Family and true friends should be the reason to accomplish anything in life.  Why do we work?  What motivates us?  It shouldn't be the money.  It shouldn't be the recognition.  It should be about being able to provide for our wives and children that we have been entrusted with.  This brings us pure joy and satisfaction.  It is a hard balance sometimes.  The way we do work has changed with technology.  There really is no 9 to 5 anymore.  Work can follow us home 24-7 especially for entrepreneurs.  A lot of them are one man shows who wear all the hats in the business.  It has become very difficult to separate personal time and professional time.  It is important to make rules and to live by them no matter what.  Family should always be just as important or most important in our lives.  If we lose focus and lose family then what do we have?  I understand that the work of an entrepreneur becomes very important.  It’s our baby.  We want it to become the best.  This is where we can get into trouble.  It’s that balance we need to keep.  This is why making rules and sticking with them is vital.  We need to keep our families along the ride to success.  

Life is moving fast.  The world is changing.  Business is changing right along with it.  The way we do business has changed and will continue to change.  Technology is the driving force of all the change.  We are able to accomplish so much more at a faster rate thanks to technology.  There is a constant need of adaptation to business policies. The business world has become an entrepreneurial playground.  Businesses need new ideas and procedures to keep up with the pace.  Whatever business is willing to change and to take calculated risks will be the businesses that will keep up and survive.  Who can think outside the box?  I’m not saying we need to reinvent the wheel, but we do need to think of ways to make the wheel faster, stronger, and maybe even cheaper than ever before.  We live in California and my 13 year old daughter and I were looking out over the ocean and I commented on how much water there is, and my daughter said, “Why can’t we use some to at least water the land because of the drought we are in?”  I told her to that she should figure out a way to do so.  Things like this can be done thanks to the entrepreneurial thinking and spirit.

It is true that good guys finish last and it is fantastic.  It is fantastic especially in the entrepreneurial game.  Coming in last usually means you have been out the longest.  Longevity is the name of the game.  Your credibility grows the longer you are in business. To be successful in business, you need to be honest and loyal in all your dealings.  You will receive the same treatment in return.  This is the only way to do business.  If you are not honest or loyal it will eventually catch up to you.  Just being a nice guy will get you farther than someone who isn't.  Who wants to be around someone who is only there for himself, and not to help make things better for everyone around?  Businesses function better with nice, honest, and loyal people.  There is stronger unity.  There is better team work.  There is a saying that says, “One bad apple can spoil the whole butch.”  It only takes one person to spoil a business deal.  The service may have been top notch, but that one guy or girl that had a bad attitude could be the only thing keeping you from being a return customer. 

I have learned that it is just as important to remember how you got to where you are as much as it is to keep pressing forward.  How did you become the person you are now?  What sacrifices where made to provide you with what you needed to accomplish what you have accomplished?  Remembering all the blessing you have enjoyed so far will help you stay focused on the future.  You will have a bigger desire to not let all of that hard work go to waste.  It is like when a teammate goes down before the end of the season. This teammate has been very influential to the team’s success so far.  The rest of the team will usually dedicate the rest of the season to that player.  They will use it as motivation to play their very best.  My ancestors came over on a boat from England, then made their way across the United States from Louisiana.  They helped settle Southern Utah.  I am sure there were many trials and hardships suffered.  I am grateful for their testimonies and determination to endure so that now my family and I can enjoy the blessing of being born under the covenant.  I plan to do the same for my kids, grand kids, and so on. 

I have learned that there is so much more to business than making money.  Making money is great and is a fine motivator, but you shouldn't do things just for the money.  You will not be happy.  You will not feel satisfied.  You should want to do something because you love doing it, and that it is changing the world around you for the better.  If you do it well the money will come.  Companies who are in it just for the money are not around very long.  It shows through the product and service.  Even employees show why they are there without them realizing it a lot of times.  How many times have you been to a restaurant and the service was terrible?  It was probably an employee there just for the money.  It is all about the attitude.  Even if the job you have right now isn't what you are striving for, it is better to have the best attitude possible.  Waiters who show that they are there to serve the customer and to try their best with a smile get the better tips.  I believe this is true for all positions in business.  Show up and give it your best and things will always work out for the better.