be entrepreneur that the work/ life balance is really difficult. Basically, I'm still undecided but I do feel more prepared for whatever lies ahead. I'm excited for the future despite the pitfalls. I'm grateful, I'm cautious, and I'm ready.